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Author
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Topic: Strong Lume X Power Supply Issue
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Thomas Dieter
Expert Film Handler
Posts: 234
From: Yakima, WA
Registered: Jun 2004
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posted 01-12-2008 03:30 PM
Can anyone tell me what is causing this problem. Theatre #1 lamp keeps shutting off for no reason. If you try to use the manual light switch nothing happens. If you hit the manual strike button, you get the buzz and the arc across the anode and cathode, but it doesn't light. The blower in the lamp house is working, and the air vane switch is engaged. The Air intake blower on the power supply is free of dust, as well as the one on the lamp house. We have an extra fan blowing on the power supply to force more air into it. There is a step stool it sits on so that the exhaust air coming out doesn't get blown back in to cause it to over heat.
The the problem first arose we had to prop the door to that booth open so that cool air from the lobby got in to the booth. I've checked exhaust fan to pull air from the lamp house, it's working fine. We called a tech out, and he looked at it and it never did it while he was here, but he came first thing in the morning when nothing was playing. We've changed the bulb, and it still does it.
I've done just about all that I can think of and what the techs have suggested. Anyone else had the problem? If you know the solution and can walk me through it, please call my theatre 407-740-7469!!!
--Tom
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Dave Macaulay
Film God
Posts: 2321
From: Toronto, Canada
Registered: Apr 2001
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posted 01-12-2008 05:19 PM
The manual/auto switch bypasses the automation lamp-on relay so I assume the system is automated.
The ignitor button on top will power the ignitor any time the lamphouse is powered and the door and air switches are "on", doesn't tell you anything about the rectifier. If you push the voltage button you will see if the rectifier is supplying DC power to the lamp.
Which rectifier do you have?
The 61000 series brute force ones have little that can go wrong as you describe. There are 2 thermal switches, one on each heat sink. Most often shutdowns are from overheating and the switch protecting the diodes. These heat sinks are infamous for getting clogged with grunge: they pick up popcorn or projector oil from the air and then the dust starts sticking. The fan blades do, too - airflow can drop to almost nil even though the blades are spinning once enough crud gets on them.
It's worth removing the side cover and giving the parts you can see a good cleaning. Make SURE the AC supply power is off!!!
The fan comes out easily, one power plug and 4 screws. The fan blades and venturi can be cleaned with a toothbrush and hot soapy water, if you make an effort to keep the centre motor part reasonably dry.
You can see the 4 bridge diodes and their wiring by looking through the fan hole. The solder joints should look secure, extreme overheating will melt the solder near the diode terminal and that calls for a repair job.
Once the works is clean, reassemble (remember the fan power cord!) and test. If the lamp still shuts off, switch the AC supply off and remove the top cover - feel the heatsinks to see if one is actually overheating. They get quite warm normally, but shouldn't be burning hot after a few minutes rest (while you open the cover... Strong sure loves lots of screws).
If you have switching type rectifiers I don't recommend fiddling with them. They can retain lethal DC voltage long after the AC power is removed. The internal circuitry is vastly more complicated than a brute force unit and they consequently have lots of ways to fail.
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Thomas Dieter
Expert Film Handler
Posts: 234
From: Yakima, WA
Registered: Jun 2004
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posted 01-13-2008 10:07 AM
Thank you very much Steve, Dave, and Mark. I tried swapping out the Diode Stack, and the same thing happens, but it only happened once. When I pulled out the Diode stack, the Thermal Switch was able to spin freely, like it was just sitting in there. Thinking that that was the problem, I ran the next show with the other diode stack that didn't have the spinning thermal switch. The bulb shut off once or twice during the following show.
I then talked to Mike Golan of CineTech in California. He said this issue is common on the suit case power supplies. He said that on the barrier strip that holds wires 2, 4, 5, 6, wires 2 and 4 send power to the lamphouse when you turn on the breaker. The lamphouse in turn sends power to the automation. Finally the automation sends power back to the power supply on wires 5 and 6. When the lamp is off, you should be getting no 0Vac. When the lamp is on you should be getting 110-120Vac. If the bulb shuts off and you are still getting that 110-120Vac across wires 5 and 6, the power supply itself is bad.
Anyone heard of this?
I did try to test this information last night when the lamp went off, but just as I went to go test the damn thing, the lamp kicked back on and scared the shit out of with the knock that happens when the lamp first strikes.
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Tim Reed
Better Projection Pays
Posts: 5246
From: Northampton, PA
Registered: Sep 1999
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posted 01-13-2008 11:20 AM
When the lamp shuts off, if you try to turn it back on by flipping the rear switch from "auto" to "manual" and you don't hear the contactor in the rectifier go "clunk", then the contactor coil circuit (thermal, airflow, and/or door switch) is open. If the lamp comes back on okay after 5 or 10 minutes, it's most-likely one of the two thermal switches.
To eliminate a thermal switch, I just pull the two wires off and mate the quick-disconnect lugs together in sort of a clasped-hands way, tape them with electrical tape, and then see if that helps. Like Steve said, assuming the muffin fan is working and the thermal(s) just aren't kicking out of their own accord.
Remember, there are TWO thermal switches; one on the red bridge heatsink, and one on the big blocking diode heatsink.
You might also check the blower vane in the lamphouse for accumulation of dirt. This can make its operation sluggish. For that matter, any of the switches could just be bad. Also check the condition of the connections to the contactor coil itself, to make sure they aren't loose.
I think you'll find your problem in one of these areas.
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Dave Macaulay
Film God
Posts: 2321
From: Toronto, Canada
Registered: Apr 2001
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posted 01-14-2008 07:09 PM
The story of the wire numbers is almost right. #2 and #4 are 120VAC output from the rectifier to power the lamphouse (fan, ignitor, etcetera). #5 and #6 are the rectifier contactor input terminals - 120V applied to these wires should pull in the main AC contactor and you get lamp DC power.
The standard way to connect a Strong rectifier and Strong lamphouse is to connect number-to-number. Wire #3 is for automation: the automation lamp relay should connect #6 to #3, it isn't used without automation and just ends at the rectifier terminal board. With the lamphouse switch in AUTO, you need this connection: with it in MANUAL, wire #3 doesn't do anything.
In the rectifier #5 and #6 are connected to the contactor coil through the two thermal switches on the diode heatsinks.
Having 120V on wires #5 and #6 says that the lamphouse is OK - it's switched ON in MANUAL (or AUTO with the automation asking for lamp on), and the fan airflow switch plus the door switch are closed. If the contactor actually pulls in (klunk!) and you have no DC power, there's something else wrong in the rectifier circuitry... usually one or more bad diodes.
If the contactor clunks off when the lamp dies and you don't hear it clunking when you turn the lamp switch on and off, open the rectifier and check voltage between #5 and #6. If you get 120V when the lamp should be on, look for trouble in the rectifier. If you don't get 120V, look for trouble in the lamphouse.
If you do get clunking but no lamp power, there's a problem inside the rectifier. Look for any burned up wires especially around the contactor... beyond that you probably have an intermittent blocking diode as Mark suggests (the one on its own heatsink)
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