Firing Ushio Using Tar Ballast

[Delphinus]

I've read all that and I'm certainly not going to formally dispute any of it. I'm just saying ... sometimes it made a difference for me. Not in running any "better" or "brighter" or anything like that, but changing the orientation made the lamps fire in cases where they weren't before. Don't ask me why or how. But I thought it's just one more thing to fiddle with. It can't hurt (can it? I suppose don't apply so much force to the lamp that you torque the glass casing apart or something).

Anyhow, I realize it's a long shot, but I thought it couldn't hurt to look at it.

Originally Posted by PeterW

Just wanted to confirm that the nipple is the round metal piece that sits on a square piece.

Currently, it is facing down.

Ummm ... no I don't think that quite sounds like it. If you look at the glass arc tube, there should be a little bump on one side of it, near the centre. It's some artifact of the manufacturing process. Maybe it's where whatever elements are injected into the arc tube and then it's sealed or something like that. Anyhow, it looks a little like a wart on the glass arc tube.