Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: "Lamp Alert" on Sony R220 and R320

This is topic "Lamp Alert" on Sony R220 and R320 in forum Digital Cinema Forum at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

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Posted by Carey Barber (Member # 1586) on 07-21-2015, 05:05 PM:

The Sony R220 and R320 have a "lamp alert" when a lamp reaches a certain number of hours, indicating that the lamp needs to be changed.

The problem I am having is that the cut-off for lamp life that is programmed in the projector does not match what my company has established as the max hours.

In some cases, the lamp alert goes off really early. In other cases the alert does not go off, even when the lamp is about to exceed the max hours established by my company.

Is there a way to adjust the max hours so this lamp alert will display when I would like (can I adjust the max hours)?

Similarly, can I adjust how close to the max hours a lamp has to be before going off? (That is, can I set the alert so that it starts to display at x number of hours before the max horus are reached?)

I should note that I work for a large company and have to adhere to the max hours established for each lamp (for regular maintenance...obviously if a bulb is starting to decline I can change it early).

Posted by Marco Giustini (Member # 4544) on 07-22-2015, 01:39 AM:

No, but the lamp alert is the warranty hours the manufacturer established.
It sounds perfectly fine to me that a projector warns you when it's time to replace that lamp - and you can ignore the error of you want. Barco does not allow you to change the warranty hours either. Nec does. Christie, I cannot remember on top of my head.

Posted by Monte L Fullmer (Member # 2797) on 07-22-2015, 03:13 AM:

The warranty hours are in the code that one types in when changing a bulb for the SONY units.

Also. this code tells the unit's rectifier (or ballast) on what power to use per bulb install.

Posted by Steve Guttag (Member # 268) on 07-22-2015, 05:57 AM:

Barco one CAN change the hours but you have to create your own lamp file to do it. Christie you can alter the Expiry hours at installation of the lamp but not subsequently unless you do it via serial/Ethernet commands.

Posted by Chase Taylor (Member # 778) on 07-22-2015, 11:42 AM:

Steve

Speak more to how one can change the warranty hours on a Barco. Mostly curious of how to do that on Series 1 machines, as the warranty hours have changed long after the last software update.

Thanks

Posted by Marco Giustini (Member # 4544) on 07-22-2015, 03:26 PM:

From the operator's/installer's point of view, Barco does not allow to change the warranty hours. Christie and Nec do.

Posted by Steve Guttag (Member # 268) on 07-22-2015, 03:26 PM:

For a series 2, you use the File manager in Communicator to export the file (it will be a text type file)...modify the times as you desire and then rename the file both externally as well as the line internally with the prefix of R103 and upload it back. So, if you are modify lamp model R9850000, rename it to R1039850000...do you mods and reupload it. Note, the logs will show you are using that modified file then.

For series 1 you either need to modify the update file (good luck) or you can try to talk to tech support for a lamp update file.

Posted by Marco Giustini (Member # 4544) on 07-22-2015, 05:30 PM:

You can also modify a 15C to make it a 20C but it's not on the GUI.
What I am saying is: Christie and NEC give the operator/installer a tool to change the hours. Barco don't. Then it can be done by manually modifying the files, fine, but in my opinion that is not the point.
I'm sure there's a way to create a fake Sony lamp file to tell the SMS to do whatever you want, but that would not be a tool SONY give their installer/customers.

Posted by Steve Guttag (Member # 268) on 07-22-2015, 06:29 PM:

On a series 2, there is a "legit" way to modify the file though it too will be a different number/modified file. Thus, if anything goes wrong, it isn't the factory Barco file that caused the problem That I think is legitimate.

For the procedure, you'd have to consult tech support.

Now one thing I don't like about NEC is once a lamp is removed...it is gone...you can't put it back in at the same hours. Unless. you set the projector before installing the projector originally as a dual lamphouse. Barco and Christie keep a History and with Christie you can enter the number of hours on the lamp already. Barco, if isn't in the history would have to be put in as new...then swapped with one in history, then swapped back to allow putting the actual hours in.

