Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Barco Alchemy shipped new with three-year old cert battery

This is topic Barco Alchemy shipped new with three-year old cert battery in forum Digital Cinema Forum at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

To visit this topic, use this URL:
https://ft-forum.com/ft/cgi-bin/ubb/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=16;t=003529

Posted by Leo Enticknap (Member # 534) on 12-20-2018, 08:39 AM:

Herewith a heads up: I have just unboxed a new Alchemy ICMP, and the date on the battery holder is August 21, 2015. Therefore, per Info-T #1381 (replace every five years), it's only a year and a half out from needing a new battery. Given that the unit may have sat on a shelf unpowered since that time, and that the official advice likely assumes a regular usage pattern (i.e. powered up for 10-12 hours a day, seven days a week), the battery could be even closer to needing replacement.

Kudos to Barco for putting the date on the battery cover - as far as I'm aware, no other IMB or IMS manufacturer does this at the factory, meaning that when you install it for the end user, you have no idea how much or how little life the cert battery has left in it.

I'd therefore suggest that anyone else installing a new Alchemy checks the sticker on the battery cover, and if the battery is more than a couple of years old, replacing it during installation. At least this will mean that the end user will have a good few years before having to worry about losing their certificate.

Posted by Carsten Kurz (Member # 5396) on 12-20-2018, 09:16 AM:

Interesting - does it have dual HDMI 2.0 or Dual DisplayPort?

- Carsten

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 12-20-2018, 09:26 AM:

That look when you unbox your new Alchemy...

Posted by Leo Enticknap (Member # 534) on 12-20-2018, 09:38 AM:

It was a hardware revision 1 unit (two DisplayPort and one HDMI jack).

Posted by Steve Guttag (Member # 268) on 12-20-2018, 10:15 AM:

That haven't been shipping that one for a year now. How did you happen upon it "new?"

Posted by Leo Enticknap (Member # 534) on 12-20-2018, 03:14 PM:

Sacramento shipped that one to us about a week ago.

Posted by Steve Guttag (Member # 268) on 12-20-2018, 05:20 PM:

With Display Port? Was it supposed to be B-Stock or something? Seriously, those went out of production like June of last year or so.

I suspect something got put in the wrong pile.

Posted by Leo Enticknap (Member # 534) on 12-20-2018, 09:00 PM:

There were some crossed wires somewhere. This was to replace a mk. II Alchemy that was a case of infant mortality. About two hours into the initial install, as I was working on the lens and screen files, all the lights suddenly went out on it, and the projector reported no ICP present. That was RMA-ed and this one sent as a replacement. As the customer specifically wanted a mk. II, I didn't even install this one, and it's going back to Barco in the morning, with a mk. II en route to us tonight.

If I had installed it, however, I'd be replacing the battery when I go back to do the punchlist items early in the new year. I didn't have a spare CR2477N with me today, because I didn't think I'd be needing one for a new Alchemy.

The bugger of it was that the original mk. II died after I'd spent about an hour and a half on lens and screen files (lots of 'em, because this is an arthouse venue that wanted them for 16:9, 1.37, etc. as well as regular flat and scope), but before I'd taken a clone from it. Grr...

Posted by Steve Guttag (Member # 268) on 12-20-2018, 09:53 PM:

Lens files are Cinema Controller...just the screen files would need to be redone (or any MCGD).

I generally start out with full resolution screen files of each format so I only need some minor trims from there.