An ultraviolet lamp system (100, 200, 300) comprising: a bulb (112, 212, 312); at least one magnetron (106a, 106b, 206a, 206b, 306a, 306b) configured to emit microwave energy configured to be received by the bulb (112, 212, 312); and a power supply (102, 202, 302) configured to provide electrical energy to the at least one magnetron (106a, 106b, 206a, 206b, 306a, 306b), wherein the at least one magnetron includes (i) a first magnetron (106a, 206a, 306a) configured to emit microwave energy configured to be received by the bulb (112, 212, 312), and (ii) a second magnetron (106b, 206b, 306b) configured to emit microwave energy configured to be received by the bulb (112, 212, 312), wherein the power supply (102, 202, 302) is adapted to modulate the electrical energy provided to each of the first magnetron (106a, 206a, 306a) and the second magnetron (106b, 206b, 306b) such that light output from the bulb (112, 212, 312) is more uniform in at least one of intensity and spectral output, characterized in that the bulb (112, 212, 312) is configured to be operated in a vertical orientation, and wherein the first magnetron (106a, 206a, 306a) is configured to emit microwave energy configured to be received by a lower portion of the bulb (112, 212, 312) in the vertical configuration, and wherein the second magnetron (106b, 206b, 306b) is configured to emit microwave energy configured to be received by an upper portion of the bulb (112, 212, 312) in the vertical configuration, wherein the power supply (102, 202, 302) is configured to operate to repeatedly remove or reduce the electrical energy provided to each of the first magnetron (106a, 206a, 306a) and the second magnetron (106b, 206b, 306b) according to a pattern whereby the electrical energy is removed from the first magnetron (106a, 206a, 306a) prior to removal of the electrical energy from the second magnetron (106b, 206b, 306b). a bulb (112, 212, 312); at least one magnetron (106a, 106b, 206a, 206b, 306a, 306b) configured to emit microwave energy configured to be received by the bulb (112, 212, 312); and a power supply (102, 202, 302) configured to provide electrical energy to the at least one magnetron (106a, 106b, 206a, 206b, 306a, 306b), wherein the at least one magnetron includes (i) a first magnetron (106a, 206a, 306a) configured to emit microwave energy configured to be received by the bulb (112, 212, 312), and (ii) a second magnetron (106b, 206b, 306b) configured to emit microwave energy configured to be received by the bulb (112, 212, 312), wherein the power supply (102, 202, 302) is adapted to modulate the electrical energy provided to each of the first magnetron (106a, 206a, 306a) and the second magnetron (106b, 206b, 306b) such that light output from the bulb (112, 212, 312) is more uniform in at least one of intensity and spectral output, characterized in that the bulb (112, 212, 312) is configured to be operated in a vertical orientation, and wherein the first magnetron (106a, 206a, 306a) is configured to emit microwave energy configured to be received by a lower portion of the bulb (112, 212, 312) in the vertical configuration, and wherein the second magnetron (106b, 206b, 306b) is configured to emit microwave energy configured to be received by an upper portion of the bulb (112, 212, 312) in the vertical configuration, wherein the power supply (102, 202, 302) is configured to operate to repeatedly remove or reduce the electrical energy provided to each of the first magnetron (106a, 206a, 306a) and the second magnetron (106b, 206b, 306b) according to a pattern whereby the electrical energy is removed from the first magnetron (106a, 206a, 306a) prior to removal of the electrical energy from the second magnetron (106b, 206b, 306b).