Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: turret not movin' what da heck?

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

»	Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE » Operations » Film Handlers' Forum » turret not movin' what da heck?

Author

Topic: turret not movin' what da heck?

Mike Jones
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 108
From: Birmingham, MI, USA
Registered: Jul 2000

posted 07-23-2002 10:08 AM

circa 1995: SPA 7 automation, strong TU2020DC turret (i think). sooo, yeah, i push the flat/scope switch and nothing happens. The ghost of the theatre hasn't been around lately. so, i can't really blame her... any ideas?

thanks,
mike

| IP: Logged

William T. Parr
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 823
From: Cedar Park, TX
Registered: Nov 2000

posted 07-23-2002 10:14 AM

Have you checked the connections on the back of the switch and the TU2020 Curcuit to be sure there is not a loose wire? Checked the Fuses on the TU2020 sequencer or put a Continuity checker across the switch to see if you are getting contact aross both terminals of the switch? My guess you might want to start there first.

| IP: Logged

Mike Jones
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 108
From: Birmingham, MI, USA
Registered: Jul 2000

posted 07-23-2002 10:21 AM

checked the connections, yes. checked the fuses connected to the board located behind the spa 7 pannel (i think that's what you mean by sequencer). what exactly is a continuity checker?

thanks for the prompt reply,

mike

| IP: Logged

Jeff Taylor
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 601
From: Chatham, NJ/East Hampton, NY
Registered: Apr 2000

posted 07-23-2002 10:35 AM

For checking continuity you can use any cheap Radio Shack (you should pardon the expression) Volt Ohm Meter, or even one of those fat probes with a penlight cell and bulb in it.

| IP: Logged

Randy Stankey
Film God

Posts: 6539
From: Erie, Pennsylvania
Registered: Jun 99

posted 07-23-2002 10:40 AM

The TU-2000 series uses a constantly driven motor to hold the turret in place, if I'm not mistaken.

There's a clutch/gear assembly that drives the turret. Take the half-circle shaped guard off the bottom/side of the turret and look in there.

Make sure the motor runs. (It gets pretty hot from running constantly.) If not, check for voltage to see if the automation is "asking" it to run. If there is, then you may have to replace the motor. Otherwise, follow the trail backwards to the controller to see if the problem lies there.

If the motor IS running, check the clutch/gear mechanism to see if it hasn't worn out or come loose. Sometimes the motor will be running as it should but the shaft will just spin loose, thereby not turning the turret as it should. It MAY be something simple as taking the gear off, checking the shaft and the "mesh" of the parts and reinstalling them in the correct way.

If I remember right, there's a control box that runs the turret and aperture changer. The problem could lie there. See if your automation is "asking" the control box to move the turret. If not, check your automation to see if it is "asking" the control box to "ask" the turret to move. One good clue to tell if it's the control box or the automation is to look at the aperture changer. When you flip the switch on the console, does the aperture changer work? If so, then the control box is probably working.

There ought to be a red "reset" button on the front of the turret control box. (The same one that has the switch to open the turret.) Pressing that should cause the turret/aperture to flip-flop. If it doesn't then chances are that the problem lies in the control.

In my experience, if it's nothing that I mentioned above, it could be something as simple as a loose wire or a blown fuse. Start there. It's always best to check the easy things first.

| IP: Logged

Mike Jones
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 108
From: Birmingham, MI, USA
Registered: Jul 2000

posted 07-23-2002 12:44 PM

Thanks for your insight Randy. hopefully i can get to it soon.

| IP: Logged

Jean-Michel Grin
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 222
From: Geneva & Lausanne, Switzerland
Registered: Jul 2002

posted 07-23-2002 05:06 PM

Hi !
Check the switch Normal / Treahd situed below the turret side of the "reset" button. I've have experienced problems with this one, (The turret dosen't wanted to open an close automaticaly) the switch was burned. It's better to replace then by a 10 Amperes miniature switch,. I have replaced them two times by a standard switch and the trouble persist, but to end I put a 10 Amperes model. I'ts work fine !
Check the RF suppression capacitors and the connections at the plug of the motors. they can break by fatigue when the turret open and close constantenlly.
Good Luck

PS Sorry for my weak English !

------------------
Jean-Michel Grin - Europlex Cinemas (Switzerland)

| IP: Logged

Darryl Spicer
Film God

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

posted 07-23-2002 05:34 PM

If the aperture changes but the lens does not, most likely it is either a bad motor or a bad wire going to the motor. you either have a gear or a rubber clutch that drives the turret. If your turret is the type that swings open when the lens changes it has the gear. If it the type that shanges lenses without opening it has the rubber clutch. if it is the later type have you tried pulling the turret release lever at the top of the turret to see if the lenses free spin. If you have this type and you pull that lever back, if the motor is working the lenses will move. The coil in this relief lever could be bad not allowing the turret to spin to the next position. There also could be a bad control board for these type of turrets.

| IP: Logged

All times are Central (GMT -6:00)

Printer-friendly view of this topic

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.