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Topic: Break Downs Happen Every?????

Paul G. Thompson
The Weenie Man

Posts: 4718
From: Mount Vernon WA USA
Registered: Nov 2000

posted 12-31-2000 04:04 PM

Usually, (depending on what type of platter system being used,) the make-up table will get you out of trouble if you have a platter failure. I have had to power up the pay-out platter with the make-up table on several occassions. It may require a little extra baby sitting, but it does work!

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Randy Stankey
Film God

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

posted 12-31-2000 04:27 PM

We had to do the make-up table thing on our theatre's opening night when the variac in one of the Speco platters bit the big one. Then, right after the show was over we vivisected the table and put its variac into the platter.

When the platter itself bought the farm it was because some BUTT HEAD blew the fuse in the base of the tree and decided to replace it with a "rigged" fuse. Of course that'll last indefinately... right up until the next time something goes wrong. Then it's "ZAP!"... bye-bye platter!

If I ever get my hands one th sunuvabitch that did that.....

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Paul G. Thompson
The Weenie Man

Posts: 4718
From: Mount Vernon WA USA
Registered: Nov 2000

posted 12-31-2000 04:35 PM

Randy, I know the feeling......

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Paul G. Thompson
The Weenie Man

Posts: 4718
From: Mount Vernon WA USA
Registered: Nov 2000

posted 12-31-2000 04:44 PM

Paul, pardon my stupidity, but what is a Qubit player? I probably might know what it is, but by another name maybe.

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Scott Norwood
Film God

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

posted 12-31-2000 04:50 PM

The Qubit player is what the DLP-equipped cinemas are currently using as the data-storage device. It appears to be a RAID array with some sort of proprietary data compression device built into it. It's actually a pretty neat device. In the past, D5 videotape and a Pluto RAID array were used as the data sources.

For more info: http://www.quvis.com/

Here's a pic of the equipment rack used for the current DLP setups. The Qubit is the device in the middle of this rack, right below the cooling fans. As you can see, it has a DVD-ROM drive, a touchpad thing, and an LCD.

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Paul G. Thompson
The Weenie Man

Posts: 4718
From: Mount Vernon WA USA
Registered: Nov 2000

posted 12-31-2000 04:58 PM

Thank you, Scott. Geeze, I must be getting old. I am an old vacuum tube dude and black stick carbon arc man. This new fangled digital crap is above my ape intelligence.

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Randy Stankey
Film God

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

posted 12-31-2000 05:24 PM

Yes, Paul. I haven't been in the business nearly as long as you have but, frankly, I tend to be a "closet Luddite".

I like the new digital sound players and such but when it comes to all of the computerized junk that people are putting into projectors, nowadays I cringe. When you are using mechanical stuff you can put your finger on a part and say, "This is broken".

I'm STARTING to get handy with the CP-500 and the DSP-60 but only because I HAVE to. I'd much rather work on a USL JS-1000 or a Dolby CP-65. I can open the front panel of one of those and tell if it's working right just by LOOKING inside. Not so with that DSP-60, and MAYBE when I get up to speed on the CP-500 I'll be able to do that but I doubt it.

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Paul G. Thompson
The Weenie Man

Posts: 4718
From: Mount Vernon WA USA
Registered: Nov 2000

posted 12-31-2000 05:43 PM

Scott, I used RAID on my armpits once - it worked good. One of the vendettes asked me if I was wearing a new cologne or if it was insect repellent. Apparently, she didn't know the difference. Trichloroethane Technical works well, too....but extreme caution must be used so that you don't get it on your private parts....

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John T. Mellor
Film Handler

Posts: 52
From: Htafield, Pennsylvania, USA
Registered: May 2000

posted 01-02-2001 08:11 PM

I've been in this crazybussiness oner thirty years and when I started we were taught the SHOW MUST AND WILL GO ON .One of the ways I found to cope with some of the equipment I had to run was the philosiphy that Everthing will break tonight , and when it dosen't you had a great day.The best way to stop problems is to make sure they don't start . I service 140 screens in the Philadelphia area, an I try to do at least 3 P.M.Calls in each booth every year.and even after that I run into the problem that withall of the expansion we don't have enough qualified personel in the booth and those that are there need a lot of training. I have always looked at movies as being an extention of live theatre , they always have an understudy ready to step in to take someones place we all should prepare in our booths the same way.
Hey , hope everyone has a Great New Year
John

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