Do Spectrometers Have A Limited Life?

[player]

Will an X-Rite i1 from 2008 that has been sitting in it's case and was never used much ever still be accurate? I understand some of the cheaper kinds
use films that deteriorate, but the spectrometers do not use films.

Thanks

 

[SightLine]

It "should" be fine as long as it has been stored in the case and has had little use. What tends to go bad on them is the lamp but that comes from use. Need to install the diagnostics software for it and run it through its diagnostics. That will tell you all about it including how much it has really been used. To send it to Gretaig to have a new lamp installed is about $150 if I remember right.

 

[player]

I notice on X-Rite's site they say the i1 is replaced with the i1 Pro; then the i1 Pro with the i1 Pro 2 etc. Will the earlier models still be good enough?

 

[P Wagner]

The i1 (sometimes called EyeOne) product family has included a wide variety of instruments and software that has been packaged in various ways over the past dozen years or so.

i1 Display is for emissive measurements only (displays and projectors)
i1 Pro is capable of emissive and reflective measurements (depends on the dongle embedded in the i1 device itself)
i1 Pro 2 is the same as the i1 Pro (emissive and reflective).

Any i1 Pro unit can be sent in to XRite for re-calibration, in fact they recommend this on an annual basis to ensure accurate readings.

 

[player]

If the unit is functioning will it be better to have an older unit without calibration than printing without ever calibrating?