Christie Projector Maintenance

COOLING

The CP2000 high-intensity lamp and electronics rely on a variety of cooling components to reduce internal operating temperatures. Regular checking and maintenance of the entire cooling system is critical to prevent overheating and sudden projector failure, and helps to ensure reliable operation of all projector components over time.

Never attempt to conduct maintenance on an operational (live) projector. Turn the projector lamp off at least ten minutes before turning the projector off. It is crucial that you leave at least ten minutes between powering down the lamp and turning off the projector as this provides sufficient time for the internal lamp cooling fans to properly cool the lamp. Without such a precaution the lamp has the potential to explode, causing injury and or property damage.

The liquid cooler system circulates liquid to and from the DMDs (Digital Micro Mirror Devices used to deliver DLP™ Dinema Technology) in the CP2000 projection head; reducing their operating temperature to an acceptable level. Periodically check the coolant level visible through the coolant gauge/window on the non-operators side of the pedestal (Picture 1).

Make sure the coolant level remains between the two notches and preferably remains closer to the top notch. However should the liquid cooling system fail, it will trigger an over-temperature alarm.

Open the pedestal door (Picture 2) and locate cooler (Picture 3). The cooler sits in a cradle with ducting to circulate the cooling mix. It is unnecessary to remove the cooler from its cradle, the cap can be unscrewed and the cooler filled with a Christie’s 50/50 mix of distilled water and ethylene glycol – be careful not to overfill (Picture 4). Replace cap and close pedestal door.

 

VENTILATION Vents and louvers in the projector covers provide ventilation, both for air intake and exhaust. Never block or cover these openings. It is recommended that you replace the air filter (located near the corner the lens corner of the projector head), whenever you replace the lamp – or sooner in dusty or dirty environments. A clogged filter reduces air flow and can lead to overheating and failure of the projector (Pictures 1-5). Behind the filter you will see a brass-coloured metal grate, this is the partition between the filter and the sophisticated electronics of the projection head. Behind the gate is the laminar airflow device or LAD. The gate is secured by two small bolts, which must firstly be removed before you slide the gate upwards to gain access the projector head and LAD (Picture 6). Although the LAD can be accessed by removing the uppermost panel of the projector head, it is easier to gain access to the LAD through the gate.       Clean filters should appear nearly white or light grey in colour. LAD rarely become dirty, should your LAD appear very dark you may wish to consult a qualified service technician to identify the cause of the problem. Filters are easily removed and replaced, just follow the labelling for proper inside and outside orientation and then these steps in reverse to complete the process (Pictures 7, 3, 1).

 

 

ELECTRICAL

Every 60 days or 500 hours of operation you should check the contact surfaces of the projector for cleanliness and that the electrical and lamp connections are tight. Clean electrical contact surfaces to prevent contact resistance from scorching connectors.

As stated previously, ensure the projector is fully disconnected from any power supply before commencing maintenance. The anode and cathode connector connect to both the power supply and Xenon lamp. The connectors to the power supply can be located on the operators side of the projector (Pictures 1-4).

The connectors to the anode and cathode connectors to the lamp can be found in the contained lamp housing, on the opposite side of the projector. The lamp housing door should not be opened without wearing the correct protective clothing. This is Christie Protective clothing safety kit #598900-095 includes protective gloves, latex lab gloves, double layer acetate face shield and a quilted ballistic nylon jacket or welders jacket.

 

LAMP CHANGE

Even when you are not changing the lamp and just checking that the connections are in good condition – this kit should be worn.

