Luminous Landscape Forum

Raw & Post Processing, Printing => Colour Management => Topic started by: Charles Cramer on September 08, 2018, 04:44:00 pm

Title: i1profiler device becoming sticky to the touch
Post by: Charles Cramer on September 08, 2018, 04:44:00 pm
My i1profiler suddenly became sticky a few weeks ago!   I contacted Xrite and they said to wipe it with alcohol.  That didn't help, and may have made it worse.  I tried some plastic remover (to remove residue from price tags that leave a gummy residue).  That didn't help.  I searched the web and found a thread here in 2017 that asked the same question, but didn't provide answers.  I broadened my search for any plastic, and found where someone suggested using baking soda.  Take a tiny bit of water and add baking soda to make a paste.  And then leave it on for 10 minutes or so.  Since touching my Profiler was disgusting,  I tried it.  What a mess!  It was helpful to use an old toothbrush to both scrub it in and then remove it with paper towels.   It actually started dissolving the sticky coating (the painted logos and such were not affected). 

I continued scrubbing and applying paste until I got that coating off, at least from the areas where one holds it.  After drying, my i1 Profiler is now a delight to touch, not sticky at all.  It would appear Xrite adds this coating to make the device easier to hold.  I'm going to write them to suggest they leave this coating off.
Title: Re: i1profiler device becoming sticky to the touch
Post by: Jeff-Grant on September 08, 2018, 05:26:45 pm
I think that I started that thread, or one like it a few years ago. The answer was to use what is called methylated spirits in Australia or denatured alcohol. It took a bit of rubbing with a rag and the liquid but it did work in the end. From memory, that was an i1Pro. I haven’t seen it happen on my i1Pro2 but it may only be a matter of time.
Title: Re: i1profiler device becoming sticky to the touch
Post by: Charles Cramer on September 08, 2018, 10:22:23 pm
Jeff,

Thanks for your reply.  Xrite just said alcohol, and I did use  isopropyl, which didn't work.

The baking soda did work, but what a mess!  The denatured alcohol sounds like it would have been much easier!!     

THANKS,

Charlie
Title: Re: i1profiler device becoming sticky to the touch
Post by: Jeff-Grant on September 08, 2018, 10:31:18 pm
I don’t even want to think about using baking soda! From memory, you end up with a hard plastic once you remove the sticky stuff. It’s certainly not fun to do.
Title: Re: i1profiler device becoming sticky to the touch
Post by: elliot_n on September 09, 2018, 07:14:49 am
I've had the sticky-rubber problem on various bits of photo kit (the barrels of Mamiya 645AF lenses, the knobs of a Nodal Ninja 5, the body of an old Nikon F70). Also a Wahl beard trimmer :) I wish manufacturers wouldn't use these rubberised compounds on their plastic components.

In all cases, I've successfully removed the sticky mess with alcohol. I worked with what I had to hand - Eclipse sensor cleaning fluid, Pec pads, a toothbrush, and Zeiss lens wipes. It's a dirty, time-consuming job. Eventually, you end up with a clean, hard, shiny plastic surface - a different finish from the original grippy rubber, but usable.
Title: Re: i1profiler device becoming sticky to the touch
Post by: Alan Goldhammer on September 09, 2018, 08:21:31 am
I've had the sticky-rubber problem on various bits of photo kit (the barrels of Mamiya 645AF lenses, the knobs of a Nodal Ninja 5, the body of an old Nikon F70). Also a Wahl beard trimmer :) I wish manufacturers wouldn't use these rubberised compounds on their plastic components.

In all cases, I've successfully removed the sticky mess with alcohol. I worked with what I had to hand - Eclipse sensor cleaning fluid, Pec pads, a toothbrush, and Zeiss lens wipes. It's a dirty, time-consuming job. Eventually, you end up with a clean, hard, shiny plastic surface - a different finish from the original grippy rubber, but usable.
I have the same problem with my trimmer and have just lived with it.  I completely agree that manufacturers should more carefully consider the manufacturing materials.
Title: Re: i1profiler device becoming sticky to the touch
Post by: digitaldog on September 10, 2018, 05:59:41 pm
My i1profiler suddenly became sticky a few weeks ago!
Specifically what piece are you talking about?
Title: Re: i1profiler device becoming sticky to the touch
Post by: Charles Cramer on September 11, 2018, 02:41:37 pm
Andrew,

The whole unit, except for the brighter metal parts.  Anything made of black plastic became sticky.  It was really weird, but if you read the thread from 18 months ago, you'll see others report the same problem.  Must have something to do with the age of the unit.
Title: Re: i1profiler device becoming sticky to the touch
Post by: vjbelle on September 12, 2018, 07:25:19 am
Mine is also sticky.  Not even 3 years old...... very disappointing.  The parts affected are black and originally had the feel of rubber.  I'll try the alcohol remedy. 

