Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Strange fixes

This is topic Strange fixes in forum Film Handlers' Forum at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

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Posted by Don Sneed (Member # 955) on 10-27-2001, 01:37 AM:

I seen some strange fixes in my time of service to save a show...my only strange fix was installing a 75watt light bulb in place of a resistor on a Ballantyne tube amplifier....I installed a twin in 1980 outside of Austin Texas, 2-years later I happen to be passing though that town, so I stop to see the owner, I heard the most hum I ever heard...when ask how long has that been doing that, the ower replied about a month now, knowing it was the amp filter capacitor, I had a spare cap in the car but not the resistor, (that was burn open), I use to carry a clamp on light & I needed a 75w light bulb for it, the own gave me a bulb, thinking...hummmm maybe I measure the ohms of the bulb & wouldn't you know it, it was the exact ohms I needed, I solder the bulb in place & wolla...the noise stop...this was on a Saturday night, I came back on Tuesday to replace the bulb with the correct resistor, the owner ask me not to, since the bulb would blink when there was dialog going on, he can see from his office that the sound was working, he ask me please do the same on the other machine, so I did but in a more professional mounting of the bulb...Strange & true, the theatre use that until closed a few years later....