ScanMate drum scanner DIY maintenance, troubleshooting, mods

[Netsoft2k]

For my use, I don't need anything more than 4000 DPI but it's good to know that I have it in case I ever need it. I have only run the aperture calibration once when I first set it up but it's easy to do so I may run it next time I use it. Since I don't go past 2000 DPI for 90% of scans (I scan 4x5 and 8x10 sheet films), I haven't seen any need for it but it can't hurt.

You are correct about the scan that it is a dry mount. The film emulsion was facing down which I do with all of my scans as a protective measure to avoid getting tape residue on the emulsion by accident. It never happens but I do it as a safety precaution anyways.

Glad I could help. Scanner is absolutely amazing.

 

[monkeyfist]

For my use, I don't need anything more than 4000 DPI but it's good to know that I have it in case I ever need it. I have only run the aperture calibration once when I first set it up but it's easy to do so I may run it next time I use it. Since I don't go past 2000 DPI for 90% of scans (I scan 4x5 and 8x10 sheet films), I haven't seen any need for it but it can't hurt.

You are correct about the scan that it is a dry mount. The film emulsion was facing down which I do with all of my scans as a protective measure to avoid getting tape residue on the emulsion by accident. It never happens but I do it as a safety precaution anyways.

Glad I could help. Scanner is absolutely amazing.

It's actually useful for printing @ 600ppi. With this scanner, i don't have to compromise anything while making prints.

 

[monkeyfist]

My 2 cents about the ScanMate 11000.

Color Quartet: the most sophisticated. About $400 I think. Requires a USB dongle to operate. Dongles are different between Mac and Windows.
Supports Color Management; can accept an ICC input profile and can output for example in ProPhotoRGB.
Has various bugs. For example, raw output is only 8 bits/channel (even if you select 16 bits/channel).

Fernando

In what info is this based, that the raw output is 8bit? at least on the 5.2.2 it seems to be 16bit.

After testing, there is no difference between raw & normal output. Expect in normal output there is clearly some sort of softening applied, i assume to cover the slight effect of drum scanner jitter. Raw output is much sharper because of this.

 

[MarinB]

OK, here's a question for all forum members and users of Scanmate 11000 in continental Europe. Rather than sending private messages to just a few of them, I thought it might be better to ask here.
What is the current situation with the repair of 11000 model? I have now managed to get close to a reasonable deal for a very complete 11000 package from 1998 - but the scanner exhibits noticeable lines in shadows at any appreciably higher resolution, as well as occasional red/green/blue specks. Meaning a mainboard replacement is in order. Does ABC still do that? I know it could cost me a small fortune at this point, but it could still be a fairly good deal - compared to an iQSmart2 package I was offered recently.
Gentlemen, any answers are very much welcome. Thanks.

 

[Netsoft2k]

OK, here's a question for all forum members and users of Scanmate 11000 in continental Europe. Rather than sending private messages to just a few of them, I thought it might be better to ask here.
What is the current situation with the repair of 11000 model? I have now managed to get close to a reasonable deal for a very complete 11000 package from 1998 - but the scanner exhibits noticeable lines in shadows at any appreciably higher resolution, as well as occasional red/green/blue specks. Meaning a mainboard replacement is in order. Does ABC still do that? I know it could cost me a small fortune at this point, but it could still be a fairly good deal - compared to an iQSmart2 package I was offered recently.
Gentlemen, any answers are very much welcome. Thanks.

I was recently quoted 360 EUR for the repair (not replacement) for the stripes in the shadows. The price included shipping back to me in USA but I would have to pay for shipping to ABC Scan. I am waiting until the quite winter days to send it in since the whole process takes a few weeks door-to-door. I emailed Michael at michael@abc-scan.dk about it.

Hope this helps.

 

[jzagaja]

Have you tried those basic routines in terminal app? I don't have 11000 anymore but this may help. 5000 is better. A friend of mine bought serviced 11000 from ABC and stripes were there 🙂

 

[MarinB]

Have you tried those basic routines in terminal app?

Which routines do you mean? In OS X, OS 9 or on a PC?

 

[monkeyfist]

Which routines do you mean? In OS X, OS 9 or on a PC?

There is a service program in the scanner's firmware, that can be accessed through serial connection. But there is nothing much you can actually do with it, aperture calibration was about all it can do. Unless you happen to have the service add-on board, then you could calibrate the light perfectly.

Other functions are tube gains and drum zero point calibrations etc. But if the white calibration goes fine in the software, and scan area seems correct, you don't need to adjust these things.

