Barco DP4K-32B with smallest lamp

[Peer Tritz]

I have a problem I was hoping someone might be able to help me with.

I have a colour grading studio whom I sold a DP4K-32B, with the intention of putting in a 1.2KW lamp - the barco website listed the Ushio 1200W DXL-12BAF as being compatible.

Unfortunately I was not aware there are two types of lamp houses. The one I have is the XL but I need a SM lamp house with a smaller reflector to be able to put the 1.2Kw lamp into it - according to the service manual. So I contacted my usual supplier and they said the SM lamp house doesn't exist for the DP4K-32B. Then they advised its not possible to put the SM lamp house into the DP4K-32B. Does anyone have experience with this matter?

My solution so far was a 3KW lamp dialed all the way down, but it is still too bright.... A 2KW lamp would be ok but I have not tried putting one in as the manual states the smallest in the XL lamphouse is a 3KW. Has anyone tried this?

Alternatively does anyone have experience with Aperture plates? I know that Christie has them, which are used in Studio situations to swallow light. Any help in this matter would be appreciated...

PS I was advised by my supplier to sell them a DP4K-19B but that not really an option as I don"t have one. If anyone wants to swap a DP4K-32B, for DP4K-19B please DM me.

[Tom Bert]

I can confirm that you can use the smaller lamp house on the DP4K-32B

[Leo Enticknap]

You'll likely need a different adapter barrel for the much smaller lamps.

If you have larger bulbs that you're stuck with, a neutral density filter in front of the lens would be another option. I've installed them several times in really tiny screening rooms in post houses, in which an NC1000 or an SP2K-9S won't go down far enough to hit 14ft-l.

[Marcel Birgelen]

We've been using ND-filters in front of our DP4K-23B and it helps us to get the brightness down in our screening room. We're running 1200W Ushio lamps now and without the filter, the picture is still too bright. One thing to note is that I've seen some degradation over time on those filters, so we swap them every odd year.

[Sean McKinnon]

The SM lamp house does work with the 32-B and theoretically one could even remove a power supply and load the firmware for a 23-B and run on single phase 208 but I've yet to try it though I may as our rental machines are all 32B's and it would be good to know for sure that they could be made to work in a situation where three phase power just isn't available. The other part you mentioned is an iris which is usually installed on the integrator rod.

[Leo Enticknap]

My understanding is that the projector's identity (including its model and serial numbers) is determined by the SIM card on the backplane (one of my newbie mistakes was to forget to move it over after replacing a backplane, one that cost me two hours), and that you can't change either. A couple of years ago I was asked if a 19B could be upgraded to a 32B simply by adding two more lamp power supply modules, and Cinionic told me no, for that reason. I guess in theory it could if they were willing to give you a SIM card that gave the projector a new identity, but (the last I knew, at any rate), they simply don't offer that.

[Dave Macaulay]

Two hours?
There is only one software package for the B and C projectors and what you get actually installed depends on the projector model, the identity is from that SIM card like thing.
I suppose that if some nasty failure fries it, you could get a replacement but that can't be easy.
Haven't heard of an aperture available but never really searched for one. We have defocussed lamps for less light but colour changes somewhat, and you only want to defocus "out" or risk damaging the light pipe surface. And anyone can crank that knob. An ND filter works well but dark ones can get hot and even shatter.
A 19B lamphouse should fit no problem. I doubt that a C lamphouse will, but have not tried. Not sure if installing a smaller lamphouse will mean the lamp list changes to include lower power lamps though - does the software installer program see the lamphouse type and use its lamp list, or see a 32B and use its lamp list?

[Leo Enticknap]

Do the different lamphouses use a different model of lamp info module? That's the only way I can think of for the CCB to know the difference.

[Steve Guttag]

So here are your options.

• The SIM card, as others have noted, does define your projector, period. Removing a power supply just comes up as a power supply failure and has nothing to do with range. Each supply can handle 2400-watts so in a 19B o r 23B, you'll get two supplies while the 32B will have three (the 19B runs 3KW so one supply is not enough and since the 32B can run up to 7KW, 2 are not enough).
• The SM lamphouse absolutely works in a 32B. The projector is unaware of lamphouse model that is installed. It uses the Lamp Info Module, that is on every Barco lamphouse to keep track of what lamp is installed, but you provide that information. The model of the projector defines what range of lamps it can handle. I'm reasonably sure that a 32B can handle all of the way down to the 850W lamp like the DXL-9BAF.
• The XL and SM lamphouses differ in reflector set, UV filter plate (how far the filter is spaced out), stabilization magnet, and lamp adapter set(s). Note, if you have an old DP100 or DP3000 lamphouse, they work too, in any "B" projector, physically, and they are the XL gen 1 lamphouse. The only "trick" you have is what lamps that physically fit the lamphouse/adapters and what lamp files automatically come up based on your projector model and current firmware.
• Have you ever noticed that the XL lamphouses come with a collection of lamp adapters? Those are to allow all of these lamps to fit the lamphouse and remember, this lamphouse was developed during the transition from film to digital so having adapters that worked with "film" lamps was key:
  
  Screen Shot 2021-09-25 at 11.35.38 AM.png
  I have a site, right now, that has an XL lamphouse running the Ushio UXL-20SC for their 2D movies and a DXL-60BA2/L for Dolby 3D (they swap lamphouses). My other sites with Dolby 3D have the SM lamphouse for 2D with appropriately sized lamps.
  
