8mm Forum: BEAULIEU : Modifications In Progress

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Posted by Phil Murat (Member # 5148) on March 03, 2017, 01:54 PM:

Hello Beaulieu's Fans,

Here is the "first juice" of the new Regulation Card (Have a look on French Forum Link).

30% modification and re Engineering.

Beaulieu Modifications in progess

A set of Card will be launched in production within 2 months approx...

This picture is showing a Stereo Projector compatible card . However connectors set are completely different from former ones and have to be change as a full set (Male/Female).
The new connectors are very common (used on computers) and pin/socket are a bit stronger (increase current capacity)
L200C regulators are not used anymore and replaced by LT1074HV which allow an incomming voltage up to 60V.
Also LT1074HV are oversized (5A capacity)
CS140 will be installed on a DIP support and can be removed in a few minutes without having to pull up the card from the projector, as necessary (CS140 will not be directly brazed on PCB)

New Card is an Epoxy FR4 material , showing dual lays, fully tin coated. A 2 lays tracks offers a much more homogeneous configuration than a single track PCB....

A Second "major" Step will be to adapt this card to the "Mono Sound" Machine to allow a more confortable Variable Speed Range , allowing to reach 26 to 27 fps.
Adapting Voltage for Mono Sound machine (MONO 32V instead of STEREO 24V), is easy to achieve (Only one resistor to change).

Enjoy it !!!

Phil

NB
All drawings were performed with "TCI" software which is a fantastic tool , easy to use for beginners (Highly recommended)

[ March 03, 2017, 03:51 PM: Message edited by: Phil Murat ]

Posted by Andrew Woodcock (Member # 3260) on March 03, 2017, 04:41 PM:

So is this something you are marketing here Phil, or just a one off for your own machine(s)?

I'd be interested in obtaining the updated board should you be offering these to the general public.

It would be most useful if the L200C's ever disappeared altogether.

Posted by Phil Murat (Member # 5148) on March 04, 2017, 02:08 AM:

Hello Andrew,

As you know, I am not involved in any business. I am not a professional, have no "shop", so I have "no right" to do business.
Making business with that should be illegal.
What I observe also is that a bad business arround super 8 is not a good thing for this activity.

The only thing I can do is to build very few of it and to sell at a nominal cost without any benefit.
Also, that could only be possible if new card is 100% satisfactorying me, upon some hours of testing.

An other "motivating" solution should be to make an exchange against "equivalent" in S8 movies ..... I am opened

Observe also, Due to the new connectors installed , 22 wires have to be replaced and rebrazed in same position.
That needs to have suitable tools to do it.
The new wires , keeping same colours as possible, will be crimped on the sockets as it was at the origin.

L200C is an interesting component. However incomming voltage limit is too low.
So , I confirm both L200C will be replace by LT1074HV.

Keep in touch

Phil

Posted by Andrew Woodcock (Member # 3260) on March 04, 2017, 07:27 AM:

It's not so much a business proposition I was suggesting Phil, more just a case of making more than one, then selling the copies privately.

Nothing illegal with doing that Phil.

Posted by Phil Murat (Member # 5148) on March 04, 2017, 07:39 AM:

No problem Andrew, I'll keep one on left for you .. [Wink]

If you have already brand new spare(s) for CS140, may be it is not necessary the new card is delivered with it ?

Posted by Andrew Woodcock (Member # 3260) on March 04, 2017, 07:53 AM:

Yes I've got around three new CS 140 IC's so I won't need that adding thanks Phil.

I really like the fact you have mounted the IC into a DIP support adaptor. It's something that would have been handy in the first instance.

I may never need it, but is a handy thing to have, just in case Phil. Send me a wiring diagram with it please come the time seeing as I need to configure the existing wiring harness onto a new style plug.

