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Author Topic: Masking Motors Recommendations Chase Taylor Expert Film Handler Posts: 175 From: Troy, Alabama, USA Registered: Mar 2001 posted 02-02-2010 10:55 AM                        Does anybody have any recommendations for masking motors?  |  IP: Logged Richard Hamilton Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1341 From: Evansville, Indiana Registered: Jan 2000 posted 02-02-2010 11:11 AM                     talk to Bobby Franklin  |  IP: Logged Brad Miller Administrator Posts: 17775 From: Plano, TX (36.2 miles NW of Rockwall) Registered: May 99 posted 02-02-2010 01:36 PM                     No, no, no, no, no, no, no! I have a couple of complexes with Franklin Design masking motors and they suck!!! The damned circuit boards in them have a ridiculous force-delay timer built into them, which gets in the way of operation. That isn't the worst part though. After some time goes by, the godamned things start randomly closing and opening on their own, right in the middle of the movie! We have had so many problems with them when the third location's motors were delivered and installed and they started spazzing out, we forced the front end company to remove them and replace them with MDI motors, at their expense. I am STILL dealing with problems at the two complexes of Franklin shit motors every week. Franklin motors would get a solid F rating if I was to review them. Stay away from them at all costs. If you want a good reliable motor, buy an MDI.  |  IP: Logged David Zylstra Master Film Handler Posts: 432 From: Novi, MI, USA Registered: Mar 2007 posted 02-02-2010 03:15 PM                     I have a 10 plex installed with the Franklin motors - so far no issues after 9 months. But I will make a point of watching them for the above mentioned odd problems and if any pop up I will post back here. Thanks for mentioning your issues - fuel for a future conversation if we start having issues  |  IP: Logged Mark Gulbrandsen Resident Trollmaster Posts: 16657 From: Music City Registered: Jun 99 posted 02-02-2010 03:20 PM                     MDI also makes one similar to the Franklin motor... I don't know which one is better than the other but there are a number of both types in this area and there has only ever been a problem with one of them t install. Mulone also makes them... I believe out of garage door openers... Don't know if it comes with the remote or not... Mark  |  IP: Logged Richard Hamilton Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1341 From: Evansville, Indiana Registered: Jan 2000 posted 02-02-2010 03:34 PM                     Damn Brad.... Hit a Nerve did I? Bobby's one of the best screen guys there are. Between him and MDI, I wouldn't know who to recommend.  |  IP: Logged Tony Bandiera Jr Film God Posts: 3067 From: Moreland Idaho Registered: Apr 2004 posted 02-02-2010 04:44 PM                     Y'all are nuts.. ADC (Automatic Devices Company) makes the best/most reliable masking motors I have found so far. The Logi-stop model allows up to 20(!) preset stops, a great thing for all those using D-Crapema and the multiple versions of formats.  |  IP: Logged Jonathan Althaus Master Film Handler Posts: 435 From: Bedford, TX Registered: Dec 2008 posted 02-02-2010 04:54 PM                     We use ADC ones here at a 15-screener. In the 5.5 years I've been here, we've only had one problem, and that was some idiotic booth monkey telling it to close the masking over and over again, after it was already closed. Most of our motors look original, I'll have to see if I can find a date on one of them.  |  IP: Logged Jeremy Weigel Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1062 From: Edmond, OK, USA Registered: Mar 2007 posted 02-02-2010 05:06 PM                     When I was at the Crossroads 16 in OKC we had several ADC motors burn up. ADC eventually sent out all new motors and they arrived just before I left Regal.  |  IP: Logged Tony Bandiera Jr Film God Posts: 3067 From: Moreland Idaho Registered: Apr 2004 posted 02-02-2010 05:18 PM                     Jeremy, define burned up, was it the actual motor that fried or was it a control issue? ANY masking motor can/will burn up if it was not sized correctly by the original installer. Regal wasn't known to use the best installers sometimes. I have had my ADC Logi-stop actually pull the masking track off the ceiling at UCI without damaging the motor at all. (this was caused by people leaving tables in the path of the masking on the stage).  |  IP: Logged Brad Miller Administrator Posts: 17775 From: Plano, TX (36.2 miles NW of Rockwall) Registered: May 99 posted 02-02-2010 05:38 PM                     Mark, the MDI motor is the original. Franklin's motor is the cheap knockoff, and you get what you pay for. I recommend the MDI motors because they have never failed me, the price is right and they are a simple and reliable performer.  |  IP: Logged Phil Hill I love my cootie bug Posts: 7595 From: Hollywood, CA USA Registered: Mar 2000 posted 02-02-2010 05:46 PM                  The Grand-Poo-BAH is right on target... I always installed MDI and have never had any problem.  |  IP: Logged Steve Guttag We forgot the crackers Gromit!!! Posts: 12814 From: Annapolis, MD Registered: Dec 1999 posted 02-02-2010 06:08 PM                     The ADC is a more solid machine than MDI, for sure. The logistop does have its own quirk. It accurately records where you set your stops but it has no anticipator so it does not stop until it hits your stop point. The problem is that there is a finite coast down time so it misses. Try hitting the same stop button over an over again and you will see it moves a little this way, then a little that way...always just barely overshooting. What they need to do is figure their coast down time and build that into its "logic" so that it costs down to the right point and if you are within a certain range, not hunt around. MDI got the control thing right in that it slowly ramps up and ramps down. It only has 10-stops...which is plenty for most applications but woefully inadequate for fancy cinemas like the AFI/Silver...where you have to have multitudes of film formats, video formats, computer formats...10 just does not cut it. The MDI also suffers from a woefully inadequate chain path. The MDI should have idler sprockets to force the chain to wrap the drive sprocket. in fact, they should have a spring tensioned idler to deal with cord slack as the system moves (all systems have elasticity to them or they will pull themselves apart. So MDI gets a near miss and you do need to size the motor right. ADC also gets a near miss. Both of them also need to work on their "remote controls" MDI's need a wide box despite being on a single-gang (aka handy box) wall plate or you will not get your wires in. Steve  |  IP: Logged Jeremy Weigel Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1062 From: Edmond, OK, USA Registered: Mar 2007 posted 02-02-2010 06:39 PM                     Hey Tony, The motors burned up. The controllers worked fine. If I recall correctly ADC sent out a rep to assess the problem. I never heard what they determined was the cause of problem with the motors.  |  IP: Logged Chase Taylor Expert Film Handler Posts: 175 From: Troy, Alabama, USA Registered: Mar 2001 posted 02-03-2010 09:34 AM                        Thank You everyone. This information will be very helpful. Chase  |  IP: Logged

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