Noob to scanners - lines on scanned images

CreativeSamurai · Mar 7, 2022

Hi everyone. My dad recently gave me his Epson v200 perfection scanner which worked perfectly two days ago. I went to use it today only to notice lines over my scanned images, also every now and then the scanner carriage will stop randomly and make a high pitched noise before returning to the start. I'm trying to back up some of my dads slides to digital format.

Now, I have done a little googling and cleaned my glass change out the usb cable and ports on laptop. the only thing i cant change or check is the power supply. iv tired the scanner on my dads pc, my laptop and my wifes laptop with all giving me the same results. Oh, i also reinstalled the epson drivers too. and tried linux.

Any help on this matter would be greatly appreciated.

P.S Im new to this site/forum so if I have posted in the wrong area please move/delete.
Thanks again.

shutterfinger · Mar 7, 2022

1. I would clean the bed glass again making sure not to leave any streaks, clean the calibration area, clean the transparency glass.
2. looking at https://files.support.epson.com/pdf/prv2ph/prv2phpg.pdf the transparency adapter is made into the scanner and cannot be disconnected. this leads me to believe there may be a connection problem with the transparency adapter cable requiring a trip to the repair shop.
3. does it scan documents/printed photos cleanly?

others reading this: left click on a posted image, it will open in a new tab/window then click on the + to enlarge it.

CreativeSamurai · Mar 7, 2022

Hi there.
1, I've cleaned the glass so many times lol, I'm tempted to remove the glass and let it sit in a nice warm soapy bath. I have some really strong double sided tape to reseat the glass with.
2, I actually disconnected the transparency adapter from the lid last time i cleaned the glass and tried my dads old light hood(if that's what its called) still the same problem
3, Nope. Documents, photos, even a clean sheet of paper has all the lines on.
Ill post some scans off white, grey and black card it may help. would higher dpi help with the diagnosis?

shutterfinger · Mar 7, 2022

Sensor or electronics problem. If you feel comfortable doing it reseat the ribbon cables and clean any mirror or lens surfaces that are accessible. If you remove the sensor board (if possible) it will have to be realigned to get a proper scan.
My V700 has the mirrors, lens, and sensor sealed in a block that cannot be opened but there is one mirror under the bed light that is accessible. The mirrors are front surface and easily scratched.

CreativeSamurai · Mar 7, 2022

I did look at cleaning the mirrors but i was scared of damaging them or knocking them out of alinement. i can remove to mercury lamp which gives me access to the mirrors and what looks like a camera lens. ill try and take some pictures in the morning and hopefully you can point out where i need to start cleaning. Also, what would you suggest for cleaning the glass and mirrors? iv been using warm soapy watch for the hard to remove dirt front and back. waiting for it to dry. then i used window cleaner on both sides and paper towel.

shutterfinger · Mar 7, 2022

For the mirrors, light gentle pressure with a cotton swab followed by a clean microfiber lens cleaning cloth, heavy weight are the best. I use Windex window cleaner on the bed glass and mirrors, standard lens cleaning fluid on the lens.
You can start a scan then once the scan head has moved off the home position pull the power cord. You will now be able to move the scan head along the scan path but if you push it back to the home position it will lock in place. Verify that the scan head will move smoothly along the rod and that the belt teeth are good. A light coat/trace of light to medium weight grease on the transport rod is needed for smooth operation. White Lithium Grease or similar teflon based grease is fine. Once power is applied the scan head will return to the home position.

Some window cleaners leave a residue. View cleaned surfaces from several angles under bright light.

grat · Mar 8, 2022

The pattern is so regular, it genuinely looks like a problem with the sensor. I assume the lines are in the same direction as the scanner head travels?

You might consider upgrading to a v600. They can be had used for relatively small sums.

CreativeSamurai · Mar 8, 2022

Finally finished all the cleaning. took the glass out, cleaned the double sided tape off with ipa 91%
cleaned the mirrors, didnt touch the lens tho. was to scared of breaking it.
still got the same problem.
I did notice that if I use VueScan it scans all the time albeit with the lines. But if I use Epson scan the preview always freezes and smudges the scan.