Posted by Phil Murat (Member # 5148) on March 04, 2017, 09:04 AM:

Normally, Andrew, it will come with plugs already wired and crimped with a correct wire portion lenght.
For wires ended with a "spade" style terminal (Switchs links), terminals will be crimped too.
90% of colours are identical to origin. (I didn't found dual color wires as BlueWhite, RedBlack)
So, In case of a retrofit is necessary that should be easier to do.

Posted by Andrew Woodcock (Member # 3260) on March 04, 2017, 09:31 AM:

Great stuff Phil. A final connection diagram for the speed controlling board would still be useful to me though Phil, just for clarification thanks.

The STK Amp IC should also have been mounted this way too, in an ideal world.

Posted by Phil Murat (Member # 5148) on May 04, 2017, 12:06 PM:

Hello Beaulieu's Fans,

Here is Power & Régulation Card "Prototype" .....First Juice !!

Follow the link :

MODICATIONS IN PROGRESS

This is not only a simple Clone as many upgrades were incorporated on this card

At this time , I have only tested the Power Stage for Amp.
The 24 V is easy to set and looks very stable.

CS140 has not been installed during preliminary Tests.

Regulation & Synchro Test will follow on......Crossing Fingers

NB

To be note the aim of this release is also to get a card which can be use in either "Stereo" or "Mono" Machine with minor change.
Using LT1074HV will normaly help a lot....

[ May 04, 2017, 01:14 PM: Message edited by: Phil Murat ]

Posted by Andrew Woodcock (Member # 3260) on May 04, 2017, 03:32 PM:

Thanks for the update Phil. I look forward to seeing all of your modifications upon completion.☺

Posted by Alan Rik (Member # 73) on May 04, 2017, 04:59 PM:

Looks great!

Posted by Winbert Hutahaean (Member # 58) on May 04, 2017, 06:34 PM:

Although I live in the French world now, but I am lazy to read in French. So tell me what is the main aim of this modification?

Posted by Andrew Woodcock (Member # 3260) on May 04, 2017, 09:32 PM:

Phil is looking to bring the motor controlling circuits into the 21st Century Winbert.
Ultimately, an upgrade would do away with the need for a photocell and tiny lamp arrangement to match the speeds of the main motor and capstan motor accurately at all times without a floating roller.
He may also go on to facilitate his machine with an accurate frequency meter that would enable sync matching far easier than is currently possible.
It should then perform like a quartz locked old arrangement.

Posted by Phil Murat (Member # 5148) on May 05, 2017, 10:50 AM:

Thanks Andrew for your comments.

Concerning Winbert question the aim is to increase quality of the board in a first time:

- Former boards are poor quality material, sometimes cooper tracks can peel off.
New one is Epoxy FR4, full Tin coated, CNC predrilled and cut out.....

- Former board is not showing a nice track management.
New one is double lays, so the drawing is much more homogeneous.

- Due to aging and numerous capacitors installed on the board , aging increase the failure rate , more particularly if not often used.
New one is built with modern items.

- Former Board Voltage is controlled by L200C Regulators. Unfortunately transformer deliver 40V to input . So Beaulieu imagine to drop input voltage for about 3,5v by adding 5 diodes.
This is a cheap solution but not acceptable.
New one is showing LT1074HV (x2) (instead of L200C) which offer a confortable margin for input Voltage (60V capacity)
Observe Output Voltage can be adjusted with Multiturns Trimmers with much higher precision than before.
Observe also that LT1074HV is working at 100Khz so that this frequency has, normally, no unwanted effect on quality of the sound

- Former board is fitted with resistors 5% and some capacitors "K" rate (+/- 10%).
New one is fitted with resistors 1% and Capacitors "J" rate (+/- 5%) as possible.

Due to LT1074HV high frequency, Output Capacitors installed are 105°C and High Frequency Capability, Low impedance.

- Former Board is showing CS140 directly brazed on PCB. This is cheap and bad when you need to replace it.

New one is showing CS140 installed on DIL support. 10mn necessary to replace CS140 without unbrazing anything.
CS140 will be easy to pull out using a narrow strap....

