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Author Topic: Tips for Booth Operations Monte L Fullmer Film God Posts: 8367 From: Nampa, Idaho, USA Registered: Nov 2004 posted 05-25-2007 04:11 PM                     maybe not morals, but definitely increase and improve PRIDE in the booth operations ...  |  IP: Logged Michael Moore Expert Film Handler Posts: 188 From: Dover, DE / USA Registered: Jun 2006 posted 05-25-2007 05:22 PM                        not moral but morale forgot the e. sorry, however some people need to look at their morals in some respects, some people I work with, but who am I to judge? [ 05-25-2007, 09:39 PM: Message edited by: Michael Moore ]  |  IP: Logged Monte L Fullmer Film God Posts: 8367 From: Nampa, Idaho, USA Registered: Nov 2004 posted 05-25-2007 06:30 PM                     yea, just stay under the mushroom and do a 'Schultz' - "I know nothing..nothing...."  |  IP: Logged Sean McKinnon Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1712 From: Peabody Massachusetts Registered: Sep 2000 posted 05-25-2007 11:36 PM                        This reminded me of when I first learned how to tread a projector. A Century SA. I worked for a manager who didnt give a flip about anything and let me "teach myself" After copying the other running machines and starting the show I was so happy with myself until I realized that there were switches on the alpha platter :)I happened to choose a rewind deck that happened to already be set to rewind, payout on the other hand... At first I was so confused why I would make sure the leader was framed in the gate but would always start out of frame, My manager told me it didnt matter just to rack the framing knob but even at 15 I was a perfectionist! Finnally when the VP of the chain came for a visit I asked him why I couldnt make the shows start in frame... After he finished freaking out that the manager was allowing a 15 year old in the booth, and after I begged to be allowed to continue working in the booth he showed me how to set the intermittent to the "dwell" position. It makes me laugh until this day, If I had understood how the projector actually worked I could have figured it out but at that point I didnt know much, I did know after my first day working in the theatre that I wanted to be a projectionist and bring entertainment to hundreds of people a night. Now as a tech I feel it is my mission to make sure that people get the best showing possible and that the operators have equipment to work with that is in pristine condition! As for platters I swear by the R. P. M. gauge that Christie sells. I know a lot of people who feel that they can time these by eye but whenever I use that tool my platters run so smooth its almost elegant! The only problem with it is you have to remember to multiply the reading on the gauge by 2. 20 on the gauge is 40 R.P.M. Also, it is important that you get a bump in speed from 70-100% as LED assemblies wear sometimes you wont get this and cause the film to drag around the feed plate, I always check that you get that increase and change LED assemblies if I don't. I see that often overlooked!  |  IP: Logged Brad Miller Administrator Posts: 17775 From: Plano, TX (36.2 miles NW of Rockwall) Registered: May 99 posted 05-26-2007 12:57 AM                     The film drags around the brain during operation if the spring that pulls the payout arm to 0% is too tight, not incorrect timing.  |  IP: Logged Sean McKinnon Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1712 From: Peabody Massachusetts Registered: Sep 2000 posted 05-30-2007 11:16 PM                        most commonly it is the spring you mentioned brad but if you dont have a change inspeed from 70-100 degrees it will also cause this. I have seen a lot of platters with properly adjusted springs just timed and still have slight film wrap due to a constant speed from 70 degrees to 100. The AW3R's variable density disk is not designed to have the same speed variation from 0 degrees to 70 as it is from 70 degrees to 100. Sometimes a disk thats slipped on the shaft or a work LED assembly will cause this as well as the spring you mentioned.  |  IP: Logged Brad Miller Administrator Posts: 17775 From: Plano, TX (36.2 miles NW of Rockwall) Registered: May 99 posted 05-31-2007 01:32 AM                     That makes no sense. So what you are saying is that if at 70% the speed is "whatever" and all the way up to 100% the speed is the same "whatever"...that somehow the arm needs to move to 71% or beyond to prevent a slight wrap? Ummmm, I don't think so.  |  IP: Logged Sean McKinnon Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1712 From: Peabody Massachusetts Registered: Sep 2000 posted 05-31-2007 09:19 PM                        The variable density disk is designed so that the increase in speed from 0-70 degrees is smooth and even. From 70-100 degrees the pattern is designed to allow more light through to cause a slight increase in speed to prevent film wrap on start up. I have seen worn photocells that would not register the difference in the light output caused by the change in the pattern on the variable density disk. therefore causing the platter deck to rotate no faster at 100 degrees than at 70. If you time the system to the manufacturers specification with a known good L.E.D./Photocell Assembly and a properly seated variable density disk and measure the speed with a tachometer you will find a more rapid increase in speed from 70 degrees to 100 degrees than from 0 degrees to 70 degrees. I am in no way trying to say that you are wrong in anyway about the spring adjustment Brad. I am sure that is the more common case. This is just one thing I have found from time to time in my experience, your experience may differ. I am in no way trying to disagree, argue, or disrespect you in any way, I am just stating my experience that I have had in the field.  |  IP: Logged Brad Miller Administrator Posts: 17775 From: Plano, TX (36.2 miles NW of Rockwall) Registered: May 99 posted 05-31-2007 11:16 PM                     That has nothing to do with what you said above. If there is enough speed at 70% to keep up with the required payout speed, whether there is more speed available at 71% or more makes no freakin difference in the world because the arm will be sitting at 70%.  |  IP: Logged Sean McKinnon Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1712 From: Peabody Massachusetts Registered: Sep 2000 posted 05-31-2007 11:35 PM                        Right! Once the show starts and the payout settles the arm should just stay in that position. All I was trying to say that in my opinion during those few seconds of start-up before things settle down it's just another feature to ensure smooth and scratchless film handling. I am sorry if I wasnt clear at the beginning. And also, as I didnt say it properly before but the spring adjustment is much more crucial and important!  |  IP: Logged Mark Gulbrandsen Resident Trollmaster Posts: 16657 From: Music City Registered: Jun 99 posted 06-01-2007 07:52 PM                     Also on older AW-3's I find that alot of the time the ball bearing that the shaft goes through is shot and full of crud and requires replacement. This can cause the arm to hang up even though you may have the spring correctly set. You can't use just any bearing here it has to come from Christie. It can't have any type of wet lube in it at all or the lube itself will cause it to hang up!! I've had so many friggin CDS cells go bad lately that I'm tempted to look for an alternative to use. That CDS cell is from the dinosaur age . Mark  |  IP: Logged Sean McKinnon Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1712 From: Peabody Massachusetts Registered: Sep 2000 posted 06-01-2007 11:42 PM                        Mark remember the infrared version of the aw3? those were awesome!  |  IP: Logged Louis Bornwasser Film God Posts: 4441 From: prospect ky usa Registered: Mar 2005 posted 06-02-2007 05:59 AM                        Mark; agreed. Have they not heard of solar cells? (Photo transistors would live forever, but they need a third wire,) Cds cells are a little hard to come by anymore especially wih Rohs certification. Also, why not slow the time constant response on feed out only while you are working on the AW3. Louis  |  IP: Logged Steve Guttag We forgot the crackers Gromit!!! Posts: 12814 From: Annapolis, MD Registered: Dec 1999 posted 06-02-2007 06:51 AM                     Actually Mark, you can source the R4 bearing from other than Christie...it is a "light duty" bearing. I recently came across an odd one in that I guess somehwere in its life on a removable centerfeed system where the two wedge shaped blocks didn't mate up so well in the hub assembly...this bent the shaft in the hub assembly and proceeded to naw out the nylon bearing down by the variable density disc...as this progressed the shaft lost lateral support down by the disc and now will bind up as the shaft is no longer straight and the nylon bearing is enlarged. I too have been finding the LED/CDS assemblies to be having problems (not making the needed range).  |  IP: Logged Mark Gulbrandsen Resident Trollmaster Posts: 16657 From: Music City Registered: Jun 99 posted 06-02-2007 06:58 AM                     We stock the standard R-4's but the bearing that Christie sells for this purpose in the AW-3 has no "wet lube" in it at all and its also a high precision bearing. I would guess ABEC 5. They are around 30.00 each from Christie... A standard R-4 bearing puts too much drag on the pay out fingers with Estar film, a standard bearing is fine for acetate film though. I dono whats up with the CDS cells.... You're right on the range and I'm not sure if its the LED being too bright or the cell just being defective or the wrong one. We sent a bunch of new assemblies back to Christie recently that were defective. I also have had many lately that are intermittent. We stock just the CDS cells and generally rebuild them and do an R/A on bad assemblies. Have had no problems with just the ceclls and we use our own green LED not the one they supply. We also stock the whole assy. as new from the factory. Rebuilding them either in the field or shop takes just 10 min. and Ive had better luck with the rebuilds. The cells are cheap. It definately is time that Christie start thinking about updating this drive system a bit. Mark  |  IP: Logged

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