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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: strong platters
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Peter Schoell
Film Handler
Posts: 47
From: Paynesville, MN, USA
Registered: Jul 2001
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posted 11-03-2002 01:41 AM
I bought my first theatre 12 years ago and it came with a couple of 80's vintage flat belt Potts. In this time I've replaced 2 micro switches and 2 resistors, and probably had 3 brain wraps from static. I've had many wraps from operator error.
My second theatre was a big old single screen barn I bought in 1994 I made into 3 screens. I bought a new Potts 3 tier Alpha and a used 5 tier flat belt Potts. The Alpha hasn't had any repairs yet. The 5 tier had it's share of problems at first, but nothing major, I doubt I've spent more than $60.00 on that platter.
The third theatre came in 1998 and had an AW2, a 5 tier CFS, and a Speco. This was my first experience in a non-Potts world, and that world was full of nightmares. The AW2 was interesting in concept, but wasn't designed for wear, as soon as I could afford it, I replaced it with a used CFS Super platter. I had a choice of an older 52" Potts or this newer smaller deck CFS, I made the wrong choice. The newer CFS's (cheaper design) are worst than the older ones, but much better than an AW2. I had lots of problems with the Speco at first until I figured out that the former owner had the payout pulleys set wrong, then I had to replace the variac, a diode, the controller board in the arm, and one of the drive spindles. I rebuilt the brains of the 5 tier CFS using the larger Potts style switches, and moved the stand off spindles to give the control arm more swing, this made that platter pretty reliable, but something about the brain design makes it too easy for the film to jump over the standoff rollers. Last spring I bought 3 used Strong platters to replace the two CFS and the Speco. Now I don't have platter problems.
Two years ago I bought a 3 plex that came with Strong platters, I thought this will be a breeze. Wrong. The bulbs in the lamphouses were black, and this level of care was carried throughout the whole booth. I replaced a bunch of pulleys and bearings and now the platters seem fine.
And now for the make up tables. The Christie = crapola. The Speco wobbly junk. CFS great for rewinding trailers, my favorite use for the CFS is in the garage where I can tie a stringer of fish to the mast and fillet away on the table. The Potts/Strong table has always been a dependable sturdy workhorse.
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Brad Miller
Administrator
Posts: 17775
From: Plano, TX (36.2 miles NW of Rockwall)
Registered: May 99
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posted 11-03-2002 09:36 PM
quote:
" I'm sure I could find SOMETHING to whine about, though."
Picture this Joe, you have 6 Kinoton platters in your booth. Somehow you have to figure out a way to orient them in your cramped booth so that they are pointing towards the projector, as there is no adjustable feed roller. Adding to the aggravation there is the issue of how you have to have the film return precisely X number of inches off of the floor or you will damage the film. The platter also lacks a waist-high film cleaner mount, and I do not think it is capable of running an "outward bulge" center drop without the possibility of the film coming out of the track (which could become a non-issue with a flip around cover, sort of like what Christie now does with their center rings), and those are the only issues I see with this platter. Past that, they seem to be nothing short of magnificent, but those are a few simple, yet important design flaws to take into consideration. If you were wondering if you would find something "wrong" with them, I'm sure that those would be at the top of your list. Here are pictures to show what I mean...
A shows how you cannot pivot the payout roller to point toward a projector positioned at any angle from the platter. Instead this platter forces for it to be positioned to point towards the projector. B shows the receiving roller. Yes, this means you have to have the film travel from the projector back to the platter at exactly this height.  Imagine an outward center drop flying right out of this slit. A simple latch that could be flipped around to cover this opening any time an outward drop is performed would be nice. For normal use this is of course completely unnecessary. Last I heard Kinoton US was considering a roller change to aleviate this issue. Once that is done, a suitable film cleaner mount is added to it (this would require for the film to travel downwards in a U turn like most platters instead of straight up the tree) and some form of preventing an outward bulge from coming off of the track is added to the brain, then the Kinoton will in all probability be the platter that cannot be beat. Until then, I feel my comment regarding the Christie (AW3) being the Cadillac of platters is right on the money. There is no better designed platter currently around.
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Barry Floyd
Phenomenal Film Handler
Posts: 1079
From: Lebanon, Tennessee, USA
Registered: Mar 2000
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posted 11-04-2002 10:07 AM
Hey now.... I've got one of those old AW-1's out in my garage. Yes, it's ugly, runs loud, and it way out of date, but when I bought it it was still in service, and still runs well. I doubt I'll be using it at my place when we open in the Spring, but it'll make a decent "emergency back-up" if I ever need it.With the help of some fellow film-techer's, I've been able to re-wire the column, replace all of the "Jones Plugs & Sockets", was able to buff the fiberglass decks back to an "almost white" color, and repainted the column a nice "Ford Engine" blue. Here's the beast in the booth of it's former location. 
Another one of our fellow film-techer's just reopened a drive-in this past summer with an AW-2 in the booth. It was in great shape and ran flawlessly.
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Barry Floyd
Floyd Entertainment Group
Lebanon, Tennessee Stardust Drive-In Theatre
Watertown, Tennessee
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