- Former Board is showing obsolete connectors bars no more available now.
New one is showing standard connectors used on computers and very common. Moreover Current capacity is increased for pins and sockets.

- Former Board secondary fitting hole is unused (on the board right side) !!!
New one is showing secondary relocated fitting hole to allow a rigid installation on an intermediate spacer bracket with 3mm screws. (No need to modify Casing)

In a second Time :

Due to LT1074HV installation, the new board will be easier to fit on a Beaulieu 708 EL "MONO" (minor change to do on the new board to cop with a different Output Voltage.

I think this is a great news for "MONO" owners , because at this time it is very difficult to reach 25 Fps on "MONO" machine.
With the new board, the speed range will be same as "STEREO" machine.

To be note the Front switch Board has to be modified to get the same configuration of the STEREO Front Switch Board.

[ May 23, 2017, 09:39 AM: Message edited by: Phil Murat ]

Posted by Winbert Hutahaean (Member # 58) on May 05, 2017, 01:18 PM:

Thanks guys for your explanation.

I must admit I know nothing electronics [Smile]

Cheers,

Posted by Andrew Woodcock (Member # 3260) on May 05, 2017, 02:18 PM:

In a nutshell Winbert, Phil is looking to improve the quality of the actual circuit boards by replacing them with dual layered track ones. This helps to reduce any risks associated with changing out components from our aging boards as tracks can sometimes be easily damaged by de soldering and soldering again.
The component changes to the power supplies for each section of the machine are superseded and up rated to give greater stability and longevity over the years that lie ahead for these particular machines.

Other aspects of the machines designs may be addressed and improved upon at a later stage as spoken about earlier.

Posted by Phil Murat (Member # 5148) on May 13, 2017, 06:15 AM:

Hello,

Full "Overall" Tests seems to be very satisfactory.

Here is installation of the new card "In Flying" as a temporary method :

FIRST "OVERALL" TEST

(Observe the former card is just deactivated , not removed from the machine)
Voltage Regulators lugs are grounded with a set of clamps.

Sound is pretty good .

Motors Speeds are very stable and were very easy to set. Once Set done, Trimmers positions are in midle range configuration.
Only 10mn necessary to set the speeds !!!

Now some fine-tunes are necessary for powers filtering....

I am very happy with that.

Posted by Andrew Woodcock (Member # 3260) on May 13, 2017, 06:28 AM:

Good news once again Phil. It appears you have created an alternative motor controlling board for whenever the time makes these essential in the future.

Once fully proven, I'd like you to consider making a few more of these "fully tuned" for other users also please Phil, if you will?

A nice plug and play design that will no doubt prove hugely beneficial in the future!

Great work my friend and the board appears superb quality in its layout and make up! 😊😊

Posted by Phil Murat (Member # 5148) on May 13, 2017, 06:50 AM:

Hello Andrew,

Thanks for your comments.

Next step of this project is embodiement of the card.

1) First solution is a wired interface (Male/Female connectors) to plug New Card to former design connectors.
Due to difficulty to find suitable Male connectors, I have to entirely built them!!
Main interest of this solution is De-modication is fast as necessary.

Second interest is this new card can be used as a Diagnostic Tool
to repair faulty machines.....

2) Second Solution is a Wired kit showing pre-crimped sockets and
wires ready to braze in place of formers wires (colours for colours).
This solution is supposed to be permanent and is my prefered.
This is also the easier solution to product.

Once all satisfactory and fine-tune up, I 'll study in a future the way to do kits "On demand" at a tight price and more particularly for Beaulieu's MONO EL owners who could be interested in converting their machine for Video Transfer.
But this is an other story

Posted by Andrew Woodcock (Member # 3260) on May 13, 2017, 07:32 AM:

I look forward to the days ahead Phil. [Wink]

Fantastic work Phil! [Wink]

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