1.     Determine if the lamp requires replacement or if only general maintenance is required. When the lamp approaches end of life it must be replaced – do not exceed warranted lamp life by more than 20%, as an old lamp becomes increasingly and dangerously fragile, resulting in possible explosion. 2.     To determine the age of your current lamp, consult the ‘Status’ menu in the Touch Panel Controller. Lamp hours appear under both ‘Environment: Lamp’ and in the password-protected Advanced Lamp menu and Advanced Lamp History menu. (Picture 1) 3.     If a new lamp needs to be replaced ensure that you have Christie Xenon CDXL lamp of the correct wattage. Never install a lamp intended for a different model or projector. 4.     The high pressure of the lamp increases with changes in temperature. Failure to allow the lamp to sufficiently cool prior to handling has the potential to explode, causing injury and or property damage. Turn the projector lamp off at least ten minutes before turning the projector off. It is crucial that you leave at least ten minutes between powering down the lamp and turning off the projector as this provides sufficient time for the internal lamp cooling fans to properly cool the lamp. (Picture 2) At the breaker panel on the projector, set the 3-phase MAIN AC circuit breaker to OFF. 5.     After running the fans for at least 10 minutes for cooling, turn off the remaining INTERNAL and PROJECTOR circuit breakers located on the breaker panel of the projector. (Picture 3) Disconnect the projector from the AC supply. Never attempt to conduct maintenance on an operational (live) projector. (Picture 4) Lamps may explode if dropped or mishandled and it is therefore mandatory that the maintenance technician wear authorized protective clothing such as that included in a Christie Protective Clothing Safety Kit # 598900-095. Recommended protective clothing includes, but may not be limited to protective gloves, latex lab gloves, double-layer 0.040” acetate face shield and a quilted ballistic nylon jacket or welder’s jacket. (Picture 5) Wear authorized protective clothing whenever the door to the lamp housing is open or when handling lamps. 8.     Wearing the protective clothing and face shield unlock the lamp housing door and open it. If desired you may release the latch mechanism to remove the door entirely. Turn the knob to open the inner lamp cooling compartment and reveal the cathode end of the lamp.(Picture 6-7) 9.     Loosen set screws from the negative/cathode (rear, 7/64”) and positive/anode (front, 3/16”) lamp connectors. Make sure to apply minimumal torque and do not stress the quartz tube. Carefully slip the positive anode connector off the front of the lamp. 10.   Handling by the cathode end only, unscrew the lamp from the rear connector and carefully remove from the projector. Immediately replace the used lamp inside the protective lamp cover (saved from the previous installation) and then seal it in a heavy carton on the floor where it cannot fall or be bumped. Handle box with extreme caution – the lamp is hazardous even when packaged. Dispose of the lamp in accordance with safety regulations for your area. With the lamp removed, visually inspect the reflector for dust and clean if necessary. Brush most of the dust off with a camel-hair brush and/or blow dust away with compressed air. If some dust remains, just leave as is – air circulating at the lamp is unfiltered, so some dust is inevitable. Avoid unnecessary cleaning. (Picture 8) Now take the new lamp, remove the tape, knurled nut and locking star washer (if present) that secures the lamp within its protective cover. Handling at the ends only, extract the lamp from the cover. Set aside the protective cover for re-use in your next lamp disposal or for warranty return of an expired lamp.(Picture 9) Insert the threaded cathode (-) end of the lamp into the negative lamp connector nut located in the rear of the lamp compartment and screw in fully – though hand-tighten only.(Picture 10-11) When inserting the new lamp handle by the cathode and anode end shafts only, never the glass. Do not over-tighten. Do not stress the glass. Rest the anode (+) end of the lamp on the lamp cradle and slip the positive lamp connector over the bulb end. (Picture 12) *The lamp cradle is an adjustable stand, designed for various placement within the lamp housing to accommodate different sizes of lamp. Though it is unlikely the lamp cradle will require adjustment unless the projectors is being moved to support a different screen / screen size. Hand-tighten set screws in both negative and positive lamp connectors, ensuring proper electrical content. Proper electrical contact prevents resistance in lamp connectors. 15.   Make sure that the anode (+) lead between lamp and igniter is well away from any projector metal such as the reflector firewall. Leads too close to metal parts will cause arcing during the lamp starting pulse. This is a safety hazard and also the lamp may not ignite. Close the lamp-housing door, as the projector will not operate unless the louvered door is locked shut. Reattach the projector pedestal to the mains and at the projector’s breaker panel, turn all breakers to ON. *If your new lamp is larger or smaller than the old lamp, you will need to record the new lamp type (2.0,3.0,4.5 or 6.0kW) in the Touch Panel Controller’s menu before igniting the new lamp. This setting establishes the proper range of power available for the newly installed lamp, ensuring it is neither under-powered or over-driven. 16.   Turn the lamp on by pressing and holding the lamp button on the Touch Panel Controller’s (TPC) Main Menu. Continuing to use the TPC to adjust the lamp position within the projector. This ensure maximum performance, with the lamp well-centred with the reflector and distanced correctly from the rest of the illumination system. (Picture 13) 17.   Now record the lamp’s serial number. From the Advanced Lamp menu, select “New Lamp” and in the Lamp History submenu, enter the serial number in the text box. Save to record the serial number and to reset the lamp timer. The timer will now begin to log time for the new lamp. (Picture 14) 18.   Whenever the lamp module is changed, replace the air filter or more frequently if operating the projector in dusty or dirty.

 

 

OPTICAL CARE

Unnecessary cleaning of optics can be more harmful than helpful, increasing the risk of degrading delicate coatings and surfaces. In this projector check only the lens and lamp reflector (the later is found in the lamp housing and again only accessed when wearing full protective clothing). Check these components periodically in a clean and dust-free environment using a high-intensity light source or torch. Clean them ONLY when dust, dirt, oil or other marks are obvious. Never touch an optical surface with your bare hand – always wear latex lab gloves. You can see that our technician has chosen to wear latex lab gloves throughout the maintenance processes, this is to limit the projector’s further exposure to dust and dirt particles (Picture 1). IF DUSTY:    Brush most of the dust off with a camel-hair brush and or blow dust away with compressed air.    Fold a microfibre cloth to create a smooth surface without folds or creases and gently wipe away any remaining particles.    If significant dust is still bound to the surface, dampen a clean microfibre cloth with lens cleaning solution (damp, not dripping) and wipe gently until clean. IF FINGERPRINTS, SMUDGES, OIL:    Brush away any particles with a soft camel hair brush and or compressed air.    Roll a lens tissue around a swab or cotton bud and soak the lens in cleaning solution. Again the tissue should be damp and not dripping.    Gently wipe the surface in a figure of 8 motion, until the blemish is removed.