Scanner Testing/Issue

[Bradfo69]

My first inclination is to say, "How on earth do you find out what your scanners are tuned to?" But, it's all becoming a little clearer.....guessing that's where the ILDA test pattern and setting up your projector at like 25 feet from the wall and calculating everything comes in.
I know I've seen something like that somewhere. I've never actually DONE it before though. I've read the tuning guide. But, in the instructions it always begins by saying, "Find some uninterrupted time where you can concentrate and have plenty of patience." I've got plenty of one and non of the other....

[Bradfo69]

ya just for reference 100% in pangolin is NOT 100% scan-angle... thats 100% output.. scan angle will depend on what the amps are tuned to...

for example on my scanners 50% on pangolin exceeds the rated scan-angle

As I re-read this.... I'm realizing there is a serious "Duh" moment for me here.

[Stuka]

... in the instructions it always begins by saying, "Find some uninterrupted time where you can concentrate and have plenty of patience." I've got plenty of one and non of the other....

I resemble that statement!!

In case you haven't seen it, the contents of this thread might help:

http://www.photonlexicon.com/forums/...gle+calculator

[Bradfo69]

Thanks Randy,

I believe it was you who mentioned to me something a few months back about calculating scan angles and I honestly forgot about it.

Yeah... time is simply a precious commodity I just don't have anymore. I almost miss my two year sabbatical of not being "formally" employed.

[Stuka]

Thanks Randy,

I believe it was you who mentioned to me something a few months back about calculating scan angles and I honestly forgot about it.

Yeah... time is simply a precious commodity I just don't have anymore. I almost miss my two year sabbatical of not being "formally" employed.

No problem!

I've been through the agony of operator-induced blown scanners while prepping for SELEM, and it wasn't fun!

If I can offer anything in the way of advice, it would be to err on side of caution, and play VERY conservative with the scan angles for your graphics - EXPECIALLY if running complicated abstracts or rasters (that's what got mine - doh!!)!

It never hurts to stick labels on the computer to remind you what the "safe" limits are for your projection zone settings.

Here's a simple southern approach you can use along with knowing the safe scan angles:

If your scanners "squeal like a stuck pig" when increasing the scan angle for your graphics - or if the projected images start "melting" around the edges - things are probably going to get ugly (and $$$) if you don't back off a bit!!

[allthatwhichis]

http://www.pangolin.com/userhelp/scanangles.htm

[Bradfo69]

O.k.... I finally had a chance to take the cover off. I'm guessing it's the motor/X galvo.

I swapped the X and Y cables and regardless of whether it's a signal from the X or Y, the Y mirror snaps to it's "home" position and the X doesn't move.

So, the $550 question is.... can you just buy just a new X galvo somehow or, am I looking at buying a complete new set?

Like I said, the one GOOD thing I suppose is I have another set of DT40 Pros and could conceivably just swap out the motor and find myself in the murky world or retuning.

I also just got a set of DT30's in today and could just tackle changing over to them but, I have to assume 40 pros are the better galvo. There is just that little bit of insanity that's also whispering "Cambridge".

[taggalucci]

You could always swap the complete X channel (board and galvo) to save tuning to match the galvo to the board, unless the scan angles between the old Y and the new X are different.

[allthatwhichis]

I would swap the complete set, both x/y galvos and amps out so you don't have to retune anything or at least swap the bad galvo and amp out.

[DZ]

If you have a relatively newer set of DT-40's, then there are only 2 pots that you need to adjust for tuning. It's VERY easy to do. If you have one of the older sets or a set of DT-30's, then tuning is quite complex. Fortunately, Bill Benner analyzed an older set of DT-40's and made many recommendations to Jian to improve performance and thankfully Jian was receptive to this.

Anyway, I'm surprised to hear a DT-40 failed this way. When you take the scanner out of the projector, look at the 2 fine wires that come out of the side of the scanner and solder onto the pcb where the connector is. If you have a meter, check the resistance, if you get nothing, then the scanner is blown. When I was a distributor, I did offer spare scanners, so you shouldn't need to buy a new full set, just a single scanner.