Victor

Edit:  To be clear this is for my relatively new i1 Display.  The black movable frame which is black is completely sticky.  Isopropyl alcohol only made it worse.  Windex helps some.
Title: Re: i1profiler device becoming sticky to the touch
Post by: aaronchan on September 12, 2018, 11:42:58 am
I just cleaned mine today.
Actually the alcohol melted the rubber which became sticky after years.
And what left is the hard pvc
Anyway, good to know and now i can start to use my old board again

aaron
Title: Re: i1profiler device becoming sticky to the touch
Post by: Ethan Hansen on September 12, 2018, 07:57:21 pm
We have more than a few i1Displays of varying ages. All units older than a couple of years have the sticky surface, including ones that have sat in unused the factory box aside from several hours in equipment evaluations. The degree to which the rubberized covering degrades appears to worsen with age. Older units are disgusting to hold; sticky black glop remains on your fingers after picking up the i1.

I used methanol and Kimwipes combined with elbow grease to clean the i1D's floating my office space. Lab grade methanol is what we use for cleaning instrumentation and calibration tiles - I haven't tried other alcohol flavors with the i1. Once you start scrubbing, make sure you keep cleaning until no rubberized coating remains on the plastic U-mount for the measurement head. If you only go until the stickiness abates, any remaining coating quickly degrades over the next months, becoming worse than when you started. Also, be careful of the ambient measurement filter. Dislodged black goo particles stick to it with a vengeance. Cleaning the diffuser to the point that measurements are no longer affected is a PITA!

Note to X-Rite: Please revisit the coatings used on the i1Display. Yes, the rubberized surface initially feels better in hand than plain ABS ... at first. Give it time, and the i1Display turns into a marketing tool for Datacolor.
Title: Re: i1profiler device becoming sticky to the touch
Post by: Frans Waterlander on September 13, 2018, 01:52:59 am
I discovered that this rubbery coating is also applied to books! You know, some books have this rubbery, satiny feel and are very matte in appearance. Today I got my Adobe Photoshop Elements 2018 Classroom in a Book book and it had the rubbery feel and matte finish. The bookseller had put his own sticker on it. When I removed that sticker it left a sticky glue layer, so I took denatured alcohol and wiped the sticky glue layer off. Surprise, surprise, the area that I wiped became shiny. I then wiped the hole front and back cover with denatured alcohol and now I have a nicely shiny, good looking book.

So, they add another step in the manufacturing process, using what I expect are environmentally unfriendly materials, increasing the cost of the product and giving the book and unnatural look and feel. What a waste of resources and totally unnecessary, except maybe in the eyes of some sick marketing dudes/dudettes. I'll protest this rubber-skin approach every time I encounter this in a bookstore or online. I have some other books with this ridiculous "feature" and wonder what they will look and feel like in a couple of years.

I can understand the idea behind applying this kind of skin on cameras and other equipment to improve the grip, although it looks like it's backfiring after a couple of years. On a book, it's totally non-functional and unnecessary.
Title: Re: i1profiler device becoming sticky to the touch
Post by: PhilipCummins on September 14, 2018, 03:54:12 am
My i1profiler suddenly became sticky a few weeks ago!

