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Thread: Venus 1800 issues

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jun 2010
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    Syracuse, NY
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    287

    Default Venus 1800 issues

    I have sent an email to Melody but while I wait I figured I'd post here too, to see what people have to say. The first issue is minor and simply requires some color balancing. Unfortunately the 1800 doesn't come with external adjustments so I have to make the adjustments at the driver. I think I've asked this before but didn't get an answer so I'll try it again anyway, has anyone adjusted their Lightspace laser drivers that can offer any insight to the identity of the pots on the driver? I'm sure they have a variety of drivers but any advice is appreciated.

    The second issue is a bit more severe and involves the scanning in one of the two projectors I bought in march. I'll see if I can attach some pictures but basically there is significant overshoot and wobble in the Y axis that gets worse as the scan rate decreases. I don't know enough about scanner amps to know if this is simply an adjustment issue or if it's an actual hardware or electrical issue. It looks like it could electrical noise translated from a faulty component but I don't know. I suspect if it was a grounding issue it should affect more than just the Y axis though. Any thoughts?

    Click image for larger version. 

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    This video shows 30k scanner speed. The projector on the left is the one with the issue. Sorry the videos are short, I needed to include them in my email to Melody and I was limited to the file size.



    The scanner speed in this video was reduced to 6k. The wobble is noticeably worse.

    LASERS!!

    1x Homemade 500mW 405nm Projector
    1x Homemade 1.2W RGB Projector
    1x Lightspace Color Ray Series 6W RGB
    2x Lightspace Venus 2W RGB

    ZPL Lighting www.zpllighting.com

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jun 2010
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    Syracuse, NY
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    Default

    Update: During the time it took me to post the above topic I had left the projectors on and scanning the same test pattern. When I got back to them I noticed that the faulty projector had corrected itself nearly 100%. The large X in the test pattern still doesn't quite meet in the middle but it's only off a fraction of what it was before and the image wobble is practically imperceptible. If I project a perfect circle and toggle the axis inversion I can still detect that it's not perfectly symmetrical, however it's only noticeable when toggled back and forth on top of itself. Previously it was noticeably deformed without having to toggle the axis. I'm assuming temperature now has something to do with it, which leads me to believe it's not an adjustment issue like I had hoped. On the bright side, as long as it improves as the projector warms up then it's less of an issue as it would be if it got worse as the projector warmed up. Still open to thoughts while I wait to hear from Melody.
    LASERS!!

    1x Homemade 500mW 405nm Projector
    1x Homemade 1.2W RGB Projector
    1x Lightspace Color Ray Series 6W RGB
    2x Lightspace Venus 2W RGB

    ZPL Lighting www.zpllighting.com

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jun 2010
    Location
    Syracuse, NY
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    287

    Default

    Here's a little more information. The projector is usually fine when I first turn it on but after a while the problem sets in. If I reduce the Y axis size to its minimum with the size slider the problem disappears until I increase the Y axis size again. The further a projection deviates from the Y axis zero line the worse it becomes (A beam looks like a beam at y=0 but at Y= +/- 50 or 100 it becomes a vertically elongated squiggle). I can correct the problem temporarily by going into projector settings and increasing the Y axis size to 100. Then I can reduce it back to whatever I had it at before (right now I'm running the Y axis size at 25) and the projector will be fine for 15 minutes or so until it distorts again. Then I have to go back in and change the Y axis size again in projector settings.

    Note: Using the X/Y size slider has no effect except when it's at the minimum. I have to change the size of the projection in projection settings in order to actually correct the issue. Also, I have tried different ILDA cables and have tried changing the projectors position in the daisy chain with no effect.

    EDIT: I think the problem had been solved... for now. I worked up the courage to poke around the pots on the Y amp and found one that when I turned it just a fraction the image immediately cleared up. It's been running for about an hour now without issue. Looks like one of the pots might have just had a bad internal connection and by moving it slightly i was able to remedy it. Let's hope it holds. I've got my first professional show coming up in a month and I don't like the idea of already having projector issues -.-
    Last edited by ZeroPoint; 04-13-2017 at 01:13.
    LASERS!!

    1x Homemade 500mW 405nm Projector
    1x Homemade 1.2W RGB Projector
    1x Lightspace Color Ray Series 6W RGB
    2x Lightspace Venus 2W RGB

    ZPL Lighting www.zpllighting.com

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    Fort Mill, SC USA
    Posts
    1,507

    Default

    Yeah, I'd replace the pot if you can't find a bad connection to it.

    I've seen this type of problem in some of my builds in the past but it tends to be a signal wire running too close to a PSU or similar type of electrical interference. (Better shielded cables may help in this circumstance.) In addition, tying down the X/Y signal grounds to Pin 25 can sometimes help alleviate these symptoms.

    -David
    "Help, help, I'm being repressed!"

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Jun 2010
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    Syracuse, NY
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    287

    Default

    Thanks for the suggestions. I'm going to keep an eye on it for now. I'll wait to see what Melody has to say also. If I start to suspect it's happening again I'll look in to replacing it but I'll need to get some info from Melody about tuning it again. Depending on the function of the pot I may not have the equipment, not to mention the knowledge, to tune it properly.
    LASERS!!

    1x Homemade 500mW 405nm Projector
    1x Homemade 1.2W RGB Projector
    1x Lightspace Color Ray Series 6W RGB
    2x Lightspace Venus 2W RGB

    ZPL Lighting www.zpllighting.com

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