Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Christie SLC 6000watt lamphouse

This is topic Christie SLC 6000watt lamphouse - LOTS OF PROBLEMS!!! in forum Film Handlers' Forum at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

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Posted by Carey Barber (Member # 1586) on 07-01-2005, 03:06 PM:

I was wondering if any out there has had a similar problem with a 6000 watt Christie SLC45-02 lamphouse.

This house continually has electrical problems. We have three other lamphouses of this model and they do not have anywhere near these problems. The problems always involve overloads of electricity and burnt wires/equipment.

The following is a (partial) list of problems that this theater has had:

- Blown up a bulb during a show
- Melted several negative bulb connectors
- Burnt and annihilated countless tap wires
- Burnt and annihilated a couple tap switches
- Bad diodes - Needing replacement more often than normal
- Damaged igniters
- Other burnt wires and connections

We have replaced nearly every part in this lamphouse (with the notable exception of the large transformer.)

We have had an electrian come out and he could not find anything unusual (for example, incorrect gauge wires coming from the circuit breaker box).

If this only occurred once in a while I might think that these are just bad/loose connections. However, this should not be the only house doing this and it happens way too often. Furthermore, I spend a lot of time in this lamphouse checking the connections -- In fact, my checking of these connections borders on an obsession.

Yet still, at least once a month, we have some sort of problem like the ones described above.

Please help!!!

Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 07-01-2005, 03:11 PM:

You are going to have to throw in a few facts here, notably the year this machine was built (I am assuming it was installed brand new) and what kind of CFM you are pulling out of there.

I for one would like to know if you are using the voltmeter on the side of the lamphouse as your exclusive gauge for setting the taps and what it is reading when the bulb is lit.

Posted by Monte L Fullmer (Member # 2797) on 07-01-2005, 03:27 PM:

Shoot, and I thought that the SLC-45.02 REFERENCE consoles were great, for I worked in a complex that had 5 of them and the only two problems that I had were a contactor leg went bad and a rectifier tap switch overheated (which was due to the nuts behind the button contacts had loosen up, which became a routine check every month in checking those nuts). And three of these consoles did use the CXL-60 bulbs, whereas the other two used the CXL-45 bulbs. Otherwise I enjoyed these consoles. You just gotta have excellent cooling and powerful exhaust with these big bulbs to get all of that heat out of them

Something's a bit goofy with this one that has problems.

-monte

Posted by Scott Manley (Member # 867) on 07-01-2005, 06:48 PM:

Have had almost all of one theaters SLC-40's which would be 6 burn up the tap selector and board. Also have had a few SLC 20 do the same thing.
Have noticed the new assy's have larger lugs to attach the numerous wires. Have not had any problems with the new and possibly improved tap selectors.

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 07-01-2005, 09:15 PM:

We have at least several hundred Christie Xenon installations of all types and all ages in the Mountain states. They typically give us the least trouble of all Xenon systems.
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- Blown up a bulb during a show

This can happen to a lamp at any time. How many hours when it blew up? Do you have at least 1500 CFM of air flow in the stack? Thats what it takes for a 6lw lamp. Double check the calibration of your meters and set them for the average current you run at. Christie amp meter calibration is adjustable at the shunt.
_________________________________________________________

- Melted several negative bulb connectors

A common problem when someone forgets to tighten the negative clamp part, and or failure to clean that female thread when replacing the lamp. I generally replace a few of these a year.
_________________________________________________________

- Burnt and annihilated countless tap wires

Failure of your technician to check upon istallation and then periodically check all rectifier and associated connections. This is VERY important on high current devices of all types. I check all connections once a year in the locations I service.
_________________________________________________________

- Burnt and annihilated a couple tap switches

The tap switch should ONLY be moved with the lamp OFF. Turning the tap switch with the lamp lit will definately cause it to fail.
_________________________________________________________

- Bad diodes - Needing replacement more often than normal

Do you have surge superssors in your booth panels... I can answer that..... No. Its very likely that you are getting really big power suurges of shch short duration that they many not be detectable by sight such as in lights, etc. Most electrical contractors do not install them in new construction unless someone else insists on it. The sites where we spec'd in superssors have had ZERO problems with anything electrical over the last 4 years. Diodes can also fail by changing the tap switch when the lamp is lit. Doing so can place massive instantanious spikes on the diodes of several thousand volts.

