my profile | my password | search | faq & rules | forum home

» Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE   » Operations   » Film Handlers' Forum   » Big Sky automation vs. Neumade Maxi-12 (Page 1)

This topic comprises 2 pages: 1  2

Author Topic: Big Sky automation vs. Neumade Maxi-12 Ken Layton Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1452 From: Olympia, Wash. USA Registered: Sep 1999 posted 01-14-2003 12:44 PM                     Why do the Big Sky Series 1 and Neumade Maxi-12 automations look alike? Who actually makes them??? Same question has been haunting me on the Big Sky lamphouse electronic display meter panel and Neumade's version also. Is there actually any difference in these units? I would like to see Neumade put a section on their website describing their automation units and cue detectors.  |  IP: Logged Steve Guttag We forgot the crackers Gromit!!! Posts: 12814 From: Annapolis, MD Registered: Dec 1999 posted 01-14-2003 04:47 PM                     The Big Sky and Neumade stuff are so similar they are interchangable! The Big Sky console/lamphouse panel display is a bit nicer in that it has status lights for the various interlocks. Steve  |  IP: Logged Mark Gulbrandsen Resident Trollmaster Posts: 16657 From: Music City Registered: Jun 99 posted 01-14-2003 11:32 PM                     DEFINATELY...Stay away from both of them! Go with something decent like the Kelmar Deluxe, or Ultimation. They are VERY RELIABLE workhorses and have tried and true cue detectors The Strong series(made by Eprad) is also good...CNA100, 150, and 200. Fool around with what ever you want to, but there ain't much else out there in my book cept whats listed above. Mark  |  IP: Logged Joe Redifer You need a beating today Posts: 12859 From: Denver, Colorado Registered: May 99 posted 01-15-2003 12:37 AM                        The CA21 will kill any of those you listed, Mark.  |  IP: Logged Brad Miller Administrator Posts: 17775 From: Plano, TX (36.2 miles NW of Rockwall) Registered: May 99 posted 01-15-2003 01:45 AM                     Oh no, no, no, no, no Mr. Mark. The CNA-150s I've played with were the biggest nightmare I have ever had to deal with. After doing a lot of grounding work they are finally running well for about 98% of the shows...but it's that other pesky 2% that makes me still hate them dearly. They are also not very operator friendly in programming and are lacking quite a bit in features. (I'm sure the CNA-200 satisfies that need, but I don't think I'll ever give it a chance after the CNA-150 fiasco.) Go with the CA21 if you want quality, ease and features. If you need something basic, check out Kelmar (and products made by them with other manufacturer's names on them) and Component Engineering's stuff. To hell with everything else.  |  IP: Logged Daryl Lund Film Handler Posts: 88 From: Chehalis,WA, USA Registered: Feb 2000 posted 01-15-2003 10:02 PM                     I think componant ingineerings ta10 is really good.  |  IP: Logged Mark Gulbrandsen Resident Trollmaster Posts: 16657 From: Music City Registered: Jun 99 posted 01-15-2003 10:15 PM                     I've probably got about close to 100 CNA 100, 150, and Eprad Ultimation out there not counting all the Ultimations I installed in the Midwest. So few problems with with any of them I'd have to struggle to remember what the last problem I had with any of them was. The build quality on Neumades stuff is horrible....the last Neumade stuff I installed in Indiana was a literal rats nest!! Brad, I suspect that you have a major electrical issue in that building....if you have a proper ground there are never any problems. As far as the Kelmar Deluxe goes it jst good ole reliable....all electromechanical. Joe, You can have the CA-21! It might work great, but what happens if the Aussie manufacturer goes belly up? I wouldn't sell something to a customer that hasn't been around in the field for a long time. Darryl, I don't even classify the TA-10 as automation. You have to do so much to it to adapt it to different schemes that you may as well just build your own automation. Have you ever had to change the main board in a complicated detup....? Plan on spending ALOT of time doing that! You also have to move over any diodes and add-ons that were originally put in to make the theatre function. I've also had ALOT of failures of the power supply section in them although I do know that has been improved. The CE cue detector is quite good, and comes in 70mm size. But the FP-300 runs rings around it and has not needed any mods to work with estar film. Mark  |  IP: Logged Brad Miller Administrator Posts: 17775 From: Plano, TX (36.2 miles NW of Rockwall) Registered: May 99 posted 01-15-2003 10:55 PM                     Mark, we will have to agree to disagree. The CA21 takes the Strong stuff hands down. Let me put it this way, if you had CNA automations in a complex and they