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

» Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE   » Operations   » Film Handlers' Forum   » HELP-Eiki 16mm question (Page 1)

This topic comprises 2 pages: 1  2

Author Topic: HELP-Eiki 16mm question Mark Newgarden Film Handler Posts: 8 From: Brooklyn New York Registered: Jun 2006 posted 01-13-2013 10:28 AM                        Quick Eiki SSL-O question: The sound just quit out of nowhere. Exciter lamp lights, fuse is good. Any next logical step to address the problem? THANKS!  |  IP: Logged Paul Mayer Oh get out of it Melvin, before it pulls you under! Posts: 3836 From: Albuquerque, NM Registered: Feb 2000 posted 01-13-2013 10:42 AM                        Check to see if some lint or dirt built up in the light path between the exciter and the pickup device. Sometimes prints will drag something like that into there.  |  IP: Logged Mark Newgarden Film Handler Posts: 8 From: Brooklyn New York Registered: Jun 2006 posted 01-13-2013 11:01 AM                        Thanks, film path is clean, including this area. Machine worked perfectly fine a week ago, now mute...  |  IP: Logged Randy Stankey Film God Posts: 6539 From: Erie, Pennsylvania Registered: Jun 99 posted 01-13-2013 11:04 AM                     Is there a "Mag/Opt" switch on the machine? I have a pair of Elmo projectors that have such a setting. If the switch is in the "Mag" position, it is looking for a magnetic soundtrack and, if there isn't one, no sound will be produced. It has to be set for "Opt" to read the optical soundtrack. Sometimes, this "Mag/Opt" switch is in a non-intuitive location. Sometimes it is labeled simply "M/O." Secondarily, there might be an "Internal/External" switch used to select whether you want to use the internal speaker/amplifier or a remote, external speaker. It might be labeled something like "Line-Out." Give it a look-see. I have occasionally been tripped up by these things.  |  IP: Logged Mark Newgarden Film Handler Posts: 8 From: Brooklyn New York Registered: Jun 2006 posted 01-13-2013 11:51 AM                        Thanks Randy. No mag/ opt switch on this machine-strictly for optical tracks. There is a line-out jack which I have used with a speaker from time to time but no on/ off switch. I tried the line out jack to speaker just to see if anything would come though that way but nothing did...  |  IP: Logged Stephen Furley Film God Posts: 3059 From: Coulsdon, Croydon, England Registered: May 2002 posted 01-13-2013 12:40 PM                     Is there a mic input? If so, do you get any sound when using that? I don't recognise this model; sounds like one of the slot loaders, and I never used any of those. Do you get any sound at all, hiss or mains hum, if you turn the volume right up? Is this internal or external speaker? If external, check for any damage to the cable; also try plugging in a different speaker. If none of that helps it sounds like an amp problem; does the amp have its own fuse?  |  IP: Logged Mark Newgarden Film Handler Posts: 8 From: Brooklyn New York Registered: Jun 2006 posted 01-13-2013 01:05 PM                        Hi Stephen- Yes this is an Eiki slot loader, internal speaker. There is a mic input but I don't have anything with a jack that size to test it with. There is NO hiss or hum at all. Yes, there is a fuse for the amp, the first thing I tried. I switched fuses with the exciter lamp fuse which is clearly working (exact same fuse type). The exciter lit with the switched fuse, so it must be good -but still no sound with the either fuse in place. I even tried a spare I had on hand and again, nothing. Thanks for all suggestions, I've been using this machine for many years with no problems and I still can't help but think the solution has to be something fairly simple that I'm overlooking...  |  IP: Logged Jeff Taylor Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 601 From: Chatham, NJ/East Hampton, NY Registered: Apr 2000 posted 01-13-2013 01:41 PM                     Try some non synch input in the mic jack. If you don't get any sound I would guess the amp itself quit on you rather than a solar cell/exciter problem. If that is the case, you can pull the signal off the solar cell where it plugs into the amp and send it through any external amplifier with a mic input, at least until you get the amp repaired.  |  IP: Logged Mark Newgarden Film Handler Posts: 8 From: Brooklyn New York Registered: Jun 2006 posted 01-13-2013 02:16 PM                        Assuming the amp did just "quit" does anybody have an leads on someone who does this type of repair in the NYC area?  |  IP: Logged Randy Stankey Film God Posts: 6539 From: Erie, Pennsylvania Registered: Jun 99 posted 01-13-2013 03:01 PM                     Stupid questions: Does the film have an optical soundtrack? Is the film threaded correctly? I know... dumbass questions but dumbass things like that have tripped me up before. If you slide a business card or something small, thin and opaque through the film path at the sound scanning point do you get the characteristic "THUMP" sound? In other words, verify that the projector is or is not working correctly regardless of the film. As mentioned, it might be a problem with the film, not the machine. This will verify.  |  IP: Logged Mark Newgarden Film Handler Posts: 8 From: Brooklyn New York Registered: Jun 2006 posted 01-13-2013 03:11 PM                        Film has optical track, have tried a few in fact. No "THUMP" with credit card swipe test. It's the machine for sure, and the amp "quitting" seems a possibility. Any thoughts on amp repair options appreciated!  |  IP: Logged Rick Raskin Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1100 From: Manassas Virginia Registered: Jan 2003 posted 01-13-2013 04:12 PM                     Try posting on this site . There are a lot of Eiki buffs there as well as some very knowledgeable repair people.  |  IP: Logged Mark Newgarden Film Handler Posts: 8 From: Brooklyn New York Registered: Jun 2006 posted 01-13-2013 04:40 PM                        Thanks for the tip!  |  IP: Logged Leo Enticknap Film God Posts: 7474 From: Loma Linda, CA Registered: Jul 2000 posted 01-13-2013 08:22 PM                        quote: Mark Newgarden There is NO hiss or hum at all. That would seem to imply that the amplifier is fundamentally not working. Like Stephen, I have very little experience with Eiki slotloaders, but I do have an NT-1 and an RT-2. The only other thing that occurs to me is that there is a plug and jack, which I think is 2.5mm (as in, smaller than a mini headphone jack), where the line from the photocell connects to the amplifier module in the base of the machine in on one of them (presumably to facilitate the easy swapping out of the entire amp module). Apologies if this sounds a bit vague - my projectors are back home in England and I'm currently in Southern California, and so can't open one up to look and take photos. Could that plug have simply worked loose and fallen out?  |  IP: Logged Mark Newgarden Film Handler Posts: 8 From: Brooklyn New York Registered: Jun 2006 posted 01-13-2013 09:13 PM                        Leo -Thank you for that info- I have not taken opened the back and taken a close look yet (because I'm not exactly sure what to look for) but I will see if I can figure this out from your description. THANKS for all the feedback here; its all very much appreciated.  |  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.