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Author Topic: xetron xcn-35 console ignition John Walsh Film God Posts: 2490 From: Connecticut, USA, Earth, Milky Way Registered: Oct 1999 posted 01-26-2004 09:03 PM                     I've never seen one with a battery. I would guess a battery would be for the hour meter  |  IP: Logged Gordon McLeod Film God Posts: 9532 From: Toronto Ontario Canada Registered: Jun 99 posted 01-27-2004 02:55 PM                     I installed a bunch of two piece xetron systems that all had batteries on the pcb and it was for the hour meter  |  IP: Logged James S. Mellen Film Handler Posts: 22 From: Sandpoint, Idaho, USA Registered: Jan 2004 posted 02-09-2004 11:23 PM                     Hey, thanks guys for all of the help. I finally determined that the reason the xetron console was not igniting was the spark gap. On the igniter, the spark gap is external and adjustable. It looked pretty old and the lacquer on the locknuts had never been disturbed. I closed the gap slightly and it ignites every time reliably!  |  IP: Logged Bob Healey Film Handler Posts: 93 From: Milford, CT Registered: Sep 2001 posted 02-11-2004 10:08 AM                     John Walsh wrote: quote: Xetron changed the wiring many (10?) years ago; they no longer allow just the airflow switch to shut off the rectifier, and the blowers do continue to run even when the lamp is shut off. Admittedly, that wasn't a good idea, but it's easy to rewire it, which we did to ours. I use a pair of 2K Xetron lamps installed in '89. I'm not sure if we modified the wiring or not, but ours are set so that if there is power to the lamphouse, the blower is always on, regardless of the lamp's status. I don't think anyone was crazy enough to rewire anything in the lamp, so I don't think they still make them where the lamp power switch controls the blower. On the lamp ignition side, we tend to get 2000+ hours before a lamp becomes difficult to strike. I've been told it doesn't need to be changed yet, and I am not confident that I could do it myself, so I am leaving it for now.  |  IP: Logged System Notices Forum Watchdog / Soup Nazi Posts: 215 Registered: Apr 2004 posted 07-15-2007 09:16 PM                 It has been 1250 days since the last post.  |  IP: Logged Tim Reed Better Projection Pays Posts: 5246 From: Northampton, PA Registered: Sep 1999 posted 07-15-2007 09:16 PM                       Okay, here is my problem today: Older revision XCN-35 console (early 80s vintage), with AS-9550 igniter, XeTron rear-mounted autostrike adj and button breaker. Internal blower doesn't run, and the fuse labelled "Xenon" blows. Even with the blower disconnected, the "Xenon" fuse blows when you press the manual ignition button. (According to the operator, the autostrike hasn't been working for the past week or so.) Contactor will energize when I defeat the airvane switch -- EVEN THOUGH I HAVE NO MANUAL SWITCHES ON - I'm hoping this is the version where the blower switches the rectifier on and off, although the consoles on the other screens have the blowers running continuously. Does anyone have a schematic of this older console they can email me, please? The online manual is for the '90s vintage console, with all the PC boards, and the schematic doesn't match this unit. THANKS!  |  IP: Logged John Walsh Film God Posts: 2490 From: Connecticut, USA, Earth, Milky Way Registered: Oct 1999 posted 07-16-2007 07:38 AM                     Hi, Tim.. I have some pdf's to send you; looking for an email address... are you still at "??reed at ???.net" (email obscured with ? marks.)  |  IP: Logged Tim Reed Better Projection Pays Posts: 5246 From: Northampton, PA Registered: Sep 1999 posted 07-16-2007 08:52 AM                       Thanks, John! Yes, I am.  |  IP: Logged Louis Bornwasser Film God Posts: 4441 From: prospect ky usa Registered: Mar 2005 posted 07-16-2007 01:06 PM                        Tim; you have an unmodified original lamp where only the vane switch is attached to the rectifier. Most were modified by Jim Ezell to allow the fan to run continuously. When we rebuild these here, we rewire using a Super Lumex drawing and we add one more relay to give the rectifier a "dry" contact. Louis  |  IP: Logged Tim Reed Better Projection Pays Posts: 5246 From: Northampton, PA Registered: Sep 1999 posted 07-16-2007 01:15 PM                       Very good, Louis. I got the .pdf's, John. Thanks all!  |  IP: Logged Dan Reiter Film Handler Posts: 74 From: Easton PA Registered: Jul 2002 posted 07-17-2007 07:47 AM                     Tim, Check for shorts and pinched wires in the cables. During my years at Xetron & BIG SKY, a common problem was one of the cables getting stuck in the door, and eventually having the insulation ground away and wires shorting. Check them all carefully. Also check the connections inside the blower. If a wire nut came off, and the wires are touching the blower body, it will act like yours is. Dan  |  IP: Logged Tim Reed Better Projection Pays Posts: 5246 From: Northampton, PA Registered: Sep 1999 posted 07-17-2007 04:40 PM                       Thanks, Dan. I disconnected the blower first thing, but it still blew fuses. I'm going for shorted cables next. The schematic John sent is a big help in tracing them. I appreciate the good help!  |  IP: Logged Tim Reed Better Projection Pays Posts: 5246 From: Northampton, PA Registered: Sep 1999 posted 07-19-2007 11:47 AM                       FOLLOW-UP (although, I think there is still a problem): The igniter was shorted, and installing a new one prevented blowing any more fuses. I have found no shorted or pinched wires. However, I did find a probable root cause: I discovered the anode support spider was shorted to the reflector frame on one side. I figure the anode shorted to ground during operation, causing the igniter to fire continuously. This destroyed the igniter, which blew the fuse, stopping the blower, which shut off the contactor. I placed a couple of cable ties around the spider leg at the point where the insulator was deteriorated, to hold it up off the reflector (which I've had success in doing before). The bulb lit at low current and then dropped out after about a half-second. Could not get it to light again. No load voltage: about 80 volts. Diodes all checked good, and all phases were getting through the contactor. AC input to the console from the panel was 200 volts, nom. Turning the handwheel up on the rectifier, however, allowed the bulb to be lit - but still only manually (Dave Ayers thought someone may have inadvertently turned it down when the unit originally failed, which made sense). Bulb running at 85A. After a few minutes of being off, however, I found I could not get the bulb to light again. I don't know if the spider is maybe still too close to the reflector (taking the ignition voltage away), but after a few attempts, it lit again. Here's what's making me think there may be other problems, as well. If you have the autostrike switch in the "Auto" position and switch the rectifier on, the ammeter moves slightly in a negative direction, below zero. Maybe 5 amps worth on the meter. Likewise, if I check voltage on the panel meter and place the autostrike switch in the "Auto" position, the reading drops slightly. You can hear the autostrike relay clicking if you go around and move the sensitivity control up and down... but the igniter still does not fire (the c.b. button is IN). I think the c.b. is passing current, since it was occasionally tripping with the other igniter installed (relay racing with the "Xenon" fuse). Since this rectifier endured a dead short for some time, does anyone have any clues as to what else could've been damaged? I have no problem with being able to make the autostrike work one way or the other, but those negative moves with it in-circuit are making me think sinister elements are afoot.  |  IP: Logged Louis Bornwasser Film God Posts: 4441 From: prospect ky usa Registered: Mar 2005 posted 07-19-2007 03:32 PM                        Sounds like a burned contact at least in the relay. Arc overs frequently occur on the igniter pick up pot. You can just replace it with a zener and adjustment won't be needed. Alternatively, insulate it from the chassis. Louis [ 07-19-2007, 07:30 PM: Message edited by: Louis Bornwasser ]  |  IP: Logged Tim Reed Better Projection Pays Posts: 5246 From: Northampton, PA Registered: Sep 1999 posted 07-19-2007 07:59 PM                       Thanks, Louis. It just occurred to me that I should check the RA relay, as it's exhibiting a lot of the symptoms... I'll do that on the next trip.  |  IP: Logged

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