Re: Looking for repair on an LS-4000 Nikon scanner

[Bob AZ]

I bought a pricey used LS4000 Coolscan, and though it powers up I am
getting an "sense [number number number]" error message. �It appears to
have some kind of hardware problem, as the LED light blinks fast when
powering up and running the scanner test.

Anyone out there that knows how to repair it? �

PLEASE HELP

Laura

Did you power on the scanner before booting te computer? Was the
driver loaded and the port configured before powering off the computer
and then get the scanner going before boting the computer again?

Bob AZ

Bob AZ

 

[Barry Watzman]

The power light blinks rapidly on power up. That is a "fail" on the
scanner's self test diagnostic. It means the scanner is defective and
needs service, period. NOTHING else matters .... not even whether the
scanner is connected to a computer at all, much less what software or
drivers are loaded onto the computer. This diagnostic failure is based
on tests conducted entirely within and by the scanner's own
microprocessor. Everything else is irrelevant.

[BTW, this is true for all Nikon film scanners, not just the LS-4000;
RAPID blinking of the power light at ANY time during the self test means
that the scanner itself is defective (rapid blinking = 2-3 blinks per
second. Slow blinking (about 2 seconds per blink) is normal). The
blinking will stop and the lamp will turn steady, but the mere fact that
it did blink rapidly still means that the scanner is defective and needs
service.]

I bought a pricey used LS4000 Coolscan, and though it powers up I am
getting an "sense [number number number]" error message. �It appears to
have some kind of hardware problem, as the LED light blinks fast when
powering up and running the scanner test.

Anyone out there that knows how to repair it? �

PLEASE HELP

Laura

Did you power on the scanner before booting te computer? Was the
driver loaded and the port configured before powering off the computer
and then get the scanner going before boting the computer again?

Bob AZ

Bob AZ

 

[Silicon Sam]

The power light blinks rapidly on power up.  That is a "fail" on the
scanner's self test diagnostic.  It means the scanner is defective and
needs service, period.  NOTHING else matters .... not even whether the
scanner is connected to a computer at all, much less what software or
drivers are loaded onto the computer.  This diagnostic failure is based
on tests conducted entirely within and by the scanner's own
microprocessor.  Everything else is irrelevant.

[BTW, this is true for all Nikon film scanners, not just the LS-4000;
RAPID blinking of the power light at ANY time during the self test means
that the scanner itself is defective (rapid blinking = 2-3 blinks per
second.  Slow blinking (about 2 seconds per blink) is normal).  The
blinking will stop and the lamp will turn steady, but the mere fact that
it did blink rapidly still means that the scanner is defective and needs
service.]

I bought a pricey used LS4000 Coolscan, and though it powers up I am
getting an "sense [number number number]" error message. It appears to
have some kind of hardware problem, as the LED light blinks fast when
powering up and running the scanner test.
Anyone out there that knows how to repair it?
PLEASE HELP

Laura

Barry, do you think it could be just gummed up grease on the rails
causing the error?

 

[Barry Watzman]

It could be, but this has been less of a problem with LS-40's and 4000's
than it was with LS-30's and 2000's. That may, however, be simply
because the 40's/4000's are newer and therefore not as many of them have
yet had their lubricating grease dry out [YET]. But the mechanisms work
very differently, and I don't think it will ever be AS MUCH of a problem.

One thing most people don't realize is that there are two distinct
mechanisms, two totally separate motors and gear sets, in all of the
Nikon scanners (LS-30/2000 to LS-50/5000). One is for scanning the
other is for focus. The focus system, which people don't see and are
not even aware of in most cases, causes as many problems as the scanning
system (and the startup self test fully tests both systems and "fails"
if either one fails).

The power light blinks rapidly on power up. That is a "fail" on the
scanner's self test diagnostic. It means the scanner is defective and
needs service, period. NOTHING else matters .... not even whether the
scanner is connected to a computer at all, much less what software or
drivers are loaded onto the computer. This diagnostic failure is based
on tests conducted entirely within and by the scanner's own
microprocessor. Everything else is irrelevant.

[BTW, this is true for all Nikon film scanners, not just the LS-4000;
RAPID blinking of the power light at ANY time during the self test means
that the scanner itself is defective (rapid blinking = 2-3 blinks per
second. Slow blinking (about 2 seconds per blink) is normal). The
blinking will stop and the lamp will turn steady, but the mere fact that
it did blink rapidly still means that the scanner is defective and needs
service.]

I bought a pricey used LS4000 Coolscan, and though it powers up I am
getting an "sense [number number number]" error message. It appears to
have some kind of hardware problem, as the LED light blinks fast when
powering up and running the scanner test.
Anyone out there that knows how to repair it?
PLEASE HELP
Laura

Barry, do you think it could be just gummed up grease on the rails
causing the error?