It sounds like you have the i1Pro 2 that has the soft-touch rubber coating applied to it. Unfortunately a lot the coatings are are not designed for longevity as the rubber compounds degrade almost inevitably over time - for example my i1Pro 1 scanning board black plastic clip has the same coating and has completely degraded. If it's not -too- bad you can use something like pure Talcum powder to absorb into the coating to keep it less sticky, eventually it seems best to simply remove it altogether as you say with Isopropanol or baking soda. Second writing to manufacturers to stop using it where possible. It may be worth ramming it home by insisting on a replacement part to refurbish your i1Pro 2?
Title: Re: i1profiler device becoming sticky to the touch
Post by: jmlphotography on September 14, 2018, 07:22:12 pm
So glad to see this thread! Now I can stop beating my wife; I was sure it was something she did ;).  Seriously, it's hard to believe that a company as established as Xrite would continue to sell a product with such a defect.
Title: Re: i1profiler device becoming sticky to the touch
Post by: muyisoldier54 on September 14, 2018, 08:17:59 pm
This is because the coating on the ABS surface is oxidized, you need to repaint the surface cover. And we can always do it, just as you can see the attchemnt. The same looking, the same touching feel, even much more better and durable...
(https://static.colortell.com/2018/09/i1Pro2_New_Cover_001.jpeg)
(https://static.colortell.com/2018/09/i1Pro2_New_Cover_002.jpeg)
Title: Re: i1profiler device becoming sticky to the touch
Post by: Fotophil on July 11, 2020, 06:04:21 pm
I used my i!Pro-2 (purchased back in 2012) around the start of the New Year with no problems. I just took the unit out of case and the entire black surface has become very sticky just as described by others. It appears to be some type of rubber coating degradation associated with age because the unit has been in my office with no temperature extremes or other hostile environments. Amazon came to my rescue and delivered a 8 oz bottle of 95% denatured ethyl alcohol (ACS Reagent Grade 95% Denatured Ethyl Alcohol, 8 Ounce) for around $15. I also ordered cleaning pads (Mr. Clean Magic Eraser Extra Durable Cleaning Pads) and copper wool pads (Chore Boy Copper Scouring Pads) for another $18. The cleaning process is a mess and 95% alcohol can absorb into your hands so be sure to wear gloves. After an hour and several beers I was remove the sticky stuff. In order to prevent any liquid water damage to the instrument be sure to use water-free 95% alcohol and not the household grade 70% alcohol.

Be sure to send your thanks to X-rite for the fun cleaning project.
Title: Re: i1profiler device becoming sticky to the touch
Post by: Doug Gray on July 11, 2020, 09:11:25 pm
Same problem here with a 5 y/o I1Pro2.

Cleaned it with 95% Ethanol which is sold as Everclear 190 proof and is reasonably pure. About $20 per 750ml at a liquor store. Not all states sell it. Some are limited to 150 proof. Got my bottles in Arizona.
Title: Re: i1profiler device becoming sticky to the touch
Post by: GWGill on July 11, 2020, 09:35:24 pm
My i1profiler suddenly became sticky a few weeks ago!   I contacted Xrite and they said to wipe it with alcohol.  That didn't help, and may have made it worse. 
Yep - rubberised finishes inevitably end up taking in water vapour, and going sticky.

I took my instruments completely apart (i1Display, i1Pro2), and soaking the coated parts in Methylated Spirits for a while (AKA Denatured alcohol), until the rubber wrinkled up, and wiped it off and then completely cleaned the plastic surfaces.

Of course, taking the instruments apart enough to do this is something of an exercise (removing and replacing the transparent sticker that covers the zebra stripe being the most awkward). You can of course attempt to do this cleaning without complete disassembly, but it becomes tricky to prevent the dissolved gunk going into places it shouldn't.

Overall, an incredibly poor decision by X-Rite to use such finishes. I guess they weren't aware of the problem at the time, even though it was a known issue with this type of finish.

(I wonder if there are alternatives that have better long term behaviour, perhaps based on silicone rubber. Probably needs a slower production process though, making it more expensive.)

Title: Re: i1profiler device becoming sticky to the touch
Post by: geneo on July 12, 2020, 04:05:30 pm
Hmm, looks like maybe I should be proactive on my i1display pro (EODIS3). The coated arm can be easily detached and slid down the cord away from the sensor.

Don't know if the diffuser can be popped out without damage or not. Anyone tried popping it out and putting it back in?
Title: Re: i1profiler device becoming sticky to the touch
Post by: Doug Gray on July 14, 2020, 12:51:58 am
XRite's mentioned that the I1Pro3 doesn't have the sticky rubber problem.

