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Topic: Projector problems

Chris Rhode
Film Handler

Posts: 39
From: Tampa, FL, USA
Registered: Apr 2000

posted 04-28-2000 06:09 PM

I was wondering if somebody out there could help me out with something. I work at a 24 plex in Tampa that runs Strong projectors (strong platters, milleenium projectors, highlight 2 lamphouse, the whole 9 yards.) We seem to have this ongoing problem with the ignitors with these projectors. We are going through them like water. Could anybody out there tell me how I could prevent this from happening?

Thanks!

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Mike Colley
Film Handler

Posts: 25
From: Dacula, GA
Registered: Jan 2000

posted 04-28-2000 10:27 PM

Do you work for Regal? When my theatre opened, we had the same problem. They were using the same exact equipment with Christie lamps. The initial solution was replace the Christie lamps with Osram. I'm not sure why, but this combination was not supposed to work properly together. Striking problems were still present. Next they replaced every xenon power supply(Strong switchers.) Still striking issues present. The final attempt was to replace the PC board in the lamphouse itself. I tend to believe that this was the actual problem. I just can't believe that we got 24 bad power supplies. I also can't see that the Christie lamps would be incompatible with a particular type of lamphouse and power supply. To this day we still have occasional striking problems(no PC board change in the problem lamphouses.) BTW, I would try to get a spare power supply of each type that you use. These Strong switching supplies seem to crap out very frequently(usually Friday or Saturday night.)

------------------
Mike Colley
Regal Cinemas
Hollywood 24
Atlanta, GA

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Chris Rhode
Film Handler

Posts: 39
From: Tampa, FL, USA
Registered: Apr 2000

posted 04-28-2000 10:40 PM

No, I actually work for AMC. We do in fact use Christie lamps. We bought one Osram 5k watt lamp to try it out in one of our big houses (where we normally use Christie 7k watt lamps). I had talked to the manager at one of the other theaters in town, and they had the same problem. He told me that they switched to using Osram lamps instead of Christie. We have only had to change out one rectifier since we opened (which was in July of '99,) but we have had to change out like 4 or 5 ingiters. It would get to the point where I would turn the lamp on manually before I started the show, and it would take 5+ minutes for it to actually strike and stay lit. Our problems aren't that bad now, but we still have problems with them not striking on time before the dowser opens.

As for replacing the PC board, we haven't tried that yet, but I would have to let my manager know because our warranties go out very soon (suggestion, NEVER get SDDS... I am sorry that AMC has.)

Chris Rhode

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David Kilderry
Master Film Handler

Posts: 355
From: Melbourne Australia
Registered: Sep 1999

posted 04-29-2000 04:01 AM

What is it with igniters these days. In my first 15 years in the business I can't recall one failing. On the last 3 Kinoton FP 50 installations we have had numerous igniter boards fail. What is going on?

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Stefan Scholz
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 223
From: Schoenberg, Germany
Registered: Sep 1999

posted 04-29-2000 04:26 AM

A new generation ignitors, with a different technology. That's going on. The old fashioned used to consist of a heavy duty 60 cps transformer to step up to 10 kV, a spark gap, a 1 nF/ 15 kV capacitor, and a tesla transformer coil to step up to 50 kV ignition voltage. No electronics incorporated, a simple and reliable technology. Modern igniters are powered from the DC source, and use flyback converters with transistors. Some have single pulse (sin² 150 kV curve) striking, which is more interference free to audio and computer systems, and requires less RFI filtering and grounding.
Modern switch mode supplies normally regulate to the lamp burning voltage (c. 22V). Therefore they require a boost circuitry to deliver the initial startup voltage of the bulb. (120 V) The transition between booster supply and main supply is critical, as current should never fall below hold value.
The old style magnetic ballast/ transformer supplies did not have this problems. That's why the older lamphouses with e.g. Irem 3 phase ballast never tended to not ignite.

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Ken Layton
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1452
From: Olympia, Wash. USA
Registered: Sep 1999

posted 04-29-2000 09:45 AM

Chris:

Do you turn the lamphouses off between shows and then when you go to start the next show it won't ignite?

The problem was traced to the IGNITER CONTROL PC board located inside the igniter. Strong redesigned the board (the new style is longer than the old one) for more reliable striking. You can install these yourself, but be aware the capacitors inside the igniter HOLD A CHARGE AND PACK A WALLOP! Be careful!

Call Strong before your warranty runs out and tell them you want the new boards. This retrofit also is used in the latest xenon Super Trouper spotlights, too.

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Chris Rhode
Film Handler

Posts: 39
From: Tampa, FL, USA
Registered: Apr 2000

posted 04-29-2000 09:24 PM

Ken,

What would happen is at the beginning of the day, some of them (the smaller houses) would strike with no problem, but then later in the afternoon, when the projector would start, the lamp would fail to strike before the dowser would open and it would set off the alarm. When we first opened, some of them would take 5+ mins to start and in some extreme cases would fail to ignite all together. I will talk to my manager ASAP to see if we are getting the correct ones because we have been getting replacement igniters, but then again some of them are not working correctly. I can tell you from memory that in one of our biggest houses we recently had the igniter changed out. Since I make it a habit to turn the lamp on manually before I press start I went to turn it on and it would make a type of clicking or pinging noise that would start off slow... then get progressively faster then it would strike, then it would start over and it would strike once the noise got really fast, and would turn on after about 3 times of this happening. I'm not sure if that is a defect but it really gets annoying to have to turn all of the lamps on before you hit the start button.

Chris

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Chris Rhode
Film Handler

Posts: 39
From: Tampa, FL, USA
Registered: Apr 2000

posted 05-02-2000 08:53 AM

Ken,

I talked to my manager and he said he is going to call Strong and replace all of our igniters. Thanks a bunch for your help!!

Chris

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Ken Layton
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1452
From: Olympia, Wash. USA
Registered: Sep 1999

posted 05-09-2000 08:29 AM

Chris:

Strong has now issued 2 service bulletins about this on their website (www.strong-cinema.com). Check out bulletins numbers SB-0019 and SB-0015.

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