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Author Topic: How Old Is Your Oldest Projector? Aaron Sisemore Flaming Ribs beat Reeses Peanut Butter Cups any day! Posts: 3061 From: Rockwall TX USA Registered: Sep 1999 posted 11-21-2002 11:48 AM                     >>Can someone elaborate? Why would the introduction of scope possibly trigger an upgrade from Standards to XLs?<< When CinemaScope debuted in 1953 it was a mag-only format. Simplex' mag-ready sound system was called 'XL'. Though the XL projector was introduced in 1949/50, I would assume that it was also part of a complete 'XL' package with XL projector, SH-1007 'XL' optical soundhead, and 'XL' mag penthouses and associated preamps and amplifiers. I have seen all this equipment bearing the 'Simplex XL' name. -Aaron  |  IP: Logged John Pytlak Film God Posts: 9987 From: Rochester, NY 14650-1922 Registered: Jan 2000 posted 11-21-2002 12:20 PM                        Here are some first-hand materials on early CinemaScope conversions: http://widescreenmuseum.com/widescreen/cinemascoperef.htm  |  IP: Logged Ian Price Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1714 From: Denver, CO Registered: Jun 99 posted 11-21-2002 12:30 PM                     I got this via email from a guy who is a Simplex enthusiast. quote: From an old National Theatre Supply and many other sources the XL started production runs in 1950. Both #318 and #1606 are listed as 1950 machines. From what I can find out NTS branches had samples in 1949 and some prototypes for trials in the NY area earlier than that. The Simplex Regular & Standard are really the same. When they first came out they were just called the "Simplex". First ones in regular production in the fall of 1911. Simplex - 1911 starting #100 Supers - 1929 starting #38270 SP - 1933 starting #100 E-7 - 1938 (I have #E108) ninth machine in production. starting # 100 XL - 1950 starting #101 So both of my Simplexs are 52 years old.  |  IP: Logged Tom Doyle Expert Film Handler Posts: 176 From: Bristol, CT, USA Registered: Nov 2002 posted 11-21-2002 12:35 PM                     My theater has a Century model C. (I don't recall the serial number offhand - how can I tell the year of manufacture based on it?) Next to it is a Century model H. Both are in good running condition and are used daily. They were installed when the place was built in 1987. I actually enjoy having some older projectors around - these two are very easy on the film and never have any problems.  |  IP: Logged Michael Schaffer "Where is the Boardwalk Hotel?" Posts: 4143 From: Boston, MA Registered: Apr 2002 posted 11-21-2002 01:10 PM                        The oldest projectors I ever worked with was a pair of Ernemann VIIB from the 1930s whoch were still in operation when I worked at the theater in the late 80s. I hear they replaced during the mid 90s, so they worked for about 60 years. Some people in Germany have Ernemann VIIBs which still work.  |  IP: Logged David Stambaugh Film God Posts: 4021 From: Eugene, Oregon Registered: Jan 2002 posted 11-21-2002 01:25 PM                        Adam's projectors have ~50,000 hours on them. Made me wonder how that would compare to miles on a car. From what I've googled, the average speed of a typical automobile over its lifetime is somewhat under 30MPH (includes time spent idling, etc.). I'll use 30MPH as a round number. The average number of miles driven in 1 year is 12,000. 12,000 miles divided by 30 miles per hour = 400 hours of operation per year. At 400 hours per year, it would take 125 years for the car to log 50,000 hours of operation. If that car's average speed over 50,000 hours of use is 30MPH, it would have 1.5 million miles on the odometer.  |  IP: Logged John Pytlak Film God Posts: 9987 From: Rochester, NY 14650-1922 Registered: Jan 2000 posted 11-21-2002 01:45 PM                        Like the famous Timex watch, a well-maintained film projector "keeps on tickin'".  |  IP: Logged Adam Fraser Master Film Handler Posts: 499 From: Houghton Lake, MI, USA Registered: Dec 2001 posted 11-21-2002 02:34 PM                        I figured that out by taking an average of 3 hours/day running time, multiplying by 365 days/year for 48 years for the projector heads and 61 yrs for the soundheads. 3*365*48=52,560 3*365*61=66,795 The numbers may be just a bit high because I'm not sure how many 2 show nights we had before the 60's as information is scarce before that time. It is fun to play with the numbers though.  |  IP: Logged Ken McFall Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 615 From: Haringey, London. Registered: Apr 2001 posted 11-21-2002 06:19 PM                     Adam.... I may be being a bit dim here but why the difference for the picture head and the sound head? I could almost imagin the picture head having done more hours than the sound head if you were allowing for the latter part of the silent era, but not the other way around. Any reason that I can't see. Regards Ken.  |  IP: Logged Mark Gulbrandsen Resident Trollmaster Posts: 16657 From: Music City Registered: Jun 99 posted 11-21-2002 09:09 PM                     Adam, The old Standards could not support the weight of even a B&L scope lens without sagging, or using an under the lens holder. Eventually the lens mount would distort form the weight. There were aftermarket 4" lens barrell retrofits made though for the standards and Supers. I've seen quite a few 4" Barrell supers around and they work nicely. Mark & CLACO  |  IP: Logged Dick Prather Master Film Handler Posts: 259 From: Portland, OR, USA Registered: Feb 2002 posted 11-21-2002 09:17 PM                     Linsay, Simplex E-7's came from the factory with front and rear shutters. This was to compete with the other double shutter machines like Century CC and Brenkert BX-80's. These had two counter rotating shutters in the rear of the machine cutting the picture off top and bottom. E-7's shutters rotated on the same shaft in the same direction but since the picture flips in the lens did the same thing. Unfortunately the addition of CinamaScope and the scope lens the front shutters came off and rear blades widened to 90 degrees. Simplex made a front shutter kit for rear shutter Standard and Super projectors. These also had to come off when C/S came out. You can find the Simplex serial number on most models prior to the XL on the back side of the main frame. You may have to remove the sight box and clean off some grease but it dhould be there about 1/3 down from the top. E-7's will start with an "E" in front of the number. If you want to e-mail me your Simplex serial number I can tell you what year it was made. Aaron, Mark is correct on the fact the Standard did sag a little with a heavy lens. When scope came out the screen size got lots bigger. I new several theatres that installed new projectors, lamps, and mag sound to get a better presentation. Most of them kept their optical soundheads. Something we don't see often enough now. I ran Standards up to the early 80's in a bargin house and the C/S lens manufactures had outboard mounts attached to front of the the Standard with a felt cradle to hold the heavy part of the lens.  |  IP: Logged Bill Mantz Film Handler Posts: 91 From: Plano, TX Registered: Feb 2001 posted 11-21-2002 10:15 PM                     Let see my oldest is my Simplex Standard is 1914. Here is the run down of Projectors and soundheads I own. Simplex Standard 1914 Simplex Standard 1937 Simplex Super 1946 Simplex SH-1000 1946 Simplex XL Sound Head 1958 Others I have But don't have dates yet are 3 Super's 2 SH-1000 1 E-7 And the odd ball of the group is a Motiograph AAA Mag Penthouse reader, by the way dose any one know how I can get the date of the AAA Mag reader. The picture to the left shows the Super and SH-1000 From 1946 w/ the AAA Mag Penthouse.  |  IP: Logged Adam Fraser Master Film Handler Posts: 499 From: Houghton Lake, MI, USA Registered: Dec 2001 posted 11-21-2002 10:48 PM                        Ken, Not sure why they were replaced except that my guess is that when Cinemascope came out they got the Mag Penthouse and X-L as a pair. But not sure. I do know we did have Mag though as we still use the mag surrounds as P-A speakers for the stage Microphone. The originals we E-7's  |  IP: Logged Paul Cassidy Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 549 From: Auckland, New Zealand Registered: Aug 2001 posted 11-22-2002 04:25 AM                        Here is one of my Ernemann IX's from the Early 1950's  |  IP: Logged Thomas Hauerslev Master Film Handler Posts: 451 From: Copenhagen, Denmark Registered: Aug 2000 posted 11-22-2002 04:33 AM                        My DP70 dates back to March 8, 1965 when it was installed in Folketeatret. In the basement I've got to handcranked silent machines from the beginning of the past century. One of them is Danish manufactured by DKF, the orther is a Hanh_Göertz I seem to recall. Does 16mm count as well? Then I've got a Siemens2000. Glad to see Mark's home machine!  |  IP: Logged

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