I did hear somewhere that a faulty power supply could cause these kind if issues but i dont want to buy a new one incase it doesnt fix the issue.
And Grat, Thanks for your reply. Im now thinking it a hardware fault too. alas being an unemployed single father of two. i just cant afford a new scanner at this present time.

shutterfinger · Mar 8, 2022

shutterfinger said:
Sensor or electronics problem.

Have you tried Professional Mode and a higher scan resolution? 1200 to 2400 should be adequate.

CreativeSamurai · Mar 8, 2022

Yeah, Iv tried professional Mode and a scan res of 4800dpi. still got the lines. im guessing either the ccd has had it or my power supply is faulty.

MattKing · Mar 9, 2022

It also could be the stepper motor/mechanism.

radiant · Mar 9, 2022

MattKing said:
It also could be the stepper motor/mechanism.

I was about to say same, because of the sounds coming from the scanner.

The high pitched noise sounds means that stepper motor is stuck and cannot rotate.

shutterfinger · Mar 9, 2022

Download https://learncamerarepair.com/downloads/pdf/Epson-Perfection-V10-Service.pdf
This manual covers several models including the V200 . It may give you some insight we have missed.

CreativeSamurai · Mar 9, 2022

Eureka! With the help of that service manual ShutterFinger posted, I was able to check and double check the voltage rails. My scanner(perfection v200) uses a 13.5V 1.5A.
The 3.3v rail is fine, but the 13.5v rail... Well. its 12.5v. that mean that the ccd board is only getting 4.17v when its expecting 5.17v. I hooked up my multi-meters to the stepper motor and afl power lines and noticed a power drop of 5%. which might/could be causing all my problems. Anyone know where i could find a new cheap power supply? 13.5v 1.5a. it doesn't have to have the correct connector on it as i can make my own. Also im in the Uk

Thanks again everyone for all your help.

Les Sarile · Mar 9, 2022

There are many 13.5v 1.5a rated ps on Amazon and ebay for really cheap with various connectors. Good luck.

CreativeSamurai · Mar 9, 2022

Iv ordered a variable voltage supply of amazon. With a 13.5v 3A selecter. That way if it doesn't fix the problem I can find another use for it. I'll keep you peeps updated once it arrives and iv tested it out.

CreativeSamurai · Mar 9, 2022

Also, on a side note. Other than VUEscan and epsons software are they any other good alternatives?

Les Sarile · Mar 9, 2022

Good to order a higher rated ps as they typically overrate them.
Silverfast but not the cheapest . . .

Michael Howard · Mar 9, 2022

You may check your USB cable as well. They require one with a filter on it. They fail relatively easily, I've had a couple fail, giving similar (but heavier) noise patterns on scans. I've even had noisy scans when my scanner was sitting next to a running PS3 game system. Turned it off, clean scans.

CreativeSamurai · Mar 13, 2022

Hi all, thank you all so very much for your help and advice.My new power supply arrived today 13.5v 3amps. Works like a charm. All my issues have been fixed. As a cursory measure. Iv also ordered a shielded and filtered USB cable. Hopefully now I can start backing up my dad's slides. Just one more quick question tho. What's the safest way to clean slides and 8mm cine film?.water? Ipa?

shutterfinger · Mar 14, 2022

Blower brush and heavyweight microfiber lens cleaning cloth, wipe gently.
DO NOT use water on color films. The final step in color processing, C-41 or E-6 or C-22 in the day or Kodachrome all use a stabilizer as the final step. Getting the film wet with water will require restabilization.
I wipe my negatives and slides with a Static Master https://www.adorama.com/cpsmb3.html?origterm=staticmaster&searchredirect=true brush and a heavyweight microfiber lens cloth https://www.adorama.com/cpcml.html . The brush removes debris, the cloth fingerprints. The links are examples, current product availability will vary by area and what is still being made.

Noob to scanners - lines on scanned images

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