Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: FM-35s... why must you fail?

This is topic FM-35s... why must you fail? in forum Film Handlers' Forum at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

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Posted by Tyler Potts (Member # 4952) on 03-14-2009, 07:24 PM:

Always on a Friday or Saturday! This weekend is when I'm training 2 new guys for booth and now I have to show them running a projector with the motor & bulb on manually. I don't like this as no one remembers to drop or raise the lights correctly, leave the bulb on while they're out of booth and the show's dropped, and use running in manual as a crutch instead of solving a problem.

So my question... is there anything I can leave the manager taking over booth in the next few weeks for advice with these automation sensors besides keeping them clean? She's competent, but has a lot to learn.

Posted by Geena Phillips (Member # 3726) on 03-14-2009, 07:27 PM:

What type of automation are you using?

Posted by Gordon McLeod (Member # 33) on 03-14-2009, 07:28 PM:

If kept clean I probably loose one a year in the entire circuit of 100 screens so I don't understand what the problem is ou are having
They must be kept very clean
What is failing the failsafe function of prescence and motion or reading cues

Posted by Tyler Potts (Member # 4952) on 03-15-2009, 10:44 AM:

That's the thing... for this projector, the motion & presence sensor lights are both on, but still no ready light. I've reset the projector, power supply unplugged the unit's multipin... nothing.

Posted by Gordon McLeod (Member # 33) on 03-15-2009, 10:50 AM:

Sounds like a cableing or automation problem not a fm35 problem

Posted by Ken Lackner (Member # 1002) on 03-15-2009, 12:18 PM:

Tyler,

I agree with Gordon. If the presence and motion lights on the failsafe itself are both lit, it sounds like the failsafe is working, and the problem lies in the cabling or automation. Although, I suppose there could be a small chance that something is wrong in the circuit between those lights and the output. So anyway, what type of automation is used? If you have a TA-10, you can flip the bypass switches on the termination board inside the automation and still allow full use of the automation; you just have to keep a close eye on things because it will not shut down if there is a film break, etc.

As for being forced to teach your operators how to properly run a show manually, well, this is a good thing. It is something that every operator should know how to do, and not having use of the automation forces them to keep a close eye on things. (Something that they should be doing anyway, but running manually just reinforces the need to keep an eye on things.) Hopefully they are not leaving the booth for long periods of time if there is a show being run in manual mode.

I recently had an FM-35 where one of the roller shafts was loose, causing the film to not register properly and it would shut down the show. Make sure all the rollers are properly aligned and the film is seated properly on them, especially the large black roller right under the sensor.

Does this problem occur with multiple prints? There could be something funky with the film stock. I've had that happen before, too.

Posted by Al Biers (Member # 1961) on 03-15-2009, 07:45 PM:

Tyler
Do you have the old style sensors and rollers, the new upgrade units work far better, you say the lights for presence and motion are on, it is possible that the sensor has gone bad.

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 03-15-2009, 09:15 PM:

Ha! Much of the IR detectors failure to work goes right back to the old fading LED problem!!! Replace the sensors and they continue to work just fine.
Mark

Posted by Gordon McLeod (Member # 33) on 03-16-2009, 07:19 AM:

If the presence and motion LED is lit then the sensor is working the problem lies elsewhere

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 03-16-2009, 07:52 AM:

I agree... I was just mentioning that I've had to replace ALOT of sensors... not may other failures on them at this end.

Mark

Posted by Jack Ondracek (Member # 1466) on 03-16-2009, 02:02 PM:

I have had a couple of cases where the connector wasn't making good contact with the wires. Performance was a bit intermittent until I got that figured out. In practice, I haven't had to pay any special attention to my FM-35s. They get the same cleaning everything else does, but nothing extraordinary. Can't recall a failure in nearly 10 years now.

Posted by Steve Guttag (Member # 268) on 03-16-2009, 08:39 PM:

I think I've had about 100% failures in the FM35. If it wasn't the sensors it was the tin-plated connectors. I've had em were the tin plated connectors that connect the sensor board to the main board oxidized and caused intermittent failures.

Now clearly this has not been the case with all of them around the world as it has a decent reputation. In the Mid-Atlantic area, if you have tin plated connectors, they WILL fail, period.

One of the reasons we have been so saitisfied with the CE basement digital readers is that they switched from tin to gold connectors...it has made things much more reliable.

Try taking the sensor board on and off a few times and if you have a good contact cleaner, give it a try.

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 03-16-2009, 11:09 PM:

YEP! It's the high humidity that kills the tin plating on the tin plated connectors. I have yet to see that happen out in our dry climate. Just the sensors that fail er should I say fade.

Mark

Posted by Jack Ondracek (Member # 1466) on 03-17-2009, 10:25 AM:

There's an anti-corrosion spray that we use on aircraft (Corrosion-X), which is somehow rated for use on/with electronics. I wonder if that stuff would prevent the connector problem.

Posted by Tony Bandiera Jr (Member # 2365) on 03-22-2009, 02:36 PM:

You could also use some WD-40..wet a cloth and wipe it onto the contact pins. DO NOT spray it on the contacts or sensors.

Posted by Tyler Potts (Member # 4952) on 03-23-2009, 10:03 PM:

I'm going to go ahead and call a thanks and end to this. I still need to go in and get all the cabling, but it seems the problem is being held at bay by the grace of God for some reason and that house is running fine again. I talked to our tech and he'll be in in time so I'll have some shifts here & there to see if there's something I've overlooked. Thanks for all the insight!