posted June 28, 2005 06:42 PM
My Beaulieu 708EL-STEREO has a sound problem. My local engineer tells me that the fault is located somewhere in the stereo amplifier. In order to find the exact spot he would need the amplifier electronic circuit diagram. Can anyone supply me a photocopy of such diagram or suggest where I can get one ? Many thanks and regards Antonio
Posts: 978
From: Bapchild, Kent, UK
Registered: May 2004
posted June 29, 2005 05:23 PM
Hello Antonio Sadly although I use Beaulieu 708 projectors I do not have a service manual or circuit diagram, only the original user's instruction manuals. Just hoping other Beaulieu owners may see this thread and respond if they know where to get one from, as I too would be interested in owning a full service manual for the mono and stereo models for future reference. Kevin.
posted June 30, 2005 01:53 AM
The Widescreen Centre may be able to point you in the right direction as they were selling them new up until the end. You'll find contact details on the super 8 links page of www.bfcc.biz if you need them.
-------------------- British Film Collectors Convention home page www.bfcc.biz. The site is for the whole of the film collecting hobby and not just the BFCC.
Posts: 1633
From: Cheshire, U.K.
Registered: Dec 2003
posted June 30, 2005 03:57 AM
Antonio, if possible try OLD TIMER CAMERAS on (+44) 0208 953 5479. Or at www.oldtimercameras.co.uk
They are based in the UK and sell copies of all kinds of manuals. I bought one for my Beaulieu 708EL and Elmo ST-1200HD from them.
Unfortunately, my 708 is the mono version, so the circuit is probably different or you could have had a copy.
You have to pay for the manuals but they are complete photocopies (over 100 pages in the Beaulieu one!) and are nicely bound.
They can be also be very useful for minor do-it-yourself work and for future problems. One slight word of caution; when an engineer ordered some parts for my Beaulieu recently from the Widesrcreen Centre, the part numbers had changed. But they could still identify them and find the new part numbers using the manual as a guide. Also, we were able to get brand new parts from Beaulieu although it took quite a while!
posted July 04, 2005 05:39 PM
Kevin Clark-Jean-Marc Toussaint-John Cancy-Rob Young
Many thanks to all above, for your inputs. I followed Rob´s advice and contacted by phone OLD TIMER CAMERAS. They can supply copies for the complete Repair Manual for both the Double Track or the Stereo versions of the BEAULIEU 708EL. In my case they are sending me a copy of just the amplifier circuit diagram for the Stereo version, which is what I need. Do contact them, they are most helpfull. Thanks again and all the best.
Posts: 978
From: Bapchild, Kent, UK
Registered: May 2004
posted July 05, 2005 05:01 PM
Hello Antonio That's great news, I hope your engineer sorts the problem out for you quickly - I will buy the manuals from Oldtimer Cameras soon for future reference & self servicing. It's good to hear that spares are still available too. Rob, do you know if your parts came from Beaulieu or from Witners via The Widescreen Centre? Kevin
posted July 05, 2005 06:55 PM
Hello Kevin I bought several spareparts for my Beaulieu 708EL-Stereo, directly from Witners in Germany. They acquired all the stock from Beaulieu Industries when they went bankrupt. Check their site where they list most of the parts available. Regards Antonio
Posts: 1633
From: Cheshire, U.K.
Registered: Dec 2003
posted July 06, 2005 08:50 AM
Thanks.
What a great site. The list of spares is amazing! I wish I could buy a spare of everything there; that would keep my projector going forever!
If only there was company with a list of Elmo spares like this!
EDIT: Just had a better look around the site; my German is not too good unfortunately but they seem to be advertising re-conditioned 708EL stereo machines for about 3000 euros? With the spares available, these machines could be like new!
Posts: 2211
From: New York City, NY, USA
Registered: Jun 2003
posted July 06, 2005 11:57 AM
Sadly, the reconditioned units are no longer available. At least thats what I was told about a year ago. The Beaulieu site is currently dead.
posted July 06, 2005 05:03 PM
I think thats right Alan. The machines were all going back to the Beaulieu factory for refurb but as you say I think the factory is now closed.
Kev.
-------------------- GS1200 Xenon with Elmo 1.0...great combo along with a 16-CL Xenon for that super bright white light.
posted July 06, 2005 05:25 PM
I concur... Unless you know the Buisse-Botazzi family, who created the 708 prototype for Beaulieu. Last time I heard, they were still running a shop near Lyon, manufacturing customer 16 and 35 mmm projectors. But they were no longer dealing with 8mm...
Posts: 707
From: Roma, Italia
Registered: Feb 2005
posted September 29, 2005 03:46 AM
Hello everyone!
