Degrading scanners.... WTF ?

[Stuka]

During the SELEM meet, I had the fortune of having my ScanPro 30 scanners tuned by Bill Benner. It was pretty nice to be able to display test patterns and have them actually display properly (A first since I've been in this money-pit hobby!)

Well, I've been noticing a continuous degrading in display quality the last few times I've fired up the projector - circles aren't circles anymore, "tails" appear on many drawn objects, text frames look like crap unless the scan rate is turned WAY down, etc., etc. In other words, things are starting to look like total crap - again!!

Here's the clincher - other than REDUCE the size of the displayed images, I haven't changed software settings. No adjustments have been made to the scanner amps, there doesn't appear to be any vibration in the scanners, and everything appears to be running nice and cool (except me ).

I'm using the Pangolin QM2000.NET, and all that software and hardware appears to be working just fine.

SO - any suggestions on where / how to start the troubleshooting?

Thanks -

Randy

[James Lehman]

... circles aren't circles anymore, "tails" appear on many drawn objects...

Hmmmm. Are the tails on the ends or on the leads of the lit segments?

Maybe somehow the time delay that is inherent to scanners has changed in your case.

Have you noticed any difference in the heat coming from them?

At SELEM, your scanners were running pretty much non stop for several hours. Do you think they need to REALLY warm up?

James.

[Stuka]

The "tails" look like they're on the end of the drawn objects. "Circles" generally no longer connect - instead, they have overlapping "ends". Most of the test patterns look at least as crappy as they did BEFORE Bill worked on my scanners, if not worse!!

All the wires are connected where they should be, scanners are firmly fixed in their mounts, and everything appears to be running nice and cool.
(I was actually concerned about that at SELEM, but I never noticed a real significant change in the operating temps).

Open to suggestions - this SUCKS !!

[James Lehman]

The reason I asked about the tails is (as you probably already know) scanners impose a delay on the signal that feeds them compared to the image as it is actually being drawn. So in order to get the colors and blanking to match up right with the scanned image, you have to delay the color signals a bit. If you are now seeing tails, where before you did not, something has changed in the relationship of time between the scanners and the color signals.

Do you remember what Bill did? Can you re-tweak them yourself?

James.

[Stuka]

I can make another attempt at the tuning process (I've got a copy of Adams well-written tutorial), but I'm concerned why it would even be necessary at this point.

Things that make you go Hmmmm.....

[James Lehman]

I'm trying to imagine if there were any circumstances at SELEM that would make them behave differently.... Humidity? Ambient temperature? Fog? AC Line voltage and quality?

Phase of The Moon !!! That's it !


James.

[platinum]

I'm trying to imagine if there were any circumstances at SELEM that would make them behave differently. . .

It was probably my presence. I have a weird effect on electronics. Friends will have me over to fix their computers and they will work fine upon my arrival. At work (HVAC), I have an adverse effect that seems to make things become inoperable, rendering a 4 hour drive to a remote job site a big waste of time.

Or maybe not.

What brand are your scanners? I don't recall.

-Jonathan

[Stuka]

I'm trying to imagine if there were any circumstances at SELEM that would make them behave differently.... Humidity? Ambient temperature? Fog? AC Line voltage and quality?

Phase of The Moon !!! That's it !


James.

Well, if that's what it takes, it looks like I'll be out doin' a "moon dance" tonight then. Gotta' make Van Morrison proud!

My technical "gut instinct", however, tells me I've got flaky component(s) somewhere on the scanner amps that are letting the tuning drift. Unfortunately, since turbine engines (my forte) aren't involved, I have no idea where to begin to try to isolate the problem... crap...

[Stuka]

It was probably my presence. I have a weird effect on electronics. Friends will have me over to fix their computers and they will work fine upon my arrival. At work (HVAC), I have an adverse effect that seems to make things become inoperable, rendering a 4 hour drive to a remote job site a big waste of time.

Or maybe not.

What brand are your scanners? I don't recall.

-Jonathan

OK, how soon can you get to Knoxville....

Mine are ScanPro 30's. Worked great for a SHORT while...

[platinum]

OK, how soon can you get to Knoxville....

Mine are ScanPro 30's. Worked great for a SHORT while...

Hmm.. that might be a little bit out of the way for me. Best of luck though. I look forward to many similar situations on my end as I piece together an RGB project.