Projector lamp error

Hi, I have a Sony video projector VPL-HS1 that is behaving badly. After powering up it works for about 30 seconds. Then the lamp is switched off, the yellow Lamp/Cover goes on and the green power LED blinks; first fast, then slower and finally the thing switches to standby.

I did clean the air filter.

The fans come on first and then even slow down a bit.

There are tiny cracks in the outer lamp glass near the small end. Yet the small bulb inside is intact and it works with normal brightness.

I know next to nothing about video projectors. It doesn't make sense to me to indicate lamp error when it actually works. Are there parameters monitored that I am not aware off? Or could just the monitoring circuitry be broken?

Cheers

Tony

Reply to
TonyS
Loading thread data ...

**No. Replace the lamp. Modern projectors are designed with various sensors, which measure lamp life. The lamp may still work (a bit), but not to sufficient capacity to provide optimum picture.

Replace the lamp. It's buggered.

It's also going to be expensive.

--
Trevor Wilson
www.rageaudio.com.au
Reply to
Trevor Wilson

It's often better value for money to replace the projector.

The lamps have a weird negative resistance characteristic and a complex startup sequence - this one has failed to meet some minimum criterion during startup. It's busted, even though it might seem to be trying, as Trevor says.

Clifford Heath.

Reply to
Clifford Heath

Thanks. I guess I will rather retire the projector then. I hate it when the firmware forces you to go and buy new stuff. (unless there would be a safety issue)

I had a Canon printer once tat did the same thing. Ink was a little low and it refused to run, not even just black and white.

Tony

Reply to
TonyS

They always get you with the consumables. Last time I checked, it was cheaper to buy a new HP 1020 laser printer than to buy a new toner cartridge for it.

Bob

Reply to
Bob Parker

It's easy to criticize like that, but these globes are essentially made to contain an electric arc - plasma - in a small tube. I find it wonderful that it can be done at all, quite frankly. They have a limited life, and I'm sure if they could be made more cheaply or to last longer, it'd happen - the manufacturer would corner the market.

Clifford Heath.

Reply to
Clifford Heath

I just got a Brother HL-2140. Good value at $88 (actually $68 after $20 cashback). I might replace the toner when I have to - it looks like you can get them for $55 - $60 if you shop around.

I doubt I will replace the drum though (life supposed to be 12K - to

15K pages AFAIK). The cheapest I have seen those is around $160. I saw them at Officeworks, where I got the printer, for $220. Is that crazy or what?

Andy Wood snipped-for-privacy@trap.ozemail.com.au

Reply to
Andy Wood

Who's criticising? I was just pointing out the absurdity of the price of a spare part compared to the price of the complete unit.

Bob Parker

Reply to
Bob Parker

it's bubble hi ?

Reply to
news1

There are products where the consumables are subsidizing the actual main product. I used to work with dialysis machines and it certainly was the case there. It looks like it is the case with ink and printers. I have no idea what's the case with projector lamps.

I am not even saying it's wrong to do business this way. In the end the market is supplied with goods that work.

What I don't like is when, under the pretense of maintaining quality, any further use is blocked as soon as a consumable gets near the end of it's life, which actually forces you to replace it just a bit earlier and doesn't leave any room for your own decision (as I mentioned before, I don't know if worn lamps could be a threat to any circuits driving it or even a fire danger).

I was actually wondering if there are any override codes, maybe used for testing in the factory or in service.

Tony

Reply to
TonyS

**Projector lamps are slightly different, in that there is potential for significant damage (to the rest of the equipment) if the lamp is used beyond it's practical life. What usually occurs is that the projector operates briefly, so the user can see that there is a problem and what that problem is. The projector then shuts itself down.

The cost issue is a separate one. Manufacturers all have their own, specific, presumably registered, designs. They probably do so, in order to sell lamps at the highest possible price and to prevent copies being released to the (legal) market. It seems they use the same marketing model that car manufacturers have been using for many years.

--
Trevor Wilson
www.rageaudio.com.au
Reply to
Trevor Wilson

Just like many other printers, they all do it. But they do suck you in by providing less toner with the new printers, so it's not as clear cut as it seems. However always having a new printer and warranty usually makes up for it, until you realise just how much it is costing per print in either case.

MrT.

Reply to
Mr.T

Crazy that they even bother to stock them.

MrT.

Reply to
Mr.T

**I'm staring at my ancient HP LaserJet 5MP. It's around 12 years old and the damned thing simply refuses to break down. It still prints with exactly the same quality that it did the day I purchased it. I've been tempted to buy a new (laser) printer, but I can't bring myself to chuck a product out that performs it's function perfectly (albeit slowly, compared to modern printers - it's a mighty 6 pages per minute!). I've had one fault with the unit. Inside the warranty period and after I'd printed around 4,000 pages, it developed a fault, which caused it to print a smudged line down one side of the page. I deduced that it was a faulty drum. HP replaced the entire cartridge with a brand new one, despite the fact that the toner cartridge was likely running on 'fumes'. I've purchased and thrown out at least 4 ink jet printers (for printing photos and on disks) in the time I've owned the 5MP. I hate ink jets, but they sure print nice photos. Hopeless for text (the ink still runs and bleeds) though.
--
Trevor Wilson
www.rageaudio.com.au
Reply to
Trevor Wilson

But in the corporate world it is easy to buy consumables (printer cartridges), but a real pain to try and get approval for capital expenditure (a new printer). Cost doesn't come into it.

--
Bob Small
Reply to
Robert Small

This behaviour and these printers aren't targeted at the corporate world. Proper business devices have much more sensible pricing models, and any corporate IT person who bought the scams should get sacked.

Reply to
Clifford Heath

On Mon, 16 Feb 2009 11:39:39 +0900, TonyS put finger to keyboard and composed:

The OP at this thread has a service manual for your projector:

formatting link

Hopefully his email address is still the same.

- Franc Zabkar

--
Please remove one \'i\' from my address when replying by email.
Reply to
Franc Zabkar

True, although in some cases it's just as easy to buy a new printer on petty cash as to buy new cartridges when the cost is low enough. So I'd find it a lot quicker to buy a new printer under $100, than wait for an order for a $200 toner cartridge. Then there is the old trick of getting a receipt stating "toner cartridge" when buying a new printer anyway. Not many shops will go along with that now though, since most have computerised stock accounting (and Officeworks surely do)

But in the end I guess the simple reason is that Officeworks sell enough to cover any extra stocking issues, by making ~80% or 90% profit on each one :-)

MrT.

Reply to
Mr.T

formatting link

Thanks, I'll try that. He took a long time the first time though:-)

Tony

Reply to
TonyS

ElectronDepot website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.