 

[Barry Watzman]

Re:

a few months ago I bought an LS-30 at a camera collectors fair
(35ukpounds) sold as fully working. This scanner had the same error
symptoms, turned out to need a re-grease on both mechanisms followed by
an optics clean when scans turned out misty.

and


I bought an LS-2000 at another fair (15ukpounds) sold as untested - this
one didn't need the regrease (did it anyway - prevention's better than
cure) but had same dirty optics

*********

"re-grease" ... if that means adding more lubricant ... is NOT the
solution. You have to get the old grease OFF. And the only way to do
that is to TOTALLY disassemble the unit, almost down the very last
screw, and clean (REALLY clean) everything, with solvents. Then put it
back together and relubricate, of course. At the same time you can
(must or should) clean the optics, which really means the lower front
mirror. When I do this, I remove the mirror totally, so I have a piece
of glass, and I can clean it edge-to-edge, totally. Just wipe the
mirror across a [VERY] soft (can't emphasize that enough, SOFT .... this
is a front-surface mirror) cloth WET with Windex. Then wipe it across a
VERY soft (VERY, VERY soft) dry cloth.

Yes, it is possible that the optics are so bad that the CCD doesn't even
detect the light source at all (the POST self test does test for exactly
this; that the scanner sees all light sources (white (which I think is
RGB all on at once, but might be a separate white LED), red, blue,
green, Infra-red). This will cause failure of the scanner to pass POST.
I see it on a regular basis. But long before that your images will
look like crap. One of the best pages on that is here:

http://www.vad1.com/photo/dirty-scanner/

Compare the two images: Dirty optics & clean optics. I've seen much
worse, actually, before the CCD doesn't even detect the light source.

It is hard to overstate how fantastically good a clean, working LS-2000
(or even an LS-30) works. I have some samples that will blow your socks
off. The earlier models are no good, because they are slow and they
don't have digial ICE. And, incredibly, except for speed, the later
models are not much better. Sure, the LS-30/2000's are "only" 2,700
dpi. But that is TEN MEGAPIXELS. The later models are 4,000 DPI, which
is about 23 megapixels. BUT THERE ISN'T THAT MUCH DETAIL PRESENT IN A
35mm IMAGE TO BEGIN WITH. And, really, in some ways, that is WORSE:
because if you have a 4000 dpi image sensor, and you realize that 4,000
dpi is a joke, and so you want to cut it down, you only have two choices:

1. Use every other pixel (2,000 dpi)
2. Use "interpolated" pixels

Well, interpolated pixels are kind of a joke also, and 2,000 dpi is only
about 4 megapixels, it's not enough resolution. So, in some ways, the
2,700 dpi of the LS-30/2000 is actually superior to the 4,000 dpi of the
later models (the LS-40 is 2,900 dpi; all other later models are 4,000 dpi).

[No, I have not worked on an LS-1000; I looked at one once, but could
not figure out how to take it apart. For a number of reasons they are
pretty much worthless these days, usually on E-Bay they don't sell at
all, at any price. They have no digital ICE, and the software only
works on Windows 9x, both of those are serious limitiations. And to
scan negatives you have to use the FH-2, which is a royal pain.]

 

[malcolmb]

I know it is some while since this thread was used but I have a working LS-30 but need the two transit locking screws or the dimensions and thread size to make spares. Does anyone have any information to help, please.

 

[TurboSnail]

I do not know if you are still monitoring this thread but if you are you can find some pics of a shipping screw from a Nikon LS-2000 at my website. I have a temporary page there, it will not be available from the main page (msanderz dot com) but if you type (msanderz dot com/screw); you can see them. There are more pictures than the site will allow me to upload so just type in the address. I will keep them there for while. Hope this will help you. TurboSnail P.S. I was TurboSnail before the movie came out.

 

[malcolmb]

I do not know if you are still monitoring this thread but if you are you can find some pics of a shipping screw from a Nikon LS-2000 at my website. I have a temporary page there, it will not be available from the main page (msanderz dot com) but if you type (msanderz dot com/screw); you can see them. There are more pictures than the site will allow me to upload so just type in the address. I will keep them there for while. Hope this will help you. TurboSnail P.S. I was TurboSnail before the movie came out.

Thanks for that fantastic service. An eBay member selling a LS30 had sent me a photo of the screws against a millimetre scale, but the measurements were approximate. Your shots have filled in the gaps - many thanks. I have located some M2.5x20 stainless screws and I will make collars to adjust the length as hopefully they will be neded just the once, but they will be kept just in case.

 

[nikonbootfail]

If anyone is still looking at this thread...

After the runaround of trying to get the drivers etc to work, i thought i had it. It recognized the film in the loader and tried to generate preview. Then it said that the focus failed and to do it manually, additionally saying that the strip did not have the proper number of frames (which it did, 6). After rebooting, using the slide fitting with film holder, etc etc, i did another runaround with drivers. Towards the end i noticed the green light blinking rapidly towards the end, just before some error about removing the adapter and rebooting would come up.

Initially the blinking did not occur without any adapter in, but now it always does it. My inclination based off of this thread is that i have to clean the rails and other mechanisms. However, i would be curious if anyone has any other ideas, and general advice not listed in the tutorial? ive dissembled this scanner once before to clean it (years and years ago) - but that is fairly benign compared to that tutorial.... This was the first time i tried to use the scanner in probably about three or four years.

thanks
dan