Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Vic 5 dowser solenoid

This is topic Vic 5 dowser solenoid in forum Film Handlers' Forum at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

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Posted by Jonathan Wood (Member # 4614) on 03-30-2017, 04:20 AM:

Hi everyone, does anyone remember what voltage the dowser solenoid on a Vic 5 required ? I'm guessing around 12/24vdc ? Can't find the spec in any manuals or schematics. From the schematic it appears to be powered from the dc supply in the base of the console and then routed through the push buttons on the beam via the terminal strip . Can anyone confirm this ? Any help or advice as ever, will be gratefully received . Best wishes Jon

Posted by Monte L Fullmer (Member # 2797) on 03-30-2017, 07:13 PM:

You could connect a DVM to the supply terminal to see what your voltage out heading to the dowser is.

Plus, I thought the dowser was AC so the solenoid doesn't get burnt up with DC voltage.

Posted by Jonathan Wood (Member # 4614) on 03-31-2017, 12:41 AM:

Thanks Monte, according to cinemeccanica it's 196vDC . The (pedestal type)projector was disassembled and I put it back together from scratch following a schematic and the sleeve codes on the wiring . Everything works except the dowser . To my eyes , the schematic isn't clear how to wire in the dowser. If itsc196dc then surely this is being rectified from the 230vac ?
Cheers Jon

Posted by Garry Knapp (Member # 9697) on 03-31-2017, 02:18 AM:

Mine shows the coil marked at 106vDC
but it also comes with its own rectifier which converts 120v AC to DC to run the coil.
I connected to the rectifier which is wired to the coil.
designbyg@live.com

Posted by Jonathan Wood (Member # 4614) on 03-31-2017, 02:51 AM:

Hi Gary, that would make sense . Apparently there were two types 106 & 196 vdc. 106 for 120/60 territories and 196 for 230/50. Is your machine a pedestal type ? Do you know which connections on the terminal strip are for the dowser up/down buttons ? Is your rectifier part of the psu at the bottom of the machine ?

Cheers jon

Posted by Allan Lyman (Member # 9449) on 03-31-2017, 04:16 AM:

jonathan,you probably miss the short needed when there is no changeover.
also some projectors had safety on the shutterdrive,so the dowser gpes down if the projector doesnt run.

Posted by Jonathan Wood (Member # 4614) on 03-31-2017, 04:43 AM:

Hi Allan, thanks for your reply. The projector never ran in a changeover set up so and worked fine before it was removed from the cinema so I think what I'm missing is the correct way of wiring the bridge rectifier to the coil via the 2 push buttons . The centrifugal switch works fine so I don't think it's an issue with that . Thanks Jon

Posted by Garry Knapp (Member # 9697) on 04-01-2017, 06:43 PM:

Sorry, no...my machine came to me as the head only. It was bolted to the front of a lamphouse tower. When it came to me the dowser was still wired to the rectifier. I only had to connect 120v to the remaining 2 terminals to get the dowser to work.
can you post a pic of yours? or mail it to me?
designbyg@live.com

Posted by Gordon McLeod (Member # 33) on 04-02-2017, 11:47 AM:

They also had ac and dc coils

Posted by Jonathan Wood (Member # 4614) on 04-03-2017, 02:58 AM:

Thanks Garry and Gordon,

Garry, I will try and get a pic over to you in the next day or so. I think the prob is I haven't reconnected this part of the loom correctly. I have a schematic from cinemeccanica (who've been very helpful) which will hopefully make things a bit clearer . Thsnks Jon

Posted by Gordon McLeod (Member # 33) on 04-03-2017, 11:58 AM:

The coils are usually labeled