Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Dead Christie Platter Deck

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Posted by Manny Knowles (Member # 1171) on 03-21-2002, 06:53 PM:

This deck is not operating - no rewind, no payout...nothing.

* Swapped out controller card with one that is known to be working. No change.
* Checked resistance across pins 12 & 14 and resistance can be observed changing as the feed plate & rewind arms are moved.
* LED light observed to be on.
* Flashlight shined onto photocell...platter still does not move.
* Swapped out motor with one that is known to be working. No change.

I could not change out the LED intensity card because all others were in use at the time. I intend to try that tomorrow.

What else can I check tomorrow?

------------------
And, hey! Let's be careful out there.

~Manny.

Posted by John Walsh (Member # 168) on 03-21-2002, 06:59 PM:

Which model Christie?

I had a AW3 deck where the operator used to crank up the speed during breakdown. the result: traces on the plug-in module PC boards were acting as fuses and burning open.

On another, the wire harness had been heated up - and fused into one big multiconductor mass.

Posted by Paul G. Thompson (Member # 655) on 03-21-2002, 07:00 PM:

Do you have the button engaged to make up the film to the platter? Just a thought....Can you drive the platter with the MUT?

Posted by Manny Knowles (Member # 1171) on 03-21-2002, 07:08 PM:

It is an AW3.

The MUT button was not pushed in. In fact, I pushed it in and then un-pushed it just to be sure, so I don't think that's the case...but...I certainly WILL try to use the MUT tomorrow. Good idea!

Actually, I got a service request from one of the operators stating that the films are winding too tightly during make-up. I replied suggesting that they use less speed. I've seen them going full-throttle many times and I'm sure I've told each operator about it more than a few times already. Still, I don't know if this was the platter used.

Side topic: Is there any way to limit the max speed on the MUT so that they can never use 100% ?

------------------
And, hey! Let's be careful out there.

~Manny.

Posted by Don Sneed (Member # 955) on 03-21-2002, 07:11 PM:

Manny, I had this problem a few times everything checks out good, but still no run...open the control cover where the PC boards are, where the make-up push buttons are there is a connector, unplug this connector & plug back in....this should make work,....

Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 03-21-2002, 10:03 PM:

Have you checked the actual makeup table switch itself next to the power button on the tree?

On the MUT, newer models have a small hole by the speed control knob. With the MUT unplugged, stick a small flat head screwdriver in there and turn the pot down to reduce the speed. I think you will find though that speed has little to do with overtension. Instead look at the motor in the MUT as having too high of a drag. When you say it is winding too tight, does the film bulge inward when the ring is removed? If not, leave it as is.

Posted by Manny Knowles (Member # 1171) on 03-21-2002, 10:13 PM:

Yes the film is indeed bulging.

In fact, the wind is so tight that the little "squeeze gap" in the ring is pulled closed and it's nearly impossible to get the ring out for the first playout.

------------------
And, hey! Let's be careful out there.

~Manny.

Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 03-21-2002, 10:15 PM:

Egad! Something is definitely a problem. In the meantime until you can check out the motor, have them remove the belt for loading. That isn't a very elegant (nor proper) solution, but film damage is probably happening the way it is now. Just make sure to warn them about going too fast without any sort of back tension.

Posted by Manny Knowles (Member # 1171) on 04-03-2002, 02:47 PM:

I got back to that dead Christie Deck and here are some new findings:

Changed out the LED intensity card with one that is known to be working - no change.

The MUT will not drive that platter. In fact, the MUT won't drive *any* of the decks. This MUT is working when used with other platter systems and it is receiving power from the system in question...it works in breakdown (load spindle) mode, but not in build-up (load platter) mode.

------------------
And, hey! Let's be careful out there.

~Manny.

Posted by Steve Guttag (Member # 268) on 04-03-2002, 09:28 PM:

I'm gonna go with the MU switch bank...you say one deck does nothing and the MUT does nothing on any deck...what is common to both problems? The switch bank. You can rule out the motor by moving it to another deck (temporarily to avoid having t retime) to prove that it works.

Steve

Posted by Manny Knowles (Member # 1171) on 05-30-2002, 11:14 PM:

Update...

The cable on the MUT has a loose connection that is affecting the build-up link. It doesn't seem to affect the tear-down (load spindle) connection.

I was about to build-up a movie on another platter system when the same symptoms appeared.

By disturbing the cable, I was able to cause the whole thing to start up and that kind-of confirmed this for me.

As for the dead platter deck on the other system...Simply a case of coincidence. The speed control card had died. The spare that I tested it with was also dead! In light of my findings with the MUT, I decided to try another one of the spare controller cards yesterday and it's working fine now.

Just one of those weird things, I guess.

------------------
~Manny.

Some people can read "War and Peace" and come away thinking it's a simple adventure story while I, on the other hand, can read the ingredients on a chewing gum wrapper and unlock the secrets of the universe.
Lex Luthor, "Superman: The Movie"

Posted by David Whitbeck (Member # 894) on 05-30-2002, 11:49 PM:

I had that same problem with the tension being too great. I built up a movie and come time to run it through to check on things, we couldn't get the ring out. It was so tight that we could pick up the entire movie by the ring without having to bind it up. Needless to say, I had to tear it down and re-load it without the little bar that fits into the outside holes on the reel. Without this, the reel just spun freely on the MUT spindle so I had to hold the reel while it was loading to give it some tension. Now I just use our Strong MUT to hold the reel and use the Christie one to control the speed...

Posted by Joe Redifer (Member # 3) on 05-31-2002, 02:15 AM:

While trying out different parts in a suspected dead machine is a good method for troubleshooting, a slightly better method is to also take suspected dead parts and put them in a known working machine to see if they work (ie taking the speed control card to a running platter and see if it works no more.) The exception being if you think you have a part that is actually causing some sort of destruction, you don't want to destroy a good machine.

Posted by Eli Blasingame (Member # 1052) on 05-31-2002, 03:54 AM:

One of my Christie platters decks has to been turn off ,it runs at light speed. If you push power to the top ,it flys. I think the devils in my aw3.

Posted by Aaron Sisemore (Member # 145) on 05-31-2002, 12:50 PM:

Eli: Top deck of #3?

Info for everyone else: Platter runs at top speed, none of the brain functions have any effect. Engaging make-up mode is the only way to stop the platter. Motor control card and motor have been swapped out, no change. IIRC, Eli said it went bezerk on him when he was making up a film. My next guess would be the 'Three Hundred Dollar Switch'...

Any takers? I will apply the info next time I am in Fortuna.

-Aaron

Posted by Manny Knowles (Member # 1171) on 05-31-2002, 01:21 PM:

What's the $300 switch?

Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 05-31-2002, 01:58 PM:

Aaron, change the led in the arm.

Manny, he is referring to the makeup selector switch. They are extremely expensive.

Posted by Aaron Sisemore (Member # 145) on 05-31-2002, 07:57 PM:

Manny: the makeup switch (the one with three buttons) lists at around $300, thus the nickname.

Brad: I am gonna be there next Wednesday, I will change out the LED and see what happens.

-Aaron

Posted by Manny Knowles (Member # 1171) on 05-31-2002, 11:17 PM:

I must have gotten mine used (and didn't realize it). Mine priced out at under US$200.