In the meantime my I1Pro2 was starting to get sticky again and about 5 minutes of wiping it with 95% ethanol has removed the sticky. Probably have to do it again in a year since I just remove the surface sticky part and not the whole rubberized coating.
Title: Re: i1profiler device becoming sticky to the touch
Post by: GWGill on July 14, 2020, 03:14:36 am
Probably have to do it again in a year since I just remove the surface sticky part and not the whole rubberized coating.
My i1Pro2 now is a cheap looking plastic gloss black. But it isn't sticky and won't go that way anymore.
Title: Re: i1profiler device becoming sticky to the touch
Post by: geneo on July 14, 2020, 07:15:14 am
My i1Pro2 now is a cheap looking plastic gloss black. But it isn't sticky and won't go that way anymore.

Thanks Doug. That is a relief for me.
Title: Re: i1profiler device becoming sticky to the touch
Post by: FabienP on July 15, 2020, 03:00:13 pm
Thanks Doug. That is a relief for me.

Please note that the i1Pro2 and i1Pro3 mentioned previously are spectrometers and not comparable to your i1display pro colorimeter.

I just checked my 5 years old i1 display pro and the rubber part is not sticky at all. Could it be that the newer colorimeters are not affected by the problem?

On the other hand, I had to throw away an older Wacom Intuos Pro pen which developed the same stickiness issue  :(.

Cheers,
Fabien
Title: Re: i1profiler device becoming sticky to the touch
Post by: geneo on July 15, 2020, 04:04:19 pm
Please note that the i1Pro2 and i1Pro3 mentioned previously are spectrometers and not comparable to your i1display pro colorimeter.


Yes, I know.  I was referring to the i1 Display colorimeter with this issue mentioned above. My I1 display (version 3) colorimeter has the silky rubber coating on the frame.

Cheers
Title: Re: i1profiler device becoming sticky to the touch
Post by: Brookie on August 24, 2020, 10:11:36 am
On the other hand, I had to throw away an older Wacom Intuos Pro pen which developed the same stickiness issue  :(.


I have a relatively new Wacom pen (about 1 year old) that is starting to feel tacky. Crap........
Title: Re: i1profiler device becoming sticky to the touch
Post by: Ethan Hansen on August 25, 2020, 06:27:03 pm
Every one of our i1Display Pros more than a couple years old has the sticky surface thing going. We also have several Portrait Displays C6 HDR2000 units (individually tweaked and calibrated i1Display Pro from the makers of CalMan) that feel ever so slightly tacky along the edge. The i1Display Pro Plus hasn't been out long enough to tell whether it degrades.
Title: Re: i1profiler device becoming sticky to the touch
Post by: alain on November 02, 2020, 11:04:03 am
Thanks

I did clean my i1 display with alcohol 75% and this went rather well.  I do expect a second and final cleaning within a few months.
Title: Re: i1profiler device becoming sticky to the touch
Post by: GWGill on February 01, 2021, 09:30:31 pm
Another thing that goes sticky is the paper holding clip on the ruler of the i1Pro2 :-(
Title: Re: i1profiler device becoming sticky to the touch
Post by: NackJich on May 08, 2021, 05:41:36 am
I'm so glad I found this post. I was assuming storage conditions were causing this issue. My i1 Pro is covered in gunk. It's going to take some time to get that stuff off!
 
Title: Re: i1profiler device becoming sticky to the touch
Post by: deanwork on May 19, 2021, 07:09:29 pm
That’s so strange, I thought it was only me experiencing this.

I pulled my i1Pro 2 spectro out a couple of weeks ago and the top had all this sticky gunk on it on the top. It looked like something had been melted on it. It was bad. Today I cleaned it off with alcohol and it is back to new condition. I thought it was something in my case where it was stored that caused this. I’ve had no damp or hot conditions and it has always been stored and sealed in the x-rite case. I just decided to seal it in a plastic baggie and put that back in the case and check it often. It’s weird as this only happened recently and I’ve had it for like 6 or 7 years.

John


quote author=NackJich link=topic=126695.msg1217095#msg1217095 date=1620466896]
I'm so glad I found this post. I was assuming storage conditions were causing this issue. My i1 Pro is covered in gunk. It's going to take some time to get that stuff off!
[/quote]
Title: Re: i1profiler device becoming sticky to the touch
Post by: PhilipCummins on May 20, 2021, 05:00:11 am
That’s so strange, I thought it was only me experiencing this. I pulled my i1Pro 2 spectro out a couple of weeks ago and the top had all this sticky gunk on it on the top. ... It’s weird as this only happened recently and I’ve had it for like 6 or 7 years.

