Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Degreaser and Xetron Lamphouses

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Topic: Degreaser and Xetron Lamphouses

Cory Johnson
Film Handler

Posts: 46
From: La Crosse, WI USA
Registered: Aug 1999

posted 01-27-2000 06:11 PM

Just wondering,
We use to use cans of degreaser to clean out the projectors every so often. However, when a technician was on site once, he mentioned to the manager that we shouldnt use degreaser because it could damage part in the projector head (mostly plastic rollers). I think this is not correct and was wondering what others thought. The manager now refuses to order degreaser for the projectors and they are getting dirty.( I know about Film Guard and I am trying my best to get it installed, but for now we dont have it).

Secondly, we have a couple of Xetron lamp houses (which I do not care for). The max rating for them is listed as 85 amps. They each have 2000 watt bulbs in them. Our manager has for years, started new bulbs around sixty amps and then slowly increase the amps over time so the would hit 75-80 amps when they reach 1500-2000 hours. I have always believed and been told that you should run the bulbs to the max. from the start (why fight over dim pictures?) and that they should be run at 85 amps from the start. Any other thoughts on this? Thanks a bunch.
Cory
thxdude@hotmail.com

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Dave Williams
Wet nipple scene

Posts: 1836
From: Salt Lake City, UT, USA
Registered: Jan 2000

posted 01-27-2000 06:52 PM

Many Degreasers are very caustic and can strip plastic parts very easily. Another problem is that the cleaner can get into the gear case and cause even more trouble.

Best bet if you feel like soaking your projector clean is to use a light soap and water combination, like Dawn, something that is not caustic but will work on grease and rinse cleanly away.

BUT GET FILM GUARD NOW DAMMIT NOW!!!!!

------------------
"If it's not worth doing, I have allready been there and done it"

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John Walsh
Film God

Posts: 2490
From: Connecticut, USA, Earth, Milky Way
Registered: Oct 1999

posted 01-27-2000 11:05 PM

Osram suggests the bulb current be reduced for a new bulb, and increased at regular intervals, until the bulb is operating at it's maximun rated current. I think the manager is correct, as far as Osram is concerned.

But I have to tell you, I tried it and it didn't seem to make any difference in the life of the bulb or how it operated. Now I just put them in and go. But what I do is keep the current low, then increase once in a while to keep the brightness about the same.

The older Xetron lamphouses (XH series) had rather poor cooling. If you are trying to get longer lamp life, reducing/increasing the current is probably not going to help much. I find that proper cooling is the single most important factor in getting hours out of a bulb.

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John Walsh
Film God

Posts: 2490
From: Connecticut, USA, Earth, Milky Way
Registered: Oct 1999

posted 01-27-2000 11:19 PM

PS: You might want to read the forum postings here under:

'Bulb Rotations' dated 10-10-1999

As a side note, it might be worthwhile to try to index the postings here somehow. There's lot's of good info, but you have to have remembered it.

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Brad Miller
Administrator

Posts: 17775
From: Plano, TX (36.2 miles NW of Rockwall)
Registered: May 99

posted 01-27-2000 11:33 PM

Personally, I set the supply to the max for the bulb size and leave it. I actually find my lamps will run a damn long time if I'm not screwing with the settings. Personally, I think firing more juice into an already older bulb doesn't make too much sense, but then again that's how I do it.

On the degreaser, LPS has a product "Super Cleaner/Degreaser" that is fantastic. Try and get you a bottle of that. It won't damage any plastic parts. Just remember, never spray it directly towards the projector. Always spray it onto a rag (away from the projector) and then wipe the machine with your now wet rag.

What circuit are you working for that hasn't tried FilmGuard? All of the majors are using it except Cinemark (and they're sneaking it in).

For finding old topics, click on "search" at the top of the page. It'll search the entire forum. There is also a search on the front page of the site for searching other areas.

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Cory Johnson
Film Handler

Posts: 46
From: La Crosse, WI USA
Registered: Aug 1999

posted 01-27-2000 11:57 PM

Thanks for info. I started out at Carmike (big mistake there) and switched to Marcus(happy there) (but thats an entirely new thread). Its not that we cant get Film Guard - actually it already been approved. The sticky point is getting the manager to get the paper work submitted. He is one of those types who would rather wait for someone else to do it instead of him. Via day I am a system engineer. I just work a couple of shifts as projectionist a week. I only hang around because I enjoy the work, movies and people.

As far as the bulb rotations, I have yet to see a difference in life when adjusting the amps slowly over time or just turning it to the max from the start. So we are beginning to adjust all of our lamp houses higher from the start. The picture improvement is already noticeable. Is the degreaser mentioned available from MTS (anyone?)?

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Brad Miller
Administrator

Posts: 17775
From: Plano, TX (36.2 miles NW of Rockwall)
Registered: May 99

posted 01-28-2000 12:22 AM

Are you talking about Media Technology Source in Bloomington, MN or MTS on the west coast? MTS in Bloomington is a dealer for FilmGuard while the other has not picked it up yet. I doubt either would carry the LPS degreaser. Just go to a good hardware store and ask for it.

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Joe Redifer
You need a beating today

Posts: 12859
From: Denver, Colorado
Registered: May 99

posted 01-28-2000 05:12 AM

All I know is that MTS Northwest sucks ass! I order a bottle of FilmGuard and they send me "First Run" by Big Sky instead (similar to Renovex). They do this kind of stuff all of the time. Another one of our theatres needed to replace a high frequency driver in one of their auditoriums, and that's what they ordered. What did MTS send? The ENTIRE speaker! Both drivers, completely installed into the HUGE speaker cabinet! They also don't stock half of the stuff you need, like FilmGuard, Kelmar media cleaner parts, Neumade splicing tape, you name it! They stock the cheap stuff.

MTS sucks.

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Tim Reed
Better Projection Pays

Posts: 5246
From: Northampton, PA
Registered: Sep 1999

posted 02-03-2000 09:38 PM

Anyone remember Mid States Theatres, out of Cincinnati? Circuit-wide, they kept spray bottles of isopropyl alcohol on the premises.

These were used nightly in cleaning the equipment. Their directions were to open the doors to the machine, pick up the spray bottle and squirt like mad into the projector and soundhead (all over solar cells, slit lenses and all)!!!

It's a horrific thought, I know, but it used to happen nightly.

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