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This topic comprises 2 pages: 1 2
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Author
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Topic: Failsafe doesn't like B&W film
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Peter Mork
Expert Film Handler
Posts: 181
From: Newton, MA, USA
Registered: Jun 2002
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posted 04-15-2007 11:31 PM
About eight months ago we swapped four of our old failsafe/cue detectors for some Component Engineering FM-35s, the type which use an infrared beam to detect film presence and motion. (The ones they replaced were the primitive foil-strip-makes-contact-with-ball bearing variety, and if you've ever been stuck with those, you know how unreliable they are.)
Am I happy with the change? Yes and no - among other things you sure gotta keep the infrared thingies spotless or they won't see the film, and you can't just run a Q-tip over them; you must unscrew the mounting and pull the optical assembly out to do it well enough to work again.
But leave us not get into a rant. Here's the latest wrinkle: last week for the first time I ran black and white film through one of these, and it wouldn't accept it. As soon as the color trailers passed through, the "presence" light popped off and the automation shut down as though there were a film break. Nothing I could do would make it recognize the film, and I had to run each show of that print by manual override. Nuts!
Tried it with a different piece of film; an old B&W trailer: same problem. But it has no trouble with color prints. Tried it on the other FM-35s and they ran it without complaint.
I should also note that on two of the four units including the cranky one, the "motion" light never comes on yet the film runs anyway. Automation is a Kelmar 2035. (Come to think of it, why do you even need a "presence" detector - if the film is moving it is by definition present, no?)
I see nothing in the manual that suggests there's any way to do a sensitivity adjustment on these, so what do you recommend?
[ 04-16-2007, 12:43 AM: Message edited by: Peter Mork ]
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Peter Mork
Expert Film Handler
Posts: 181
From: Newton, MA, USA
Registered: Jun 2002
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posted 04-16-2007 01:05 AM
quote: Frank Dubrois
We've had several B&W films and never had a problem with our Component Engineering FM-35's. Perhaps it might be in your automation?
How so? Far as I can see, the automation only does what the failsafe tells it to.
quote: Frank Dubrois
As far as cleaning goes, we really don't have to clean them at all. I think in 4 years, I've cleaned two of them, but that was because I was trying different things to solve a problem (which dirty sensors were not it). I find it hard to believe that its the FM35's.
That's interesting, because I've several times had them fail to detect film at all, and solved it with a good cleaning.
These were used units, by the way, and I'm starting to wonder if the guy who sold them to us didn't just fob off a bunch of returns.
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