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Topic: Ultimation Shuts Down Early

Brent Otte
Film Handler

Posts: 15

Registered: May 2001

posted 06-01-2001 07:56 PM

Ok, so here's the deal. I have a Eprad Ultimation 2000 with FP-350 failsafe. When running films in either learn mode or not the ultimation/cue reader inputs a false credit cue approx. 72 minutes into the feature regardless if the movie is done or not this the feature shuts down. There are no extra peices of cue tape anywhere in the system and this happens with every print that we run in that house. We have replaced the cue detector and the ultimation with brand new ones and this problem still arises. Does anyone have any idea what could be causing this problem? Please, any help would be very benificial. Thanks.

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Rick Long
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 759
From: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Registered: Nov 1999

posted 06-01-2001 11:21 PM

Gotta feeling that "L" symbol (cue learn) is lying to you.
Have you tried SET-UP; CUE-LEARN, and deleting all the times listed?

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Brent Otte
Film Handler

Posts: 15

Registered: May 2001

posted 06-02-2001 12:44 AM

Yes, we have tried everything like that. I was thinking that might be the problem. However, after we got the whole new ultimation and the same thing happened I new that it was not the problem.

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Gordon McLeod
Film God

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

posted 06-02-2001 11:59 AM

Is it possible that at the same time there is something else happening in the building that could cause a repeatable glitch or spike on the power line?

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Brent Otte
Film Handler

Posts: 15

Registered: May 2001

posted 06-02-2001 02:33 PM

I don't think that this would be the problem. This has been happening many times over the past 5 months. In a 14 screen theater we switch movies in that house quite often. It has happened with all different movies in that house, they all start at differnt times so the probability of thos happening in very small. As I mentioned earlier, it happens approx. 72 min. into every feature. I'm dumbfounded

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Gordon McLeod
Film God

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

posted 06-02-2001 02:58 PM

Well something is repeatedly happenning at the same point. The fact that the Ultimation and the cue detector have been both been replaced tends to rule that out as the source of the problem
THe other things left are
1 external devices such as a faulty dimmer card
2 Remote station
3 Wireing to cue detector
4 Even the connection to the sound system

I would disconnect the failsafe at the ulitmation end and jumper the failsafe contact to fake film loaded and try running a show.
Then I would one at a time disconnect one item that is connected to the automation until the problem goes away and that at least will give you a starting point

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Brent Otte
Film Handler

Posts: 15

Registered: May 2001

posted 06-02-2001 05:18 PM

Great, we will look into that. Any other ideas would still be much appreciated.

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Rick Long
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 759
From: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Registered: Nov 1999

posted 06-02-2001 10:20 PM

Since this happens on more than one feature, it ain't a cue on the film.

Is it possible that the platter is failing around this point (perhaps due to a faulty variac) and causing shut down? The unit should go into alarm mode were this to happen, but is the unit jumping to close mode?

When you return to the machine, after an uneplainable stop, what does the screen read?

Is it also possible that the power supply is getting a little too warm after about an hour?

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Brent Otte
Film Handler

Posts: 15

Registered: May 2001

posted 06-02-2001 11:06 PM

After returning to the machine the readout displays "check cue __" or feature __ ready to run" Clearing the check cue message displays the ready to run message.

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Rick Long
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 759
From: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Registered: Nov 1999

posted 06-03-2001 12:44 AM

This automation "thinks" then, that the show is over. Does this only happen with the one program #?

It would seem that if this happens only using the one program, that the fault would be in the automation memory, whereas if it happens in other programs as well, it would seem to be external, (cue detector (which you replaced), or external line or air-borne interference).

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Brent Otte
Film Handler

Posts: 15

Registered: May 2001

posted 06-03-2001 12:56 AM

All Program #'s

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Rick Long
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 759
From: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Registered: Nov 1999

posted 06-03-2001 01:15 PM

As Gord said, gotta be an external pulse getting in there from somewhere.

The 70 minute interval is interesting - too short for the average feature. Assuming you are starting shows with this unit at different times (not always at 7:00 for example), and it still happens after that interval, gotta be something happening in that booth only. Is this thing sensitive to outside interference? Does striking the xenon bulb cause it to jump cues for example? (I recently had a unit that became prone to the GE R-3 relays they were using for slide projectors, for example.)

Obviously, however, this is not the case here as the show is already up and running and has been for over an hour.

A replacement automation doing the exact same thing is weird too.

Is there any chance that you can be there to watch the automation screen as it goes down?

No chance of a time entered in the closing sequence of the program is there? - either a WAIT or a time-out after one of the closing functions?

BTW, are these wall-mounted or console mounted?

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Brent Otte
Film Handler

Posts: 15

Registered: May 2001

posted 06-03-2001 01:31 PM

Rick, These ultimation are wall-mounted units. I have never noticed any interference. Striking the bulb or any thing of that sort doesn't cause any jumps in the cues. I have been there when it shuts down and what it does is inputs a credit cue, the lights come up and then shuts down. There will be nothing else in the building happening at this time. I do not know of any closing times as you stated, but we can look into it. Maybe an intermission?

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Gordon McLeod
Film God

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

posted 06-03-2001 03:21 PM

Since the unit has been replaced I doubt if you programmed in a intermission
I assume this is a multiplex?
try swappig the units

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Darryl Spicer
Film God

Posts: 3250
From: Lexington, KY, USA
Registered: Dec 2000

posted 06-03-2001 04:12 PM

not familure with this type of automation but thought I might mention this. Does your system interlock with any other machine. Could it be sensing a problem from another machine or some type of interferance cause by the interlock wireing. Just a thought.

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