Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Wiring a cell for beginners.

This is topic Wiring a cell for beginners. in forum Film Handlers' Forum at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

To visit this topic, use this URL:
https://ft-forum.com/ft/cgi-bin/ubb/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=008060

Posted by Alan Gouger (Member # 543) on 06-05-2006, 07:19 PM:

Im wiring my very first stereo cell and want to make sure I get this correct. I have three wires coming off the cell into the connecting block. Grn,Blk,Red. From the research Ive done green is left and red is right. Blk is ground. The wire Im using has an additional shield wire running through the jacket. This is where I need help. Do I connect that at one end and float it at the other and if so what end. Does anything go to projector ground. I definitely want to eliminate the possibility of any interference. Thanks for putting up with the newbie question [Smile]

Posted by Darryl Spicer (Member # 711) on 06-05-2006, 08:00 PM:

This is the way it is. Red is left Black wires are tied together to the common and green is right. Connect the shield at the preamp ground E connection only.

Posted by Gordon McLeod (Member # 33) on 06-05-2006, 09:44 PM:

Navy style red=port (left) green= starboard (right)

Posted by Frank Dubrois (Member # 3042) on 06-05-2006, 10:25 PM:

Port and starboard? Ok, that oughta help him... [thumbsup]

Posted by Alan Gouger (Member # 543) on 06-06-2006, 09:01 AM:

Thank you.

Posted by Frank Angel (Member # 248) on 06-06-2006, 09:37 AM:

And Alan, make sure you use high quality Belden or equiv audio cable suitable for microphone signals. The signal coming out of that cell is mic level and thus gets substantial amplification at the processor. Although the signal is balanced, you want a cable that has good shielding. A good mic cable will ward off pesky noise problems.

Posted by Sam D. Chavez (Member # 1841) on 06-06-2006, 10:20 AM:

One of the best practical cables for this purpose is Belden 8723. It has two pairs, red/black and green/white with one overall shield. It make mistaking the left and right signals almost impossible, and is very imporant to have two balanced pairs if you are using a red reader with balanced outputs.

Posted by Louis Bornwasser (Member # 3063) on 06-06-2006, 11:09 AM:

Amen to Sam! That is very best possible cable! Louis

Posted by Alan Gouger (Member # 543) on 06-06-2006, 11:34 AM:

Frank and Sam thanks for the advice. The cable Im using is indeed two pairs, red/black and green/white with one overall shield but it is not Belden.
Question: Im up and running and notice every once in a while I will get a loud crack or static type noise. Is static a normal concern with analog tracks?
My booth is in the basement with carpet, no humidifier as of yet but I plan on adding one very soon. Its needed. Wiring and electronics are clean so Im confident they are not the culprit. Im thinking of adding a film cleaner machine with some Film Guard. That should help with static cling.

[ 06-06-2006, 05:16 PM: Message edited by: Alan Gouger ]

Posted by Steve Guttag (Member # 268) on 06-07-2006, 10:54 AM:

The Belden 8723 was mis-described above. It is not an OVERALL shield cable but an individually shielded cable with a common drain. An overall shield would have all four conductors co mingling without the benefit of a twisted pair for noise immunity from within (or crosstalk). 8723 acts like two individual runs but with only one shield to terminate. It is truely a great cable...accept no substitutes!

Posted by Louis Bornwasser (Member # 3063) on 06-07-2006, 03:46 PM:

The click you describe is sometimes caused by static electricity. When I tell you to add a ground wire, I am not talking about changing any of your existing wiring. Ground the frame of the cell solidly to the frame of the projector. If you have a Simplex or RCA, it is possible that the floating chassis is not still grounded until you do this. Louis

Posted by Manny Knowles (Member # 1171) on 06-07-2006, 03:56 PM:

I believe it's called the "Special Purpose Audio" cable.

And, yes, port and starboard...that's actually where that code comes from, so they're not being cheeky.

Posted by Sam D. Chavez (Member # 1841) on 06-07-2006, 06:25 PM:

Steve,

It's not your turn to be pedantic, but you are correct. I believe the color scheme came from Ioan Allen who spent some time in the Royal Navy

Posted by Phil Hill (Member # 371) on 06-07-2006, 06:48 PM:

Easy ways to remember which is which...

"I wonder if there's any red port wine left"

Or for the goodie-2-shoes:

"Port is a red wine and wine is not right" (That's the one I think of...) [beer]

Posted by Marc Hansen (Member # 705) on 06-07-2006, 08:30 PM:

And for those who don't know wine at all just remember that all the short words (port,red,left) go together and all the long words (starboard,green,right) go together.

Posted by Manny Knowles (Member # 1171) on 06-07-2006, 08:38 PM:

OH PLEASE!

Is it too hard to remember that both PORT and LEFT are 4-letter words?

Posted by Alan Gouger (Member # 543) on 06-07-2006, 09:33 PM:

I wanted to make sure I was doing this right so I took the advice and had a little red wine. Now I dont know my left from the my right:)

Posted by Ron Curran (Member # 3631) on 06-08-2006, 01:54 AM:

re. static: Check that the plates or pins in your processor are clean.

Posted by Sean McKinnon (Member # 612) on 06-08-2006, 09:12 PM:

As my mentor taught me... Red(=)Right, WRONG!

Posted by Tim Reed (Member # 137) on 06-10-2006, 12:31 PM:

quote: Phil Hill
Port is a red wine and wine is not right" (That's the one I think of...)

To echo Sean's method, I always remembered that the first impluse is to think the R in RED stands for RIGHT... only it's the opposite. RED is LEFT.

Okay. My weird way of thinking.

Maybe that's why I'm driving a truck.. [Frown]