Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: DTS won't kick in

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Posted by Greg Mueller (Member # 17) on 12-21-2003, 06:28 PM:

Configuration...
Two drawer caddy style drives original configuration. Single projector. Rebuilt reader from DTS.

While playing film with DTS track unit will not switch CP65 to digital and when manually switched will not play in DTS. This film has played these disks/film in the past with no problems.

Hooking up a keyboard and monitor I can select and play individual "reel files" and when selected (from keyboard) will switch the CP65 into digital and play the selected file without the film running. However if I try to do this with the film running it will play for a second then stop and switch back to SR. It works the same on both drives. It appears as though there is a problem with the DTS unit sensing the film and turning itself on and sending a signal to the CP65.
I have steady signal (green led) from the reader and the readers red led is on. The system looks like it always has when waiting to play. System light flashes and shows signal from reader (led).

I recently added a third drive and all drives worked with test disk and when I used the keyboard to select files. I have since removed the third drive and returned the system to its original 2 drive configuration with original cables and drives etc.

WTF

Posted by Michael Schaffer (Member # 1204) on 12-21-2003, 08:10 PM:

Maybe you forgot to set the jumpers correctly and terminate SCSI on the second drive after removing the third drive.
Apart from that possibility, it sounds like your system is in good shape. Even if there was a problem with the automation connection, it shouldn`t affect the unit`s willingness to play in digital. It doesn`t wait for any kind of feedback from the CP. It simply sends a pulse when it starts to play digital, and another one when it drops out.

Posted by Greg Mueller (Member # 17) on 12-21-2003, 09:10 PM:

When I added the 3rd drive I moved the Termination Resistors to the 3rd drive from the second. I moved them back when I pulled the 3rd drive. So it is now as it was originally.
[Frown]

I'm tryng to find the info on the led voltage setting on the reader, but I guess it's not in the Film Tech downloads yet

Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 12-21-2003, 09:19 PM:

It's here. Does the unit work with the setup discs? How about a reel of another film? Remember those dts6 units were finicky about needing to see a reboot after loading discs or they would frequently not play.

Posted by Michael Schaffer (Member # 1204) on 12-21-2003, 10:32 PM:

If the jumpers are all in the right places, then your problem leaves me somewhat mystified, especially since the same drives and discs worked before. I don`t think you have a TC problem - then the green light would flicker.
I have only experienced this same problem in "borderline" situations where an old and sometimes erratic drive would read a disc, the unit would switch to digital, then revert after one second. Usually when there were additional problems like a dirty disc.

Posted by Greg Mueller (Member # 17) on 12-21-2003, 10:38 PM:

Yes it did work fine with the setup disc in all three drives. And still does in the original two drives. It's very bizarre

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 12-21-2003, 10:45 PM:

Do both the red scanning LED and the green LED light up...obviously the green one while film is running...... If the red LED is out there is a small fuse locateed on the TC board in the DC line for it that will sometimes blow if the TC reader is plugged in or unplugged with the unit turned on. Also,the LED adjustment that Brad brought up is a gradual thing that occurs over a very long period of time in a home system...much shorter time in a cinema application with 12 hours of operation a day.

It is a good idea to have a look inside your TC reader and see if you ahve an adjustable one or an older one that is not adjustable. If its the older one then you will eventually need to get a repair/exchange unit from DTS that allows this adjustment to be made. I've seen three types of TC readers. One with no adjustment, one with theadjustment pot but no test points, and the current version with pot and test points.

The second probable and very common thing that might be wrong is power supply failure. Ive replaced countless DTS 6 and 6D power supplies. If its bad just buy a junker AT style computer at the nearest resale shop for 10 bucks and live happily ever after. I reccomend replacing the fan in the used supply before re-installing it.

Posted by Greg Mueller (Member # 17) on 12-21-2003, 11:49 PM:

My house is haunted. I mean it.
I took the back cover off the reader and turned on the system to take voltage measurements. I turned on the system to take the measurements and thought I'd run the projector as I was cleaning the film at the same time. Whacko, a ghost or something made it start working. I didn't do a thing. I took the measurements and they were down below 1 volt, so I cranked it up as far as it would go at just over 3 volts. I got this reader just a year or two ago from DTS as a refurbished unit. I put the reader back together and cycled the whole process a couple of times. It worked. I got daring and reinstalled drive 3, it still worked. I buttoned everything back up and it still worked.
I'm glad it's working, but I'd rather know why it didn't work.
It had to be a gremlin
[Eek!]

Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 12-21-2003, 11:58 PM:

Stranger things have happened. If it turns up again, then I would be concerned and look farther into things. Until then just remember that [bs]

happens.

How many hours do you think you have on that refurbished reader? 20? 50? 100? 500? Even though you are in a screening room situation where I'm betting you are lucky to put 2 hours a week on the reader, you're pretty much screwed with getting any kind of warranty on it being honored.

Posted by Greg Mueller (Member # 17) on 12-22-2003, 12:27 AM:

I'm guessing I have 75-100 hours on it. I think I'll see if I can find a new power supply for the unit.

Posted by Gordon McLeod (Member # 33) on 12-22-2003, 12:37 AM:

Is the ground wire(shield of the timecode cable) connected to the chassis at the projector/reader end
I have had systems that worked perfectly until we changed the drives and then required the ground to be made at the TC reader

Posted by Greg Mueller (Member # 17) on 12-22-2003, 09:07 AM:

Yes it is grounded on the reader end. Do you mean that you had to gound it at the computer end? And it made a difference?
Do these things run on VooDoo?

Posted by Gordon McLeod (Member # 33) on 12-22-2003, 01:43 PM:

It is grounded internaly

Posted by Paul G. Thompson (Member # 655) on 12-22-2003, 05:00 PM:

DTS failures....maybe the moon is just right.

Saturday, my DTS6-AD locked up and threw itself into the bypass mode 3 minutes after I started the LOTR movie. [Mad]

I let it run that way for the rest of the show. Didn't want to fool with it and run the risk of losing a full house. At the end of the show, I rebooted the damn thing, and has been working great since.

I wonder if this a lull before the storm?

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 12-22-2003, 06:36 PM:

Greg,
When you adjust the 4 volt setting it has to be without film in the reader and from your wording you were running film at the same time. If you did adjust without film in it then you should send the reader back and DTS ought to give you another one. 1 volt is way to low for it to work. It actually stops reading TC properly at just under 2 volts level with no film in it!! The room you do this in also needs to be on the dark side as stray light will also affect the 4 volt level somewhat. That RC reader should last the rest of your life, and probably longer than the player will since you are not a day in - day out user.
Mark

Posted by Greg Mueller (Member # 17) on 12-22-2003, 07:31 PM:

Thanks Mark I did indeed have film in it while I was adjusting it. I'll go back and do it again. After looking through the "obsolete computer pile" I did run into an identical PS which I will remove from that computer and place in the "valuable junk" pile.

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 12-22-2003, 08:00 PM:

Good idea!! Save any pertinent parts you can lay your hands on for that unit.
Mark

Posted by Chris Hipp (Member # 1788) on 12-23-2003, 01:01 AM:

Maybe this is too simple. One of my readers wouldn't pick up anything, so I blasted it with the air compressor and it worked fine afterward.

Posted by Greg Mueller (Member # 17) on 12-23-2003, 09:42 AM:

On occasion I will blow out my reader with canned air, just to knock the dust off. I did that one time and a seed came out. I haven't planted it yet.

Posted by Greg Mueller (Member # 17) on 12-26-2003, 10:10 AM:

The saga continues....
Got the voltage level set properly and ran a film. The DTS unit would not kick in. I rebooted, pulled the discs, and reinserted, etc etc. Nothing. It just sat there blinking at me. Finally about half the way through the film it kicked in, without me doing anything.

Is it possible that the cold is affecting the DTS unit?
It stays rather cool in the basement and I was wondering if maybe it was too cold or maybe cold + condensation or something.
I think I'll pull it apart and squirt some lectronic parts cleaner on the connections.

This is very mysterious

Posted by Gordon McLeod (Member # 33) on 12-26-2003, 08:38 PM:

If it kicked in 1/2 way through could it be it kicked in when it changed disks which might be indicative of a drive issue

Posted by Greg Mueller (Member # 17) on 12-26-2003, 10:56 PM:

Even if it played the set up disk and will play "reel files" from the keyboard?