Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: NC-2000 Sticky Douser?

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Posted by Jim Cassedy (Member # 4115) on 05-17-2016, 12:45 PM:

An NC2000C at a location I help out at seems to have a 'sticky' douser.

They called me twice over the weekend to to say there was no picture
on screen in that auditorium. When I logged in remotely, both the TMS
and NEC Communicator programs showed the douser as "open" - - and
yet I could only get picture back on screen if I toggled it "closed" & "open"
again remotely, so I think the problem is mechanical, and not electronic.

The problem seems to be intermittent. It was OK for the first show on
Monday, but on the 2rd show I had to toggle it manually again.

I've re-written the "show start" command macro in the GDC serverthingy
to include a douser-toggle command, and 2 "open" commands spaced
500ms apart. That seems to have solved the problem for now.

Anybody had any experience with an NEC douser sticking?
Any suggestions?

Just for the record, this projector is located on another floor, and far from
the concession area, so I doubt it's got any popcorn-oil grudge build up in
it. But, obviously, something is making it 'stick'.

Also, another thing that I can't figure out is that there are NO
"douser close" commands in use in any of their SPL's. I don't even think
the staff there knows what a 'douser' is, so they just ignore it. SO how
is it getting closed? Does it close automatically when the lamp is or
projector is powered down? Or not?

One possibility I've pondered is that there's a 'douser close' command
somewhere in the pre-show SPL, which is all programmed remotely by
a 3rd party. I've never been able to figure out how they get it into the
server or sechedule it since it often shows up only very shortly before
showtime, and usually doesn't appear at all in the TMS.

So WTF is going on?

This is the only projector out of 4 at that location that's doing this.

Posted by Stefan Vogels (Member # 5573) on 05-17-2016, 12:58 PM:

Under the SETUP tab in the communicator there is the auto dowser control which can enable automatically close - and reopen dowser action during lamp strike, format changes.

Posted by Jim Cassedy (Member # 4115) on 05-17-2016, 01:42 PM:

Thanks- I'd forgotten about that setting.
I just logged in remotely, and the settings in that projector
are exactly the same as in the other 3 at that location.

Actual Photo!

I assume "title select" refers to the projector macros
(Flat, Scope, etc) since I think NEC calls them that.
I suppose it wouldn't hurt to enable that one too until
I figure out what's going on, but the fact that two of
them are already set for "AUTO" again seems to
reinforce my suspicion that this is problem is more
mechanical in nature than electronic.
THANKS for the info-

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 05-17-2016, 07:30 PM:

Normal douser operation in an NEC is to have it close during lamp lighting. Then close at each title (Macro) change. Other than that it's really all dependent on how you cue it or how you set the screen in your picture above.

Mark