Help with a Linotype-Hell Topaz scanner

[SE Exposures]

I use a Topaz scanner for prints and negatives. It has suddenly begun to give me an error that the light intensity is too low, and to check the CCD interface and light area. I don't have a clue where to go to get help for this since there doesn't seem to be anyone who works on them or even knows about them. Is there anybody out there that can offer me any help, suggestions, or direction to go in?

[Karl Hudson]

Hello to the guys at SEE,
I can help you with that. In fact I was in there about five years ago looking at a RIP50 problem. Hope things are going well over there. I recommend you order two new bulbs from Heidelberg. Part number is PP.05275903. Heidelberg Parts line is 1-800-437-7388 options 1 & 1. Clean the area under the top bulb as long as you have the bulb out. That's the one for transparency scanning. Then go under "Special Scanner Functions" and perform a "Base Level Alignment". You could just do a "Lamp Change", but you might as well let it run through its whole self alignment with building new focus tables as well as storing the new value for the fresh lamps. By the way...the warning you are getting means the lamps have dropped in intensity by 20% from what it stored as the "new" brightness level. Anytime you run a Base Level or a Lamp Change, this value gets reset to the lamp's present level. You can make the warning go away by running this routine, but you will, over time, notice your scans getting darker and darker and darker.

I will actually be in Atlanta next week if you would like me to come by and do a Preventive Maintenance on your Topaz Scanner. I would clean the optics and grease the rails and spindles for you...$250.00 flat rate. If you have any other service needs, just let me know.
Best regards from snowy Kiel,
Karl Hudson
Hudson Grafik Services

[SE Exposures]

Karl,
Thanks for getting back to me. I ordered two of the bulbs this afternoon. I will do the cleaning and Base Calibration like you recommended. The bulbs in the Topaz are pretty old so it's understandable that they are where the problem is. When it said interface I freaked out. I really don't use the Topaz very much anymore, but when I need it for 12x18 or backlight I don't have any other options. Our Rip50s are still plugging along, hopefully they will hold out as long as we do. Obviously we don't do as much film as we used to, so we are just running one 560 now (with 3 spares for parts). Can I get in touch with you after I replace the bulbs and let you know the results?

Thanks,
Dale/SEE

[Allen in Montreal]

........
I will actually be in Atlanta next week if you would like me to come by and do a Preventive Maintenance on your Topaz Scanner. I would clean the optics and grease the rails and spindles for you...$250.00 flat rate. If you have any other service needs, just let me know.
Best regards from snowy Kiel,
Karl Hudson
Hudson Grafik Services

Wow,
that is a really good deal!!
Heidelberg Canada wanted 750 for that.

[Karl Hudson]

Hi Allen,
If only I had reason to be in Montreal on this trip too...I would be happy to do a PM for you at the same rate. I've got you on my "when in area" list. Meanwhile if you have any errors or problems and need some support on the good old Topaz Scanner, just send me a note and I'll see what I can do.
Take care,
Karl

[Karl Hudson]

Dale...by the way...my U.S. phone number is 404-849-4570. Just let me know when you get the bulbs in.
Thanks,
Karl

[masterpr]

Hi Karl.I have a Topaz 3240-3.All was fine until 3 weeks ago-I use it for 8x10 col.neg.I started getting the odd scan line on every scan which became 10 or 12 scan lines.now when I do an overview scan I get the message-scanner has not responded in the pretended time.There is a very faint image of the actual neg in the preview window as if scanned in reflected mode-have checked the operation of the lamps with the lid slightly open and the correct lamp is in operation.I have changed the lamp-I also have a Topaz 3240 -2 with newish lamps for spares-I installed one of those lamps,did a lamp change,no diff.I did a full base calib-no difference.I reseated the scsi card in the Mac-no diff.I ditched and reloaded the Linocolor 6.04 software-no difference.I have it daisy chained through my Howtek-changed all leads etc.No difference.Am i looking at something dumb and simple here or something major which needs expert tlc? Best regards from Cape Town,John

[Karl Hudson]

Hi John,
Ahem...well sir, I'm just now reading your post a year and a half later. I've not been active on this Forum for a long time because my offers for assistance resembled advertising, and were quickly deleted by the moderator. You see, I put together "Heidelberg Scanner Tune-Up Tours" year around in different parts of the world, to help keep costs down by spreading the travel costs around, but I can't notify people through this Forum of when and where I will be, without it being considered advertising...so I made my exit a while back. Sorry I wasn't there for you when you needed me. Since your post, the word of my whereabouts sort of spreads on its own now...so it's not as major of a concern for me anymore.

Hope you got it straightened out a long time ago and the scanner wasn't scrapped in the end...Please let me know how things turned out for you (my first thought was that your disk drive got badly fragmented or was about to go).

Kind regards from Kiel (birthplace of all Linotype-Hell / Heidelberg scanners),
Karl

P.S. I'll plan to log on here more often going into 2014 and answer any questions I can, hopefully without over-stepping any sensitive boundaries. Main thing I guess is for people to know there is still a source for affordable, knowledgeable Heidelberg Support (as long as I can continue to endure this grueling travel schedule). Gotta say though...meeting a lot of cool people along the way makes it totally worthwhile. To ensure a quicker response, find me online and just contact me directly.

[ColorAmerica]

Hi Allen,
If only I had reason to be in Montreal on this trip too...I would be happy to do a PM for you at the same rate. I've got you on my "when in area" list. Meanwhile if you have any errors or problems and need some support on the good old Topaz Scanner, just send me a note and I'll see what I can do.
Take care,
Karl

These threads are a little old, so I don't know if you are still servicing the Topaz 2 Scanners or not. I have one that we had for many years and just recently the scanner has had what looks like an image blur. The image is distortion and blurry. Once is a blue moon it will scan properly.
Do you have any idea what cause this issue and is there an easy fix. Like the scanner but this is driving me crazy.

Thanks!

Rick