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- Damaged igniters

Damaged how? We only see perhaps 4 or 5 Christie ignitor problems a year and out of a several hundred Christie lamphouses and consoles of all ages in the mountain state area.
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- Other burnt wires and connections

Check your crimps too... or.......
Again, falure of your technician to do his job. Lack of normal, or at least twice yearly service, or service not being done to high standards.
______________________________________________________________

At any rate it soulds like your chain needs someone to properly train booth personel and someone thats competant to do your service work. Are you qualified to be checking those connections?

Hope this helps,

Mark

Posted by Carey Barber (Member # 1586) on 07-02-2005, 10:51 AM:

Thanks for all the responses

Brad - How would I go about checking the CFM that is being pulled?
Note- this problem house has a same model lamphouse that shares an exhaust fan and duct. I would think that they would both be pulling the same amount of exhaust then-- but the other theater never has these problems.

Mark -
I don't know the exact hours that the bulb blew at but it was less than 1000 hours. Again, I have not been shown how to measure the CFM. (Do I need some specialized tool or special training for this?)

I never change the tap switch setting with the lamp on. I often check the tap switch wires (and other connections) to make sure they are tight-- especially in this house.

I must profess that some of the info presented here is a little above my head and I am probably not qualified to do some of this.

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 07-02-2005, 10:59 AM:

Yes, and there was a thread on measuring air flow just a short time ago. A search should turn it up. Sorry about the lamp but any lamp can do that at literally any time but today explosions are more rare than 25 years ago rare. Thats part of the reason for all the danger labels on lamphouses. What about surge protectors.... any on your booth panels?

Mark

Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 07-02-2005, 02:14 PM:

Surge protectors are a great idea, but in this particular case I really don't think it's his problem since he has other identical lamphouses without a problem. What catches my eye is the fact that this is apparently a house with the same model lamphouse sharing the exhaust. Something could've easily gotten botched up in that little rig job and this particular lamphouse isn't getting near enough CFM in the split.

Posted by Carey Barber (Member # 1586) on 07-02-2005, 03:18 PM:

Mark - There are no surge protectors that I am aware of. Just a circuit breaker panel on the wall and the circuit breaker on the actual lamphouse. Even with all of these power problems these breakers never trip.

Brad- All of our houses share exhaust fans with one other lamphouse. In this particular case, two of our biggest theaters are on the same exhaust.

I certainly cannot vouch for how good a job was done in setting up the exhaust system here.

Perhaps it is split so that the other theater is being cooled much better than my problem house???

Posted by Peter Hall (Member # 695) on 07-03-2005, 08:11 AM:

We have four of these and have found the ammeters to be woefully inaccurrate. Coupled with IREM rectifiers there is in one case 15A difference - could you be running way over current without knowing it, this pushing everything an extra 20A or so ? We wouldnt have spotted this so quickly if we were using integrated consoles or rectiferes without ammeters..

Posted by Steve Guttag (Member # 268) on 07-03-2005, 10:03 AM:

Peter, Why do you mention the IREM rectifiers? I know that IREM's switching series rectifiers have woefully inaccurate meters. That is, using a clamp on probe that was calibrated (and tracable to NIST) the probe agreed with the Kinoton SK-50 console meter (analog) but disagreed with the IREM digital meter.

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 07-03-2005, 10:43 AM:

Upon installation ALL lamphouse operating current meters should be checked for proper calibration. Again, failure to check EVERYTHING, and every nut, bolt, and connection just leads to possible problems down the road. You can't trust ANY factory.... Kinoton included! They all make mistakes. Problems also occur in shipment that may be concealed and not show up till later such as in an inordinate number of lamp explosions, or burned up connections.

Now I adjourn back to the mountains for the remainder of the long weekend [thumbsup]

.

Mark

Posted by Peter Hall (Member # 695) on 07-04-2005, 10:57 AM:

Hi Steve
We used a clamp meter to verify the actual current - in all cases the IREM rectifier was more accurate. Havent dealt much with the switchers - we have a couple in with no problems

Cheers