Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Orcon/SuperLume-x

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Posted by Tom McGarrity (Member # 7320) on 03-30-2013, 07:43 AM:

I have aquired a SuperLume-x 39000-02 and an Orcon XPS-16S rectifier. Is this a good combination?

Posted by Louis Bornwasser (Member # 3063) on 03-30-2013, 08:44 AM:

The S-Lumex is probably the best xenon lamphouse ever made. The ORC rectifier, while not my first choice, is good enough. For single phase, home operation, it may well be your ONLY choice.

Posted by Dave Macaulay (Member # 813) on 03-30-2013, 08:56 AM:

It's fine but limited to 1.6kW lamp.
The wiring is simple. AC power goes to the rectifier. Also the DC lamp connection; the rectifier manual is in the warehouse section here.
The lamphouse is designed for Strong rectifiers but is easy to connect. 120VAC at about 5A max is required, possibly an issue in the UK. 50Hz might be a problem for the lamphouse fan though...
You connect the 120V to terminals 2 and 4 in the lamphouse. Connect rectifier terminals 5 and 6 to lamphouse terminals 4 and 5,and connect a good ground wire between the lamphouse ground and rectifier terminal 1. The lamphouse sends 120V out on 5 and 6 when the safety interlocks (door and blower airflow) are OK and the lamp switch is on, the rectifier contactor is on terminals 4 and 5: hopefully it hasn't been swapped to a 240V coil type.
1600W lamps need a few adapter parts that are still available from Strong. There's a brass cathode adapter the lamp screws into, an anode end extender, a clamp to hold that on, and an anode cable plus clamp assembly. If you don't have them probably someone here has extras, and the part numbers are in the lamphouse manual in a table carefully crafted to be almost unreadable.
Also a possible issue is the rectifier boost voltage. There are several Strong rectifier types with different voltages, the electronic ones have very high boost (rectifier on but lamp off) voltage. The lamphouse senses this voltage to do autostrike: if you have a lamphouse set up for an electronic rectifier it will probably not autostrike with the ORC rectifier. If that's a problem for you, you can change a zener diode on the autostrike card. Unfortunately, removing the autostrike card from a used Super Lume-X usually destroys the mounting posts since Strong used nylon posts that turn to brittle crap in UV light. And Strong used an oddball size post that's quite hard to find... except from Strong of course.

Posted by Tom McGarrity (Member # 7320) on 03-30-2013, 05:28 PM:

In the operating manual for the Orcon it mentions 'Input 230v' which would suit me for the home supply. Is this correct?

Posted by Ben Wales (Member # 92) on 03-30-2013, 05:46 PM:

Yep, they run on 240v AC, I have one and also ran a 2kw Bulb with a Peerless Xenon Lamphouse for a mobile Cinema.

Posted by Tom McGarrity (Member # 7320) on 03-31-2013, 11:52 AM:

Thanks all.

Posted by Peter Hall (Member # 695) on 04-04-2013, 10:12 AM:

Hi Tom

The wiring is spot on, but you may find that the SuperLumex doesnt get enough open cct voltage to auto strike (there is a manual strike button under a cap on the top of the lamphouse if this is the case). If so (very likely) there is a zenrer diode in the strike cct that can be changed. Email me if you need the cct dug out - no problem to run manually however if you like.

Louis - not totally with you on the Super Lumex long term. We have found the mirrors and wiring to overheat, causing brittle wiring and yellow mirrors (even with good extract). But yes, they are nice to install, perhaps less so the earlier ones with the push-pull douser. It is hard to believe that less than 10 years after we were installing these new, we have perhaps half a dozen of good, used ones in stock, a pile of Kinotons and some good switch mode rectifiers but nobody has a use for them - they are just too good to throw away.

Strange how things change - I had to show 2 Digital guys how to phase a FP30 shutter today - they thought that the rotating disk thingy (their words !) was quaint, but figured that the "double flash" of the 35mm frame was "just like video". I think that film may have been there first...

Never had a "projector unable to communicate with server (or should it be platter (?)" error, nor a link decryptor issue, ICP overload or KDM issue on a FP30, nor a Super Lumex...

Posted by Steve Guttag (Member # 268) on 04-04-2013, 10:20 AM:

I fault most lamphouse manufacturers for using non-uv resistant wire and Strong is definitely one of them. But even if they DO use UV resistant wire, like Kinoton, they STILL use the stupid white zip ties that die in the UV! Use black or uv resistant wire ties and it all stays together.

As to Super Lume-X reflectors...I've found them to last a long time if run with 2KW and less. When you push it to 2.5KW you are going to overheat the lamphouse...the intake isn't enough for that lamp. Likewise on a Lume-X...keep it to 1.6KW and smaller and it will survive a long time.

Posted by Tom McGarrity (Member # 7320) on 04-04-2013, 01:09 PM:

Thanks chaps. Peter, haven't heard from you since I bought the two V5 MI's that Princess Diana allegedly watched films on in a preview theatre.

Posted by Louis Bornwasser (Member # 3063) on 04-04-2013, 02:51 PM:

Steve, you are spot on. We remanufactured many S-Lumex over the years. UV cable and black cable ties. Replaced many plastic boxes for the high current coil in the igniter. Box was $25 and the same one Strong used. Epoxied the epoxy into the new box. MOST reflectors were good even at 2.5K, but then I super cool them.

Posted by Peter Hall (Member # 695) on 04-05-2013, 12:58 AM:

Hi Tom
LONG time - yes, I remember the theatre - I still have one of the seats in the office. Not much of a royalist, however very impressed that June Whitfield has also sat on the seats ! - the pension adverts are still running on late night cable
Cheers

Posted by Tom McGarrity (Member # 7320) on 04-25-2013, 11:26 AM:

Combination works perfectly. Thanks. Good job.