Suggestion: put a message up on screen something like "Use an infra-red sensor (or most digital camera sensors) to check IR bulb output" while you turn it on (maybe for a few seconds, or tap to turn it on/off in a dialog, or flash it for a while).

I haven't been able to get mine to show any output yet, via either of the Qtirreco/Irreco for N900/"shutter" widget. Worried its broken... Is there a low level access to it?