Optikinetic solar 250 overheating
Printed From: Speakerplans.com
Category: General
Forum Name: Electro Frying Forum
Forum Description: Talk about drivers, processors and mixers
URL: https://forum.speakerplans.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=58810
Printed Date: 27 March 2026 at 8:46am
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 12.08 - https://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: Optikinetic solar 250 overheating
Posted By: porrito
Subject: Optikinetic solar 250 overheating
Date Posted: 02 November 2011 at 2:15pm
|
Had some issues at a gig where both of our solar 250's were over heating, the modern 250 that we have has a thermal cutout but the older one doesn't. Are there any known mods/upgrades available for the fans? Thanks Rich |
Replies:
Posted By: kedwardsleisure
Date Posted: 02 November 2011 at 3:13pm
|
Dont know, Opti will tell you, they are friendly enough. One thing is, they must be 100% clean inside. If you strip an old one down there will be camels nesting in there and all sorts. The earlier ones may be pop riveted as far as I can remember which makes it awkward. Check the lampholder is ok or change it because they can go loose with age and then they cycle on-off as the contacts overheat. ------------- Kevin North Staffordshire |
Posted By: service dept Steve
Date Posted: 02 November 2011 at 3:18pm
|
Update your profile when you have a minute, uk power is 8% higher than Europe but as nobody can tell where you are we will have trouble helping you....
------------- We are not "They", We are "The others" http://www.servicedept.co.uk" rel="nofollow - http://www.servicedept.co.uk - |
Posted By: porrito
Date Posted: 10 November 2011 at 9:17pm
|
ok... profile updated...im not too far from you Steve! Thanks for the tips guys |
Posted By: GregM
Date Posted: 10 November 2011 at 11:12pm
|
Porrito,
I remember having some of the original 80's model Opti 250 projectors and having to hoover the buggers out very often - I genuinely can't remember any of them actually overheating, but I can clearly remember being horrified at how much cr*p they seemed to suck into the workings - and the cr*p seemed to stay in there somehow!
I recall using a series of drinking straws taped together and attached to the hoover to get ito the nooks n cranies every few months.
Greg ------------- Remember, if you don't want to hear the answer, don't ask the question! |
Posted By: norty303
Date Posted: 10 November 2011 at 11:47pm
|
Was this the gig I was at Rich? I noticed the one doing the logo went off, but suspected the lamp blown. For what its worth, it was properly hot in there that night - I know because one of my green lasers started to dim down due to the heat, and it only does that when it gets extreme. I've got a few 250's of varying vintages and have never had any of them thermal on me. ------------- My laser stuff: http://www.facebook.com/SubsonicSystems" rel="nofollow - Frikkin Lasers |
Posted By: service dept Steve
Date Posted: 11 November 2011 at 8:59am
|
Back in the olden days I had the biggest mobile disco on the south coast, there were dozens of projectors and all sorts of tricks were tried to make the lamps last, the problem is that halogen lamps have a narrow operating window, if they run too hot the envelope or filament melt but if they run too cool the metal halides stick to the quartz and it goes black. We found that under running them by 10 percent had the desired effect. That was achieved by fitting a suitable sized resistor in series with the primary of the transformer. A cheap and effective "modern" alternative would be to use a metal oxide varistor, a 10 or more ohm 5a one would do the trick, it might not drop the light output much but would slow the inrush current considerably and depending on how hot it gets may also have the effect of reducing the voltage to the primary enough to extend the lamp life and also dropping the transformer temperature. Anyway, that is what I would try if I found myself in that situation again, although as we are talking about mains voltage this should only be attempted if you are confident that it can be done safely.
------------- We are not "They", We are "The others" http://www.servicedept.co.uk" rel="nofollow - http://www.servicedept.co.uk - |
Posted By: kedwardsleisure
Date Posted: 11 November 2011 at 7:55pm
|
I used to be the resident in a well-known 80's bar. They used a load of solar250s to project rotating images of Adam Ant and a speedo-clad David Hasslehoff over the walls. The lighting was under maintenance contract. After a few months (these were new ones) the solar 250's got so dirty they would cycle on and off throughout the night every few minutes. ------------- Kevin North Staffordshire |
Posted By: service dept Steve
Date Posted: 11 November 2011 at 8:00pm
Reasonable critique by the sounds of it! ------------- We are not "They", We are "The others" http://www.servicedept.co.uk" rel="nofollow - http://www.servicedept.co.uk - |
kedwardsleisure wrote:Posted By: GAZ.
Date Posted: 11 November 2011 at 9:09pm
Never had any of mine overheat? I've got 2 of the old silver solar 250's, one is really old and has 240v accessory outputs rather than the 12v, and I've got 2 lightomation projectors which have the same optics as a solar 250 and are slightly bigger units. The only problem I have got is that most of mine have all melted thair focus lenses internally  ------------- 100% Earth Moving Bass |