Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: CNA 200 Automation question

This is topic CNA 200 Automation question in forum Film Handlers' Forum at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

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Posted by George Roher (Member # 91) on 12-15-2000, 10:01 PM:

Here's a question for those familiar with Strong CNA 200 automation. If a cue is missed (for whatever reason) and at the end of the show it says "ready to resume", is there a simple way to reset the program? When powered down it will come back on at the same cue and still say "ready to resume." (Of course that is a very handy feature when there is a power outage) What I've done in this situation is block up the failsafe, shut off the power to the lamphouse, press "start" and cycle through the remaining cues with the "cue input" button to get it back to the beginning for the next show. Fortunately, problems with missed cues are not very frequent. I'm just wondering if there's a simpler or easier way to get back to the start of the program that I've been missing.

Posted by Francis Casey (Member # 514) on 12-15-2000, 10:17 PM:

There is a simple way to reset it . Just hold the STOP button in and at the same time press the START button . This will reset the automation back to "READY TO RUN" mode .
Francis

Posted by Pat Moore (Member # 380) on 12-15-2000, 10:22 PM:

George;

You can also press the CUE INPUT button to clear the program -- that will step through it and back to an Intermission mode.

You must not use the CUE LEARN feature that simulates cue actions even if the cue detector doesn't catch them. That's another alternative to avoid those types of problems, especially nice with mid-show cues.

Pat

Posted by Sean McKinnon (Member # 612) on 12-15-2000, 10:28 PM:

what you should do is run the film through more than once in "Learn Mode" until it shows all the cues in the events list correctly, if your having a missed cue problem. Go into the cue list and zero out all the cues that are stored for that particular program and run it in learn mode again. If after you have done this it misses the cue than there is a problem with the film. If this unit is missing cues than it is a problem with the cue tape or the origional presets. One of the advantages of the CNA-2000 it stores in memory the cues, time of cues, and type. So if it is missing cues its most likely a problem with the origional Learn Mode run. But if you still have a problem simply leave it in Learn Mode durring that show.

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I love to smoke I smoke seventhousand packs a day and I'm never F*&ing quittin!-- Denis Leary

Posted by Nic Margherio (Member # 273) on 12-16-2000, 02:12 PM:

Pat,

While we have this thread going, I wanted to ask you a question about the CNA-200. If the automation has missed a cue for whatever reason and the film ends without cueing out, the machine displays: "Fault", "Waiting for Cue XX." From this point, if you manually input the cues to the end of the program, everything will reset itself to "intermission" state except one: the slide projector does not come back on. Why is this? (I assume this occurs by design because the same thing happens with the CPA-10.) Is there anyhting I can program to fix this?

Another problem I have is when I try to use the "Hold-Stop-Press-Start" when I do this the automation pulses the house lights to go down. Whats up with that? Am I doing something wrong? Thanks.

Posted by Pat Moore (Member # 380) on 12-16-2000, 03:40 PM:

Hi Nic;

I'll be the first to say I haven't had as much "hands on" in the last couple years as I used to so I'll have to dig a bit. I would think the slide projector should come on after you step through the program, but I bet that's overridden by another program characteristic. Since the system ran out of film and stopped before the show was completed with the show end cue, the command that does NOT turn on the slide projector in the event of a film break probably takes precedence. Just stepping through won't chnage that. I'll check into it and get back to you.

I'll have to check on the reset action as well -- it wouldn't seem like that would happen.

Sorry I don't have the answers that handy -- see what a desk does to you after a few years?

Pat

Posted by George Roher (Member # 91) on 12-16-2000, 03:53 PM:

Thanks guys. I suspected the answer would be something very simple that I was overlooking.

Posted by Steve Guttag (Member # 268) on 12-16-2000, 09:12 PM:

I have had no hands on experience of the CNA-200 but here it goes...

If it is like the CPA-10 or the Ultimation, then the cue "window" can be set to a smaller number. The cue window is the number the automation multiplies the expected cue time to determine the window...that is the larger the number, the larger the window.

AS such the last cue has a long window just based on it's time in the film (this was done since async motors would have the greatest speed differential over the longest period of time (ie ran slow during the day but fast at night as the voltages changed. The biggest affect would be seen on the last cue). Since you are probably using sync motors, this isn't an issue, set the cue window or cue factor to something like .001 (I think factory is .002 or .004)...this hopefully will have the cue window end before tail-out and make your show even nicer too.

Steve

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"Old projectionists never die, they just changeover!"

Posted by Pat Moore (Member # 380) on 12-17-2000, 07:15 AM:

George -- are you using the Cue Learn feature in the system?

Pat

Posted by George Roher (Member # 91) on 12-17-2000, 11:45 PM:

Pat:

The cue learn feature is being used. The theatre isn't having a big problem with missed cues. There was one cue that didn't work and caused the show to end wrong, but that was an isolated incident. There was another incident the same day where the show was run in the wrong program and didn't end properly. But that was my own error. I'm not anticipating any more problems. I just wanted to know how to quickly reset it in case I'm in that situation again. Thanks for the input.