Dont ya just hate it when...

[stanwax]

...ya cant play with ya laser cos of silly things.
Just taken all my gear out to the garage to play with the SP168 - I know you wont believe it but it has not been run with scanners since tha UK meet back in August. I run it regularly and have used it for a few other tasks but not actually run any show or the like with it since august. I took the cables to connect easylase to the scanners out of the box that thay have been in since the meet so nothing has changed - but I cant get a good signal to the scanners. Thay look like someone has randomly twiddled with all the pots
To get the square round the ilda test pattern I had to set the output levels in mamba to -90 for x and 100 for y. Even just trying to draw a circle was really ugly and not circular! I dont understand.
anyway brought what gear I needed back into the house and set the scanners up with old faithful hene and within a few mins I have a really neat test pattern - I did try outside but I couldnt get close.
It dont add up.
Oh well too late to go back out now - have to wait til tomorrow night for the real fun.
Im gonna do some video for you tube of the SP168 in action - look out.

Rob

[clandestiny]

the old sp stuff was great, they would go toe to toe with any of my coherents- and they where half the weight. I dont have too much of those left though- 168 ar/kr 165 argon and a few 171's-

[DZ]

Im gonna do some video for you tube of the SP168 in action - look out.

Sweeeeet! I look forward to it!

Dont ya just hate it when...
...ya cant play with ya laser cos of silly things.

Absolutely, usually for me, ever time I sit down to play, work starts calling....

[The_Doctor]

...ya cant play with ya laser cos of silly things.
Just taken all my gear out to the garage to play with the SP168 - I know you wont believe it but it has not been run with scanners since tha UK meet back in August. I run it regularly and have used it for a few other tasks but not actually run any show or the like with it since august. I took the cables to connect easylase to the scanners out of the box that thay have been in since the meet so nothing has changed - but I cant get a good signal to the scanners. Thay look like someone has randomly twiddled with all the pots
To get the square round the ilda test pattern I had to set the output levels in mamba to -90 for x and 100 for y. Even just trying to draw a circle was really ugly and not circular! I dont understand.
anyway brought what gear I needed back into the house and set the scanners up with old faithful hene and within a few mins I have a really neat test pattern - I did try outside but I couldnt get close.
It dont add up.
Oh well too late to go back out now - have to wait til tomorrow night for the real fun.
Im gonna do some video for you tube of the SP168 in action - look out.

Rob

What's with all the ya, tha and thay stuff? If you're doing it for a bet, you've won.

Are you saying just the scanners won't work right? In the garage? Outside? Maybe they're lubricated with something that stiffens too much below around 5 degrees C? If they've got any kind of gunk in the bearings from club atmospheres, that could definitely get claggy. Another possibility that you really need to be careful of, is dissimilar metal expansion coefficients. If the pressure of metal contact is flatting the contact points enough to make uneven motion, you could wear the surfaces dramatically if you persist in driving them in cold conditions. I'm not saying this is the reason, but it could appear as you see it if it were, and if it were, it could be seriously destructive, so take care.

[dsli_jon]

...brought what gear I needed back into the house and set the scanners up with old faithful hene and within a few mins I have a really neat test pattern - I did try outside but I couldnt get close.
It dont add up.

Hey Rob -

Hmm, well, I'd need to know more info before stating anything for sure, buuuut... sounds like an AC Ground loop or fault (ie broken/loose) to me, buddy...

I'd try bringing your projector/PC outside again, parked up to your SP (I assume this means you are running a PCAOM for color?), like you want, - but run an extension cord to power your projector/PC, from inside yer house where they were werking fine...

Not being there, can't say fer sure, but Ground loops/faults can be real voodoo, man... Also, check your signal cables / cnnx (ILDA DB-25s?) - maybe something is lose inside / bad solder cup?

Also, also - Are you crossing your signal cables OVER / really near your 168 AC-mains line?- If the signal-cables going to your projector are crossing your AC feeder, and are not good, heavy, shielded cables - AND especially if you are not running 'differential' signals, that can give your graphix a pretty good scrambling...

...But I'd check Ground loop / fault, first.... Just some thoughts... peace...

- J

[stanwax]

hehehe I wasnt expecting all these responses.

DZ - I did do a little bit of vid last night but my attanetion was quickly drawn to other things. More will follow.

Doc - the tha and thay was not for a bet its called not concentrating while typing fast with just about what can pass for 2 finger typing, and not reading it back. More haste less speed . Also I understand what you are saying about running in cold conditions - And I guess this applies to all replies too - I have run the scanners (G120) in the cold before and there has been a small effect not the huge one I saw. Second I guess what Im saying is this setup - ground loops, cable runs and all other things considered, is a tried and tested setup. I know things go wrong and i will find out what the reason is but I guess I was just venting rather than saying hey guys help me! Not that I dont appreciate the offers!

Anyway I now know the scanners and cable from easylase to the driver card are good, inc scanner tune, so tonight I will pop it all back in front of the SP - yep jon PCAOM included - and see what happens.

Watch this space.

Rob

ps. Also some time over xmas when I sort out the computer to run it on we will see about running live lasershow cam with the SP168 - as I did promise once before