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Author Topic: Elmo running a bit slow
Steve Klare
Film Guy

Posts: 7016
From: Long Island, NY, USA
Registered: Jun 2003


 - posted January 15, 2016 02:26 PM      Profile for Steve Klare   Email Steve Klare   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Engineering is the art of "Close Enough".

This machine is just for showing films anyway. I suspect most ST-1200s are and always were.

I have friend at the power plant, If I really wanted it tweaked within +/-.1 FPS I'd just ask him to nudge the frequency!

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All I ask is a wide screen and a projector to light her by...

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Andrew Woodcock
Film God

Posts: 7477
From: Manchester Uk
Registered: Aug 2012


 - posted January 15, 2016 02:28 PM      Profile for Andrew Woodcock         Edit/Delete Post 
That'll do it Steve! [Big Grin] [Big Grin] [Wink]

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"C'mon Baggy..Get with the beat"

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Steve Klare
Film Guy

Posts: 7016
From: Long Island, NY, USA
Registered: Jun 2003


 - posted January 15, 2016 02:30 PM      Profile for Steve Klare   Email Steve Klare   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Yeah, so what if the neighborhood's clocks don't keep time anymore!

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All I ask is a wide screen and a projector to light her by...

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Andrew Woodcock
Film God

Posts: 7477
From: Manchester Uk
Registered: Aug 2012


 - posted January 15, 2016 02:41 PM      Profile for Andrew Woodcock         Edit/Delete Post 
I'd love my local electric supplier to supply our clocks at 49hz when I'm OFF work then give us all 51hz when I'm in! Ha ha ha.

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"C'mon Baggy..Get with the beat"

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Brian Fretwell
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1785
From: London, UK
Registered: Jun 2014


 - posted January 16, 2016 06:00 AM      Profile for Brian Fretwell   Email Brian Fretwell   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
London supply frequency always varies with load on generating plant I suspect Manchester does the same, but it is evened out over 24 hrs so that would work.

I know this because working in a BT computer switching centre we had a frequency meter on the main fault desk. I think this was due to the no break emergency power generators were frequency triggered to keep the supply good at all times. The machines worked with the mains passing through the generator set and keeping it spinning when it dipped the diesels started with the energy in the rotating alternator giving power until speeds matched and the clutch between them engaged. Thus the need for a frequency meter as you could see during the change over if it dropped too low.

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Joseph Randall
Master Film Handler

Posts: 437
From: Wyckoff, NJ, USA
Registered: Jun 2015


 - posted February 11, 2016 02:09 PM      Profile for Joseph Randall     Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
I gave my ST1200HD a good lube, and it helped a little, but it still took a few minutes for it to get up to speed with a film running.

So I took the back off, plugged it in, and noticed that the belt connected to the motor pulley was flopping a bit. It's a wonder that this machine ever got up to the correct speed.

I replaced the belt, and now it runs at speed from the get-go.

I agree that a good lube is always a good idea, though, to keep the machine running at its best.

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Steve Klare
Film Guy

Posts: 7016
From: Long Island, NY, USA
Registered: Jun 2003


 - posted February 11, 2016 02:48 PM      Profile for Steve Klare   Email Steve Klare   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Excellent!

It seemed for a long time like we just accepted that these machines were always slow, but one by one we seem to be finding the real problems and straightening them out.

-Elmo didn't intend they would act like this! There must be a reason (or several...).

My ST-1200 didn't get to a real 24 FPS for years. Early on I measured the speed with an optical sensor and a meter with frequency measurement and I came up with something under 23 FPS even warmed up.

This has real consequences. I run my audio through a mixer that has an equalizer for each channel. Before I fixed my ST-1200 I ran it with the bass turned way down because the sound was kind of muddy. Since I lubed it, replaced the shutter wheel rubber and replaced the motor pulley the equalizer settings are much closer to what I use for my other machines.

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All I ask is a wide screen and a projector to light her by...

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Andrew Woodcock
Film God

Posts: 7477
From: Manchester Uk
Registered: Aug 2012


 - posted February 11, 2016 03:31 PM      Profile for Andrew Woodcock         Edit/Delete Post 
the HD models on these can produce excellent CLARITY of sound, I agree. Lovely low end powerful bass and very good top end also!

I ran a digitally re recorded print of a favourite Elvis film of mine through my HD just before parting with the machine.

I ran it through a Numark CM200 mixer then onto a vintage stereo amp and through to some decent Mission bookshelf speakers.
The tonal sound quality was remarkable that day I have to say.

"One of those days" was sensational!

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"C'mon Baggy..Get with the beat"

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Joseph Randall
Master Film Handler

Posts: 437
From: Wyckoff, NJ, USA
Registered: Jun 2015


 - posted February 11, 2016 08:08 PM      Profile for Joseph Randall     Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
BTW, the belt I replaced was about 20 years old. Not bad -- it didn't even break -- it was just stretched out a little too much.

The "new" belt is about 20 years old, too, just never used. Bought it directly from Elmo as a spare when they still had them available. Should have bought more than one.

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Andrew Woodcock
Film God

Posts: 7477
From: Manchester Uk
Registered: Aug 2012


 - posted February 11, 2016 08:11 PM      Profile for Andrew Woodcock         Edit/Delete Post 
Just watch those guides and rollers buddy!!!

Your next BIG focus point!

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"C'mon Baggy..Get with the beat"

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Joseph Randall
Master Film Handler

Posts: 437
From: Wyckoff, NJ, USA
Registered: Jun 2015


 - posted February 12, 2016 04:07 PM      Profile for Joseph Randall     Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Guides and rollers seem to be in good shape.

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John Capazzo
Master Film Handler

Posts: 421
From: Hillside, NJ USA
Registered: Jan 2004


 - posted February 14, 2016 11:28 AM      Profile for John Capazzo     Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
The motor belt means everything on the original ST 1200. If it's 1/8 off (or a few mm), it makes a difference. Does it rewind entirely or stop during a 400' film? Usually that's also the sign of an incorrect belt. The motors almost never die or run slowly on those machines. The main concern in the future is the amp. Some start to get high piercing noise.

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"the image is about 30 feet ahead of us."

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Steve Klare
Film Guy

Posts: 7016
From: Long Island, NY, USA
Registered: Jun 2003


 - posted February 14, 2016 12:06 PM      Profile for Steve Klare   Email Steve Klare   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
I had the high frequency shriek a couple of times and I "fixed" it by working the recording key. One day even this didn't work anymore. I soldered a jumper across the normally closed terminals and clipped the wire off the normally open one.

It's been a couple of years and now I haven't heard the shriek again.

(The last time it happened I was working through an Amp...I'm lucky I didn't kill half the dogs on the block!)

I suppose I should replace the switch, but it's not exactly at the top of my list.

The Amp IC is still out there as New Old Stock. If you are good with a soldering iron replacing it yourself is doable.

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All I ask is a wide screen and a projector to light her by...

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