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Author Topic: What is the oldest projector you are running? Jim Cassedy Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1661 From: San Francisco, CA Registered: Dec 2006 posted 11-09-2008 10:25 AM                     For several years I ran a changeover booth with a pair of ancient E7's which dated back to the early 1930s, SH-1000 soundheads, Brenkert Eniarc carbon arc lamps, on the old Western Electric Vitaphone bases (the vitaphone turntables were still in the basement- - just in case it ever came back ) and a mostly all orignal WE-ERPI amp and sound system. The oldest projector I'm currently running is a Century that dates to the early 1940's. And it runs GREAT. It's one of my favorite machines. Very smooth & quiet since all the gears are comfortably 'worn in"  |  IP: Logged Damien Taylor Master Film Handler Posts: 493 From: Perth, Western Australia Registered: Apr 2007 posted 11-09-2008 11:43 PM                     The cinema I work at opened in 1938, however the only piece of equipment that remains prior to the 1960's is a Western Electric selenium rectifier that was obviously too large to remove. The current equipment I use is early 60's vintage Rank RK-60's 81780, 82428 and 8822. These were the old type cast iron with 6000 ft magazines, Oddly enough, there was very little attempt to mask the fact these were Vic 8's as the motor has a Cinemeccanica plate and the projector door actually has Victoria 8 on it. Mag soundheads are absent but on-site. Also just out of curiosity, who (apart from me) still has only manual rewinds?  |  IP: Logged Tuomas Merila Film Handler Posts: 4 From: Oulu, Province of Oulu, Finland Registered: Nov 2007 posted 11-11-2008 01:30 AM                        Hello, It seems that these ones are not old at all compared to some mentioned here, but probably old enough... I occasionally run and maintain a pair of Victoria IV/E:s that were installed in 1954. Nowadays, they are only used for about 20 hours per year by a film festival I work for. They still mostly work like a dream - although they do leak quite a lot of oil, and occasionally we have suffered breakage of some hard-to-find cast metal parts while threading the machines. The light on these machines is produced by Cinemeccanica Zenith IV carbon arcs (non-rectified type), and until a year ago we still ran using the original 30 watt Cinemeccanica tube amplifier, which now has been upgraded to "ultra modern" Dolby CP65A and red led exciter lamp replacement. We also have a pair of later vintage (60's) IV/E:s with Zenith V lamphouses that were purchased for use as parts donors but they are surprisingly different from these ones, so their use for spare parts is only limited. Luckily, many/most parts can still be purchased new as well. --Tuomas  |  IP: Logged Barry Floyd Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1079 From: Lebanon, Tennessee, USA Registered: Mar 2000 posted 11-12-2008 10:07 AM                        I'm running a Simplex XL projector on top of a Simplex SH1020 soundhead at my drive-in on Screen 1. When I got the Simplex pictured above, it was nasty - probably hadn't been cleaned or had the oil changed in years. A couple of months before we opened, I loaded both the projector and the soundhead in the back of my truck and headed to Louisville, Kentucky where Louis and his team went through them with a fine tooth comb. A good cleaning and new bearings throughout. It's been rock steady and reliable since the day we put in in. The soundhead is converted with a Component Engineering Red LED. Screen 2 I'm running a Brenkert BX-60 on top of an RCA 9030 soundhead. I have no idea as to the dates on any of these, but I think they all pre-date ME!  |  IP: Logged Marin Zorica Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 671 From: Biograd na Moru, Croatia Registered: May 2003 posted 11-12-2008 11:57 AM                     I do service some ISKRA machines from 60's and similar, but oldest i did serviced was ISKRA NP-1 from 1947, it was in fully operative condition until three years when that open air closed. Also, I do have one Ernemann IVB which is dating from 1947-1950.  |  IP: Logged Alan Gouger Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 501 From: Bradenton, FL, USA Registered: Jul 2000 posted 11-12-2008 01:20 PM                        Barry what model anamorphic attachment is that. Does it focus down for short throw? Thank you!  |  IP: Logged Barry Floyd Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1079 From: Lebanon, Tennessee, USA Registered: Mar 2000 posted 11-12-2008 02:20 PM                        Not sure of the exact model number, but I do remember it being a REVERSE Anamorphic adapter, meaning instead of it expanding the width of the picture, it squeezes it in to accomodate the screen and throw. My screens are 25x60 with a throw of 350 feet.  |  IP: Logged Phil Hill I love my cootie bug Posts: 7595 From: Hollywood, CA USA Registered: Mar 2000 posted 11-12-2008 03:50 PM                  Barry, Louis and his team did a fantastic job on your XL.. it's a real beauty!  |  IP: Logged Joe Redifer You need a beating today Posts: 12859 From: Denver, Colorado Registered: May 99 posted 11-12-2008 04:23 PM                        I ran a Brenkert once. I'm pretty sure they were designed and built in 1849 during Zachary Taylor's administration.  |  IP: Logged Joe Tommassello Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 547 From: Coatesville, PA, USA Registered: Jan 2008 posted 11-12-2008 05:16 PM                  I ran (well helped run) a Vitaphone machine once. It was restored by a friend of mine in his basement. He had the Mickey Mouse/Donald Duck cartoon where Mickey was a magician and Donald was heckling him. The print was a sound print but we ran it with the original Vitaphone disc. Next time I saw the projector was years later...displayed at Universal Studios Florida.  |  IP: Logged Scott Norwood Film God Posts: 8146 From: Boston, MA. USA (1774.21 miles northeast of Dallas) Registered: Jun 99 posted 11-12-2008 06:10 PM                        What Phil said. Nice X-L and Schneider lens! Here's a shot of the Avon booth from 2003 or thereabouts:  |  IP: Logged Monte L Fullmer Film God Posts: 8367 From: Nampa, Idaho, USA Registered: Nov 2004 posted 11-13-2008 03:17 AM                     quote: Joe Redifer I ran a Brenkert once Brenkerts were dandy machines - built like tanks. Easy to thread and operate, even though the way to change out an aperture plate is a bit odd and a bit cumbersome, but I wouldn't kick them out of the way for anything. Like this BX-60 here sitting on top of an old 4Star soundhead: "Mr. Scott" - Those ENARC lamps are the most oddest lamps to operate with the crank wheels at the rear to advance both rods (use to Peerless/Ashcrafts with advance knob at each end of the lamphouse for each rod), yet gave out good light  |  IP: Logged Ron Funderburg Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 814 From: Chickasha, Oklahoma, USA Registered: Nov 2007 posted 11-13-2008 07:26 AM                        4 century C and 2 XL's all were made before 1960 and I think all were made before 1954, meaning they are older than me! All are still working fine in spite of the fact that those that came before me were not the greatest at maintaining the equipment.  |  IP: Logged Stephen Furley Film God Posts: 3059 From: Coulsdon, Croydon, England Registered: May 2002 posted 11-13-2008 07:31 AM                     Scott, Is that a Hoover Constellation vacuum cleaner on top of a box behind the film cans? If it is then that's got to be pretty old as well; we had one in about the mid '60s.  |  IP: Logged Mitchell Dvoskin Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1869 From: West Milford, NJ, USA Registered: Jan 2001 posted 11-13-2008 08:46 AM                     The Landmark Loews Jersey in Jersey City has a working Simplex Standard, complete with front of lens shutter, mounted on a Western Electric base and equipped with both the Vitaphone disc attachment and the Western Electric optical sound. We don't actually use it for screenings, but it is up there in the booth.  |  IP: Logged

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