Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Seeking UA Automation Schematics

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Posted by Steve Scott (Member # 630) on 07-08-2006, 06:03 PM:

Does anyone have any diagrams or documents of any kind describing the wiring, operation, and or troubleshooting for the UA custom automation units, like the white-faced "Automation Control System" boxes seen in The United Artists pics page?

We have two from UA's days here, some eight years ago, which are having scattered problems. These are the automation units with three rows of eight relays inside & that huge cam timer.

Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 07-08-2006, 07:05 PM:

There were TWO models. Was it the "A" series model below?

Or was it the "B" series model below?

If it is the "A" model, the barcode scanner interface manuals and schematics are on this site available for download. I have never seen any documentation on the actual main automation box though.

If the "B" model, yes I can tell you how to hook it up and such. (Granted this will be from memory, but I can get you in the ballpark enough to do the job.) Somewhere around here I have the full manual and schematic, which to my knowledge was never widely published. I haven't seen that in years though. Regardless, it's easy enough to wire up and you can follow the traces to troubleshoot. I just installed that one pictured above just a few months ago that was removed from service from an ex-UA theater that upgraded automations.

FYI, the "A" series only handled 4 cues. There was no start cue. The 23 cue kicked into feature mode, the 24 cue was for the end credits and the 22 cue was the shutdown cue. The 35 cue was an extra that was never implemented.

The "B" series used many cues. This is from memory, but I'm 99% sure it is correct:
01-start cue, lights half, mono, flat
02-start cue, lights half, mono, scope
03-start cue, lights half, stereo A, flat
04-start cue, lights half, stereo A, scope
05-start cue, lights half, SR, flat
06-start cue, lights half, SR, scope
11-feature cue, lights down, mono, flat
12-feature cue, lights down, mono, scope
13-feature cue, lights down, stereo A, flat
14-feature cue, lights down, stereo B, scope
15-feature cue, lights down, SR, flat
16-feature cue, lights down, SR, scope
18-lights to half
19-shutdown
23-lights down
28-lights up
32-mono
33-stereo A
34-SR

There were others, that's all I can remember off of the top of my head. If you throw a number out at me, I can probably remember what it does.

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 07-08-2006, 07:48 PM:

I love those A Series automations... custom for UA by Kelmar and they have real switches on them [thumbsup]

.. The housing is so large that you can leave your toolbox inside at night and not have to carry it back to the van. Its also really good automation... as reliable as any other Kelmar unit is and pretty easy to fix once you understand whats going on in there. I think this is as large as Louis's automation is. There are alot of these in Wyoming.

Mark

Posted by Steve Scott (Member # 630) on 07-08-2006, 09:02 PM:

We have the 'A' Series. Xetron edge cue detector because the rest of our houses have Co-Operators.

One unit will run as expected when the start button is pushed (Lamp on, c/o close, motor on, house lights down, c/o eight seconds later). This is the only cue that will automatically work, though. The lights up cue doesn't activate the cam, and the intermission/showend cue will not activate the cam either.

When the film tails out & the failsafe drops, only the lamp shuts off & the motor stops. The soundhead LED doesn't shut off (such requires the whole automation to be switched on & off), the c/o doesn't close & the house lights don't get cued up. The later two functions do work by manually switching them at the automation panel, though. Pressing the stop button only shuts the lamp off, nothing else.

The Xetron failsafe tests out working, though. Our tech thought we might trace the problem with a schematic of the whole unit, and thus I asked.

Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 07-09-2006, 04:32 AM:

It sounds to me like your automation isn't receiving the cues...and that the unit has other internal problems as well.

What circuit is the soundhead LED wired into? Is it going into the exciter circuit?

If you will email me, I think I have spare parts and such to get you running, or at least test things out for troubleshooting purposes.

Posted by Steve Scott (Member # 630) on 07-09-2006, 05:00 PM:

I'll check that out on Monday morning & get back to you Brad. Thanks

Posted by Cody Martin (Member # 2523) on 10-31-2006, 05:16 PM:

Just wondering if anyone has found any docs for these A units yet. I just got the lot off ebay to use and keep around for parts for another person. Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks,
Cody

Posted by Steve Scott (Member # 630) on 11-01-2006, 02:08 PM:

I never got my hands on any. Though the cam finally started working again, at the drop of the fail-safe. Until we can get the whole unit replaced, it does, at least, get the lights up at the end of the show.

Posted by Mike B. Smith (Member # 2829) on 11-03-2006, 04:03 PM:

Cleaning out my storage about a year ago I tossed a few of these automations away, no one wanted them but for space reasons they had to go. Worked for U.A. many years and although most of the hardware I collected over the years is gone I still have some documentation. The automations were designed by George Evans who also did Kelmar's. I have the Automation Board Schematic dated 8-21-86 and a Chassis, Control Panel Schematic dated 12-4-87. They are about 24" x 48" so I'm not able to scan them, however if you think they may be of help to you I could make a trip to Kinkos and make copies.

Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 11-03-2006, 04:32 PM:

If you can send photocopies this direction I will add them to the manuals download page. As more and more older UAs close down, there will be an increasing demand for documentation on these machines.

Posted by Mike B. Smith (Member # 2829) on 11-04-2006, 11:16 AM:

Great idea Brad, I'll send you all the documents I have on this automation so you can add it to the Manual section on Film-Tech.

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 11-08-2006, 09:10 AM:

Am trying to figure out what the big deal is... Juat call Tom at Kelmar... they built them for UA.

Mark