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BLINKING TIMECODE READER LED
Film Instability, continued
• Gently squeeze the edges of the film between two fingers as it enters the reader, pull back slightly and
allow your fingers to act as shock absorbers. Repeat on the exit side of the reader. If the LED stabilizes,
try to find the source of instability. The following are possible sources of instability:
• Poor reader alignment • Too much tension
• Bad rollers(s) • Bad platter center piece
• Bad projector belt, gear, or sprocket • Bent reel
• Too little tension • Reel clutch
• Platter center piece spring removed (AW-3)
Electrical noise/grounding problems
• Electrical noise on the timecode input(s) can confuse the timecode reader circuit. This causes the LED to
blink and, in some cases, cause sound wow, edits, and dropouts. First, make sure the projector(s) and the
DTS chassis are earth grounded.
• The current reader cables (from the DTS factory) have a shield wire shrink-wrapped to the cable’s jacket,
on the reader end. Cut the shrink-wrap away and connect the wire to one of the screws that hold the reader
to its bracket. Check for any change in operation.
• If you have made your own cable or modified the factory cable in any way, be sure the shield is connected
to the conductive connector shells at both ends. User-made “Y” cables used on change-over systems must
match the DTS cable drawing (see installation manual) exactly. Do not use any extensions at the player
end of the cable.
• Do not run the timecode cable along power lines, over florescent light fixtures, or near motor controllers.
• If the timecode reader-head board is Rev. F or lower, change the reader. Contact DTS Customer Service
for repair/exchange on the reader. NOTE: The board revision can be viewed by tilting the reader and
looking just below the 9-pin connector.
DTS equipment problem
• Readers without a “Do Not Adjust” sticker should be adjusted for maximum LED brightness. This is done
by turning the lateral adjustment in the center of the biggest roller.
• Borrow a known good reader from another screen. If this fixes the problem, replace the reader.
• Check the timecode cable. Verify continuity and physical integrity.
• Check TCR firmware version inside the player. The TCR firmware IC is located at D422-U14. Replace
V1.37 to V1.42 (these have a bug), and any versions older than V1.29 (V1.29 is OK to use).