Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Failsafe problems

This is topic Failsafe problems in forum Film Handlers' Forum at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

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Posted by Jon Ellsworth (Member # 4268) on 04-19-2007, 12:10 AM:

At the current theater I work at we use Victoria 5s converted to use platters(Christie Platters). Recently one of our Failsafes has been acting up, the alarm sets off every time a film finishes, on other projectors they play fine. We've had 2 different techs look at it, and neither has an answer for our current problem. I understand the alarm going off doesn't cause any major problems with the film, but is an annoying thing to deal with everyday, and I fear it may lead to other problems. I'm not 100% sure on the name of the Failsafe I can only make out the first 3 letters and they seem to spell out "Rub-". And I believe its a Tension Failsafe.

The Failsafe will read the first set of cues that play through it , but not the final one, we use Dot Cues. I've tried doubling ending cues on the blue band to no avail as the alarm still sets off.

Any advice you guys could give me would be greatly appreciated. If more info is need I will gladly supply what I know.

Also I apologize for my horrid grammar hopefully it isn't to much of an eyesore for any of you to understand

Posted by Chris Slycord (Member # 4239) on 04-19-2007, 02:40 AM:

A lot of the time if you put an intermission cue too close to the end of the film it'll fail on you at the end. Same for if you got a used print, didn't realize it already had an intermission cue, and put one. We also found out that our failsafe goes off if we put a lens change cue too close to the intermission cue (putting that at the end of the movie in case the ads run in a different format than the feature or if the house alternates between scope and flat movies).

Posted by Monte L Fullmer (Member # 2797) on 04-19-2007, 04:58 AM:

Sounds like the automation is part of the fault on how it's set up with the failsafe. What brand of automation would this be at your cinema?

Also, sounds like it's a sensor type of failsafe to where if you use dots, wonder if you have a certain wire that is loose that ties on the back of the unit that should be reading this section of film that the dot of cue foil.

(go look at the other failsafe unit and maybe you can read the make of this unit - or, if you could send down picts of this unit for the all of us to see...)

Oh, and by the way..welcome to Film-Tech ... welcome aboard.

Posted by Jon Ellsworth (Member # 4268) on 04-19-2007, 01:24 PM:

@Chris- Our print of Wild Hogs was used and had Strip cues used on it, I was told to go ahead and put our own and not worry about removing theirs. When we previewed the movie that night it played fine none of the other theaters cues were read.

@Monte- I'll try to get some pictures tonight

Posted by Gordon McLeod (Member # 33) on 04-19-2007, 05:00 PM:

If a system reads a cue is dependent on the location of the foil inrespect to where your sensor is reading the cues
If it is not in the same place then so be it
but I always insist that all old tape is removed during makeup
also you have yet to tell us the type of automation and type of sensor involved

Posted by Jon Ellsworth (Member # 4268) on 04-19-2007, 08:51 PM:

Okay, well I found the culprit the out sensor wasn't fully plugged in.

I am ashamed to ask this, since I have been doing this for about 2 years now, but how do I find out what type of automation system we use?

Also would like to thank you guys for the feedback even though my description of the problem was somewhat vague and full of holes.

Posted by Chris Slycord (Member # 4239) on 04-19-2007, 09:20 PM:

2 technicians and neither one of them thought to check that the connector was seated? You guys deserve a refund.

Posted by Jon Ellsworth (Member # 4268) on 04-20-2007, 12:01 AM:

They were out here to work on other issues, I simply pointed it out to them, and they both took a look after finishing what they originally came out to do

Posted by Monte L Fullmer (Member # 2797) on 04-20-2007, 02:43 AM:

quote:
They were out here to work on other issues,

...just hope your theatre doesn't use their services anymore - kinda funny that the two of them couldn't solve what you solved by yourself in seconds...

If he has strip cueing, wonder if he has a Christie setup with the 3Q automation?

Posted by James Westbrook (Member # 3690) on 04-20-2007, 08:31 PM:

"Victoria 5's converted to use platters"...
Were the Victorias running on the huge reels originally?
How old is this theatre?
He may be talking Xetrons from the 70's...

Posted by Monte L Fullmer (Member # 2797) on 04-20-2007, 10:10 PM:

could be those Xetron MAXI automation units that are either hung on the wall or incorportated in those XETRON XHC-35 consoles which did have Cine V-5's hung on the front. - typical booth setup during the late 70's.

Cine V-5's did originally use 6k reels if doing automated changeovers, but a lot of them were converted for platter usage later on when more large twins were split for more screens.