It's pretty common for those soft-touch rubber surfaces to oxidise and then become sticky like that. I've had success in using talcum powder to mitigate the issue if you gently brush it over and let it absorb in with a finger until it's no longer sticky, otherwise the only other option is to just remove it altogether like you mentioned. (For example, my Logitech MX5500 keyboard has a palm rest that has this issue, so the talcum powder stops it from being sticky and keeps it in fairly OK condition albeit with a whiter finish now).
Title: Re: i1profiler device becoming sticky to the touch
Post by: kirkt on June 11, 2022, 10:12:31 am
I know that this is an old thread, but I came across it because of the rubberized coating on my i1 Pro 2 breaking down and becoming sticky.  It had been stored in the original case with the molded insert for a year or so.

I used 70% regular old drug store alcohol and a Magic Eraser sponge and got rid of the mess in about 5 minutes of firm scrubbing.  Apply the alcohol to the sponge, not the instrument, so you have some measure of control over where the fluid goes. 

Thanks for this thread.

Kirk
Title: Re: i1profiler device becoming sticky to the touch
Post by: Chris Kern on June 11, 2022, 06:35:11 pm
I used 70% regular old drug store alcohol and a Magic Eraser sponge and got rid of the mess in about 5 minutes of firm scrubbing.  Apply the alcohol to the sponge, not the instrument, so you have some measure of control over where the fluid goes.

SC Johnson Windex Wipes have worked reasonably well for me to resuscitate deteriorating rubber.  I've found these chemical-impregnated fabric sheets, intended for cleaning glass, to less messy than working with liquids.  I don't know whether the product is available elsewhere, but it's easy to find in the United States and, if memory serves, I believe I've also run across it in retail stores in Canada and México.  It's advisable to use disposable gloves when cleaning devices with sticky rubber, because the crud that comes off is difficult to wash off your hands.

However, I don't think there is any permanent fix for sticky-rubber syndrome.  Once the rubber starts to deteriorate, you need to keep removing some of it repeatedly as long as any of the material remains on the surface of the device.
Title: Re: i1profiler device becoming sticky to the touch
Post by: PhilipCummins on June 19, 2022, 02:55:25 am
However, I don't think there is any permanent fix for sticky-rubber syndrome.  Once the rubber starts to deteriorate, you need to keep removing some of it repeatedly as long as any of the material remains on the surface of the device.

Yes there is no permanent fix as the rubber itself is denaturing and separating out. I used Talcum/Baby powder on my MX5500 palm rest over a year ago; still all good and can be reapplied if any areas get sticker than usual however I don't use the keyboard that often. This is only if you wanted to keep the original texturing of the rubber intact and the surface hasn't degraded to the point of being ugly/unusable; in that case you'd just remove it entirely. Note you wouldn't use Talcum powder on certain things if the powder could impact it (ie camera lenses, etc).
Title: Re: i1profiler device becoming sticky to the touch
Post by: TechTalk on June 19, 2022, 07:02:25 pm
I suspect that you could also use corn starch for this purpose as well. I had a set of hand exerciser balls (https://www.performancehealth.com/theraband-hand-exerciser#sin=66226) for physical therapy. They were made of a tacky rubber compound and came covered in a powder that gradually wore off. The instructions were to recoat them with corn starch (or baby powder) which worked well for that material.
Title: Re: i1profiler device becoming sticky to the touch
Post by: Lust4Life on August 05, 2022, 06:21:07 pm
OK folks!
Are we all spineless consumers of a device that cost thousand of dollars that clearly has a manufacturing defect?

I have the full iPro kit, as I expect most here do as well.  Cost several thousands of dollars.
If I want to continue to professionally calibrate my camera, monitor and printer I can just buy the i1Pro 3 for nearly $4,000.00!!

When new, as well as now works great IF you will wear nitrile gloves or spend hours of our time away from photography
trying to fix what X-Rite should do in a no charge product recall of our defective units!


I'm disgusted as I have written to X-Rite and get nil for solution other than "Buy the new model".

