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Author Topic: Strong/Potts platter microswitch Mark Gulbrandsen Resident Trollmaster Posts: 16657 From: Music City Registered: Jun 99 posted 01-19-2004 11:44 PM                     I've always considered the Phase Control on the Potts or Strong a big time downgrade! The drive motors timming drifts around way to much for them to be very stable over the long haul. You will always be tweeking! Converting over to the micros with .5 oz tension is far more reliable and provides very smooth payout. Mark @ CLACO  |  IP: Logged Dustin Mitchell Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1865 From: Mondovi, WI, USA Registered: Mar 2000 posted 01-19-2004 11:58 PM                     Thanks for the advice Mark. At $120 a pop for the phase control boxes its more economical to stick with microswitches too.  |  IP: Logged Mark Gulbrandsen Resident Trollmaster Posts: 16657 From: Music City Registered: Jun 99 posted 01-20-2004 12:00 AM                     Yea, just be sure to replace them every 18 months to two years...even if they are still working. Those Honeywells are only good for so many clicks ya know. As I say the last click is it! Mark  |  IP: Logged Michael Schaffer "Where is the Boardwalk Hotel?" Posts: 4143 From: Boston, MA Registered: Apr 2002 posted 01-20-2004 12:02 AM                        Do all motors generally have the diode in reverse for the phase control version? There seems to be a general consensus here (and how rare is that!) that the o.5 oz tension microswitch solution is the way to go. I have 2 locations with phase control (16 systems) and 2 with the microswitch (14 systems). Given the insubstantial costs for the microswitches, it seems like a good idea to convert them all.  |  IP: Logged Dustin Mitchell Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1865 From: Mondovi, WI, USA Registered: Mar 2000 posted 01-20-2004 12:51 AM                     Are you having problems with your phase controls? If not just leave them in there. The six platters I'm running with phase controls work just fine. Once and a while they will drift (rarely from what I've experienced) but unlike microswitches when something goes wrong its not catastrophic.  |  IP: Logged Michael Schaffer "Where is the Boardwalk Hotel?" Posts: 4143 From: Boston, MA Registered: Apr 2002 posted 01-20-2004 01:14 AM                        Hard to say. A lot of the brainwrap and throwing problems we had were because the platters hadn`t been timed in years, and because of operator carelessness. Timing and training the operators has gotten rid of the vast majority of these situations, but it seems to me that the microswitches - even though none of them has been changed in many years, I am sure - seem to be a little less problematic. I haven`t formed a definitive opinion yet, but I follow this discussion with great interest. Another factor is that we have tons of messed up brains (control plates) lying around in the parts rooms, and if it makes sense to standardize our brain situation along with repairing these, I would lean towards that solution.  |  IP: Logged Chris Hipp Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1462 From: Mesquite, Tx (east of Dallas) Registered: Jul 2003 posted 01-21-2004 07:52 PM                     quote: Thanks for the advice Mark. At $120 a pop for the phase control boxes its more economical to stick with microswitches too. I would have to disagree with that. Let's say that you have twenty brains and you replace all twenty microswitches every two years for ten years. $6 x 2 brains x 5 years= $600 Vs a one time upgrade of $120. I think it depends on how many platters you have and how long you plan to keep them. In the past 3 years that I have been in booth I have never had a payout card go bad. Anyone have an idea of how long they generally last? [ 01-21-2004, 11:35 PM: Message edited by: Chris Hipp ]  |  IP: Logged Jason Black Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1723 From: Myrtle Beach, SC, USA Registered: Nov 2000 posted 05-14-2004 11:23 AM                        Just ordered replacement switches thru Grainger. I paid $4.27@ for 32 pieces. I ordered Omron # Z15GW-B7-K is Grainger # 6X284. These required removing the spring. All seems well with regard to proper tensioning once installed. These are FAR cheaper than the Strong units and are available to order at a local Grainger branch, or online.  |  IP: Logged John T. Hendrickson, Jr Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 889 From: Freehold, NJ, USA Registered: Apr 2001 posted 05-14-2004 05:30 PM                     Jason- Would you happen to have that Grainger website address?  |  IP: Logged Steve Kraus Film God Posts: 4094 From: Chicago, IL, USA Registered: May 2000 posted 05-14-2004 05:50 PM                    http://www.grainger.com/ Use the pulldown menu at top center to indicate you are searching by Grainger Item Number and plug 6X284 into the search field just to the right, then click Go.  |  IP: Logged Mark Gulbrandsen Resident Trollmaster Posts: 16657 From: Music City Registered: Jun 99 posted 05-14-2004 06:48 PM                     Bong sounds...... Well thats the wrong microswitch!! The .98oz Omron switch would be the closest that Grainger sells to the original Microswitch. These are also inferior to the Microswitch version!! The Microswitch version is rated for twice the life span(or number of on-offs) of the Omron!! But if your a chaaepskate go ahead and get the Omrons, the Microstitch is only about 4 bucks give or take more from a wholesaler. FYI: With the .5oz Microswitch version you can barely hear thre switch click when it turns on and you might mistale it for a bad switch. Contact your local Electrical Supplly that handles Microswitch as they will be able to get em for you..... At least in a while as Microswitch is now out of them as well. Here is a link to the correct switch. Just remove the little spring under the bat for .5oz activation tension. http://catalog.sensing.honeywell.com/printfriendly.asp?FAM=basicswitches&PN=BZ-2RW84-A2 Mark @ CLACO  |  IP: Logged Matt Hefright Film Handler Posts: 28 From: none Registered: Jun 2004 posted 06-21-2004 11:48 PM                    so then the grainger switch #6X284 is the incorrect one. can that switch be modified without any problems to the show? where can the correct switch be purchased then? ( not the honeywell )  |  IP: Logged Paul G. Thompson The Weenie Man Posts: 4718 From: Mount Vernon WA USA Registered: Nov 2000 posted 06-22-2004 01:19 AM                     Maybe a conversion to a set of 1964 Dodge Dart modified breaker points would be in order. Those never failed. The only thing that seemed to fail on those old Potts and CFS platters that used them was the ancillary stuff... ...namely that goofy sloppy hunk of plastic that was called a pay-out arm (which had a 1/4-inch allen screw that would practically electrocute the operator if he/she touched it) that would work correctly after it was firmly re-seated with smart blow from the heel of the operator's hand on a regular basis. You older fellows that ran those darned things know exactly what I am talking about. But all in all, just give me a good condition Strong A-3 with micros, and I know I can walk away from those things without fear of them tossing a print or grinding up film.  |  IP: Logged Jack Ondracek Film God Posts: 2348 From: Port Orchard, WA, USA Registered: Oct 2002 posted 06-22-2004 01:27 AM                        quote: Paul G. Thompson Maybe a conversion to a set of 1964 Dodge Dart modified breaker points would be in order. Those never failed. ...works for me!  |  IP: Logged Mike Babb Master Film Handler Posts: 250 From: Norwich UK Registered: Jul 2002 posted 08-16-2004 07:34 PM                        Just shopping around online for these and I was wondering: Ken's post in response to a question: Omron # A20GV-B7-K is Grainger # 6X289 (around $6.50) A-20GV-B7-K (Made in Japan) 20A 120/250/480V 1HP.125VAC 2HP 250VAC 1/2A 125VDC 1/4A 250VDC From reading the posts it seems like this one is the right one. It says 2.5 oz operating force and .50 release. Does the 2.5 rating include the spring and without we're back to .50? Also in Mark's posts, while he seems to prefer the honeywell brand, the grainger switch he recommends at .98 oz is a 3XG54, his .98 and me looking up and getting the grainger number based on that, I don't want to misquote him. And finally, what is a 6X284 and how does it relate to this? The photos on the grainger page all show the same numbers on the switches... Thanks!  |  IP: Logged

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