  The only trick here is getting a lamp file for the lamp you are using. They don't supply lamp files for the UXL-20SC (or the Osram 2000HS) so you have to make/supply your own. Believe it or not, there is a means to have Communicator create custom lamp files but there is a parameter change in the initialization file to activate that feature. However, you can skip that, if you want. You can merely download an existing lamp file using the file manager in "Installation/Advanced" menu. It is just a text file. You'll need to change the parameters within that file to match the parameters of the lamp you intended to use. Be sure to get this information carefully as it will gladly drive you 2KW lamp, or whatever, up to 6KW and blow things up for you. So, you need to know the actual current, wattage and maximum voltage of the lamp. If you have access to the DP100 firmware updates, the various files were not in "bin" files as they are now so if you have a program like 7z you can "look inside" and see the lamp files that Barco made for the cinema lamps Barco listed above have have reasonably "safe" lamp parameters. You can also, certainly get the information from your lamp manufacturer since they are the ones that will be expected to warrant the lamp.
  
  Once you have created/modified a lamp file for the one you plan to use, you'll have to assign it an "R" number but, specifically, an "R103" number to signify that it is a user-created lamp. So, an R1030000001 is a valid User Created lamp. In the lamp file there is a place for placing this number and the description of the lamp (it's human readable name).
  
  Again, via file manager you can move the user-created lamp back to the projector (it will only accept R103 lamps this way).
• Important Warning: User Lamp files do NOT survive firmware updates!!!! The S2 update frequency is pretty much winding down but there have been a few variants of the 2.10.xxx but keep in mind, a firmware update will wipe all R103 lamp files (delete them). It won't purge the hours or anything from the lamp info module, but it will no longer be listed as an available lamp so you'll need to re-install your lamp file.

As with all such things, use this information "at your own risk."

[Leo Enticknap]

Only other thing to note I can think of is that while the lamphouses were originally shipped with a full set of adapters, I have found at many sites that the ones that weren't needed at the initial install tended to get lost or tossed. So if, for example, a projector, with its lamphouse, is to be moved from a screen that needed a 4kW lamp to one that only needs a 2, you can find yourself needing to obtain a replacement adapter. This has bitten me in the rear once or twice.

[Sean McKinnon]

It must have been the SIM card then but I have had conversations with Barco people that it was technically possible but i guess the trick is getting the sim card.

[Peer Tritz]

You'll likely need a different adapter barrel for the much smaller lamps.

If you have larger bulbs that you're stuck with, a neutral density filter in front of the lens would be another option. I've installed them several times in really tiny screening rooms in post houses, in which an NC1000 or an SP2K-9S won't go down far enough to hit 14ft-l.

Thanks for the response - yea the adapter also cost me a month of waiting to order. Do you have any product links for the neutral density filter? or DM me if you can sell it to me.

[Peer Tritz]

We've been using ND-filters in front of our DP4K-23B and it helps us to get the brightness down in our screening room. We're running 1200W Ushio lamps now and without the filter, the picture is still too bright. One thing to note is that I've seen some degradation over time on those filters, so we swap them every odd year.

How big was your screen for this? the one is this set up is 4.8 meters wide

[Peer Tritz]

The SM lamp house does work with the 32-B and theoretically one could even remove a power supply and load the firmware for a 23-B and run on single phase 208 but I've yet to try it though I may as our rental machines are all 32B's and it would be good to know for sure that they could be made to work in a situation where three phase power just isn't available. The other part you mentioned is an iris which is usually installed on the integrator rod.

Thanks, I got the info from a Barco Service partner that the 32B firmware is definitely capped at 3KW and that the 3 Lamp power supplies provide far too much power, which would result in lamp flickering. The simplest solution is definitely and iris or aperture in the light path - But I was told I needed to find a third party, Barco doesn't sell one... If you can suggest a supplier I would be great full.

[Peer Tritz]

So here are your options.

• The SIM card, as others have noted, does define your projector, period. Removing a power supply just comes up as a power supply failure and has nothing to do with range. Each supply can handle 2400-watts so in a 19B o r 23B, you'll get two supplies while the 32B will have three (the 19B runs 3KW so one supply is not enough and since the 32B can run up to 7KW, 2 are not enough).
• The SM lamphouse absolutely works in a 32B. The projector is unaware of lamphouse model that is installed. It uses the Lamp Info Module, that is on every Barco lamphouse to keep track of what lamp is installed, but you provide that information. The model of the projector defines what range of lamps it can handle. I'm reasonably sure that a 32B can handle all of the way down to the 850W lamp like the DXL-9BAF.

As with all such things, use this information "at your own risk."

Thanks Steve for the help. After having read the service manual this is what I assumed was the case, I was just missing the SM lamphouse, I wanted to find out the price, asked my Service Partner whom advised its was not possible. So naturally I jumped on here to ask the real experts