I went on eBay there there are several units with the same problem, some even with what looks like a "mold" growth coming off the covering selling for $100!  Not a good return on our investment.

How about we all start advising the photography world to avoid X-Rite products?
Or we do a post here asking for all X-Rite users to collective petition X-Rite to do the right thing.
I expect they sold thousands of those units and there ought to be many disgusted with the way X-Rite has ignored the problem they created and are just sticking their head in the sand hoping we will just go away.

I would feel differently if this was a $50 investment, but a recall is the only respectable response from X-Rite that we all should insist on!
Title: Re: i1profiler device becoming sticky to the touch
Post by: digitaldog on August 05, 2022, 06:25:08 pm
OK folks!
Are we all spineless consumers of a device that cost thousand of dollars that clearly has a manufacturing defect?
Your 'sticky' device no longer measures?
Quote
How about we all start advising the photography world to avoid X-Rite products?
Not interested. Mine are not sticky and operate fine.
Title: Re: i1profiler device becoming sticky to the touch
Post by: Doug Gray on August 05, 2022, 06:56:37 pm
It's annoying but I had the I1Pro 2 for over 5 years before it started to get sticky so I cleaned it with alcohol.. It's now well over 10 years old. I recently bought an I1Pro 3 and checked it against the now quite old I1Pro2. Matched within an average of .5 dE00. I consider that incredibly good.

Products should be assumed to have infinite life or even average life large multiples of the warantee. I'm pretty pleased with the XRite products which includes an i1isis. All surprisingly consistent over time.
Title: Re: i1profiler device becoming sticky to the touch
Post by: PhilipCummins on August 07, 2022, 12:32:39 am
I have the full iPro kit, as I expect most here do as well.  Cost several thousands of dollars.
If I want to continue to professionally calibrate my camera, monitor and printer I can just buy the i1Pro 3 for nearly $4,000.00!!

You'd buy the i1 Basic Pro 3 or the i1 Basic Pro 3 Plus and transfer your license for i1Profiler.

Given the i1Pro 2 hardware could be up to 10 years old and this thread has quite a few suggestions of how to remove the coating (or maintain it) the choice is really up to you?

Personally the i1Pro 3 hardware is a better choice nowadays as they moved off the Tungsten bulb for illumination to a full-spectrum LED which means there is less risk of the bulb failing (which stops you from calibrating via the White tile, making the i1Pro 2 inoperable).
Title: Re: i1profiler device becoming sticky to the touch
Post by: Lust4Life on August 07, 2022, 07:09:23 am
Thanks Philip, Good information on the 3 that I had not looked into.

Friday night I watched a 2 hour movie and took a cotton cloth with alcohol and tried what others had done.  By the end of the movie I have stripped off most of the sticky coating.

Ran a monitor calibration yesterday and will redo today to compare the results.
All seems to still be working fine.

I'll call X-Rite again on Monday and see what I can work out with them on just updating the unit only to the 3.

Title: Re: i1profiler device becoming sticky to the touch
Post by: PhilipCummins on August 07, 2022, 10:14:39 pm
Thanks Philip, Good information on the 3 that I had not looked into. ... I'll call X-Rite again on Monday and see what I can work out with them on just updating the unit only to the 3.

Worth giving them a call as their docs are outdated ATM so you can discuss with them directly. The i1Profiler software is able to transfer your i1Photo or i1Publish license online automatically between the i1Pro 2 and 3, so it would downgrade the i1Pro 2 to the equivalent of the Basic license and upgrade the i1Pro 3 to whatever license you had on the i1Pro 2. If you buy any new X-Rite branded i1 Basic Pro 3 (or Pro 3 Plus) this should work fine (though best to just buy from an authorised dealer, of course). You can still of course use your i1Pro 2 for display calibration/profiling or with 3rd party software such as ArgyllCMS if you wanted.

