Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Best and worst equipment manuals

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Posted by Scott Norwood (Member # 30) on 01-19-2007, 07:42 AM:

What are your favorite and least-favorite equipment manuals?

Weird question, I know, but it does seem that the quality of documentation for cinema equipment varies widely. Some manuals are excellent, while others are pretty useless.

My personal favorites are the Dolby manuals, particularly the original CP50 manual. I'm not hugely knowledgeable about electronics, but I like the Dolby manuals because they discuss both the "how-to" of installation as well as the theory and history of their products.

I would give an honorable mention to the Strong manuals for the Simplex and Century projectors and soundheads.

My least favorites are the Kinoton manuals. They make great projectors, but their manuals seem to be composed mostly of warnings not to do obviously stupid things (WARNING: do not stick fingers into shutter blade while projector is operating) and also lack any sort of useful information about how to disassemble and repair the equipment.

Posted by Louis Bornwasser (Member # 3063) on 01-19-2007, 08:12 AM:

All Xetron, Big Sky and older Christie manuals have to be almost worthless when trying to order parts.

Best manuals: E7, Super and XL manuals, Super Lumex....even the dirt probably has an appropriate number. The E7 manual must be the gold standard of all manuals. Louis

Posted by Robert Throop (Member # 61) on 01-19-2007, 08:36 AM:

I nominate the Kintek KT700 manual as the worst.
Louis- I agree about the old Simplex manuals especially the exploded drawings.
Bob

Posted by Martin McCaffery (Member # 37) on 01-19-2007, 10:55 AM:

Worst ever -- Ballantyne Pro manuals that had the drawings of the doggies to help you with the threading

Posted by Demetris Thoupis (Member # 833) on 01-19-2007, 03:09 PM:

Actually you need to check the Service Manuals for the Kinoton projectors which are very informative and explain almost everything. Every while we receive antendums to the manuals adding more things up. If you are talking about the standard operating manual, it reveals nothing of dissasembling the machine but just regular maintenance and basic stuff. The Service Manuals though provided by Kinoton are very very detailed. It contains everything from schematics to setup information on every aspect of their projectors. I cannot believe a manual which is more than 200 pages is not informative! Cinemeccanica manuals are very good when it comes to achieving a part number for even the smallest screw you need. It lacks though installation information and that is perhaps they are sooooo easy to install.
Best Regards

Demetris

Posted by Marin Zorica (Member # 1716) on 01-19-2007, 03:17 PM:

quote: Louis Bornwasser
The E7 manual must be the gold standard of all manuals. Louis

Do You mean Ernemann 7?

Posted by Michael Schaffer (Member # 1204) on 01-19-2007, 03:55 PM:

quote: Scott Norwood
My least favorites are the Kinoton manuals. They make great projectors, but their manuals seem to be composed mostly of warnings not to do obviously stupid things (WARNING: do not stick fingers into shutter blade while projector is operating) and also lack any sort of useful information about how to disassemble and repair the equipment.

The manuals have to contain these warnings for some legal reasons (I don't know if that has do to with German or EU laws, probably both). Like Demetris said, the service manulas contain basically everything one needs to know about the machines. But they don't like to distribute them freely because they don't want unqualified people to play around with the equipment.
There is a completely different mentality and attitude toward this in European companies because they don't have to deal with as large distances as here, and qualified service people are never very far away.

Posted by Andrew McCrea (Member # 674) on 01-19-2007, 04:47 PM:

The E7 is an older Simplex model.

Posted by Jon Miller (Member # 163) on 01-19-2007, 09:19 PM:

One of the worst manuals in my opinion? That for an old type "E" Peerless Magnarc lamphouse. This excerpt pretty much sums it up...

quote:
TO TRIM POSITIVE CARBONS.

Throw friction release lever No. 2027 plate "E" clockwise and slide the entire positive carbon carriage No. 2014 plate "E," toward the front of the lamp. Relock carriage by throwing lever No. 2027 toward the rear of the lamphouse. This locks a gear on carriage No. 2014 plate "E," to the threads of the positive acme feed screw No. 2016 plate "E."

Next turn positive carbon clamp lever No. 2006 plate "E" toward the reflector so that positive carbon clamp shoe No. 2003 plate "E," is low enough to permit insertion of the positive carbon. Next place-the pointed end of the carbon in the "V" slot in positive carbon guide No. 2274 plate "E" with its pointed arcing end in the same vertical plane as the front edge of positive carbon guide chute No. 2277 and clamp the carbon by rotating lever No. 2006 plate "E," toward the front of the lamphouse.

The oft-mentioned "plate 'E'" refers to one of five pictures near the front of the manual, components identified by part number, not by name. The cross-reference clutter is classic bad manual design.

For comparison...even though the manual for the Strong-era type "J" and "K" Magnarcs is lacking in illustrations, the style typical of Strong manuals for many decades makes for an easier and more logical read.