Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: GDC SA-2100A in a Drive In Theater

This is topic GDC SA-2100A in a Drive In Theater in forum Digital Cinema Forum at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

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Posted by Steve Wilson (Member # 2411) on 04-02-2019, 10:45 AM:

I am a rural drive in theater that is a small time operation and needs some help to survive another season.

I have a GDC SA-2100A that probably needs the battery in it replaced. I do have a highly experienced electronics tech on hand to help me. At the time I purchased it second hand, it had been returned to GDC to have new drives installed and I must assume a new battery at that time as I am still running. But I figure its time to do it again.

I have no access to GDC as I never had a warranty and they don't help people whom don't have warrant protection. Can anyone tell me what kind of batteries this unit has and how to go about installing them with out losing the data needed to run the machine.

Its hooked up to an original NEC Series One Machine. NC1600C-A. Does it have the same problem needing a battery change out too? I have had both of these units starting on my fourth season with virtually Zero problems

Thanks in advance for any help.

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 04-02-2019, 02:49 PM:

Those batteries are rated for five years. I highly reccomend getting Software & Support from GDC for 1 year. Its relatively inexpensive, like $150, and you can also get the latest Build of firmware and install that. They will likely send you the batteries and loan you the special adapter you will need to change the pair that are on the media block. Media block has to be pulled out in order to do the batteries. If you do not have the special thingy to keep the board powered then you will lose the certificates and will be buying yourself a new server. The media block is NLA.

Also, press ESC key during boot up and save a copy of the current config and OS it is running on just in case! You can't do that with any other server...

Mark

Posted by Steve Wilson (Member # 2411) on 04-03-2019, 09:09 AM:

Thanks Mark for the help. Was the media block on these older machines inside the server or the side of the NEC 1600 projector. Is there any special phone number to reach GDC or just use their national phone number listed on their web site?

Thanks so much for the help!

Steve

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 04-03-2019, 04:22 PM:

Inside the server... Its a rather long card kinda like some video cards. Not terribly hard to pull.

Contact Jessica Neal at jessica.neal@gdc-tech.com Or 877-743-2872 to arrange to get the Support/Firmware package. I think they will ship you batteries and the battery and the swap out adapter once you get that set up.

Battery swap out adapter plugged into the media block.

Mark

Posted by Steve Wilson (Member # 2411) on 04-05-2019, 10:37 PM:

Thanks for the pics Mark and the advice. Being a lone guy out in the rural areas can be difficult to find help in the area. I will see what I can get worked out with GDC.

Posted by Stephan Shelley (Member # 8587) on 04-05-2019, 11:53 PM:

If you have the security interface card on the NEC they do have a battery but it recharges while the projector is on.

Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 04-06-2019, 12:13 AM:

Mark, since you are the official GDC spokesperson of the universe, can you please elaborate on these items from your post above:

Figure A, the baery backup baer header.
Item 4, the baery holder.
Item 5, the baeries inside the baery holder.
Item 6, the baery pack.
Item 7, what do they mean by respecvely?

Finally regarding the warning:
CAUTION: Only use AAA lithium batteries provided by GDC Technology.

Are those actually some sort of special voltage version of the same Energizer lithium batteries sold at every Wal-Mart in the country?

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 04-06-2019, 08:35 AM:

You know Brad.... Its all about the baeries and changing them so you don't roose certificate...

Posted by Marcel Birgelen (Member # 6801) on 04-06-2019, 08:37 AM:

For those of you who don't know where they left their baer:

Where Is Baer?

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 04-06-2019, 09:59 AM:

No.... Baer is at A & B... Baer is something you can not ship by air. You have obviously never worked with GDC... If you had you would know Baer.

Posted by Steve Wilson (Member # 2411) on 04-20-2019, 12:40 AM:

Thanks Again Mark for the help. I was never able to get GDC to send me batteries or software. They told me I had to go through a dealer these days as they had changed the policy on doing direct to support the dealer network better. I had an account with TriState and they ordered the batteries for me. GDC also will no longer send out a loaner battery block to change out the batteries on the board with, so you now have to purchase both set of batteries. I am assuming this is as easy as carefully pulling the board out like doing so with any other computer, plug in the back up block and then carefully installing the new batteries and pull the back up block when the job is complete and the reinstall the board.

As far as software. I have not exactly gotten a straight answer out of the the guys at try state at the moment, but they are still working on it. They think that my server is missing too many updates to install the latest one with out doing the early updates and not sure GDC will supply the early updates? My server is running the current sempte files already? Your thoughts on this would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 04-20-2019, 09:36 AM:

Let me know what Build you are running right now, the current release is Build 290. If you're still runing 7.8 Final which is pre-DCI then yes, do not upgrade and plan on getting a new server pretty doggone soon. If your server says "warranty expied" then you can not upgrade until you get the software warranty.

On the batteries, yes... you plug in the adapter with the two batteries in it, then change the other two out one at a time. Most of the work involved is getting the media block in and out of the server to do it.

Mark

Posted by Steve Wilson (Member # 2411) on 04-20-2019, 10:12 AM:

SMS Version 7.7a-rc15

OS Version OS-SA2K-1.5.13

Do you have any idea whether this unit will get me through September of this year?

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 04-20-2019, 11:03 AM:

I guess yours has never been updated, I haven't seen a server with that OS since 2011. It probably won't play SMPTE content at all, but the server can run just about for ever as long as the batteries are replaced.

To update it, first you'd have to go to 7.8 Final...

Then upgrade it to one of the early 8.0 Builds, and then perhaps about every 10th build after that. Any GDC Media Blocks I updated from 7.8 Final to anything after build 26x saw very short media block life spans. But media blocks or IMB's that got regular upgrades basically never failed. GDC has a deal where they will give you $1000 for your old server if you trade in your old one on a new one.

And then there is the projector... Any Series 1 would probably need to be made DCI Compliant too, while a series 2 would simply need updates

Mark

Posted by Steve Wilson (Member # 2411) on 04-20-2019, 04:42 PM:

My GDC has been running Sempte files for the past 2018 season and part of the season before. Maybe I guess I have been lucky at this point provided I stay away from any high frame rate movies?!

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 04-20-2019, 07:38 PM:

Possibly, but I have no explanation for that. Other than not all movies are SMPTE yet.

Mark

Posted by Koroye Seitonkumo (Member # 10558) on 04-23-2019, 11:59 AM:

Hi,I seem to have some trouble with a GDC 2100a.. there are 26pins on this and we can't can't seem to connect audio at the moment.. an thoughts here? Mailed GDC for a pin out already.. no response yet

Posted by Marcel Birgelen (Member # 6801) on 04-24-2019, 01:38 AM:

Maybe you didn't notice, but your question was already answered in this topic by Carsten. GDC uses the Doremi / DCI pinout, the document Carsten points to, lists this exact pinout.

Posted by Allan Barnes (Member # 5178) on 04-29-2019, 09:06 PM:

Steve

Do you have a REMOTE CONTROL with that NEC Projector?

Posted by Steve Wilson (Member # 2411) on 05-21-2019, 10:29 PM:

Hi Allan, I recently purchased an easy to find Remote for my projector.