Heidelberg Hell Chromagraph S3300

[schlger]

Hello Chromagraph users, ex-users, service technicians,
I have acquired a chromagraph S3300 drum scanner several years ago but tried it out recently. It came with an Apple G4 and Linocolor 6 Software. The booting process goes on, data are transferred to the scanner and the initializing process proceeds until an error message that says: 21538 Hardware defective, error code No.: 5048. I tried all remedy proposals from the user´s manual with no success but can´t figure out to which defect the code .: 5048 refers as I don´t own a service manual. Can tell me anybody the kind of my defect?
Thank you very much!
Gerhard

 

[Karl Hudson]

Sorry for the super late reply, but I just joined this forum today. Error code 5048 refers to a defect in the "Positioning Unit" which controls the drum drive. Do you still have the scanner? Did you find help elsewhere and get it resolved in the end?

 

[schlger]

Hello Karl,
thanks for your reply. The scanner still rests unrepaired and any help is welcome! How can this positioning unit be repaired? In deed, I had to make the transort several years ago with the drum fixed to the scanner, because the preowner was not able to take it off. The hand control does not react, it is not possible to choose between computer and hand control. It occured sometimes while the initializing process stopped at the error 5048, that the head drove slowly by itself to the left, if I had shifted it to the right stop before switching the device on.
Thanks for your advice!
Gerhard

 

[Karl Hudson]

Hi Gerhard,
Better late than never I guess. Glad to hear you still have the machine. The Positioning Unit is a large box in the middle of the Machine Controller section. Open the right hand end cover and then remove a large silver cover underneath that (located just to the right of the main drum drive). There were two brands of Positioning Units: Berger (yellow) and Stromag (gray). Check the connections on it...maybe even re-seat them. Never had any luck trying to repair one, but I do have them available for swapping out the whole unit. My colleague here in Kiel has some extra ones. I'll check the price on that and get back to you. Meanwhile...with any luck, something came loose in the move. Also...while you are in there, make sure the two power supplies are on (red LEDs) just to the left of the Positioning Unit. One is 24 VDC and the other one is 5 VDC (except in the newest ones they built, where they changed it to one power supply which provides both voltages). In this case a photo might tell me a lot. Open her up, take a photo and then send it to me via hudsongrafik@gmail.com. We will get that scanner running again and you will be glad you did. The scans from a Chromagraph are heavenly. If you'd like a quote to have an on-site Tune-Up Service done, let me know where the scanner is located.
Best wishes from Kiel,
Karl

 

[schlger]

Hi Karl,
That would be great if the beast could be brought to work eventually! I´ll do as you told me and will report, what I´ll have found. Maybe and hopefully, it´s only a contact problem from the transport. By the way, is there any chance to draw out more than 8 bit from the linoscan software? All inversions of negatives could be done afterwards in modern software, if it would only deliver 12, 14 or 16 bit.
Thanks from Bamberg
Gerhard

 

[brbo]

Out of curiosity, what are the specs of these big boys? Resolution, DMax, etc. Anyone have a sample scan?

Thanks!

 

[Karl Hudson]

Attached is the original Heidelberg Brochure from "back in the day". I do not own the copyright and hope I'm not violating anything by posting this. I'm pretty sure Heidelberg doesn't care about the scanners at all anymore. I heard somewhere that Getty has purchased all the images from the old brochures. I'm posting this only to answer the last question regarding the specifications of the machine which are found in the brochure. Please do not further distribute or post, hopefully we can avoid any imperial entanglements. Anyone needing more information should contact Hudson Grafik Services, Inc. BTW...there are still six refurbished units available in the USA, but only three left in the EU as of this posting. Best regards and thanks for being curious :- ).

 

[brbo]

Thanks!

19.200 dpi?! Please, tell me this is interpolated. Otherwise I need to have one

 

[Karl Hudson]

It's the true optical resolution based on a 35 mm format being scanned on the smallest, 80 mm diameter, drum. The 19,000 dpi rating is in reference to the S3400 model with the three drum sizes. The Chromagraph S3300 has only one drum size (150 mm diameter) due to the fixed head construction. It is comparable to the Tango / Primescan (vertical concept) with an optical resolution of 11,000 dpi (based on a 35 mm scanning format). If you want to get a refurbished German scanner, just let me know ;- ).