Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: NEC 800C BulbOverTime, think we need new bulb

This is topic NEC 800C BulbOverTime, think we need new bulb in forum Digital Cinema Forum at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

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Posted by Ben Edwards (Member # 8199) on 05-18-2014, 04:12 PM:

Hi, out projector refuses to boot, gives a BulbOvertime error. Odd because I checked recently and it said it was only up to 80%.

I guess we need a new bulb, anyone got advice as to where to get one (I am in UK).

Also wondering if it was possible/safe to reset this so we can use the bulb for a few more days. Cant see getting a bulb that quickly and we have films to show tomorrow.

I work at a volunteer run cinema so we have to be cartful with money. I know we need a bulb, and will get one, but need to check best way forward.

regards,
Ben

Posted by Stephen Furley (Member # 1277) on 05-18-2014, 04:24 PM:

Was this a DSN installation? I believe AAM can still supply exchange lamp modules, but they are expensive.

I don't trust the lamp hours counters in the NC800C; I keep a record of the hours after each week's film, and the used and remaining hours don't count up and down at the same rate, so the sum of the two doesn't remain constant, as it seems that it ought to.

Posted by Ben Edwards (Member # 8199) on 05-18-2014, 04:43 PM:

DNS? AAM? not sure what these are. Is it possible to reset counter? What happens if bulb explores, does it damage projector?

Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 05-18-2014, 04:53 PM:

Yep serious damage can be done, and if your bulb is out of warranty the bulb manufacturer will not pay for the repairs. (At least that's the way it is in the U.S.)

One thing to find out is, what the warranty hours are on the bulb and where the bulb overtime warning is set. At least on our machine, you can set that warning wherever you like -- it's more of a reminder. Make sure you're getting the amount of time out of the bulb that you're supposed to.

Even when it goes past that time our machine will still fire up, so maybe there is some different thing in your machine's OS.

I am amazed that you haven't got a spare bulb on hand. That's just standard practice.

Posted by Ross McLaughlin (Member # 6774) on 05-18-2014, 05:00 PM:

Hi Ben,
(To the best of my limited knowledge) you can run a bulb overtime, it's just that if it does explode you are then liable for the cost of replacement parts, so the risk probably doesn't outweigh the extra hours. Though for a day or 2 I've run lamps over with no problem. Just luck of the draw.

I get lamps through Bell Theatre Services, and they normally get parts out next day. I haven't shopped too much for prices, but they are the cheapest so far (and convenient as they are our technicians.) Sound Associates have been good in the past too.

I know of other cinemas using Technical Lamp Supplies, but can't vouch for them.

And get 2, always have a spare to hand in case - lamps can fail before their guaranteed hours.

Posted by Marco Giustini (Member # 4544) on 05-18-2014, 05:48 PM:

Not familiar with the 800, but I don't think it would stop working if the bulb warranty expires.

Posted by Ben Edwards (Member # 8199) on 05-18-2014, 06:29 PM:

"I am amazed that you haven't got a spare bulb on hand. That's just standard practice.". Me too. As I said it is a volunteer run. I was going to push to get a replacement but thought we had a while.

Ben

Posted by Stephen Furley (Member # 1277) on 05-19-2014, 05:42 AM:

Sorry, AAM = Arts Alliance Media; NSN = Digital Screen Network, the scheme under which digital projectors were installed in many British cinemas some years ago. AAM are the organisation which installed and supported these machines.

http://www.artsalliancemedia.com/

The DSN scheme ran for five years, and has now ended, but many of these cinemas have continued to use AAM to support these machines. I don't know if the counter can be reset, but a lamp explosion in a digital projector could be very expensive.

Posted by Richard May (Member # 2627) on 05-19-2014, 07:15 AM:

You can't adjust the warning hours setting. It's set to come on at around 1500 hours which is ridiculous. We run the lamps to 2000 hours and have never had an issue. The people we got the projectors from run the lamps to 2400 hours before they change them. Overtime error will not prevent the lamp from striking. There is nothing in the OS to do that. You can continue to run with the error. You just cant clear the error until you change the lamp?

Does the lamp strike or even try to strike? If it tries to strike and then doesn't stay lit, you will get a "lamp unlit" error. If it's not trying to strike at all, you may have a bad lamp or something else.

Posted by Amanda Mundin (Member # 3386) on 05-21-2014, 01:37 PM:

Think the hours you get from the bulb are relative to how bright you run them, we have the same projector and even when a new bulb goes in it only suggests we MAY be able to get 1899 hours, never got anything like that though. In our experience when these bulbs get old (over 1,500 hours) they get unreliable, so we aim to change them out at 1,500 hours, we don't always get that far before the striking becomes a problem, reliability seems to vary lamp to lamp with us. We have had lamps go out in the middle of shows before. They are only warranted to 500 hours as far as I'm aware. Money wise last time we bought one it's over £1,100 including the 2 new filters.

Posted by Ben Edwards (Member # 8199) on 05-21-2014, 01:45 PM:

Thanks everyone. Lots of great info. We got the projector working fine and are sourcing a new bulb. I thought it was more like £2000, where did you get your from.

In terms of striking problem are people saying before there is a danger of them exploring we will get problems striking them?

Ben

Posted by Amanda Mundin (Member # 3386) on 05-21-2014, 02:11 PM:

It seems safe to assume different peoples experience with the same projector/bulb varies, Richard's experience of reliability seems greater than ours, never had one explode though.

In the past we have purchased bulbs from Arts Alliance Media, they supplied the projector, the price I suggested was for a re-lamped module, order the bulb it comes ready fitted and chipped in the module, change it out send the whole module back to them. If you buy a brand new module with lamp with the intention of keeping a spare on site it will be very expensive, over £3k last price I saw.
Might also be worth trying Omnex Pro Film.

Posted by Ben Edwards (Member # 8199) on 05-22-2014, 10:39 AM:

Thanks.

Posted by Steve Moore (Member # 4753) on 05-22-2014, 12:11 PM:

We have got ours for that NEC from Omnex (Stockport) in the past, but yes around £1000. We have overrun ours in the past due delayed delivery and fine; but they do seem to just fail and not strike without warning and generally early (from any supplier). We keep a manual record of hours run as we have two had issues with the hours counted on these machines in the past.