Posted this over at IP, figired I'd give it a shot here as well.


Bar owner ordered a replacement lamp from us, and had one of his employees replace it on his ScreenPlay 4800 DLP FP. Guy dropped it in the process. (That'll teach him to try and save a service call:) )

I brought it back to the shop and took it apart. The lamp comes on, both fans come on, it displays an image, and the color wheel spins. However, the color wheel is EXTREMELY noisy when running.

Im not real familiar with how these work internally. How is the wheel driven? I dont see a conventional motor. The wheel doesnt seem to be rubbing anything. Havent yet been able to determine if the wheel is rubbing something and causing the noise, or if the source driving the wheel is the culprit. IS THERE a motor, or how is the wheel driven?

And yes, I will more than lilkely just sell him a new one. But it would be nice to:

1.) understand how these work. and

2.) Ive been wanting to put up another FP in the showroom, pointing at the front window to be seen from the street, using this [Link: sproxusa.com]
This might give me an inexpensive way to do that if I can at least get it functional.

Replace the hamster......

Ugh! And here I thought someone actually had an answer to my question:)

Might as well post this over on the AV forum....

At least over there you get a huge response.....Of course it'll be from a bunch of village idiots.....

You have a bad color wheel. Not unusual in an Infocus. What you are experencing is wobble, so to your eye it seems fine. The bulbs need to be shaken so the mercury switch is covered. This is what probally happened when they dropped it. You need to find a unit that has their optics sealed and be sure and check that they don't have a small notice in fine print about smoking around unit. I just had an NEC that they refused to warranty because of smoke damage, until I show them their own brocure that states that it is a great unit for smoke enviroments including bars and restaurants.

Good luck find the Color Wheel. I have three infocus PJ's in my shop, all bad color wheels. I have an X1 and Infocus said $1800 to replae the color wheel. Total BS. I heard they are getting out of the residential projector market.

Mike

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First of all, thanks for the answer. So whatever drives the color wheel wil be PART of the color wheel? How is the wheel driven?

Second... I dont quite understand the quote above. bulbs shaken? mercury switch?

optics sealed? For what? You mean to swap the part with a good (not dropped) PJ, and attempt a warranty repair? (Becasue I certainly dont expect a warranty repair on THIS one, as it is clearly obvious it was dropped.

Kinda what I was afraid of, as far as cost effectiveness to repair. The PJ complete and brand new retails for just above a grand. Throwaway I guess. (Or put in showroom in box to mute sound until it blows up :) )

Nope, but they are out of the RPTV business now.

That ultra-thin set was a flop...

Frank, you have the right idea to put it to use inside a hish box and just ride it out as it is.

If you open that unit up, you will pretty likely wind up with a paperweight.

So your doubting my abilities to put Humpty back together again? :)

Unless you have the reverse-dropping-damage attachment for your BK Precision bench O-scope...

Sealed light engine....as in all the optics, lens, light, etc, are sealed from outside contaminents like smoke and hairspray.

Well you'll all be happy to know that its all back together and running just like before. (Noisy as hell:) )

Update, In-Focus says they dont currently have a color wheel for the 4800, and dont anticipate getting any for at least a while. They did offer an "up-grade" to a refurbished 4805,or a trade in on a new unit.

Even though the customer is on a VERY tight budget, I just dont know how comfortable I am with selling a refurbished unit to him. Although, there isnt a warranty ANYWAY, as its being put in a sports bar.

Refurbs still have the color wheel problem,as I have found out.

Mike