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Author Topic: Ultra 80 light issue Bernie Anderson Jr Master Film Handler Posts: 435 From: Woodbridge, New Jersey Registered: Apr 2000 posted 07-09-2012 05:53 PM                        I'm dealing with 2 identical ultra 80 lamps with century projectors. The left machine I get plenty of even light. The right projector, although I used an align-o-tron, I get a very dim picture. The projector was aligned perfectly. I'm running 4000 watts in both machines. Unless I align the bulb down and to the right I get no brightness. I played with the position of the lamphouse to the projector and I'm getting no difference. The only thing I think I see is that the whole reflector assembly might be turned very slightly to the left of center. I need to measure this. And there are heat filters in both. The good m aching has a heat filter that is angled by slightly where the dim machine seems to have no angle in it. Would any of these slight diffences possibly effect this machine?  |  IP: Logged Tony Bandiera Jr Film God Posts: 3067 From: Moreland Idaho Registered: Apr 2004 posted 07-09-2012 07:20 PM                     Bernie: Heat filters, not an issue. Reflector off alignment to the left? Not too likely. The align-o-tron would have revealed that error. My bet is that you'll find the rear bulb support in the dim lamphouse is the wrong one. Compare the length and position of the bulb to the good one and I'll bet it's different.  |  IP: Logged Bernie Anderson Jr Master Film Handler Posts: 435 From: Woodbridge, New Jersey Registered: Apr 2000 posted 07-10-2012 12:30 AM                        Hi Tony, I was so hoping that your answer would have been the problem. They appear to be the same length The Bronze mount is slightly bigger on the left machine, but not that much that we're talking inches, maybe a 1/4 inch difference. The bulbs appear to be in the same spot. I have pictures I can email you Its such a far throw that I can see the reflector on screen if I take the lens out. Any other thoughts? Thanks Bernie  |  IP: Logged Ian Parfrey Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1049 From: Imbil Australia 26 deg 27' 42.66" S 152 deg 42' 23.40" E Registered: Feb 2009 posted 07-10-2012 03:22 AM                     Bernie. Are the lamps identical brand, type and age? A drooping anode 'may' cause this but it would be very obvious when looking at the bulb. Are the lamphouse reflectors the same and in the same position? Does a reflector have a serious ding in the reflective surface? Are both shutters timed correctly? Are the lenses clean? Is the fire shutter in the projector lifting up completely or does it 'hang' in the optical path? Just a few questions to try and pinpoint where the trouble may lie. Cheers Ian  |  IP: Logged Tony Bandiera Jr Film God Posts: 3067 From: Moreland Idaho Registered: Apr 2004 posted 07-10-2012 01:31 PM                     quote: The Bronze mount is slightly bigger on the left machine, but not that much that we're talking inches, maybe a 1/4 inch difference. Bernie, in lamphouse terms that 1/4 inch is the equivalent of a mile in focus length! (Ok maybe not a mile but it is a huge difference. I had a Christie that was missing a 1/8" spacer that threw it completely out of range, it wouldn't focus well to the point it had about HALF the light output of it's mate). The bulb in the right machine is sitting 1/4 too deep in the reflector (you would have to carefully use a tape measure with the bulb in to note the actual difference in the location of the electrode gap). Two options exist for you: One, locate the correct support for the right machine. Two, have a machinist fabricate a brass spacer to push that bulb out the 1/4 inch.  |  IP: Logged Pete Naples Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1565 From: Dunfermline, Scotland Registered: Feb 2001 posted 07-11-2012 08:29 AM                     I've seen those mirrors warp in the past, had one of a brand new colour matched pair that was bad, straight out of the box  |  IP: Logged Louis Bornwasser Film God Posts: 4441 From: prospect ky usa Registered: Mar 2005 posted 07-11-2012 09:03 AM                        If the collet is SHORT, it may be possible to pull the bulb out a bit and retighten. If the collet is LONG, you may be able to remachine the OTHER END of it. Design is similar to the Super Lumex and parts are sometimes swapped between the two. (Remove the c-clip and remove enough material to make it the same size as the correct one.) Louis  |  IP: Logged Bernie Anderson Jr Master Film Handler Posts: 435 From: Woodbridge, New Jersey Registered: Apr 2000 posted 07-11-2012 09:22 AM                        Deleted. Tried to post pictures  |  IP: Logged Sam D. Chavez Film God Posts: 2153 From: Martinez, CA USA Registered: Aug 2003 posted 07-11-2012 10:19 AM                       I suspect you have a warped reflector. Here's what I do when I get a troublesome alignment if it's physically possible. I take the lamp and turn it sideways on the base. I adjust the horizontal and vertical adjustments and the focus until I get symmetrical rings when I run the bulb focus in and out. Sometime it is necessary to move the reflector to get the light to go out the center of the cone. This may also reveal other problems such as the positive holder being too low or high. Once this is sorted out, put it back behind the projector and without touching the lamp alignment (except the lamp focus) raise and lower only the lamp chassis, lamp table etc., until the lamp is centered to the projector in both axis. You'll know when you are there when the rings are in the center of the screen and the rings go in and out of focus symmetrically. Repeat as need until you fix it or you wear out or run out of time.  |  IP: Logged Louis Bornwasser Film God Posts: 4441 From: prospect ky usa Registered: Mar 2005 posted 07-11-2012 10:15 PM                        Someone mentioned warped reflectors. I ordered 6 of these reflectors all were warped. Thank God for Dale McMillen. Eventually it turned out that a new guy at Strong used too much force when potting the reflectors; all were bad. I got full credit on all but one; too old. Big expense. louis  |  IP: Logged Tony Bandiera Jr Film God Posts: 3067 From: Moreland Idaho Registered: Apr 2004 posted 07-12-2012 12:09 AM                     Bernie linked the pics to me and it appears that Sam may have the answer with a warped reflector....from the angles in the pics both look off but the dim one looks further off....and there still appears to be a length difference with that support. Damned annoying....one reason I criticize Strong so much is the crappy issues with their equipment like this situation...if one is lucky they can get the right person there when things go wrong, but that's a crapshoot. Bernie, IMHO you really need to get a local tech to address this issue as it is very hard to give you a definitive answer online, working from pictures. Like I said in my other post, it takes tight tolerances to get proper focus and even illumination. Only a site visit would allow a tech to measure and check out the issues.  |  IP: Logged Bernie Anderson Jr Master Film Handler Posts: 435 From: Woodbridge, New Jersey Registered: Apr 2000 posted 07-15-2012 11:15 PM                        So Here's an update on the Ultra 80. I changed the reflector. I also changed out the switcher power supply, just incase. I did get a brighter picture overall, but I still have a focus issue. When you take the lens out and focus the rings, I get a hot spot just above the black the center. I have to adjust the back end of the bulb, up as far as I can go and the hot spot barely disappears into the black. I can not get it to focus any lower. Side to side isn't a problem. I know if I can get it centered better, I can achieve a bright picture. I used the Align-o-tron with a pin hole aperture plate. The center of the lens was centered on the hole of the aperture plate, through which I got the laser to go through and was able to align the fork on the front of the bulb and the back of the reflector. It was absolutely perfect from lens to rear of the lamp house. When I put light on the screen, I got the hot spot above black center and with a lens in the projector the top of my picture was dark. I looked at the light as it was shining on the back of shutter and you can see the the lamp is higher than the aperture. With the simplex base, I have no way of adjusting the lamp house any lower. All I could do was the lift the back end of the lamp house cradle and shim it up. But still the lamp adjustment is up as high as I can go. Any suggestions?  |  IP: Logged Gordon McLeod Film God Posts: 9532 From: Toronto Ontario Canada Registered: Jun 99 posted 07-16-2012 08:44 PM                     put a small piece of flat mirror across the back of the mirror alignment plug and ensure that reflected laser beam bounces straight back to the centre of the laser i have often seen ones where the reflector bracket is squed  |  IP: Logged Bernie Anderson Jr Master Film Handler Posts: 435 From: Woodbridge, New Jersey Registered: Apr 2000 posted 07-23-2012 09:53 AM                        I just wanted to follow up with my solution to this problem. Thanks Gordon, for that suggestion. I tried it, the reflector was off a bit. But what made even more difference was adjustment of the Yoke a little bit higher. Now here's the weird thing. When I used the Align-o-tron to get center, it was lined up perfectly, from lens to aperture, all the way to the yoke, through the reflector and back to the center of the collet. When I put the bulb in, I still got the hot spot above the center black dot (bulb) and could not get it to travel any farther down. I checked the reflector with the mirror and shimmed the one reflector bolt with a washer and tried to push the reflector top forward by adjusting those threaded rods, to try and get the laser's reflection centered as much as possible. What this did was throw off the reflector and instead of making circles, I was getting weird shadows on the bottom left side of the light. I removed the shim, but kept the reflector top pushed forward and decided to match the heigh of the yoke to the left machine (which is working properly). I did this, and focus was almost perfect, dead center. Actually this lamp is now brighter than the left machine. Both Yokes are the same. I put in the Align O Tron to see where my center point is and instead of it being dead center on the front nipple of the bulb, the bulb sits maybe higher with the laser more at the bottom of the nipple. Now, its not straight when compared to the laser, but by eye it does look straight. I'm not sure why it wouldn't line up when it was perfectly centered, but that little adjustment made all the difference in the world. Thanks for the help.  |  IP: Logged Sam D. Chavez Film God Posts: 2153 From: Martinez, CA USA Registered: Aug 2003 posted 07-23-2012 10:38 AM                       That is why Sam's Alignatron method works so well. Actually, I got the idea from Lonny. I've never had any luck with lasers and I am always puzzled why they don't work all that well. Maybe they are too straight for our crooked film equipment.  |  IP: Logged

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