On Christie, you can modify the expiry hours when the lamp is first installed but not thereafter if you make a mistake...unless you modify it via serial/Ethernet commands. They all have their quirks.

Barco has auto lamp recovery as an OPTION...Christie, if the lamp drops for ANY reason...stays off! If the power merely dims on NEC...the damp drops. Despite having tri-color lamps NEC puts up WHAT color when the lamp is supposed to be changed? Anyone? Anyone? RED...yes the color that is supposed to be reserved for machines that won't show a movie for some reason.

Posted by Bernie Anderson Jr (Member # 410) on 07-22-2015, 09:52 PM:

I wish there was a way to alter the sony times so the warning comes up earlier than the warrantee hour. Too often the light will flash and it will be days before anyone gets to it. If it blows up, its then on us.

Posted by Marco Giustini (Member # 4544) on 07-23-2015, 06:24 AM:

So will Barco accept a warranty claim if the lamp exploded *before* the warranty hours if the lamp file being used is not the official one?

I don't think so.

Will Christie and NEC accept a claim if the lamp exploded BEFORE the warranty hours but the actual warranty hours set during installation is incorrect?

I believe so, as long as your lamp is still within warranty hours.

Than I feel that the answer to 'Do Barco allow to change the warranty hours' is no. Whether that can be done by manually by tweaking a configuration file, that is another story IMHO.

Posted by Steve Guttag (Member # 268) on 07-23-2015, 06:43 AM:

The lamp warranty is with the lamp manufacturer (at least in the US, it is). So if a lamp explodes, you go to the lamp manufacturer.

What you are altering, hour wise, is not the "warranty" hours but the hours before you are nagged by the projector about changing the lamp. Ushio, Osram, Philips...etc. don't care what you set your warning hours to...they have the hours they will honor.

Now what Barco does allow you to do is to alter the wattage, voltage and current levels in that file too...hence the responsibility is yours on the alterations. While the other don't allow you to do that...there is nothing to stop you from just using a different preset file to change the range you want the lamp to run.

Posted by Marco Giustini (Member # 4544) on 07-23-2015, 07:30 AM:

quote: Steve Guttag
Ushio, Osram, Philips...etc. don't care what you set your warning hours to...they have the hours they will honor.

Good luck with that. The manufacturer will ask for projector logs and an 'unsupported' lamp will be listed. Good luck.

Also, the first lamp coming from Barco is guaranteed by Osram/Philips through Barco.

Posted by Steve Guttag (Member # 268) on 07-23-2015, 10:25 AM:

See now things are different here in the states.

I've never had a lamp manufacturer ask for the logs though we wouldn't deny them if they did...sending out logs is pretty regular.

In the US...the Barco supplied lamp is exclusively supported (or not) by the supplier (Osram 99% of the time). As such, the support has been horrendous. Furthermore, the way they want to deal with the bad lamp is to supply another crappy Osram lamp.

We have a few customers that run their lamps beyond warranty and they seem to deal with the tail light change okay. Most just change at warranty and not worry about trying to save a few $$ versus the potential liability. It depends on screen count. If you have just a few screens or only 1...it will take a long time of saving lamp hours to make up for one mishap. If you have a couple dozen screens all getting 25% more, you start saving lamp costs pretty much instantly.

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 07-23-2015, 10:38 AM:

And all this time NEC still has the hours wrong for the DXL-20 lamp. You have to manually change it anyway. My customers vary on when they want the warning to pop up, so they get to choose that when I install.

Mark

Posted by Steve Guttag (Member # 268) on 07-23-2015, 02:29 PM:

They don't have the wrong hours. You are supposed to use the Certificate code. If you put that in, the right hours come up and everything. It also logs in the serial number that doesn't match Ushio's number but I guess has a translation.