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Topic: Solaria One dowser failures

Ronda Fitzsimmons
Film Handler

Posts: 75
From: Pottstown, PA, USA
Registered: Sep 2002

posted 12-14-2016 03:51 PM

Christie assures me the Solaria One (first year units) have had no history of dowser failures, but we've had over a half dozen ourselves in our four locations and 19 units. It's a pretty easy fix - just take it out trying not to lose the broken parts and screws down inside - and then have them replace it for install later. But they now want to charge me and disallow warranty on it. I can't imagine why, since it's a part we never touch unless it breaks. Any thoughts or experience with this out there?
Warmest,
Ronda Love
FunTime Cinemas, Inc. PA

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Carsten Kurz
Film God

Posts: 4340
From: Cologne, NRW, Germany
Registered: Aug 2009

posted 12-17-2016 09:30 AM

Ah, what? I thought the Solaria One has no dowser, like the Barco 10S/8S/6E?

- Carsten

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Andrew Thomas
Master Film Handler

Posts: 273
From: Pearland, TX, USA
Registered: Jun 2012

posted 12-17-2016 02:48 PM

Yeah, I thought they just blank the screen.

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George Germisashvili
Film Handler

Posts: 16
From: Republic of Georgia
Registered: Oct 2011

posted 12-17-2016 10:34 PM

Once had trouble with CP2210 dowser, the projector was out of warranty so I take it out, now it works without it for 2 years.
If Your projectors are under warranty, first off all you must contact Christie and explain the trouble, ask to approve them your actions from there tech stuff, so not to lose warranty. Also explain them that it is not only one projector trouble but half of you bought. And the biggest trouble in the world in such situation is that nobody of hardware suppliers want to understand your situation- angry customers, the rate of cinema (that is going down due unhappy customers) and calculating your profit losses. Try to speak to them again -better email, explain situation ask for more skill tech to explain to person who wants to disallow the warranty, because this person can not imagine what is dowser and how it works, so mayme will have good results. [Smile]

Regards!

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Dave Macaulay
Film God

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

posted 12-18-2016 08:07 AM

Back to the question - and yes, there is a mechanical douser - I can't think of a reason they are failing. Maybe a defective batch? I don't expect you'll get much joy trying to convince Christie to extend the warranty for them though. Do you have repeat failures, where a replaced one craps out?
I have not heard of this being a problem issue anywhere. We do replace dousers occasionally... but there's no epidemic, or any pattern to it.
I don't know if the Solaria has a feedback sensor on the douser - probably not as the effect is obvious if it fails to open.
My solution would be to set/pull it open and remove all close cues from the automation. The Barco small projectors blank the image for "douser" and it doesn't cause any trouble, a slight gray cast to the screen in full dark but not noticeable in walk-in lighting.
You could completely remove the douser assembly but the system might notice that.
Or: just buy now ones and put them in.

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Wade Neal
Film Handler

Posts: 5
From: Tacoma, WA, USA
Registered: Aug 2015

posted 06-19-2017 02:44 PM

Just seeing this post. We have Christie Solaria One + projectors, and they have consistent douser failures - maybe once or twice a week we have a "blink" - the image disappears for maybe 2 seconds and pops back up, impossible to catch or prevent. Occasionally we'll have a douser close and stay closed only to open manually. I am at my wit's end with this having sent logs several times to our techs with no real answers. We check our programming very meticulously, and can't seem to find an answer. My two cents on how frequently it happens. Very frustrating because there is no way to predict. Anecdotally sometimes problems will occur if we do programming and fail to do hard reboot. However problems occur if reboot is performed after programming as well. Don't buy Christie.

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Carsten Kurz
Film God

Posts: 4340
From: Cologne, NRW, Germany
Registered: Aug 2009

posted 06-19-2017 05:54 PM

Did you try to program multiple play safe dowser commands into an SPL, and if yes, did the second, third, ... ever work?

- Carsten

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Ronda Fitzsimmons
Film Handler

Posts: 75
From: Pottstown, PA, USA
Registered: Sep 2002

posted 06-19-2017 06:14 PM

Thought I'd follow up with this post so you would know what the end result was. The dis-allower didn't know the Version 1 manual dowsers have a very high failure rate. They were plastic junk that basically fall to pieces inside the projector. Once he checked with an engineer, he got the word, and we got the replacement part. I've not been well pleased with the version 1, but I hear the Version 2 is much more stable. Not sure what we'll do once our ability to renew warranty goes away. Sigh.

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