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» Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE   » Operations   » Film Handlers' Forum   » Basement Out, Penthouse In (Page 1)

 
This topic comprises 2 pages: 1  2   
Author Topic: Basement Out, Penthouse In
Manuel Francisco Valencia
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 151
From: Oklahoma City, OK, USA
Registered: Dec 2000

- posted 04-15-2002 09:59 PM      Profile for Manuel Francisco Valencia   Email Manuel Francisco Valencia   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
We finally got rid of the shitty basement readers at our theatre and installed USL DSTR-20 readers. This is the first time in a long time that we finally got SR-D going again. I tried all ways possible to get those basement readers tracking but they just didn't want to work. The new readers are tracking great. I am getting consistent 1.'s and 1's on Frailty and a 0. on occasion. But I had a problem woth one last night. On the last show of Panic Room the dolby cut out at the beginning of the movie. Upon arriving at the projector I saw that the DA20 was showing no data present. I looked at the reader and the LED was out and the status light turned red indicating that it was time for service. I thought this was a fluke being that we just got these. Today everything was working fine. This movie has been tracking poor numbers, usually a 5. Any opinions on what happened.

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Manuel Francisco Valencia
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 151
From: Oklahoma City, OK, USA
Registered: Dec 2000

- posted 04-15-2002 10:28 PM      Profile for Manuel Francisco Valencia   Email Manuel Francisco Valencia   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
My mistake. B.A.C.P. readers. There is a photo of them in the Showest preview.

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Ian Price
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1714
From: Denver, CO
Registered: Jun 99

- posted 04-16-2002 05:41 PM      Profile for Ian Price   Email Ian Price   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Call Sam Shavez of Bay Area Cinema Products.

He made them and he will want to hear about any failers of any kind.

925.372.7603 Phone
925.372.7658 Fax

bacp2000@aol.com email (Not the best option with him.)


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Scott Norwood
Film God

Posts: 8146
From: Boston, MA. USA (1774.21 miles northeast of Dallas)
Registered: Jun 99

- posted 04-16-2002 06:03 PM      Profile for Scott Norwood   Author's Homepage   Email Scott Norwood   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Out of curiousity: what type of basement readers did you have and what was wrong with them?

I'm familiar with the ones made by Cinemeccanica for V-5 soundheads (these use the slide-projector-type bulb that the cat. 699 and cat. 700 penthouses use) and the ones from Component Engineering made for Simplex soundheads (these use red LEDs). Both work, although the CE/Simplex version seems to have consistently lower error counts and fewer dropouts. I don't know whether the difference is related to the design of the reader or the design of the soundhead into which the reader is installed. I still prefer the cat. 700 penthouse (I haven't used the 701 or the USL models), though.


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John Walsh
Film God

Posts: 2490
From: Connecticut, USA, Earth, Milky Way
Registered: Oct 1999

- posted 04-16-2002 07:59 PM      Profile for John Walsh   Email John Walsh   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Well, I dislike basement readers also. I know of two screening rooms they were removed from and replaced with penthouse types.

I know Steve G. thinks they're OK, but it seems to take an expert like him to make them work. If I had four more Steves near all of our theaters, perhaps I'd like them better.

As a side note, remember those Component Engineering basement readers made for Simplex 5-Star soundheads? They had a funky "light-pipe" that curved around a roller. If you buy a CE LED replacement and send them that light-pipe thing, CE may rebate you a few dollars.

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Mark Gulbrandsen
Resident Trollmaster

Posts: 16657
From: Music City
Registered: Jun 99

- posted 04-16-2002 08:24 PM      Profile for Mark Gulbrandsen   Email Mark Gulbrandsen   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
I also am a big fan of basement readers. yes, with certain blue colored projectors it is hopeless but then so is the rest of the machine. I've had great luck with basement readers in both Century and Simplex machines. Never much problem and always low error rates too. Perhaps a digit higher than a penthouse but still very worthy. Most of the problem with poor SRD tracking lays in a given sound head and not in the basement design. Later pickups now utilize faster optics so longer LED life will be realized too. Although i love the new BCAP penthouse I find that it still can leave a threading mistake waiting to happen while basement readers completely eliminate this problem. Mainly that of remembering to get the loop tight. many don't have a clue and or cannot remember about this so por SRD performance is still realized from penthouse users on occasion.
Mark @ GTS

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Barry Hans
Film Handler

Posts: 92
From: Minneapolis, MN, USA
Registered: May 2000

- posted 04-16-2002 09:19 PM      Profile for Barry Hans   Author's Homepage   Email Barry Hans   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
I am very interested in this topic being we may be getting a digital set up soon ( may- being the key word!) I have done installs with penthouse readers but not basement readers. I have heard nothing negitive about the basement readers until this thread. What's the consensus on Kelmar vs. Component basement readers? I also heard the older white light setups are the way to go ?

