Experience with Mac 550

[tomy364]

Does anybody have experience with Martin Mac 550 unit?

I''m interest in reliability, light output comparable to 575w units.

 

Thnx

[johnhuson]

We used to have MAC 550's in hire stock and were one of the earlier adopters.

 

To answer your question in terms of output, it was far superior to the MAC 500's but I wouldn't say it blew all 575 fixtures away.

 

As for reliability I'm a little jaded as due to having some of the early stock we had a fairly substantial amount of problems in the early days and software updates on a very regular basis. After a lot of the initial niggles were resolved they weren't particularly bad fixtures but there were repetitive problems but we got used to fixing them.

 

Personally I wouldn't rush out to buy some if there were other options available to you. We now have MAC 700 Profiles which are substantially similar in design and you can see where they've designed out a lot of the problems of the MAC 550's, can't help thinking of the MAC 550 as a MAC 700 prototype.

[alistermorton]

After a lot of the initial niggles were resolved they weren't particularly bad fixtures but there were repetitive problems but we got used to fixing them.

 

We've got one that sometimes during power up self test and seek it hits the end stop and tries to keep revolving, making a ratchety noise. Every time it gets derigged and sent for repair it, naturally, behaves itself, and won't show the fault.

 

Have you come across this as a reguar fault?

 

 

 

[david.elsbury]

We've got one that sometimes during power up self test and seek it hits the end stop and tries to keep revolving, making a ratchety noise. Every time it gets derigged and sent for repair it, naturally, behaves itself, and won't show the fault.

 

Have you come across this as a reguar fault?

By chance, is it faulting in the rig but not on the bench?

Could it be recreated by rigging it in the same orientation on the bench, and trying it?

 

David

[alistermorton]

By chance, is it faulting in the rig but not on the bench?

Yes, essentially.

 

Could it be recreated by rigging it in the same orientation on the bench, and trying it?

Yes, we've tried that, rehanging it in the same orientation but where it can be worked on. Inconveniently, it won't play ball. I suspect it's something like a very slightly loose connection which corrects itself by the movement involved in derigging, then over time comes back, but quite where the fault might lie is eluding us.

 

 

[stuart.thompson]

After a lot of the initial niggles were resolved they weren't particularly bad fixtures but there were repetitive problems but we got used to fixing them.

 

We've got one that sometimes during power up self test and seek it hits the end stop and tries to keep revolving, making a ratchety noise. Every time it gets derigged and sent for repair it, naturally, behaves itself, and won't show the fault.

 

Have you come across this as a reguar fault?

 

 

 

 

this is a problem with the microswitch on the pan either not closing properly when the lollypop hits it or the wireset from the micro switch to the PCB as got an intermittent problem.

 

I would say if it happens when hung upside down and not on a bench then the miscroswitch needs realigning. this is a simple 5 min job.

[mac.calder]

Yes, we've tried that, rehanging it in the same orientation but where it can be worked on. Inconveniently, it won't play ball. I suspect it's something like a very slightly loose connection which corrects itself by the movement involved in derigging, then over time comes back, but quite where the fault might lie is eluding us.

 

Chances are it is the end stop microswitch. Either it is not being triggered or there is an open circuit somewhere...

 

I don't know if this link will work (It's from the martin service site, but I believe this one is a public document) PCB Connections - I believe it is also in the manual. PL49 & PL52 are the two pan sensors - one is the optical sensor, the other is the limit switch. Can't remember which is which off the top of my head - anyway... If you put an ohm meter across the two pins (whilst the limit switch is still connected, and the head is isolated from the power) and turn the head to the end stop, if resistance drops to 0 (ie the circuit closes) the switch is probably doing it's job. If nothing happens in either end stop position, then listen closely. You should hear a slight click as it hits the end stop - that's the limit switch. If you don't hear it, either the limit switch needs to be repositioned or the end stop needs adjusting - the limit switch being in a hit-and-miss position is the most likely issue so make sure it is a nice firm hit of the switch. If it all seems reliable, test the cable whilst putting some stresses on it (wiggle at the connectors etc).

 

And to the OP - the Mac550 is discontinued. Whilst parts are still readily available at the moment (owing to the number of shared parts with a 700) a number of the model specific parts will soon be in short supply. I liked the 550 in it's day. It was a good "allrounder" sitting at a lower price point to the 700 with slightly less bang for buck and relatively easy to service (a lot easier than Mac500's). It is now OLD - chances are that any you buy will be feeling very tired.

[alistermorton]

Thanks to Mac and Stuart - I'll pass that on. The fixture is indeed rigged upside down, so we'll check that all out.