8mm Forum: Cleaning the photo diode!

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Posted by Leon Norris (Member # 3151) on February 05, 2019, 12:17 PM:

I want everyone to be carefull when cleaning the photo diode. For optical sound. I have seen the little mirror fall off! So when cleaning do it carefully! Because the part is old! I use alcohol on a cotton swab! Keeping it clean helps the sound stay clear! So again be carefull!

Posted by Chip Gelmini (Member # 44) on February 06, 2019, 04:41 PM:

Leon

Can you please post pictures of doing this procedure with thanks

Posted by Osi Osgood (Member # 424) on February 08, 2019, 11:44 AM:

Yes, most definitely, share the info ... with photos! I'm wanting to do this myself!

Posted by Leon Norris (Member # 3151) on February 08, 2019, 12:12 PM:

The photo diode is very easy to find! Its right behind the optical sound lens! Take a small flashlight and shine it Behind the optical sound lens. You can't miss it. It has a small mirror on it. Your flashlight will reflect the light on the mirror! Take a cotton swab dipped in alcohol. And clean it! Very easy to do! Good luck! Leon.

Posted by Osi Osgood (Member # 424) on February 09, 2019, 11:27 AM:

I was looking last night in the projector and couldn't see any mirror anywhere. Could you put up a photo, as I'm betting that I'm just clueless.

All I see is the lamp on the right, the lense apparatus, and nothing else, unless is far behind somewhere on the left.

Posted by Leon Norris (Member # 3151) on February 09, 2019, 11:41 AM:

OSI, Its right behind the sound lens! The rear , means the back of sound lens. As I said take a small flashlight and shine it towards the back. Behind the sound lens. It has two wires soldered to it! Its black in color! And has a little mirror on it! Again you can't miss it!

Posted by Paul Adsett (Member # 25) on February 09, 2019, 12:53 PM:

Its a lot easier to get at if you first remove the green plastic capstan roller arm.

Posted by Leon Norris (Member # 3151) on February 09, 2019, 06:56 PM:

Also you can use a cotton swab. The wooden ones that are six inch long and duel tips. Makes it a lot easyer to reach! And get to the photo diode! That what I use when I clean mine!

Posted by Chip Gelmini (Member # 44) on February 09, 2019, 08:25 PM:

I once read somewhere that when Elmo put optical in the super 8 projectors they put some kind of a reducer on the circuitboard in the event of over modulated optical tracks

What this means is an compared to level of magnetic sound mode optical sound volume will be considerably lower than magnetic volume output

So you will have to turn up the volume a little higher when running optical as compared to running magnetic

A good thing to remember So that even when you know your optics are clean and properly adjusted you will not have a problem playing sound thinking that why is the volume lower than magnetic because you will be right but this will also be normal

Just carefully turn UP volume for OPTICAL.

Posted by Osi Osgood (Member # 424) on February 11, 2019, 11:42 AM:

Still don't see it ... photo's please. (I'll take another look. I'm persistent!) [Smile]

Posted by Leon Norris (Member # 3151) on February 11, 2019, 03:27 PM:

OSI, Just Look Behind the Optical sound lens! The back of it! Just look straight back! Again you can't miss it! Leon.

Posted by Osi Osgood (Member # 424) on February 13, 2019, 12:03 PM:

I'll take a picture of my projector, what I am looking at and maybe, by taking the photo, putting some arrows on it to point it out, I might finally "get it"! [Smile]

Posted by Osi Osgood (Member # 424) on February 14, 2019, 11:58 AM:

Leon ...

I wonder if the whole confusion on my part is due to not calling things what they are ...

Is you're "photo diode" the same thing as the "Lense apparatus", right next to the lamp on it's left side, that I took out and cleaned both sides of and then screwed back into place?

Posted by Leon Norris (Member # 3151) on February 14, 2019, 12:17 PM:

OSI, You have three different parts that work the optical sound!
1- the optical lamp. 2- the optical sound lens. 3- the photo diode. They all have to do with the optical sound! So here we go! The lamp light beams thru the sound lens .and then the light beams to the photo diode! Witch gives you sound!IF I get a chance I will put a picture of the photo diode. Leon.

Posted by Osi Osgood (Member # 424) on February 15, 2019, 11:53 AM:

Thanks! I would certainly appreciate it.

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