my profile | my password | search | faq & rules | forum home

» Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE   » Operations   » Film Handlers' Forum   » Strong Super 80 - Hard to Strike!

Author Topic: Strong Super 80 - Hard to Strike! Matt Close Expert Film Handler Posts: 226 From: Hervey Bay, QLD, Australia Registered: Sep 2001 posted 11-09-2006 08:33 PM                        I have 4 Strong Super 80 lamphouses ALL exhibiting the same problem..... Apparently one started having the problem, and the other 3 units followed over the course of several months. They only strike after MANY attempts.... it can take up to a couple of minutes of the auto-striker trying and trying before it will light. They are paired with the matching Strong rectifier. I have started playing with one unit... I have a no load volatge of 95V. I have cleaned/filed the points in the spark gap and adjusted the gap IN slightly... Also, a tech before me replaced caps in the rectifier itself. .. but still the problem persists. Any ideas?  |  IP: Logged Louis Bornwasser Film God Posts: 4441 From: prospect ky usa Registered: Mar 2005 posted 11-09-2006 09:07 PM                        Try moving the arc points OUT slightly; which will have the effect of increasing the high voltage; too much and it won't work. I am assuming that the arc never starts and that the last thing to happen is the noise of the igniter.(?) Louis  |  IP: Logged Matt Close Expert Film Handler Posts: 226 From: Hervey Bay, QLD, Australia Registered: Sep 2001 posted 11-09-2006 09:43 PM                        The lamp does eventually strike.... but it takes forever! ... update ... I seem to have improved the striking now .... but it now looks like maybe a cap problem.... The lamp strikes but can't hold the arc.... After three or four attempts at it the arc becomes stable as does the current.... Caps? [ 11-09-2006, 11:05 PM: Message edited by: Matt Close ]  |  IP: Logged Steve Guttag We forgot the crackers Gromit!!! Posts: 12814 From: Annapolis, MD Registered: Dec 1999 posted 11-10-2006 07:36 AM                     It isn't the caps. Most likely the lamps. Particularly if they are Christie lamps. Each strike attempt heats the electrodes...eventually it will sustain the arc. This is particularly problemsome on low no-load voltage rectifiers. Those with a higher boost don't seem to have this problem as much. The Igniter board can be modified to allow the boost go higher (change a zener diode) but the rectifier MUST be able to have the boost to attain the higher voltage. If you change one of your lamps as an experiment, I'll wager it strikes right up. Generally, I tell people to ignore the multiple strikes...those that get into that groove often will stop after a few hundred hours and then go on to last damn near forever. Steve  |  IP: Logged Louis Bornwasser Film God Posts: 4441 From: prospect ky usa Registered: Mar 2005 posted 11-10-2006 02:32 PM                        Matt: If this is a new problem, did something change? (brand of bulb, etc.) If it never worked well that would lead me to think of upping the no load. If it was once OK, then about the only thing that ages is the capacitors and the bulb. Louis  |  IP: Logged Matt Close Expert Film Handler Posts: 226 From: Hervey Bay, QLD, Australia Registered: Sep 2001 posted 11-10-2006 06:50 PM                        ok ... I am still just playing with the one setupo at this stage... The igniter board had a 51V zener in it .... I upped it to a 70V to let the no load build a little more before striking.... This seems to have helped ... I now get an arc on maybe the second or third strike which is much better but the arcs are failing to stabalize. It still takes a few more 'lights & dies' it lights and runs happily..... Are you sure it can't be the caps? Any more suggestions are welcome...  |  IP: Logged Louis Bornwasser Film God Posts: 4441 From: prospect ky usa Registered: Mar 2005 posted 11-11-2006 06:30 AM                        Good...work on only one at a time. Yes, it most certainly can be the caps; especially if this "came on" over a period of time. Another thing to consider is the "damage" to the bulb. It is remotely possible that you have repaired the situation, but the bulb is still affected by previous multi-striking. If you change the bulb, it will probably work for awhile and then fall back into old habits if you don't guess right. Again, did this slowly evolve or was the occurrence sudden? Louis  |  IP: Logged Matt Close Expert Film Handler Posts: 226 From: Hervey Bay, QLD, Australia Registered: Sep 2001 posted 11-15-2006 08:30 PM                        I have ended up increasing the voltage of the strike point.... It takes around 5 - 10 seconds for it to try and strike but they are all striking first go now now. Please feel free to advise if this sounds wrong.... I also changed the automation to strike the lamp 30 seconds prior to the dowser opening... so for now, problem solved.  |  IP: Logged

All times are Central (GMT -6:00)

Printer-friendly view of this topic

Hop To: Select a Forum: Category: Operations -------------------- Digital Cinema Forum Film Handlers' Forum Large Format Forum Ground Level Feature Info, Trailer Attachments & REAL Credit Offsets Category: Community -------------------- Film-Yak Film Handlers' Movie Reviews The Afterlife Bob Maar's Joke-A-Thon Category: Classified -------------------- Equipment and Supplies Wanted/For Sale Help Wanted/Seeking Employment Category: System -------------------- Software Beta Testing Forum

The Film-Tech Forums are designed for various members related to the cinema industry to express their opinions, viewpoints and testimonials on various products, services and events based upon speculation, personal knowledge and factual information through use, therefore all views represented here allow no liability upon the publishers of this web site and the owners of said views assume no liability for any ill will resulting from these postings. The posts made here are for educational as well as entertainment purposes and as such anyone viewing this portion of the website must accept these views as statements of the author of that opinion and agrees to release the authors from any and all liability.