flash tube bubble?

hey everyone.my alien bee 800 flash tube has this little bubble on it.it looks like it melted a little bit.is that normal?.is it dangerous?

Did you or anyone else by chance physically touch the bulb at any point? Not sure, but I think those bulbs will do that or worse when you get finger grease on them.

varuj wrote in post #10268455
hey everyone.my alien bee 800 flash tube has this little bubble on it.it looks like it melted a little bit.is that normal?.is it dangerous?

Do you mean the glass or the filament has a bubble? (Neither would be a good thing) A picture would be worth a thousand words.

Regards,

110yd

Indeed. Please post a pic, so we can further assess the situation.

i think i might have touched it while i was putting modifiers

varuj wrote in post #10269831
i think i might have touched it while i was putting modifiers

does this look normal?

If you are referring to the little glass blob on the upper side flash tube to the right of center in the photo above, that is perfectly normal. It is the place where the final seal was made when manufacturing the tube.

If you have touched the flash tube, it would be a good idea to clean your fingerprints off. I would probably use a clean paper towel moistened with Windex for the purpose, though I have never gotten fingerprints on my flash tubes. Just make sure you do not disturb the little wires that are outside the flash tube.

o ok cool.but i dont remember if it being like this when i first got it.

varuj wrote in post #10268455
hey everyone.my alien bee 800 flash tube has this little bubble on it.it looks like it melted a little bit.is that normal?.is it dangerous?

Hello varuj,
After reading your post, I took a very careful look at the bulb on my recently purchased AB800. There is a very well defined "BUMP" in a similar position to your post. I would guess it is part of the manufacturing process.

Regards,

110yd

SkipD wrote in post #10270181
If you have touched the flash tube, it would be a good idea to clean your fingerprints off. I would probably use a clean paper towel moistened with Windex for the purpose, though I have never gotten fingerprints on my flash tubes. Just make sure you do not disturb the little wires that are outside the flash tube.

Windex? Or rubbing alcohol Skip? I was always told rubbing alcohol was best to use for that. Same with headlight bulbs in your car. The higher the alcohol percentage the better in the rubbing alcohol.

Iso alcohol (aka isopropanol) - you can get a 99% or better solution for next to nothing in most drugstores, etc. The idea is to get as pure an alcohol you can use/obtain with, as Ben says, as little, if any, oil or other junk (scents, etc) in it -- any of which will remain on the tube after cleaning in the formula. Use it damp on a paper towel taking care with the trigger wire around the tube and make sure no PT fragments got caught on it. Let air dry and away you go.

Same stuff can be used to clean VD Sensor Brushes of any grease that may have gotten on the bristles (see VD web site) from the mirror box. Works like a charm.

ben_r_ wrote in post #10276526
Windex? Or rubbing alcohol Skip? I was always told rubbing alcohol was best to use for that. Same with headlight bulbs in your car. The higher the alcohol percentage the better in the rubbing alcohol.

A little alcohol would probably do just as well or possibly better than the Windex. The key is to use a solvent that will get the fingerprint off and leave no residue.

o ok cool then ill just clean it up with some alcohol and just keep an eye on it.thanks a lot guys