Super Lume-X Igniter

[Jesse Crooks]

I recently revived a projector that had been dormant since the theater went digital in 2013. The only issue I'm still having is that the igniter has failed on the Strong Super Lume-X. I can still get it to work using the emergency ignition switch, and the troubleshooting section of the manual says that if that's the case you should "replace the printed circuit board." I have a few more in storage and already stole the blower motor from one of them for this projector, so I have a replacement part if that's the solution.

How much of an ordeal is it to replace this, and are instructions available?

This projector will never see much use (I expect to mostly be running 35mm preshows before digital features every once in a while) so it's not a big deal if I have to continue using the emergency switch... is there any concern with doing so?

[Steve Guttag]

Changing the igniter board isn't a big deal. Most likely, the PCB standoffs are either broken or will break on your operation (they don't like UV light).

That said, very few things go wrong on that board. There is a relay (with an empty contact from the days of 220V igniters)...that one can jump over to double the contact area. There is a couple of zener diode that sets the ignition voltage and those varied by lamphouse/rectifier combination. Irem rectifiers have very low no-load voltage, for instance, (on the order of 85VDC). Conversely, Strong rectifiers have a boost voltage/capacitor to get it up above 120VDC. So, that zeners needs to be matched to rectifier you are going to use. If you have the 91V zener with a low boost rectifier, it won't ignite. If you use the 51V zener on a high boost rectifier, you don't let its boost voltage build up (and fill its capacitor), you will compromise the ignition phase and cause the lamp to go though multiple ignitions because there is no/low stored charge.

Another potential trick on IREM rectifier, if you are using it is its goofy boost circuit that uses a "RA" relay and later units use a similar board/relay system "A1". It, sort of creates a boost by first filling the main capacitors to the run voltage, and then it jumps those out letting the boost to fill rapidly. When the lamp ignites, the boost caps discharge quickly until the voltage drops to the running voltage and then the main caps are put back on line to let it maintain the lamp. This is their method of lowering "in-rush" current, which is hard on lamps. However, if that relay system fails (and they do), you get no effective boost (or, potentially, no effective run, depending on what side fails)...so you can get a non-auto-strike or one that strikes and then immediately drops out.

[Pete Naples]

Sounds like it isn't the ignitor that's failed to be honest. All the PCB does is tell the ignitor, GO. The emergency button is just parallel with the relay contacts.

It sounds likely that the open cicruit voltage isn't high enough to trigger the PCB to auto-strike. What rectifier is it?

If it's an Irem, what Steve ^^ said.

I have one near me that's been using the emergency button for nigh on 30 years because the T&R rectifier doesn't have enough OCV. No issues at all. By the time I got round to talking to them about changing the zener diode on the PCB to lower the trigger voltage, they were so used to using the button they elected to leave it alone.

[Mark Gulbrandsen]

There are two major problems with that lamphouse. 1. Shitty quality wire was used that eventually gets destroyed by all the UV light. 2. The relay contacts on the auto-ignite board are under rated. But if you tie both sets of contacts together, then the relay will last a really long time.

[John Eickhof]

Ive had the same problem with the board relay, it appears the dwell time on strike is a little too long thus causing overload of the contacts, like both Steve and Mark refer, jumpering the contacts as a pair will most often solve the problem, also if it has been dormant for a long time, definitely replace the 48 volt boost relay in the irem supply, its located under the top cover, should be a 48 vdc octal socket relay

[Mark Gulbrandsen]

Ive had the same problem with the board relay, it appears the dwell time on strike is a little too long thus causing overload of the contacts, like both Steve and Mark refer, jumpering the contacts as a pair will most often solve the problem, also if it has been dormant for a long time, definitely replace the 48 volt boost relay in the irem supply, its located under the top cover, should be a 48 vdc octal socket relay

John, The other thing I found with older Irem's is if you try to run them on 208 three phase then the no load voltage is only about 75 volts and all the lamp does is flash.. Neumade actually made a cure for this called a booster. I installed several of those in Casper, WY. In Europe where the AC voltages are much higher it is not a factor.

[Steve Guttag]

Irems were clearly designed around 380V. That is one reason their ABB relays fail (burn up)...they can't handle the current in a 208VAC system. We always upped those as well.

We used to stock zeners and would set the igniter boards as needed.

[John Eickhof]

for sure mark! i forgot about that, in fact I think i still have one of the vinput line kits around here somewhere, luckily in the northern states especially older theatres the line is 120/240 3phase more often then 115/208...had a few occaisions where christie ps were a problem because installer failed to set taps for proper line voltage...nyuk nyuk nyuk!

[Mark Gulbrandsen]

Irems were clearly designed around 380V. That is one reason their ABB relays fail (burn up)...they can't handle the current in a 208VAC system. We always upped those as well.

We used to stock zeners and would set the igniter boards as needed.

Setting the igniter boards is only part of it. You need 120 volts DC no load to properly ignite the lamp. And for sure... 380 volts is the European Standard....The later Irem rectifiers were designed for this market.

[Steve Guttag]

We had gazillions of rectifiers that didn't put out 120VDC for ignition and were able to strike the lamp and get good life. I'm not saying I preferred that and continue to find Irem's method of creating a "boost" voltage by switchings capacitors on/off line to control inrush (and also tends to have relay failures. Speaking of which...in my post above, I meant to say ABB contactors, not relays, though a contactor is a relay.

[Mark Gulbrandsen]

We had gazillions of rectifiers that didn't put out 120VDC for ignition and were able to strike the lamp and get good life. I'm not saying I preferred that and continue to find Irem's method of creating a "boost" voltage by switchings capacitors on/off line to control inrush (and also tends to have relay failures. Speaking of which...in my post above, I meant to say ABB contactors, not relays, though a contactor is a relay.

They would strike until 800 to 1200 hours. Then things became unreliable. They also had 208 three phase. Anyway, the boosters cured the problem. I believe I measured around 130 volts on the Neumade booster.

[Pete Naples]

Lots of them here on single phase T&R rectifiers which only put out about 80V. Changed the Zener for people who got excited about it, mostly I just left them to press the button. Heck one Super LumeX in Edinburgh was installed before I was in cinema with that setup, still going, Strong!

We designed and built our own recitifers which were singels phase, 80A. They did about 120-130 OCV, worked well with the Super LumeX

[Mark Gulbrandsen]

Lots of them here on single phase T&R rectifiers which only put out about 80V. Changed the Zener for people who got excited about it, mostly I just left them to press the button. Heck one Super LumeX in Edinburgh was installed before I was in cinema with that setup, still going, Strong!

We designed and built our own recitifers which were singels phase, 80A. They did about 120-130 OCV, worked well with the Super LumeX

I never had any issues using any single phase rectifiers on.Super Lumex. But I did have rectifore troubles every now and then. Mostly blocking diodes opening up om.Strong single Phase. But the 380 volt Items would not work well on 208. Especially in.the summer.

[Gordon McLeod]

Lots of them here on single phase T&R rectifiers which only put out about 80V. Changed the Zener for people who got excited about it, mostly I just left them to press the button. Heck one Super LumeX in Edinburgh was installed before I was in cinema with that setup, still going, Strong!

We designed and built our own recitifers which were singels phase, 80A. They did about 120-130 OCV, worked well with the Super LumeX

Were they switch mode or High reactance?

[Mark Gulbrandsen]

Were they switch mode or High reactance?

I'm going to guess Hi Reluctance.