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Author Topic: Allanson Power Supply
Bill Yacey
Film Handler

Posts: 23
From: St. Albert, Alberta, Canada
Registered: Feb 2011


 - posted 01-01-2014 05:07 PM      Profile for Bill Yacey   Email Bill Yacey   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
I'm looking for schematics for an Allanson General Sound Xenon power supply, Cat. #1233-1.

It's a 2KW supply, 208V 3 phase unit. If anyone has any info or experience with these units, I would appreciate hearing from you.

Thanks

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Gordon McLeod
Film God

Posts: 9532
From: Toronto Ontario Canada
Registered: Jun 99


 - posted 01-01-2014 10:30 PM      Profile for Gordon McLeod   Email Gordon McLeod   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
I believe we have a schematic for it somewhere it is a copy of the Sanrex rectifiers made for the Xebex supersol
it is a large print and will not scan easily

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Bill Yacey
Film Handler

Posts: 23
From: St. Albert, Alberta, Canada
Registered: Feb 2011


 - posted 01-02-2014 12:05 AM      Profile for Bill Yacey   Email Bill Yacey   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
It was coupled up to a Strong Super Lumex lamphouse. I'm mainly just looking for connection and set-up info, as it was all disconnected when I got it. The rest I'm sure I can figure out just by looking at it.

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Dave Macaulay
Film God

Posts: 2321
From: Toronto, Canada
Registered: Apr 2001


 - posted 01-10-2014 08:04 AM      Profile for Dave Macaulay   Email Dave Macaulay   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
The Allanson rectifier is a pretty simple rectifier. It is not based on the Strong rectifiers, and was originally made to run Xebex Hibeam lamphouses when the originally cheap Sanrex rectifiers doubled in price. They aren't really a Sanrex copy, they were designed to be compatible without a lot of the bells and whistles the Sanrexes had. Power control is by transformer taps instead of the Sanrex saturable reactor control, which eliminates the standby power setting as well. It's probably closest to being a copy of a Kneissley rectifier.
As I recall the important difference is that the Allanson expects a contact closure to activate its power contactor: Strong sends 120VAC from the lamphouse to the rectifier to do this. Also, Strong lamphouses are designed to get AC power from the Strong rectifier: an Allanson does not supply that power.
Thus, you can't just connect a stock Super Lume-X to an Allanson and have it work.
Some Super Lume-X lamphouses were rewired to isolate the safety switches and on/off switching from the fan and ignitor power, and the Allanson connected to it directly: with all safety switches closed and the rocker switches set properly the circuit closes and activates the contactor. The lamphouse power (from a separate feed) just runs its blower and AC ignitor.
Usually we would not modify the lamphouse (to avoid future confusion), adding the 120V power feed and a 120V coil relay on lamphouse wires 5 and 6 (the 120V "turn on" power to a Strong rectifier) and a NO contact controlling the rectifier. If you see a relay in the rectifier wired to the contactor control terminals that's what has been done. Put the lamphouse power (ground plus 120VAC across lamphouse terminals 2 and 4) on a separate 15A breaker, do not simply run it from one leg of the rectifier 208 without any fuse or breaker. If something goes wrong, power from the rectifier 40A breaker can do a lot of wreckage and it will be violating several electrical codes.

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Gordon McLeod
Film God

Posts: 9532
From: Toronto Ontario Canada
Registered: Jun 99


 - posted 01-10-2014 08:17 AM      Profile for Gordon McLeod   Email Gordon McLeod   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Allanson Power Supply is a saturable reactor design

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Louis Bornwasser
Film God

Posts: 4441
From: prospect ky usa
Registered: Mar 2005


 - posted 01-10-2014 08:32 AM      Profile for Louis Bornwasser   Author's Homepage   Email Louis Bornwasser   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Dave: That is exactly what we did to mate the IREM to the Super Lumex. The relay and small breaker fit (barely) inside the termination boxof the IREM). Any other way is messy and potentially confusing to future repairmen.

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Gordon McLeod
Film God

Posts: 9532
From: Toronto Ontario Canada
Registered: Jun 99


 - posted 01-10-2014 10:28 AM      Profile for Gordon McLeod   Email Gordon McLeod   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
 -

at some point I will get the print scanned into a hi rez copy but it is a Dsize

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Bill Yacey
Film Handler

Posts: 23
From: St. Albert, Alberta, Canada
Registered: Feb 2011


 - posted 01-14-2014 12:42 AM      Profile for Bill Yacey   Email Bill Yacey   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
"Usually we would not modify the lamphouse (to avoid future confusion), adding the 120V power feed and a 120V coil relay on lamphouse wires 5 and 6 (the 120V "turn on" power to a Strong rectifier) and a NO contact controlling the rectifier. If you see a relay in the rectifier wired to the contactor control terminals that's what has been done. Put the lamphouse power (ground plus 120VAC across lamphouse terminals 2 and 4) on a separate 15A breaker, do not simply run it from one leg of the rectifier 208 without any fuse or breaker. If something goes wrong, power from the rectifier 40A breaker can do a lot of wreckage and it will be violating several electrical codes."

This is essentially what I ended up doing;I tied the lamphouse saftey lockout switch in series with the lamp switch and used that to close the circuit for the contactor in the Allanson supply. I stole 120V from the Allanson 120V 2A auxiliary winding on the terminal blocks to power the fan and HV igniter circuit. Everything seems to be working fine, and I believe this will be far more reliable than the Strong 61001 power supply.

The 3 phase rectification should provide a lot less ripple too, compared to the original Strong.

Thanks to everyone for all the info; if you ever get that schematic scanned I certainly wouldn't mind having a copy. For now though, I believe I've got it figured out.

"Allanson Power Supply is a saturable reactor design "

I figured this was the case when I saw the oil filled cap inside. I didn't scope the ripple after the rectifiers, but I'd be willing to bet that it's closer to a square wave than a sawtooth.

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Gordon McLeod
Film God

Posts: 9532
From: Toronto Ontario Canada
Registered: Jun 99


 - posted 01-14-2014 10:17 AM      Profile for Gordon McLeod   Email Gordon McLeod   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Typically the DC was very smooth there is scrib;led notes on that drawing of mine to boost the noload voltage
Also the originals had scope matched diodes so if one fails replace them all with 75amp ones

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