A good story to tell you!

Prairieboy

Prairieboy

Veteran
Well here I am in Lac Brochet, Manitoba, Canada. NO ROADS in to the community once the ice starts to melt. Yes there is still a bit of snow on the ground. The nearest road is about 200 km boat and four wheeler ride, or a one hour flight away. I get in on the morning flight to shoot some interviews and visuals about internet access here. The day before I drove 1500 km across southern Manitoba, and up to Thompson, to get the 7am flight to here (last minute schedule change, really not what I wanted). So on two hours sleep, way too much driving, and a flight in a rather scary plane, I an not in the middle of no where, I am at the end of no where. I go to role my beloved DVX and the camera takes about five seconds before it starts to role. I finish a 15 minute interview and I can not get the camera to stop rolling, so the only thing I can do is turn the power off. (not good, I know). I power back up and go to check tape and it is playing funny at first (blinding), then it is OK. I eject the tape, and out it comes like a bit of noodles (really not good). I go to pop another tape in and I get a cylinder lock in nasty red letters. I quickly eject, more snagged tape. So at this point on very little sleep, and a rather large investment flying here I am starting to get a bit sick to my stomach. So I do not panic, I head to the computer lab, and check out the one, the only DVXuser. I find some info, a few suggestions. (my head cleaning tape is not in the bag, JESUS could this get any worse) I can not exactly head to a camera shop here, hell a gallon of milk costs 15 bucks, and there is none of the proper fluid that barry recommends to clean the heads myself. Oh what to do. Then I notice a tiny blurb about blowing out the camera heads and leaving the door open to air it out. Well this seems odd, but at this point my only other real options is laying down in the fetal position and bawling like a baby, so I give it a try. MY GOD IT WORKED. After about half an hour of blowing it out and letting it sit for a while it worked like new. Somebody was looking down on me. Thanks Jarred or Barry, whichever one of you is the god of DVX Karma. I shot all day and things were fine. I got some super stuff, and my client is going to love it.
the only down side is the last two planes have not been able to land here because of weather, so I am stuck here until at least tomorrow. But the people are great, my camera works, and the Wifi signal from the school reaches to the house across the way where the principal lives, and is graciously letting me and my assistant stay for another night.

So without DVXuser life would not be so good. Thank you one and all. :grin: :thumbsup: :beer:
 
Nice story, I'm glad it worked out for you. You had me rolling on the floor with your "fetal position" anecdote. :cheesy:
 
I feel your pain man. I was out shooting an episode for a TV show that I am producing, and we are way out in the southern Utah dessert with all these 4x4 trucks going around and our main camera, I say that because it was the one shooting the talent started to eat tapes. We had no cleaning tapes and there is no store, not even one to get a drink. But we took it over to one of the team’s trailers and use the air compressor to blow it out good and it worked the rest of the day and saved my ass. So I understand where you are coming from.
 
That's gotta be scary as hell. It's bad enough when something like that happens in a major city. At least you have options. DVXuser to the rescue!
 
Scary,, oh ya. But actually after the insanity of getting here. I have been stuck here now for two days, no flights out, I basically went numb. But I have had time today looking at varios options for a back up camera. I am NEVER traveling outside of a major center without a backup. Flying back here one would you pay for half of another camera.

Good side of being stuck here is I have really caught up on my sleep, and the posts here.
 
iamloser said:
that bites. id bet a solid state P2 camera is sounding pretty nice right about now as well.
Click to expand...
Take any shot ya can get Neil. Hey, maybe Matt will come in and say that he could have interchanged the lenses! :grin:

Great story, I hope you learned your lesson; always have your tape cleaner with you. Luck favores the prepared.

Glad everything worked out. :thumbsup:
 
TC said:
Take any shot ya can get Neil. Hey, maybe Matt will come in and say that he could have interchanged the lenses! :grin:
Click to expand...

LOL

yeah, I'm glad you were able to figure it out. I've had that happen before as well, no cleaning tape with me... it's always a relief when that red X of death goes away. haha :shocked:
 
Prairieboy's problem (of nearly a year ago) sounds like it was one of condensation forming on the video heads. If you are very careful, you can wave a hair dryer (on medium heat) back and forth across the opened cassette door on your camera for about ten seconds at a time. This should evaporate the condensation and, thus, restore your digital optical recording device to it's previous state of operation. Good luck. :)
 
its all about the MacGuyver/Old-school Nintendo tricks baby...

i wonder if i open and close the tape door while i turn it on and off if it will get rid of this goddamn clunking noise...:Drogar-BigGrin(DBG) :Drogar-BigGrin(DBG)
 
Wow talk about revisiting ghosts. All I could do was open the tape door, and tunr on the hand dryer in the boys bathroom in the school I was shooting in. Even sader was the fact you had to hit the damn button every five seconds. Ah good times.
And to make a sad story even sadder, two months after that happened, and I was ready to deliver, the organization said they have no money to pay me my second payment. I am out, as it stand right now, 20gs. I could really, really use that right about now. This thread is like tossing just a bit more salt on the sore.
 
And a mighty fine drinking buddy horse is. Well I am pretty sure there are a few folks here in Minneapolis that could take care of such problems, in certain ways, but I am think the slimy lawyers will have to do. Although sometimes I think the latter method may be more interesting, and less painful. Damn morals keep getting in the way.

Wait a minute, Terry isn't your cowbell in Oklahoma, and you are dissing the land O lakes. I do hear there a few mean bulls that are a bit upset about their bells being use for others amusement.
 
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