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Topic: DTS Reader Modification

Paul Konen
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 981
From: Frisco, TX. (North of Dallas)
Registered: Jun 99

posted 11-25-2000 02:28 AM

Brad, you have shown in your pictures that you have a piece of Value Choice between the flywheel and mount to apply a drag on the flywheel.

How did you manage to insert that towel and tape so neatly?

Did you remove the Reader from the front and slip it in or remove the flywheel itself?

Thanks.

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Brad Miller
Administrator

Posts: 17775
From: Plano, TX (36.2 miles NW of Rockwall)
Registered: May 99

posted 11-25-2000 09:08 AM

I only do that when there is excessive projector shaking or a bounce from the payout platter. Nothing needs to be disassembled. Just take a strip of ValueChoice wiper and fold it in half so it is about 3/4 of an inch wide and tense it between two hands and slide it back and forth as you work it in place. Then tape it on the back side and re-mount to the bracket.

Tip: the further you slide the folded wiper toward the centre shaft of the large roller, the more back tension you will add. Just make sure you don't add too much tension. There only needs to be just an ever so slight drag to correct for even the worst bounce.

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Paul Konen
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 981
From: Frisco, TX. (North of Dallas)
Registered: Jun 99

posted 11-28-2000 09:18 AM

Thanks. I was noticing my Grinch was reading / not reading the timecode and put a bit of tension on the film as it was going in by hand and had constant reading at that point.

Thanks for the information.

Paul.

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Rory Burke
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 181
From: Burbank, CA, USA
Registered: Jun 2000

posted 11-28-2000 12:58 PM

If the pay out platter is a Christie...then also try removing that little L-shaped spring/tension/drag thingy inside the middle roller of the Chrisite Brain or Feed plate as they call it I think. It will make a little sag or droop of the film as it travels from the platter to the top guidance hardware feeding into the projector but it will also eliminate or bounce. I would try this first before messing with the DTS reader. At least if there are any projectionists out there that might be getting any clever ideas that might piss of their respective service tech...hehe!

Rory

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John Pytlak
Film God

Posts: 9987
From: Rochester, NY 14650-1922
Registered: Jan 2000

posted 11-28-2000 01:09 PM

I recall that Karen Hultgren of DTS recommended NOT adjusting the DTS timecode reader itself (it will void the warrantee), and had several tips for fixing tensioning problems that may cause mistracking of the timecode.

Karen???

------------------
John P. Pytlak, Senior Technical Specialist
Worldwide Technical Services, Entertainment Imaging
Eastman Kodak Company
Research Labs, Building 69, Room 7419
Rochester, New York, 14650-1922 USA
Tel: 716-477-5325 Fax: 716-722-7243
E-Mail: john.pytlak@kodak.com

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Aaron Sisemore
Flaming Ribs beat Reeses Peanut Butter Cups any day!

Posts: 3061
From: Rockwall TX USA
Registered: Sep 1999

posted 11-28-2000 01:51 PM

All the screw in the center of the DTS reader is for is lateral tracking adjustment (and you are correct, it is not to ever be touched), I believe Brad and the others are referring to tweeks that do not alter the tracking adjustment of the reader.

Aaron

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Brad Miller
Administrator

Posts: 17775
From: Plano, TX (36.2 miles NW of Rockwall)
Registered: May 99

posted 11-28-2000 03:03 PM

The modification I mentioned above does not in any way mis-adjust the dts reader. It only adds just a touch of "drag" to the main roller to soften up any platter or supply reel "bouncing".

Paul, yes if you are still running those stupid center brain roller springs remove them. They just cause problems and are only needed if the platter to projector distance is say 20 feet or more apart.

The older black Christie rollers after awhile would start wobbling on their shafts, causing ridiculous amounts of bounce, even with the spring removed. The new green rollers virtually eliminate this problem as well as make threading easier. One word of warning though, if any of your operators in the booth have a tendency of ramming their fingers through the 2nd and 3rd brain roller instead of gently opening that 3rd brain roller with one hand while the film is placed in between them with the other, get them to stop that. That practice alone causes pretty severe bouncing.

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Karen Hultgren
Master Film Handler

Posts: 492
From: Agoura Hills, CA, USA
Registered: Mar 2000

posted 11-28-2000 03:25 PM

Yes, the lateral adjustment screw should not be adjusted (unless approved by DTS) because it will VOID YOUR WARRANTY. The adjustment is fine-tuned at the factory and should never need adjustment.

