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Author Topic: Brenkert Richard Fowler Film God Posts: 2392 From: Ft. Lauderdale, FL, USA Registered: Jun 2001 posted 10-09-2006 10:40 AM                     The current Photophone ( P35 )projector is an upgraded incarnation of the BX100. The gear train is different with a double speed ( 2880 rpm ) shutter. The film trap is now like a Kelmar type and has a lens turret. The last AAA we serviced was in an art house....I remember the local tech constantly adjusting the lamphouse thinking the flicker was coming from that source. The last Brenkert we serviced was in Latin America; as soon as I walked in the auditorium, I knew the projector brand without going to the booth due to the shutter "hunting" on the screen I had one customer with a BX-60 that ran on a platter for 17 years...12 hours a day with barely a problem. He was afraid of a single machine set-up so we set up a video camera to monitor the projection equipment and kept machine #2 with a carbon arc for emergency...years later he ended up bagging up the spare machine and servicing the unit occaisonally just in case  |  IP: Logged Martin McCaffery Film God Posts: 2481 From: Montgomery, AL Registered: Jun 99 posted 10-09-2006 11:39 AM                        The Brenkert was certainly one of the coolest looking projectors if you had the full setup. The only ones I ran were in the Staton Art in DC which was a grind porno house in the late 70's. The best I remember about them is they didn't breakdown much despite the abuse. BX-80 from From Showmen's Trade Review January 5, 1946  |  IP: Logged Mark Gulbrandsen Resident Trollmaster Posts: 16657 From: Music City Registered: Jun 99 posted 10-09-2006 09:38 PM                     quote: I'd like to replace it with a re-built Simplex XL, but funds are tight and the Brenkert isn't broke! The Brenkert is a far better machine! The only advantage with the X-L is a tiny bit more light because of the conical shutter and lots of oil leaks.... Mark  |  IP: Logged Jack Ondracek Film God Posts: 2348 From: Port Orchard, WA, USA Registered: Oct 2002 posted 10-09-2006 11:18 PM                        quote: I'd like to replace it with a re-built Simplex XL, but funds are tight and the Brenkert isn't broke! As long as you have parts... and even better... spare heads, you're probably ok, Barry... unless you're mainly looking to make both booths basically the same. I always had a head that was ready to go. The douser was on a 3-pronged plug, and the framing light was also plugged. A couple of bolts on and off, and moving the reel arm and that was about it. You could change out a head in just a few minutes. Just before we retired our heads, we did... a couple of times... shutter gears in both cases.  |  IP: Logged Steve Guttag We forgot the crackers Gromit!!! Posts: 12814 From: Annapolis, MD Registered: Dec 1999 posted 10-10-2006 05:54 PM                     The problem I see with the Brenkerts we have to deal with is that the "spare heads" are also worn out so you essentially have a bald spare tire. As for Simplexes...I'd have no problem replacing Brenkerts with Simplexs and always end up with less leads and less wear on the soundhead bronze gears.  |  IP: Logged Barry Floyd Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1079 From: Lebanon, Tennessee, USA Registered: Mar 2000 posted 10-11-2006 10:52 AM                        The only problem we've ever had with the BX-60 in our booth was the steel pin that attached the framing mechanism to the shutter compensator linkage backed it's way out of the hole and ended up causing some "ghosting" of the images on the screen. The white credits on a dark background looked "smeared". My tech found it and fixed it so it wouldn't happen again. I'd just like to have the convenience of 1 set of parts for both projection booths. I've got identical platters and lamphouses in both, only the projector and soundhead are different. My BX-60 used to always have purple gunk in the bottom of the projector from the film, but since we've started using the Kelmar cleaner and Film Guard - that's no longer is an issue.  |  IP: Logged Jack Ondracek Film God Posts: 2348 From: Port Orchard, WA, USA Registered: Oct 2002 posted 10-11-2006 01:27 PM                        quote: Steve Guttag The problem I see with the Brenkerts we have to deal with is that the "spare heads" are also worn out so you essentially have a bald spare tire. That's true, Steve. However, one of the drive-in owners I used to work for retired and gave me several heads. I was able to get quite a few years out of them before it just became time to move on.  |  IP: Logged Louis Bornwasser Film God Posts: 4441 From: prospect ky usa Registered: Mar 2005 posted 10-11-2006 01:52 PM                        Note that the #1 problem in drive ins is LIGHT (or the lack of it.) Simplexs have the heat-build up problem that even fans and water cooling did not eliminate. One thing about Brenkerts, lack of light precludes them on most drive ins. Water cooling is not required because not enough light gets through to cause heat. Granted they can be quite reliable; what they cannot be is efficient and sharp (no curved gate.) Louis  |  IP: Logged Scott Norwood Film God Posts: 8146 From: Boston, MA. USA (1774.21 miles northeast of Dallas) Registered: Jun 99 posted 10-11-2006 03:30 PM                        I'll ask the obvious question: what is the preferred drive-in machine? Century? Something else? Are there any drive-ins with Kinoton heads?  |  IP: Logged Jack Ondracek Film God Posts: 2348 From: Port Orchard, WA, USA Registered: Oct 2002 posted 10-11-2006 03:52 PM                        Good question, Scott. In my part of the country, everything seems to be either XL or Century. Offhand, I think I'd say that I see more Century heads. There are still some Brenkerts out there, and one drive-in that I know of that still uses Motiograph. The local chain that really liked Brenkerts got out of the theatre business a long time ago, and all but one of their drive-ins have been redeveloped. The only Kinoton machine I've seen in operation is at the Seattle Cinerama. There may be more around here... I just haven't seen 'em, and none that I know of at a drive-in. I went with XL because of the sealed system, though I've since re-learned that "sealed" only means so much with those machines. I'll probably try the Centurys next year & see how they work here.  |  IP: Logged Steve Guttag We forgot the crackers Gromit!!! Posts: 12814 From: Annapolis, MD Registered: Dec 1999 posted 10-11-2006 05:49 PM                     Odd...one of our customers that has been traditionally Brenkert has been using an XL we rebuilt and was most concerned...it doesn't leak...he wasn't used to that. I told him it would weep oil eventually but it shouldn't be any real leaking. The Simplex, all else being equal will beat the Century for light output. A Century can't put out a non-ghosting image without a 90-degree blade...the Simplex can do that with an 84-degree blade. So the Simplex has an immediate edge of 7% or so. You can pick some of that up on the Century if you go to a double shutter system but you will have a bit of a bounce in the light that will vary from small-violent to large-lumbering as the gears wear. However, since it is a Drive-In most most manufacturers cheat the light a bit and put in a shutter that will have ghosting since it most likely won't be seen by the average drive-in goer. This was particularly true of the Century...I've seen some double shutter Century blades on the order of 60-degrees... A 30% light boost but there WILL be ghosting. Though I have not seen a Kinoton in a Drive-In...I would say they would do very well there. Kinoton also has a very efficient light path (mechanical versions, like the "D" series). Steve  |  IP: Logged Jack Ondracek Film God Posts: 2348 From: Port Orchard, WA, USA Registered: Oct 2002 posted 10-11-2006 05:59 PM                        Hmmmmmm..... I was recently told, by somebody from Louisville, that the Century would beat a Simplex for light output. ......am soooo confused!  |  IP: Logged Mark Gulbrandsen Resident Trollmaster Posts: 16657 From: Music City Registered: Jun 99 posted 10-11-2006 07:02 PM                     Humm, I seem to have read that someone also fomr Louisville said they won't project sharp pictures... when indeed the Brenkert gate was the only gate that could sharply project a warped print of 2001 that I used to have, and that with a 4kw lamp behind it. Mark  |  IP: Logged Louis Bornwasser Film God Posts: 4441 From: prospect ky usa Registered: Mar 2005 posted 10-11-2006 09:48 PM                        There is most certainly "breathing" on all straight gates that carry any appreciable brightness (heat). A 4k bulb might not heat a Brenkert as much as another projector. As regards the Century and its well-known shutter problems, small drive in blades only show the ghosting on factory machines. With the shutter bracket we designed the oscillation is greatly reduced and does not show ghosting with the small drive in blade. In indoor theatres, I keep the 90 degree blade for the sake of quality. In drive ins, brightness is 90% of everything. Louis  |  IP: Logged Monte L Fullmer Film God Posts: 8367 From: Nampa, Idaho, USA Registered: Nov 2004 posted 10-11-2006 10:25 PM                     quote: The Simplex, all else being equal will beat the Century for light output....the Simplex can do that with an 84-degree blade. (not to drift off-topic of the Brenkert)...could also the useage of the high-speed Intermittent assembly aid in this as well for the XL for Drive-In usage? -Monte  |  IP: Logged

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