FLI 16803 shutter issues

[FrancoRodriguez (Franco)]

Hi folks, was wondering if anyone has an FLI camera that had problems with the leaf shutter mechanism. My proline 16803 isn't opening fully and causing me endless troubles with taking flats. The mechanism seems overly engineered and prone to failure. I think the solenoid power isn't what it used to be and can't overcome the spring tension. However, sometimes the spring doesn't seem to have enough grunt to close the leaf fully either. Seems temperature sensitive.

I saw on cloudy nights a thread that mentioned that they aren't making the mechanisms any more. I'm waiting for a reply to a query from FLI but wanted to reach out and see if anyone had the same issue and a solution that didn't cost the earth (the company 'Vincent' might have some old ones in stock but the asking price was mentioned to be $1300 USD on cloudy nights...if that were the case I might bit the bullet and jump into the 21st centrury with a CMS FF camera). Seems like a terrible waste to chuck out a perfectly good and expensive CCD. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

[iborg (Philip)]

Hi



Could there be some old lubricant that has become sticky?


In a different situation, with a solenoid, cleaning and re-lubricating fixed the issue. In that case, the lubricant had obviously become too sticky.


Philip

[FrancoRodriguez (Franco)]

Thanks for the reply. The shutters are teflon coated so don't need lubricant. The reason is that grease or graphite dust would cause lots of trouble sticking to the glass in front of the sensor. I'm way too chicken to try!

[iborg (Philip)]

I agree, not worth the risk. Could some dust have got in? This may prevent the parts moving smoothly. Unlikely, I suspect, but may be easy enough to check.


Philip

[Leo.G (Leo)]

Springs can be fiddly things with temperature change especially when they are a precision unit, add the tiniest bit of moisture and they can be a real pain.
I hope you find an answer, I know the FLI cameras are not a cheap throw away toy.

[gregbradley]

The FLI shutters are not made by FLI but are a 3rd party item. As I recall the brand name of the shutter is somewhere on their site - perhaps in the description of the Proline cameras.

I also recall they were supposed to be rated to do 1 million activations.

Sounds like dusty blades and need of a clean and lubrication.

It shouldn't be that hard. If you pulled it apart it may be obvious what the cause is.

Greg.

[Peter Ward]

Pretty sure they are Melles Griot shutters.

I recall both FLI and Apogee used them.

That said, simply cleaning them often fixes many problems. Brush down the blades (you might have to manipulate them manually...but be careful! a tiny bend will be fatal) with a soft brush soaked in isopropyl then purge with compressed air. It often works wonders.

[DavidTrap (David)]

We replaced the shutter on the Proline at the school observatory with a similar sounding problem. I read a few threads on CloudyNights about them needing to be replaced more often than you might think. We were able to purchase the shutter and swap it ourselves - didn't need a trip back to New York.

DT

[gregbradley]

There are several working Melles Griot shutters for sale on eBay for about AUD $150.

I searched on google using melles griot shutters for FLI Proline.

Greg