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Greg Mueller
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1687
From: Port Gamble, WA
Registered: Jun 99

- posted 04-17-2002 09:23 AM      Profile for Greg Mueller   Author's Homepage   Email Greg Mueller   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
CE's filtered white light/infrared basement units have been out of production for a zillion years although no doubt they still have some parts for them laying around if you really want one

------------------
Greg Mueller
Amateur Astronomer, Machinist, Filmnut
http://www.muellersatomics.com/

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Clint Koch
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1435
From: San Luis Obispo, CA, USA
Registered: Feb 2002

- posted 04-17-2002 05:10 PM      Profile for Clint Koch   Email Clint Koch   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Who did you purchase the unit from? BACP? USL, Inc. manufactures these and BACP markets them. You may get technical help from USL as well as BACP. The USL web-site is www.uslinc.com
Phone numbers, e-mails and contacts are listed on the site.

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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 04-17-2002 08:02 PM      Profile for Aaron Sisemore   Email Aaron Sisemore   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Welcome to the forums, Clint!

-Aaron

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Michael Barry
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 584
From: Sydney, NSW, Australia
Registered: Nov 1999

- posted 04-17-2002 09:13 PM      Profile for Michael Barry   Email Michael Barry   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Kinoton projectors come standard with their own basement readers, and these work very well indeed. Like any reader, they need attention and maintenance but the results are as good as any other reader I've used, including Cat 699 and 700.

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Steve Guttag
We forgot the crackers Gromit!!!

Posts: 12814
From: Annapolis, MD
Registered: Dec 1999

- posted 04-17-2002 10:28 PM      Profile for Steve Guttag   Email Steve Guttag   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
If the technician does the work to make a basement reader reliable, then the analog portion of the soundhead also is improved. I have some pretty important screening rooms on basement readers and have NEVER had a problem as a result. In fact, I've had to service the penthouses much more due to: burned up molex connectors (Cat. 700), broken "omega spring", broken stop pin for pad roller (must be gorillas operating these things though the Uptown currently has one broken stop pin as well) and I have witness several operators just not "get" the penthouse threading despite their near foolproofness...fools are just to creative! The tensioners are spread all of the way out or are touching...<sigh>

As to the old style readers with the light pipe...there is no good reason to change them out. The EPT lamp is far cheaper to replace than the red LED and is operator changable (they get lots of practice with the slide projectors). Furthermore, the CCD imagers used for Dolby Digital prefer the white light over the red, thems the facts.

Steve

------------------
"Old projectionists never die, they just changeover!"

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Stephen Jones
Master Film Handler

Posts: 314
From: Geelong Victoria Australia
Registered: Jun 99

- posted 04-17-2002 11:30 PM      Profile for Stephen Jones   Email Stephen Jones   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Yes I agree with Michael Barry, We have Kinoton FP50D's with the Kinoton Basement readers and I find them to be excellent,Had a few probs with some of them first with drop outs but after some realighnment work done on them 18 months ago they are going very well, some of them according to our records are just about to hit 10,000 hrs and still giveing excellent results even with recon prints.
I prefer them to the Cat 700.Ive always prefered Kinoton equipment they put out a first class product, as the saying goes you've tried the rest now try the best.

Steve

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Clint Koch
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1435
From: San Luis Obispo, CA, USA
Registered: Feb 2002

- posted 04-18-2002 11:50 AM      Profile for Clint Koch   Email Clint Koch   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Thanks Aaron.
Manuel, have you gotten a hold of Sam? If not give us a call to discuss this.
Clint Koch

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Manuel Francisco Valencia
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 151
From: Oklahoma City, OK, USA
Registered: Dec 2000

- posted 04-18-2002 03:56 PM      Profile for Manuel Francisco Valencia   Email Manuel Francisco Valencia   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
You think that if a really good tech installed your readers for you they wouldn't leave a FREAKIN loose connection! Man was that

To answer Scoot I must quote Mark-"yes with certain blue colored projectors it is hopeless," that should give you guys a clue. I remember Brad saying he was traking consistent 3's with these. That is the best I ever heard. One thing about these new readers though is that they are preety loud. Louder thatn the projector.


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