Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Checking DTS led procedure

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Posted by Antonio Marcheselli (Member # 373) on 08-02-2002, 04:20 PM:

Hi everyone.

Today I decided to check all our DTS readers, using the instrucion found on DTS' techcenter (and also received by Karen).

I found the procedure very fast, simple, and useful.
One of our reader (1997) that was staring to have problems (just repeating timecode blinks on some movies but with no drop) had the LED at 2.80V (instead of 4V). Other two recently repaired had the LED at 3.3V (Karen, not the one I was talking about!).

I've adjusted all them, I noted that there are a lot of room to adjust them more in the future.

I believe that it is a procedure that everyone should perform at least once a year.

Great DTS, I believe that publishing the procedure was a good step.

Just an idea. Why don't have them calibrating automatically? A simple procedure like:

- Remove print from the reader
- clik the "calibrate" button
- Perform once a year

Bye

Antonio

Posted by Michael Schaffer (Member # 1204) on 08-02-2002, 10:22 PM:

Hi Antonio,
that`s a really good idea, but would it be really be necessary to have an autocalibration function when the checks you performed aren`t so difficult either? My point is, most operators wouldn`t use the function anyway even if there was a huge red button on the unit where it would say "push here once a year". For those few who care to maintain their equipment the standard procedures aren`t too high a hurdle I think.
By the way, for those of you who have the 3000-generation SDDS-readers: There is an autocalibration function for those units. Simply hook up a laptop computer to the reader and, using Windows` Hyperterminal feature, send a simple text command "a" (yes, for "adjust"), and it will autocalibrate.
Michael

Posted by Antonio Marcheselli (Member # 373) on 08-03-2002, 03:15 AM:

Michael,

You're right!

But, perhaps, there are few operators that aren't so familiar with a tester and would like to have the best from the reader!

Karen, the autocalibration function of the reader should be completely automatic, it must determine by itself if the print is not through the reader, cleans the lenses automatically and perform the calibration...

Bye

Posted by Karen Hultgren (Member # 395) on 08-05-2002, 01:30 PM:

Antonio,

The auto-calibrate is a good idea but not something that can be easily implemented without increasing the cost of the reader. The reader only needs to be checked and recalibrated after the first three months of service and then checked once a year. If the reader needed to be recalibrated often, adding in a auto-calibration circuit might make sense but right now, the cost would not equal the benefit.

Karen at DTS
khultgren@dtsonline.com