DPL users/owners of Howtek/Aztek scanners

[onnect17]

Armando,

I wouldn't trust the autofocus. With DPL the scanner always seems to focus on a specific drum area, this is not necessarily where you have mounted film. Not sure if this is a machine issue or a flaw in the program but it is worth a double check (maybe by comparing to a manual focus) no matter which program you use. See my thread about this on the High End Scan group.

Andy

You are correct we should not rely totally on the autofocus, I just use it to get in the vicinity and then enter manually the surrounding values. The target it's very helpful with this matter and allow to judge the setting with the smallest amount of aberration. Much easier than with the normal emulsion.

There are also some differences in the mechanism between the scanners that no code in the firmware or app can improve. Besides missing the eyepiece, the Premier's focusing travel distance is longer, increasing the length of each step and reducing the precision.

Not a bad idea to replace the wheel in the focus motor. Another project for the future. :-)

[Rich14]

Just got my Air Force 1951 target. Tape it to the drum. Activate the scanner and all I can get is "Lamp/Mirror Error."

Lamps are fine. Mirror was ok last week. Haven't used the scanner since.

Grrr.

Gotta open the optics box.

Oh, well, that was in the works anyway

[onnect17]

Just got my Air Force 1951 target. Tape it to the drum. Activate the scanner and all I can get is "Lamp/Mirror Error."

Lamps are fine. Mirror was ok last week. Haven't used the scanner since.

Grrr.

Gotta open the optics box.

Oh, well, that was in the works anyway

Make sure the viewport mirror handle is in the rear position.

[Rich14]

Make sure the viewport mirror handle is in the rear position.

Of course.

Won't get to opening the optics box until later this weekend. I notice a very slight glow in the viewport as the scanner is trying to go through its initial calibration just before I get the error. I don't know if I've ever noticed that before. I'm pretty sure no light normally ever gets to it with the mirror in scan position. The lever must not be moving the mirror completely into position.

An aside: Silverscan does not handle error messages gracefully. It freezes, requiring a force quit which takes a long time and leaves my machine unstable (G5 Power PC, OS X 10.5.8, Firewire to Ratoc ultra SCSI adapter to scanner w/active SCSI terminator), sending endless reset signals to the scanner. Computer requires a hard reboot (power button) every time.

[Rich14]

Silverfast, not Silverscan.

[Rich14]

Nothing wrong in the optics box. Didn't think there would be.

[Rich14]

Well,

I've got a serious problem. Lamp/Mirror Error RGB 715. The scanner thinks no light is getting to the PMTs. But the beam is getting to all 3. So there's something wrong in the circuitry downstream of the PMTs or the PMTs are not getting power.

I've reseated all the circuit boards and all the secondary connectors that I can without resolution of the error.

Shuddering when I think of what a repair might cost.

Anyone have any suggestions of what to test to try to narrow down the problem? Wish I had some circuit diagrams. It would make the process a lot easier.

[onnect17]

Well,

I've got a serious problem. Lamp/Mirror Error RGB 715. The scanner thinks no light is getting to the PMTs. But the beam is getting to all 3. So there's something wrong in the circuitry downstream of the PMTs or the PMTs are not getting power.

I've reseated all the circuit boards and all the secondary connectors that I can without resolution of the error.

Shuddering when I think of what a repair might cost.

Anyone have any suggestions of what to test to try to narrow down the problem? Wish I had some circuit diagrams. It would make the process a lot easier.

Make sure the optical path is in working condition (good light from the lamp, in alignment, etc.)
Having a floppy with the FST4000 is quite convenient. Where are you located?

[Rich14]

Make sure the optical path is in working condition (good light from the lamp, in alignment, etc.)
Having a floppy with the FST4000 is quite convenient. Where are you located?

I'm in Oceanside, CA.

What is the FST4000?

The optical path is good, both transmissive and reflective, lamps are new and everything is properly aligned, light is getting to all three PMTs.

I typed the Error Code wrong. It's 719 not 715.

[Rich14]

Ok. Located FST4000 (and FST4500 by sheer dumb luck on the Yahoo Hi End Scanner Forum). It's an exe file, so I can't run it on my Mac.

I'll have to get a PC in here or install Windows on the Mac (Boot Camp, Parallels, or something)

Don't know what FST4000 does yet. Still trying to diagnose the situation on the D4000 by pulling and reseating boards, connections, etc.

Rich