Best to check whether you want the i1 Basic Pro 3 or Pro 3 Plus, the Plus has the Polarised light option, longer scan length (for textiles/non-flat surfaces) and transparency support however it has a larger minimum patch size (16 mm vs 7 mm on the i1Pro 3) so not as efficient if you're just doing prints. Overall the hardware is faster vs the i1Pro 2, handles 0.2-5000 cd/m2, no soft touch rubber to degrade, a more reliable full-spectrum LED light source and handles M0/M1/M2 (UV-inc, D50 and UV-cut) in a single pass as light source options. Keith Cooper did a good write up/review here (https://www.northlight-images.co.uk/x-rite-i1photo-pro-3-review/) which describes it more in-depth. For myself the Full Spectrum LED was a good upgrade, there was always a risk of the Tungsten bulb blowing out over time depending on how much you used it. Once the bulb has failed you pretty much have to replace the i1 Pro 1/2 or pay X-Rite to repair it for you since it will fail to be able to calibrate off the White tile (since it needs the bulb to work), so the LED light source is much more reliable IMHO.
Title: Re: i1profiler device becoming sticky to the touch
Post by: Lust4Life on August 08, 2022, 07:41:49 am
Philip, thank you for the info - impacts my direction in a very helpful way!

Jack
Title: Re: i1profiler device becoming sticky to the touch
Post by: GWGill on August 08, 2022, 08:44:11 pm
For myself the Full Spectrum LED was a good upgrade, there was always a risk of the Tungsten bulb blowing out over time depending on how much you used it.
A more subtle advantage is that the LED doesn't suffer from the tungsten accumulation problem that sometimes occurs with the QH incandescent source.

[ Technically the LED is a more difficult source - it's spectrum is quite bumpy, and this is exacerbated by the bumpiness of the diffraction grating response. The LED output shifts in wavelength and amplitude with temperature, and this needs compensating for. The white LED component suffers from phosphor aging effects, although this is likely to be minor given the short time an instrument has them on, and the white tile calibration compensates for it. ]
Title: Re: i1profiler device becoming sticky to the touch
Post by: PhilipCummins on August 10, 2022, 05:51:51 am
A more subtle advantage is that the LED doesn't suffer from the tungsten accumulation problem that sometimes occurs with the QH incandescent source.

[ Technically the LED is a more difficult source - it's spectrum is quite bumpy, and this is exacerbated by the bumpiness of the diffraction grating response. The LED output shifts in wavelength and amplitude with temperature, and this needs compensating for. The white LED component suffers from phosphor aging effects, although this is likely to be minor given the short time an instrument has them on, and the white tile calibration compensates for it. ]

Good point - hopefully X-Rite's figured it all out by now, they did claim they had enhanced temperature drift compensation (it reads more like "we added a heatsink") but not sure if that extended to the LED light source however?
Title: Re: i1profiler device becoming sticky to the touch
Post by: GWGill on August 10, 2022, 08:29:59 pm
Good point - hopefully X-Rite's figured it all out by now, they did claim they had enhanced temperature drift compensation (it reads more like "we added a heatsink") but not sure if that extended to the LED light source however?
Yes it's a complex LED temperature compensation scheme. As best I understand it, there's polynomial models driven by real time measured LED parameters such as voltage drop, temperature and a broad spectral sensor.

[I'm not actually 100% convinced that it's massively better than the ColorMunki's simpler scheme of measuring the light change over temperature, but  then I'm not privy to the experimental data that X-Rite may have used to decide on the scheme. I've used a more straightforward table + curve fit driven voltage/current monitor scheme for a LED spectral output profiling project of my own that appears to work at least as well. ]
Title: Re: i1profiler device becoming sticky to the touch
Post by: PhilipCummins on August 13, 2022, 01:38:50 am
Yes it's a complex LED temperature compensation scheme. As best I understand it, there's polynomial models driven by real time measured LED parameters such as voltage drop, temperature and a broad spectral sensor.

[I'm not actually 100% convinced that it's massively better than the ColorMunki's simpler scheme of measuring the light change over temperature, but  then I'm not privy to the experimental data that X-Rite may have used to decide on the scheme. I've used a more straightforward table + curve fit driven voltage/current monitor scheme for a LED spectral output profiling project of my own that appears to work at least as well. ]

Good to know they're compensating for the sensor and LED; makes buying the i1Pro 3 a good choice overall vs the older i1Pro 1/2.
Title: Re: i1profiler device becoming sticky to the touch
Post by: randyr5 on January 31, 2023, 12:25:47 pm
I used 91% alcohol on my i1Pro. It took several passes and some elbow grease, but i got the top and sides (including the button) down to bare plastic. I left the bottom alone as it wasn't sticky - just a quick wipe with the alcohol to clean it up.