The brains were modified though to be the same type found on Potts platters but they still use the microswitch. I came from a theatre that used Aw 3's and AW 35's and can imagine what a shock it would be for an operator who had never used a microswitch type of platter, luckily I learned on Potts platters so I was not tottally lost. I have not had any problems threading this machine though, the fact that the rollers have no "keepers" is annoying but I can live with it. What is annoying though is that if the film drops on projector #1 before it drops on #3 it will cause the running film to fall off the rollers. Therefore someone has to be there to "Catch" the tail by spinnig the takeup deck by hand at the moment it drops. the one thing I do like about this platter is the sturdiness of the decks. On an AW3 the deck will start to wobble if people throw prints onto it or bang a splicer on it these decks though are very very strong. But it is a horrible orange!!!------------------
I love to smoke I smoke seventhousand packs a day and I'm never F*&ing quittin!-- Denis Leary
Yes, the older Potts and some of the CFS platters didn't have any keepers, and it is a pain. I outfitted all of mine with keepers. If you have the parts, it is easy to do.
I have seen the blue Super platters both with and without the 'keeper' rollers and the newest generation of the Super Platter the NSP-series had nice black rollers with bearings and keepers. The only problems with the NSP was the real CHEAP needle bearing that they used for the deck hub... and that was an improvement over the NYLON BUSHING(!!!) they used previously... I had to replace all three decks on the two NSP3's we have because they would just sieze right up from the nylon bushing swelling up with the slightest bit of friction. My only other beef with the Supers is the cheap under-rated microswitches they used. I have changed many of them to a higher rated switch that has lasted far longer, but the switches have now become harder to locate. I do have a manufacturing order with Cherry Electronics pending to make a HUGE amount of 10A/250V (the stock CFS switch is 4A) micros that will fit right into a Super. I just haven't been given authorization to commit to it.
Aaron
At his theater they have two movies running off a 5 deck at the same time (which is cinema 1 and cinema 3). If the movie in cinema 3 ends before the movie in cinema 1 the tail of the movie falls off the rollers (since there are no keepers) and sometimes hits the film in cinema 1 causing the movie to stop. Therefore when the movie in cinema 3 ends first the projectionist has to "catch" the tail by spinning the platter so it takes up the tail.
Hmmmmm....thats my late night, beginning of my weekend explanation...if you still don't understand let me know and I'll try again
------------------
"Blood is thicker then blondes" - From the movie, Save the last Dance.
FUNNY!!!!!
I don't like the Super Platters as they were originally manufactured. With the Strong/Potts upgrades and improvements added to them though, I do like them.
Cinema Film Systems also made their own control plate retrofit kit for the blue Super Platters, but it wasn't much better than the original design.