84 replies to this topic

[floridaskier]

When was Yan building lifts with those controls? (I'm sure Allan or someone else has already tols us, but I forgot)

[Allan]

I'm not sure on the years - however our lifts were originally built in the early 80's.

[Whistler]

Allan, do you like the paddles? cause all the lifties at blackcomb seem to complain about them. I'll try and find some pics of paddles.

[SkiBachelor]

Here you go:

[Allan]

Here's the loading platform paddles. The paddles aren't so good - they are becoming a maintenance problem. The switches are starting to wear, and they are rusted together so it's hard to get them apart to repair... we are looking at replacing them with buttons.

They are a simple design though - those paddles in the other picture look to be a newer design.

Attached File(s)

•  MotherLode___Bottom_Operator_Controls.JPG (261.12K)
  Number of downloads: 50

This post has been edited by Allan: 04 February 2004 - 10:05 PM

[KZ]

I dont think i have seen the paddles in the tahoe area. It is strange becasue i know many yan lifts were built in the 80s. I will have to look more closely because all i have seen is a 4 or 5 button control thing.

[liftmech]

Not all Yan lifts have the paddles as operator controls. Some came with a pushbutton control panel, others have been retrofitted with pushbuttons or joysticks. I think all older lifts (with the 4200 'Black Death' drive) had paddles only; the newer Base 10 lifts had an option of either setup. I agree that the paddles are a maintenance hassle- anything that specialised is hard to find parts for, and no other manufacturer has paddles as their controls. None of our Yans have paddles anymore- the four older lifts came with them and have been retrofitted; the two newer ones came with pushbuttons originally.

Allan- let me know if you need any ideas about building new control panels- it's much cheaper to do it in-house, and it's kind of fun to boot

[Kelly]

YAN seemed to be going in the right direction with this standardized control button package.
Viewers should note that the control package has a mirror image on the inside of the lift shack. Most were abandoned when separate emergency stop buttons and actual manually reset service stop buttons were required.
Green paddle is slow/fast
Red paddle is stop/start
White button that activated phone buzzer provided lift electricians and mechanics many opportunities for various deicing schemes as it was prone to sticking.

Ryan B

[floridaskier]

DV has the push-button controls on their 3 '91 Yans, but the paddles on all the other ones. Except for the Burns lift. It might be CTEC controls, because the parallel Snowflake lift has the same ones. These have 4 buttons in a square pattern with the phone on the side of the box. Any info?

[liftmech]

You're probably talking about the controls on the return station. The four controls would be normal stop, slow, emergency stop, and buzzer. The drive would have three more- reset, start, and fast.

Lift manufacturers do not make their own controls (except Yan with the paddles) but buy components from industrial electronics companies. There are at least three that I can think of offhand, and every electrician has his or her favourite one. CTEC provides Allen-Bradley controls on their lifts; that's who Yan used as well, thus the similarity. Poma used to use Telemechanique, but now uses A-B as well. There is also Cutler-Hamer, but they make primarily residential stuff like the breaker in your house and you don't see their controls on lifts much.

[floridaskier]

Thats probably it, I think i remember extra buttons up top (and on the newer FG lifts by CTEC)

[Allan]

liftmech, on Feb 5 2004, 08:05 AM, said:

Not all Yan lifts have the paddles as operator controls. Some came with a pushbutton control panel, others have been retrofitted with pushbuttons or joysticks. I think all older lifts (with the 4200 'Black Death' drive) had paddles only; the newer Base 10 lifts had an option of either setup. I agree that the paddles are a maintenance hassle- anything that specialised is hard to find parts for, and no other manufacturer has paddles as their controls. None of our Yans have paddles anymore- the four older lifts came with them and have been retrofitted; the two newer ones came with pushbuttons originally.

Allan- let me know if you need any ideas about building new control panels- it's much cheaper to do it in-house, and it's kind of fun to boot

Thanks for the offer, I may just take you up on it!! Our controls are already customised and ready for buttons... Right now the green paddle is: down is start/slow & Up is fast. The red paddle is stop only. The E-Stop is across the ramp on the operator hut :) All we would need is a start/slow button, fast, stop, E-Stop & bell. I actually pulled the controls out of the Granite chair the other day and one of the panels would be perfect for this.

[Emax]

There's been a lot of talk and speculation - in this thread and others - regarding Jan Kunczynski and his company. Some is accurate, some is not, some is outright laughable.

Who would lay out hard cash for book containing an accurate accounting of the personalities, projects and philosophies that made up Lift Engineering?
I'd like to write one. There are many forum members who could contribute.

[WBSKI]

sounds like a good idea but it depends what you mean by "hard cash"

[Emax]

"sounds like a good idea but it depends what you mean by "hard cash"

Oh, I dunno - something like the price of a decent hard-cover book. I'd have to at least cover my publishing costs.

[okemopoma]

Allan, on Feb 4 2004, 04:43 PM, said:

This is what replaced them

Who did this control replacement? Was it Doppl?

[okemopoma]

Emax, on May 11 2006, 01:10 PM, said:

There's been a lot of talk and speculation - in this thread and others - regarding Jan Kunczynski and his company. Some is accurate, some is not, some is outright laughable.

Who would lay out hard cash for book containing an accurate accounting of the personalities, projects and philosophies that made up Lift Engineering?
I'd like to write one. There are many forum members who could contribute.

OK EMAX,
I'll bite. I'll buy the book in a heartbeat, if you'll write it.
If only to find out who came up with those dang paddle operator controls.
Now, who was smokin what when they came up with that?
You should write The Book. Because, what is laughable out there, is all that most people know.
I know there is more that we all should know.

[Allan]

okemopoma, on May 11 2006, 05:02 PM, said:

Who did this control replacement? Was it Doppl?

These panels were done by Wespac Automation out of Vancouver BC. They still haven't given us much grief after three years... and any they have given was a result of lightning. We killed a PLC, a couple relays, a voltage regulator card, and a bunch of diodes - all because the lift was energized for line service when a lightning bolt hit near the lift. On another note - I have to ask... does everyone with the box style sheave assemblies have the alignment problems we have; where one two rocker will be out of line with the other three, or even one sheave in a rocker will be out?

[okemopoma]

Allan, on Feb 4 2004, 04:43 PM, said:

I do have our old B10 controls - here they are...

Wow,
Looks like a quadraphonic stereo my dad had in the early '70's.

[Bill]

www.lulu.com will print your book. Basically its a print by order system. You order it, they print it. They keep a % for their cut.