Retroscan Universal regular 8 problem

[Søren Therkildsen]

I have acquired a used retroscan universal. Works perfect for super 8 and 16 mm.
But when I want to scan standard 8mm, I can't get it to work optimally.
The picture is jumping up and down, like the framing is not right. I have tried to adjust the sensor to almost every level, tried with fast and slow switch, other spools and anything else I could think of!

In my last attempt I got it work fine on a short spool, by tightening the spools very tightly to the motors.
I then switched to a new film, only to have the problem return again. I can then use forever to adjust and tighten up for maybe get it to work for a minute or to again.

If I then adjust back to run super 8 (samme gate) then is there no problem.

Anyone there have some tips and tricks for getting it work?

My guess is that maybe it's the tension on the film that's not correct, but I can't see what I should do differently.

[Ozzie Williams]

Here is my guesses for what it is worth (and I am assume you have the standard sprocket sensor on the gate, not the later add on "precision" thing). I personally have never found the tension to be much of an issue, in all gauges. So long as the film runs through the sensor, and the sensitivity is set about right, it can be sloppy or tight and still hold the frame.

It is the switch from std8 to s8 on the panel that I would be interested in. Or rather I would be questioning whether the std8 sensor timing is being activated at some point in the circuit linked to this. After all, when you operate the switch it has no effect on the running of 9.5 and s8 (as you have found) but is supposed to allow the sensor to recognise std8 pitch. As the panel switch is a simple di-pole of some sort I would be checking this is actually working, as it is not too bad to get the front cover of and get behind it.

The other thing to double check is your use of the sensitivity dial. As you know it rotates many times, and finding the sweet spot on such a large range can be a bit tricky sometimes. For what it is worth, I find gently rotating the dial all the way to the maximum rotations (clockwise if I recall), then running the film slowly, and very gradually reversing the dial rotation until it can "read" the pitch and hold the frame. This might not be the problem as you have no doubt tried this...but thought I would mention just in case.

I am sorry I am not really sure what else to suggest...I am definately no expert with this machine (but I have run two for a few years now). I just thought it worth mentioning that in my personal experience tension has never seemed to actually cause the machine to fail to find and hold the frame in any gauge. In fact neither does speed seem to matter...in fact I by-pass the motor speed control and use infinetately variable speed as the computer application side is essentially "dumb" to this factor at point of scan. This allows very very slow FPS through the gate which has many advantages sometimes.

[Søren Therkildsen]

Thanks for your input, Ozzie

It is verry strange. I also have a 16 mm gate I tried to swith to, but the threaded on the motor to tight the spool is not verry good, so I was not able to make it work with this one to check.

I will try to be more more patient with the sensitivity dial and try som more. I use it on almost full strenght. Full clockwise and then turn back half a turn (as the instructions says) - this has been working fine, but does not give me much more sensor power to work with, only reduce it, wich also leds to even more juping picture :-(