went bonkers on you, you would be flat out refusing to install them anywhere else too, regardless of any "electrical issues" that may or may not have been on that site. You know that is what would happen. I don't think Pennywise will be going anywhere. I would be more concerned about Eprad. At least Pennywise and Christie gave full support of their product whenever questions or installation issues arose. Strong ignored most of my emails and phone messages and Eprad did not return calls at all. What a friggin' joke! Putting product support aside, let's look at this. Pennywise's computer interface is graphical and extremely easy to monitor the booth with, whereas Strong's is not. Heck, you don't even have to have a clock in the booth or schedules on the projectors (or in your back pocket) to run a CA21 booth. Strong's computer converter box is $1200!!!!!!! Pennywise's uses a standard RS485 card for $75. You can see the entire program of cues with the CA21. Can't do that without cycling through screens and looking for flashing lights on Strong's automation. You set the TIME to start on the CA21. On Strong's CNA automations the projectionist has to do some math, then set a COUNTDOWN time. (And we all know occasionally mathematical errors happen and result in a show starting at the wrong time.) You know exactly what is going on with Pennywise's status panels. With Strong's panels, you pretty much only know if it is running or not. I could go on and on, but even with just these few examples, Strong's automations (at least the CNA-150) sucks in feature comparison, reliability and most importantly...product support from the manufacturer.  |  IP: Logged Daryl C. W. O'Shea Film God Posts: 3977 From: Midland Ontario Canada (where Panavision & IMAX lenses come from) Registered: Jun 2002 posted 01-15-2003 11:01 PM                        And here I thought, Brad, that you enjoyed that ever friendly programming interface of the CNA-150.  |  IP: Logged Ken Layton Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1452 From: Olympia, Wash. USA Registered: Sep 1999 posted 01-15-2003 11:21 PM                     Did Big Sky build the automation for Neumade or did Neumade build the automation for Big Sky? They look so much alike.  |  IP: Logged Paul Mayer Oh get out of it Melvin, before it pulls you under! Posts: 3836 From: Albuquerque, NM Registered: Feb 2000 posted 01-16-2003 02:16 AM                        My understanding is that Big Sky was started by former Neumade folks. Apparently they took ideas with them to the new company. Reminds me of Magni vis-a-vis Tektronix in the video waveform monitor world.  |  IP: Logged Richard Fowler Film God Posts: 2392 From: Ft. Lauderdale, FL, USA Registered: Jun 2001 posted 01-16-2003 09:33 AM                     The Pennywise CA 21 will not belly up since Kinoton and other manufacturers, circuits such as Hoyts, and International distributors handle their product. Richard Fowler Kinoton America  |  IP: Logged Tim Reed Better Projection Pays Posts: 5246 From: Northampton, PA Registered: Sep 1999 posted 01-16-2003 10:28 AM                       I don't know, Richard, there were a lot of Rank automations out there, too.  |  IP: Logged Richard Fowler Film God Posts: 2392 From: Ft. Lauderdale, FL, USA Registered: Jun 2001 posted 01-16-2003 01:59 PM                     The history of Rank business operations would make a good book  |  IP: Logged Pat Moore Master Film Handler Posts: 363 Registered: Mar 2000 posted 01-16-2003 03:13 PM                     I'd like to think you'll see Strong and Eprad for a while as well... Pat  |  IP: Logged

All times are Central (GMT -6:00)

This topic comprises 2 pages: 1  2

Printer-friendly view of this topic

Hop To: Select a Forum: Category: Operations -------------------- Digital Cinema Forum Film Handlers' Forum Large Format Forum Ground Level Feature Info, Trailer Attachments & REAL Credit Offsets Category: Community -------------------- Film-Yak Film Handlers' Movie Reviews The Afterlife Bob Maar's Joke-A-Thon Category: Classified -------------------- Equipment and Supplies Wanted/For Sale Help Wanted/Seeking Employment Category: System -------------------- Software Beta Testing Forum

The Film-Tech Forums are designed for various members related to the cinema industry to express their opinions, viewpoints and testimonials on various products, services and events based upon speculation, personal knowledge and factual information through use, therefore all views represented here allow no liability upon the publishers of this web site and the owners of said views assume no liability for any ill will resulting from these postings. The posts made here are for educational as well as entertainment purposes and as such anyone viewing this portion of the website must accept these views as statements of the author of that opinion and agrees to release the authors from any and all liability.