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Topic: UltraStereo Problems

Scott Norwood
Film God

Posts: 8146
From: Boston, MA. USA (1774.21 miles northeast of Dallas)
Registered: Jun 99

posted 12-28-1999 09:53 PM

Semi-dumb question: what's the "usual" way to hook up a booth monitor? The processor that I'm most familiar with (CP-50) doesn't have monitor outputs. I had thing set up so that the speaker-outs from the amps were connected both to the loudspeakers and to a four-position selector (actually five...L, C, R, S, off) which was then connected to the monitor amp (cheapie 100w McMartin PA amplifier) which played through a 5" Quam PA speaker. It was kind of cheesy, but it worked reasonably well and there was no noticeable click or pop in the auditorium when the projectionist switched the monitor channel.

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Aaron Sisemore
Flaming Ribs beat Reeses Peanut Butter Cups any day!

Posts: 3061
From: Rockwall TX USA
Registered: Sep 1999

posted 12-29-1999 02:24 AM

Scott:

You got the 'el-cheapo' monitor system correctly, but you have WAY too much amplifier for it

Assuming a standard type of commercial booth monitor system is used, the typical method of connection is as follows:

The processor outputs are connected to the processor monitor inputs, in almost all cases, these can be directly paralelled from either the processor output side or the amplifier INPUT side... In many systems I have built I use the monitor as a midpoint connectoion between the processor and the amplifiers...

The power amplifier inputs of the monitor go directly to the 'hot' side of the individual channels speaker output terminals then to the terminals on the monitor unit. Because the power amp side of the monitor deals with a rather high level signal, shielded wiring is rarely needed to connect the power amp side of the monitor...

Aaron

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Randy Stankey
Film God

Posts: 6539
From: Erie, Pennsylvania
Registered: Jun 99

posted 01-05-2000 03:28 PM

Lately, our Ultra*Stereo processors have been blowing power supplies. Two of them went out in the last month. The -15v light goes out and you have to run the processor in 'bypass' with the emergency power supply. (We don't have the 'backup' supply. Just the little 'brick-on-a-string')

Altogether, we've had about 1/2 doz. of these die. What's up with that? Otherwise, I like the Ultra*Stereo unit. (Although I don't have much experience with anything else.)

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Jason Burroughs
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 654
From: Allen, TX
Registered: Jun 99

posted 01-05-2000 05:48 PM

Randy, back when I opened the Cinemark Tinsetown in '96 shortly after opening we started going though powersupplies left and right, come to find out that Ultra*Stereo had changed the design of the power supply, but in the process was using a fuse that was too low of amperage. since these fuses were soldered to the board all we could do was to send the power supply back to U*S for exchange/repair. Last I heard they had fixed the problem by using fuses that could handle the amperage of the circut. I don't remember the model #, but you might want to check with U*S to see if you might still have one of the effected powersupplies.

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Gordon McLeod
Film God

Posts: 9532
From: Toronto Ontario Canada
Registered: Jun 99

posted 01-05-2000 09:55 PM

Lately I have been having 6 track format boards fail with channels dropping out in certaiin formats.
It appears to be the relays (the same ones that seem to fail on the EQ boards

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Steve Guttag
We forgot the crackers Gromit!!!

Posts: 12814
From: Annapolis, MD
Registered: Dec 1999

posted 01-05-2000 11:55 PM

Regarding the US Power supplies...

It's biggest failing is the "standby" push button...it isn't rated to switch the amount of current it is switching. If one of the rails go out, try pushing the switch in and out to see if it comes back. On the units I service, the switch gets removed and jumpers installed.

As Gordon mentioned, the EQ cards have a relay on them that has often killed off just one channel at a time. I have had to change a few.

Steve

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"Old projectionists never die, they just changeover!"

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Scott Ribbens
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 118
From: Los Angeles
Registered: Oct 1999

posted 01-06-2000 02:02 AM

The newer version of the power supplies have a rocker switch instead of the pushbutton switch.

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Scott

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Randy Stankey
Film God

Posts: 6539
From: Erie, Pennsylvania
Registered: Jun 99

posted 01-06-2000 06:55 PM

Steve G.,

Yup, that's what just happened on the last two of them that blew. The one that we got back last time had the 'standby' switch removed and the hole plugged out. The second one is still on order.

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Scott Ribbens
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 118
From: Los Angeles
Registered: Oct 1999

posted 01-10-2000 12:28 PM

Charles, did you ever get this problem fixed? If so, what was the cause of the problems.

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"No matter where you go, there you are."

Scott

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Charles Lubner
Film Handler

Posts: 78
From: Milwaukee, WI USA
Registered: Sep 1999

posted 01-12-2000 12:23 AM

Had a tech come in 2 days ago. I was on vacation at the time. Before I left, I had turned the surround level down completely to avoid "clipping" of the amp. Tech comes in, says "your problem is no level on the surrounds" and turns it back up. Well a day later, it sounds like the surround channel is coming through the main speaker, and vice versa. I have everything hooked up properly now with the correct cable. I have a feeling that one of the EQ cards from either the main or surround channels is bad. We had this problem 5 months after we had the system installed, and that was the solution. Age could be a factor too. We picked this system up from a closed theatre, to replace our mono system.

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