Automated Fixtures Used Intellabeams

[Les]

Updated.

I was thinking that too with the DIP switch. I'll get it on the bench after I test the others.

Now I'm a little nervous about DMX. The only board I have on hand at the moment is a Zero88 18ch. 2-scene preset. I suppose that'll work for testing purposes, but I'll need to pick up an adapter since the lights are 3-pin and the board is 5-pin.

How does one run a read verify on the EPROM?

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I've got one more fixture to do a preliminary test on. Its mirror came off, so I need to take one from one of the DOA fixtures. Looks like someone had tried to re-glue it at some point with JB Weld. Doesn't look like the mirror is damaged, but I'll probably just order a new one because I don't think I can get it back on the bracket and still have it perfectly lined up. Another was re-glued using liquid nails, but is still holding.
One other fixture tested well, except that it doesn't lamp off after the test sequence as the rest of the fixtures do. I've noticed that when powering up the fixtures with all the DIP switches off, just the fan will run for a while. Same goes for this fixture. But usually when you initialize the self-test, the lamp strikes and it will run its routine until you turn the DIP switch off. Then the fixture will lamp-off, fan-cool, and go in to stand-by. The latest fixture does all this except the last 3 steps. It just stays lamped-on (but doused). It also buzzes when the lamp is struck. Sounds like it's coming from the right-side transformer. The noise stops when I put pressure on the unit so hopefully it's just a loose fastener.

So that makes 5 fixtures so far with no known issues and 2 additional that seem fine except for some self-test glitches (the other being a possible faulty DIP switch). The fixture with the missing mirror looks good otherwise. I'm hoping to get good results out of it totaling 8 fixtures being "almost" show-ready. The other four I feel like can be repaired for about $500 total (most going toward a $350 power supply board).

Here are a couple of pictures of the Intellabeam insides. They all look more or less this way. Notice that the quick-connect terminal strips have been replaced in this particular unit.

Power supply board:

Logic board:

Again, I am amazed by how clean they are.

 

[TimMiller]

Have to test the EPROM on an EPROM programmer. I believe all of my units stay lamper on after self test, they used to lamp off but I believe that was chaned with a new software revision. It's typically a lot cheaper to repair a Power supply board than it is to replace one. I did buy a refurbished one off of eBay a while back for 5 bucks so you may get lucky if you keep watching.

 

[Les]

I will have to keep an eye out for a power supply board. One is all out missing, which is why I need one. I think you were right about exercising DIP switches. After playing with them a little bit, that non-self testing light went in to self-test finally. I'll have another look at the light that isn't lamping off. Perhaps it had gone through the software revision. I am finding minor differences between these lights, even though their mfg dates are close (same year). One difference was that some have brown logic boards and others are green. Probably just different batches at the factory.

I cannibalized the mirror from the fixture sans power supply board and now 8 fixtures seem to be fairly happy. [-]Might do some parts swapping and see if I can get a 9th and 10th going.[/-]

I might be able to squeak out a 9th and maybe even 10th fixture, but it'll take a little repair. 1 fixture has no power supply, and three have power supplies with burned terminals from minor to fairly crispy. It will take some soldering to get these going, but I think that for now I will focus on the 8 that I have working and maybe look in to a 9th. I also noticed that at least some (if not all) of my fixtures are missing their dimmer wheels. The heck?

These have self-tested successfully

The insides (just started noticing the missing dimmer wheels!)

I might also be keeping my eye out for some used Trackspots. Seems that they can be had pretty cheap and shipping them doesn't look expensive (according to eBay).

 

[TimMiller]

You are missing both the shutter and dimmer, i also just noticed the iris is missing also. One part I need is the dimmer wheel. The red boards were high ends earlier runs the green ones are newer. I wished you lived closer we could have a repair party.

 

[Les]

This light must be missing more parts than I thought! Luckily, the other eight do appear to have functional irises and shutters (they irised down and strobed during the test cycle). I did notice a long time between the shutter test and the color wheel test. Must be the dimmer that goes there. I have a video of one fixture's self-test. I will try to post it here.

I read on eBay to "stay away from the red boards" on Trackspots. Is that true/does it count for Intellabeams? If so, I'm in trouble! Hah.

I wish we could collaborate as well -- I need all the help I can get on this, and you seem like a cool guy to work with! I really appreciate all your knowledge.

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[derekleffew]

Watching the self-test video, I feel like it's 1991 all over again! (Search YouTube for videos of In Living Color--you'll immediately recognize the gobos.)

I especially like the grinding noise during the iris test--perfectly normal. This is a fixture you definitely don't want to recal during a show!

 

[TimMiller]

The red boards are older I have some that are still in use. The red boards use an alder motor driver chip set compared to the green boards. I have noticed the key failure in red trackspot boards is the EPROM going bad.

 

[PeteEngel]

If you haven't found a parts supplier yet, you may want to consider LightParts. I have heard good things about their ability to source either factory parts or a suitable alternative for older or out of production moving lights, and also being a good source of technical info (besides the info you can get on CB that is). I would suggest replacing the PFC Caps in all the fixtures to make sure all of the fixtures are drawing power on the same level, but that isn't a requirement to get them going and in use.

 

[Bubby4j]

Thought I might follow up to this thread, the rest of the story is that Les sold them all. I bought 1 working one and 1 non-working one, plus the parts to build most of 2 more of them. I got all 4 working, though I did have to buy a couple parts.