When the 177 Tamper Fail error message appears on an NEC NC-900c/1100 projector, it generally indicates that one of the door tamper switches has been tripped. When the error appears on the side LCD panel or in the Digital Cinema Communicator, it will have a parameter after it, such as 177 Tamper Fail Error (0). The number in the parenthesis indicates which of the tamper switches has been tripped. On the NC-900c/1100, there are three tamper switches; the lens door, the side panel, and the top cover. The parameters correspond as follows:
0 This is the front lens cover panel.
1 This is the side panel - This is the side where the controls and boards are located.
2 Top Cover
Notes:
- These switches are extremely fragile and break very easily any lateral movement of the switch lever will cause it to fail.
- After the switch has been repositioned in the safe position, the tamper clear procedure must be done.
Front Lens Cover Panel (0)
The switch is located near the lock on this door.
Side Panel (1)
The switch is located between the control panel and air filter (not visible in this photo)
Top Cover (2)
The top cover switch is located behind the middle screw on the side of the projector opposite of the lens on the NC900c. The three screws in this location are captive screws and the center one activates the switch.
There is a common problem associated with this switch. If the projector has a GDC server with a GDC PSD (portable storage device) mounted on the top of the projector, The GDC mount uses the back three screws to secure it to the projector. The stated procedure is to remove the captive screws from the cover and reinsert them passing through the mounting bracket. If this is done, the center screw is too short to fully activate the tamper switch. It will work intermittently and may trip mid-show. The workaround is to only remove the end two screws to mount the bracket leaving the center screw in its original position.