To find out if it's a reader problem, first try to put a "known good" reader in it's place. If the problem goes away, it's a probably a bad reader. Get a repair/exchange from your local DTS dealer.

If the timecode is blinking a lot, try readjusting the pitch of the aux. roller (black roller to the side of the reader). Adjust it for maximum film wrap. If that does not clear up the blinking (the reader should have a solid light when reading TC), then try adding additional rollers, or perhaps a cleaning roller.

There is a good troubleshooting guide (for blinking readers) on our web site techcenter. It's free to all users. Go to www.dtsonline.com. Click on "cinema", then click on "techcenter" (see on left side of screen). Login (all info you give us will not be shared, for our info only). Then, once in, go to "cinema products". Manuals and troubleshooting guides are posted there for the DTS-6, DTS-6D, DTS-70mm, DTS-6AD, and DTS-ES. You'll need Adobe Acrobat reader (link for download in techcenter). You may print out entire manuals or just section of, if needed.
- For the readers, go to the DTS-6AD section seven.

Let me know if you have any questions. If you forget your password (for techcenter), please let me know.

Karen at DTS
khultgren@dtsonline.com

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Brad Miller
Administrator

Posts: 17775
From: Plano, TX (36.2 miles NW of Rockwall)
Registered: May 99

posted 11-28-2000 04:50 PM

Karen,

Try the trick I mentioned above. I can take a poster tube like a baseball bat and slam the film between the platter and projector and with the modification above, there is no blinking of the reader's light. (Of course, only do that with a junk trailer.)

I've found adjusting the roller on the reader and adding new rollers only helps in a situation that is mild. In more drastic situations, it does no real good. The Value Choice modification above adds just a tiny, tiny bit of drag to the roller, effectively eliminating even terrible bouncing issues.

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Gordon McLeod
Film God

Posts: 9532
From: Toronto Ontario Canada
Registered: Jun 99

posted 11-28-2000 05:33 PM

In some theatre that had terrible bounce problems I took old 4 track mag penthouses and mounted the reader where the old cluster was and let a high quality well damped Davis tight loop do its thing

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Brad Miller
Administrator

Posts: 17775
From: Plano, TX (36.2 miles NW of Rockwall)
Registered: May 99

posted 11-28-2000 05:47 PM

Another thing I've noticed is to NEVER install a DTS reader below an SDDS "old style" penthouse reader. That damping roller on the SDDS penthouse will cause DTS to drop out.

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Paul Konen
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 981
From: Frisco, TX. (North of Dallas)
Registered: Jun 99

posted 11-29-2000 10:45 PM

Brad, I have removed all the center springs after you first visited.

I think that it may be the print because I haven't noticed this before but it may have happened. I'm going to take this down week to add the towel drag to improve the reader read rate.

Thanks to all who have responded.

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Francis Casey
Film Handler

Posts: 44
From: Saint John, NB, Canada
Registered: Jun 2000

posted 11-30-2000 08:32 PM

In a 12 plex we opened a few years ago we installed 12 DTS readers , cables etc for use with 2 DTS6D's in roll around carts . NONE of the readers would provide a a steady LED and constant dropouts were a serious problem .Extra rollers etc did not have any effect .Drastic measures were called for ...I dissambled 2 readers and had a machine shop make STEEL replacements for the ALUMINUM flywheel/roller . After reassembly and alignment the added mass of the new STEEL flywheel/roller eliminated all bounce and provided reliable reader operation .
Francis

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Brad Miller
Administrator

Posts: 17775
From: Plano, TX (36.2 miles NW of Rockwall)
Registered: May 99

posted 12-01-2000 04:29 AM

Francis,

That is an awful extreme situation. Could you please fill us in as to your projector make/model as well as the platter make/model?

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Francis Casey
Film Handler

Posts: 44
From: Saint John, NB, Canada
Registered: Jun 2000

posted 12-02-2000 07:37 PM

Brad
The 12 plex had a conbination of new X-90 and Highlight II consoles with PR1060 projectors ; the platters were new strong AP3's with misroswitch control plates . The platters were positioned on the non operating side about 5 feet from the consoles ( top of post to projector feed roller .
Regards
Francis

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