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Thread: Stand light reacting to sound

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Oct 2017
    Location
    Vinton,VA
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    211

    Stand light reacting to sound

    This seems odd. My battery powered clip on stand light was very dim a few days ago, even with good batteries. But about half way through band rehearsal, it just "popped" on to full brightness. And during practice at home today, it was a little brighter. But about 20 minutes in, it began flickering when I played. Is this just a light going bad and reacting to the air vibrations, just as it might if I was shaking it (like a flashlight might do)?

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Oct 2017
    Location
    Vinton,VA
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    211
    Forgot to mention, the instrument is a euphonium.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jan 2006
    Location
    West Palm Beach, FL
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    3,853
    It sounds to me like there might be a loose connection in the workings of the lamp that the vibrations are affecting. I would see if you could take it apart and look for any loose connections. It could just be the batteries making contact intermittently.
    Rick Floyd
    Miraphone 5050 - Warburton BJ / RF mpc
    YEP-641S (recently sold)
    Doug Elliott - 102 rim; I-cup; I-9 shank


    "Always play with a good tone, never louder than lovely, never softer than supported." - author unknown.
    Symphonic Band of the Palm Beaches
    El Cumbanchero (Raphael Hernandez, arr. Naohiro Iwai)
    Chorale and Shaker Dance
    (John Zdechlik)

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Oct 2017
    Location
    Vinton,VA
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    Thanks, Rick. And planned obsolescence still rules, I assume. But I will check the light.

  5. #5
    A loose bulb is possible; so is a bad switch.

    But the most common reason for behavior like this is a coating or tarnish that develops on the battery contacts or the ends of the battery. The first thing I try is twirling the battery without taking it out. That can get me going again for a while. From your description I suppose if this is the problem, it is the battery contacts that are tarnished. On cheap items like this, where you are not dealing with gold contacts, you can use an emery board to scratch a little of the tarnish.

    Or it could be dying.
    Dave Werden (ASCAP)
    Euphonium Soloist, U.S. Coast Guard Band, retired
    Adams Artist (Adams E3)
    Alliance Mouthpiece (DC3)
    YouTube: dwerden
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  6. #6
    Join Date
    Oct 2017
    Location
    Vinton,VA
    Posts
    211
    Yep, thanks David. It's LED lights sealed in the housing, so I can't really check, but I will twiddle with the batteries for a few days. I'll probably order another anyway, just to always have a backup.

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