 

[monkeyfist]

Anyone happen to have a file "scod3000.bin". It's located in sys\cqscdrum in Colortrio or ColorQuartet. I only found "scod5000.bin" in my Colortrio 2.01.

I'm trying to get my Scanflow Mounter working, and both softwares sees it as a Scanmate 3000 and tries to install this file on it as a firmware.

 

[jzagaja]

Another problem - SM5000 during scanning, drum gets locked and when you switch off and on does not want turn back home just rotating the drum.

 

[monkeyfist]

Another problem - SM5000 during scanning, drum gets locked and when you switch off and on does not want turn back home just rotating the drum.

Is the spindle motor turning? If it is, then the connection is severed.. the piece that connects the motor to the spindle is a pretty fragile piece of plastic. And when plastic ages, it gets weaker.

Or just try to move the drum from the service program.

 

[jzagaja]

Yes it's turning. "Locked" diode turns on/off without reason. FAN runs slower/faster within second. Very strange. Terminal program does not work.

 

[monkeyfist]

Yes it's turning. "Locked" diode turns on/off without reason. FAN runs slower/faster within second. Very strange. Terminal program does not work.

Ok, seems you got a real problem then. Hard to say what it is, but something really bad i assume. Maybe the powersource? If it has failed and voltage is not stable, would explain the fan?

 

[Adam Long]

Yes it's turning. "Locked" diode turns on/off without reason. FAN runs slower/faster within second. Very strange. Terminal program does not work.

I've got exactly the same problem with one of my SM 5000s. Initially it would run the motor in strange sequences as if trying to perform some internal calibration routine but failing. By the time I got round to making the cable up for the terminal program it got worse - the terminal fails to load as if the connection or power is repeatedly lost. Sounds like a microswitch is flipping on and off.

What gives me hope is that my other machine did the same after storage but seems to be settling down with use. So hopefully it is a bad connection not a failing component. Plan is to strip down and clean all connections.

 

[jzagaja]

Looks like power supply issue or SCSI chip. Maybe Steve Nelson knows better. I've asked him.

 

[Netsoft2k]

Looks like power supply issue or SCSI chip. Maybe Steve Nelson knows better. I've asked him.

Sorry to hear about your scanner Jack. Hope you get it resolved quickly. This makes me wonder, is there a good safety measure that we should be considering when powering these machines?

Should there be anything more than a high-quality surge protector to power these?

Pali

 

[Adam Long]

Update:

I've got two machines with this same problem, one intermittent, the other one I haven't been able to get to connect to CQ for three months.

Tonight I took the hardware unit out of both, and unplugged most of the main cables, sprayed some contact cleaner on and then reassembled. Both now seem to be working fine again. No idea if it was a bad connection or is disconnection has caused some internal reset, but so far seems promising. Thanks to all the previous posters on this thread for the info, I've been over it repeatedly in the last month!

I'll run a few more scans over the next days and report back.

 

[Netsoft2k]

All - I have wanted an extra drum and it just happened that I found a good deal on a really out of shape SM 5000 with perfect drum at a great price. The scanner arrived and drum is perfect but FedEx seemed to have mishandled the scanner and broken parts of the frame. It's the "stone" parts that seems to be the main frame that holds all the moving parts together. I have attempted to fix it but only time will tell if it will hold up fine.

After calibrating apertures and performing a surface clean (haven't cleaned mirror, fibers, etc.) I was able to perform a fairly nice scan. The focus calibration seems to be working fine but I can't get the scanner to successfully perform white calibration. Does anyone know what I should try to resolve the white calibration NOT successful issue?

Thank you in advance.

Regards - Pali

 

[Netsoft2k]

Looks like this unit is in generally good shape. I still can't perform white point calibration but the scans look great even it fails.

This is first test scan. No stripes in shadows like my SM11000 which is going to be great for negatives.

Any tips on white point calibration issue?

BTW, I was surprised by how much smaller and lighter SM 5000 is vs. SM 11000. 11K feels like a monster even more now.

 

[Adam Long]

Running CQ 5.2 on XP, whenever WC fails for me I first try selecting a bigger area on a different part of the drum. The calibration is done across the top of your crop so check it is super clean. If it fails again restarting the computer fixes it for me.

Have you cleaned the sensor lens? Looks like you're getting a fair bit of halation from the bleed visible in the top of the rebate. Might help. Whilst you're in there have a check that the light tube is perfectly centred on the lens - you can toggle the light on with the service program.

Bulb change would be the other thing to try. Certainly looks like it's working well though.