Search the CONFOCAL archive at
http://listserv.acsu.buffalo.edu/cgi-bin/wa?S1=confocal

Our Nikon Rep gave us the figure that a mercury lamp has a lifetime
of 200 hrs OR 100 starts.  Newer bulbs have a lifetime of 300 hrs.
This would mean that if the microscope will be used within 2-3 hours,
it is more economical to leave it on.  Further, the lamp has to be
completely cool before restarting or else it is likely to explode.  I
inform our users to wait AT LEAST 30 minutes before re-igniting the
lamp.  This might be more than absolutely necessary, but I would
rather err on the side of caution.  A mercury lamp costs about $130
which comes to about $0.45 to $0.65 per hour.  Considering cost of
thousand(s) of dollars in repair of the microscope after an exploded
bulb, not to mention the hassle of evacuating the facillity because
of mercury contamination, it is better to leave it on a few extra
minutes.

George

>Dear Confocalisters,
>
>We have a confocal and users tend not to switch it off because they
>or somebody else are going to use it later. The result is that UV
>lamp (for routine fluorescence microscopy) runs hours without being
>used. Unfortunately, we have a very old system and if the lamp had
>been switched off, an attempt to switch it on again later will
>crush the computer. Accordingly, either all the system runs, or all
>the system should be switched off.
>
>I tend to advice to switch off the system if the idle period is
>going to be longer than 30-40 min. Is this indeed a reasonable
>treshold ?
>
>Boris Joffe


--

George Ring, Ph.D.
Dept. of Cell and Developmental Biology
SUNY Upstate Medical University
750 E. Adams St.
Syracuse, NY  13210-2339
email: [log in to unmask]
Tel. (315) 464-8595
FAX: (315) 464-8535