I'm writing because I'm experiencing an Audio problem on my recently bought Beaulieu 708EL STEREO, which seems not able to produce any sound at all! I can hear a noise signal coming out from the internal speaker, especially whan I move the volume slider control, but no sound during the normal movie projection.
I was wondering, and so asking Antonio, if he had been able to solve his problem and in what exactly it consisted!
Unfortunately I have no Engineer to ask for help, so I would try to solve the problem by my self (if possible).
posted September 29, 2005 04:31 AM
Flavio, (Ugo gave me this tip a while ago): Try to touch - very gently - the sound heads with a small metallic object (in play+sound mode, with volume halfway up). Do you hear something?
If not, you might want to change the heads, fortunately, they are still available from Wittner at the URL mentionned further up in this thread.
Posts: 707
From: Roma, Italia
Registered: Feb 2005
posted September 29, 2005 05:29 AM
Hello Jean-Marc!
Many thanks for your answer! I kwow Ugo very well and I asked yesterday night directly to him for any possible reason of this failure... He probably forgot about this suggestion (at least I hope so!) because he replied with no suggestion to my email! My suspect is that due to his ELMO GS's mania (that partially is also mine - I own three GS-1200), he is disappointed with me because I bought this Beaulieu against his suggestion!
Ugo? Are you there?
However, as soon as I will be back at home this evening I will try your suggestion.
What is strange to me is the I just talked with the person who sold me it, and he guarantees the sound was working before shipping to me from Cannes to Rome... so I was wondering now if any damage could have been caused by the transportation.
posted September 29, 2005 05:59 AM
Flavio, Indeed, anything could have happened during shipping. One bad hit to the box and a simple wire could have been disconnected. In my opinion, both the sound and the unstable focus (due to excessive heat to the micrometric knob) have always been the weakest aspects of the 708. I still think that this machine features the best threading system ever. Despite what I said many months ago, removing the film from its path, if you need to interrupt the projection, is child's play once you understand how to handle it. I therefore stand corrected.
Posts: 506
From: Avellino (Italy)
Registered: Dec 2003
posted September 29, 2005 02:07 PM
quote: He probably forgot about this suggestion (at least I hope so!) because he replied with no suggestion to my email! My suspect is that due to his ELMO GS's mania (that partially is also mine - I own three GS-1200), he is disappointed with me because I bought this Beaulieu against his suggestion!
Very funny, very very funny... (of course I know Flavio personally, so I'll can hit him next time we meet... )
Posts: 707
From: Roma, Italia
Registered: Feb 2005
posted September 29, 2005 03:43 PM
Hi there!
unfortunately, after Ugo/Jean-Marc's suggestion I need to confirm that I cannot hear anything when I touch the heads with a small screwdriver (in play + sound position) ... I continue to hear the noise signal coming out from internal speaker: I even notice the tonality change of noise when I move the Tone slider, but nothing else...
May I exclude at least major damages to the main amplifier if I can hear these noise signals? May I do any other test to conclude I need to replace the sound heads? But anyway, if this is the case, it means that who sold me the projector is saying not the truth! Is it possible the heads have been damaged during shipping and before they were perfectly working?
posted September 29, 2005 04:01 PM
Very unlikely to be the heads. It could be something to do with switches or their positions. I dont know these machines too well but if you can hear hiss from the speaker which you can vary the tone of it would suggest that the preamp and amp are working and that there is no input going into the amps. Are you sure you have all the switches in the correct positions?
Kev.
-------------------- GS1200 Xenon with Elmo 1.0...great combo along with a 16-CL Xenon for that super bright white light.
Posts: 707
From: Roma, Italia
Registered: Feb 2005
posted September 29, 2005 04:19 PM
Hi Kevin,
Well, really I followed exactly the procedure in the user manual for the 'dummy user' at his first projection with sound! Infact there is the 'secure way' to follow, when you make your first sound projection, that suggests that every switch should be in the position of the small "orange square". I don't know if you can follow me, but this means that the manual indicates, switch by switch, which is the exact position for each of them for the 'safe' play mode (against the 'rec' one for the newbie user that could accidentally have chosen the wrong position for one or more switches).
Another thing is that when I touch the plan slab where all the switches and sliders are located I can hear a small buzz coming from the speakers (something related to grounding?)
posted September 29, 2005 08:07 PM
Why don't we take this from the beginning... are the wire connections from the soundheads to the amplifier stage OK? Some wire may have popped off, especially with how thin and fragile the soundhead wires usually are...
-------------------- Call me Phoenix. *dusts off the ashes*
Posts: 707
From: Roma, Italia
Registered: Feb 2005
posted September 30, 2005 03:04 PM
I checked again and all wires from the sound head to the little circuit under located are connected... Any other suggestion? Now I say probably a stupid thing: it can't be a problem of some hidden fuse I cannot find, can it?