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This topic comprises 6 pages: 1 2 3 4 5 6
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Author
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Topic: Carbon Vs Xenon
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William H. Ward
Film Handler
Posts: 27
From: SAn Antonio, Texas
Registered: Jul 2003
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posted 04-20-2004 04:26 PM
Let me ADD my 2 cents worth of BS on this subject. Although I am now retired, my love for the carbon-arc still lives on. There are no theatres in my town that use them. I'll drive miles just to watch a pair of carbon-arc searchlights work the skys. I've worked in booths (many) for 25 years on all kinds of carbon arc projection lamps. You cannot beat them for their smell, sound, drama and light output. They did have to be maintained to have trouble free operation. When xenon first begin to emerge, I remember some company had put together a lamp burning 11mm positive carbons and had a carbon magazine on the side which fed a new one to the lamp for continous burn. I don't know about the negative carbon.
xenon just overtook everything. You cannot beat a well trimmed carbon-arc projection lamp burning its'trim at the maximum amperage for that trim and most important, fed from a good GENERATOR. The arc is very smooth, quite as a burning candle and the generator supplies a constant DC voltage which does not vary with changes in the house AC voltage.
Here is some more. I would like to see how a projectionist burns an 11mm positive carbon at 60 amps. as mentioned in these replies. Erratic feeding, very small if any crater formation and most important, no gas ball present. Your carbon life would be good, but your light terrible and a blue in color. I will always be a carbon guy to the very end. Frankly, I do not see how the industry can go back in technology usage. Zenon is here to stay whether we like it or not. The very best lamps ever made was the Peerless Magnarc and the Ashcraft Super corelight. Anyone ever work the the Strong Jet-arc? Massive, carbon eaters, lots of light output, noisy, 21" reflector and it won the Academy Award for technical achievment in the late 60's. I don't feel zenon will top that. Sorry some of you professionals missed this era.
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John T. Hendrickson, Jr
Jedi Master Film Handler
Posts: 889
From: Freehold, NJ, USA
Registered: Apr 2001
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posted 04-21-2004 03:21 PM
Bill Enos wrote:
"Why would anybody need a tech to adjust Magnarcs, it takes only a few minutes once they are hot, any only a few minutes more to learn how to do it."
I would, Bill. Because:
1. I have not run arcs for over thirty years.
2. My experience was with Ashcrafts. I only ran Magnars a few times as a relief operator.
3. The Peerless J's at the Count Basie Theatre had not been operational for a number of years, and needed some major attention beyond my area of expertise.
I hope that I will never become too old, too smart, or too proud not to call for assistance when I need it.
Incidently, we must have done something right. New Line was so pleased with our presentation of their private sneak of Laws of Attraction that they want us to do another one for The Notebook.
I hope this answers your question/statement.
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