Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: douser on christie projector

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Posted by Dave Ganoe (Member # 53) on 10-26-2003, 08:50 PM:

Having a problem with the douser on a Christie SLC p35GPS projector. It started going shut during the show and when closing then opening it with the switch it closes again slowly on its own. The manual says nothing about adjusting it. Does the solenoid only used to open or close it? What keeps it open? I saw an allen screw secured by a 7/16" nut that seems like it is some sort of adjustment. Messing with this only seems to help it for a short time then the same problem again. This has also happened on a couple of other projectors here, the douser going shut during the show. Any advice.

Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 10-26-2003, 11:16 PM:

Do a search. There are a lot of tips in the archives here about this.

That allen screw is supposed to be an adjustment for that. Perhaps the projector belts are not on the machine at the proper tension causing the unit to shake and work the allen screw out???

Personally, I change two wires on the automation and set it so the xenon fires when the douser would normally open and close, then I remove the douser flat out.

Posted by Scott Manley (Member # 867) on 10-27-2003, 08:16 AM:

I second Brads suggestion......That Christie douser is nothing but a pain in the you know what.

Posted by Lauren Fisher (Member # 1905) on 10-27-2003, 10:31 AM:

we always tape the douser after it opens...to keep it from falling down until we can fix the problem. its a quick solution until one can find and fix the source.

Posted by Manuel Francisco Valencia (Member # 710) on 10-27-2003, 08:03 PM:

Could be wrong but I believe Brad's solution works with the CA21 but not 3Q. If you have the 3Q automation your best bet is to get the new dousers and adjust the screw. The old dousers will warp in a few months and if not removed they will get stuck into position.

Posted by Randy Stankey (Member # 64) on 10-28-2003, 09:47 AM:

quote:

Lauren Fisher: ...we always tape the douser after it opens...

In many of the theaters I worked at that had problems with their Christie dowsers the solution was to put a rubber band around the end of the dowser "push/pull rod" and then around the jogger control box. If you get the right size band, the tension provided enough holding power to keep the dowser up but still allowed the thing to close at the end of the show.

I never really liked using those "duct tape & bailing wire" kinds of solutions but it's preferable to telling unskilled workers to fiddle around inside the machines with tools. Every time I would visit the theater I would know which projectors needed their dowsers adjusted by looking for the rubber bands.

I understand that many of these kinds of problems have been a lot less common since Christie has made modifications to their designs but that doesn't help all those theaters that have older equipment and can't/don't make the mods.

Posted by German Marin (Member # 918) on 10-28-2003, 12:37 PM:

There is my douser's solution , it really works.

Posted by Bill Mantz (Member # 754) on 10-30-2003, 02:17 AM:

I always hated the idea of taping a douser on a Christie projector it makes more problems then good and most of the time damages the douser Christie has made some atempets to repair the douser design problems they have but the only way I see the best way to fix the Christie douser problems is to do exactly what Germain Marin did to his Christie projector.