Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: What Platters do you like?

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Posted by Ian Price (Member # 14) on 08-16-2002, 07:38 PM:

I like:

Christie AW3
Strong/Potts
Speco LP-270
Kinoton

I've seen, but not used and don't like:

Big Sky
Neumade

I've heard about and dread:

ORC
CFS Super Platter
Kansas City Drive-In

Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 08-16-2002, 07:48 PM:

I like:
Christie AW3/AW3R
SPECO LP270 and 280

I've seen and think I would like:
Kinoton (current model)

I've seen, have not used and have not made up my mind yet because these could be very good platters, but I see minor design flaws:
Cinemecannica (current model)
Xetron/Neumade (current model)

I've seen and am pretty sure I would not like due to inexcusable design flaws:
Big Sky
Christie AW1

I've not seen, but just KNOW that I would hate:
Simplex "air platter"

I've worked with and hate very, very much:
Strong (microswitch style)***
Potts (all models)
CFS (all models)
ORC (all models)
Teco (was there more than one?)
Christie AW2 (junk)
Kinoton (older dual microswitch style)

***Disclaimer: I wasn't sure which category to put this in. The current non-microswitch (don't remember the model number) Strongs could be made to be very good platters, but will require some design changes by Strong. Until such time, they stay in my "hated" file.

Posted by Adam Martin (Member # 641) on 08-16-2002, 08:39 PM:

I have used and like:
Christie AW3
Speco LP270

I have used and don't like:
Big Sky
Strong
Christie AW2

Posted by Aaron Sisemore (Member # 145) on 08-16-2002, 10:34 PM:

I have worked with and I like:
Christie AW3/AW3R
Christie MW3 (Miniwind) MULTI-BOARD version
Strong/Potts A-3 (phase control brain)
Norelco/Kinoton (dual microswitch brains)

I've seen and think I would like:
Kinoton (current model)
SPECO

I've not seen (other than pictures), but just KNOW that I would hate:
Simplex "air platter"
Any endless-loop system

I've worked with and hate very, very much:

CFS (all models, including the ORC version of the Super Platter)*
ORC 'fat tree'
Christie AW1
Christie AW2
Christie MW3 (early SINGLE-BOARD version)
Early Potts w/ microswitch brains

*NOTE I have had to deal with so many CFS platters that I have taken a masochistic liking to them only when they work properly. Otherwise I can't get rid of them fast enough!

-Aaron

Posted by Barry Martin (Member # 1376) on 08-16-2002, 10:49 PM:

I'm glad to see agreement on the Big Sky Platters, that was my only major complaint when opening in Methuen. Their MUTs were also very disagreeable. I do stick to my Strongs as favorites, but I haven't dealt with Christie, Potts, or Speco enough to rank them yet.

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"The greatest thing you will ever learn, is just love and be loved in return."

Barry C. Martin
IATSE Local 182

Posted by Adam Fraser (Member # 1074) on 08-16-2002, 11:15 PM:

I was just wondering,
Has anyone else except me worked with a TECO platter? They may have been made by another company and I assume it is from the late 70's or early 80's. The only thing we have ever had happen to it is I guess the main circuit board had to be replaced way before my time (at least 10 or more years ago) and has never needed a service call since. Here is a picture of it, although not the best angle.

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Adam Fraser www.pinestheatre.com

Posted by Dustin Mitchell (Member # 372) on 08-16-2002, 11:35 PM:

I have only worked with Strong platters, both Alpha's and AP-3's. The AP-3's have microswitch brains and NOT ONCE in 5 years of operation have they thrown a print. The Alpha platters have phase control brains, which also work just fine.

Posted by Manny Knowles (Member # 1171) on 08-17-2002, 12:11 AM:

I started out with Strong platters in an AMC (Strong) booth and I had no problems with them. Unfortunately, I wasn't a tech of any sort back then and so I never bothered to learn the model number. Loved that make-up table.

Then I moved and the booth was all ORC stuff. This was not an AMC booth, BTW. Oh, I can't tell you how much I hate, hate, hate ORC equipment. Evil platters: noisy, clunky and hard to repair. The payouts are waaay too delicate and the makeup table sucks, sucks, SUCKS!!!

And, now, there is Christie and it's all I use. The Christie AW3/AW3R is very nice. It's quiet and easy to maintain/repair ( a very modular design approach). The payout heads are great. I like the Christie MUT a lot.

BTW, Brad...I got a tachometer. I will take a pic of mine - I wonder if it's the same as yours (you recommended this a while back). The RPM scale doesn't seem to bear any relation to what the actual platter is doing. I think I will have to put stickers on it to denote target platter speeds.

Posted by Richard Fowler (Member # 893) on 08-17-2002, 12:42 AM:

Teco products had a crude charm to them....the rewinders and platter where very troublefree. Potts, Trident, Cinemeccanica and the new improved Speco have given me no problems.
Richard Fowler
TVP-Theatre & Video Products Inc. www.tvpmiami.com

Posted by Paul G. Thompson (Member # 655) on 08-17-2002, 01:19 AM:

Brad, you didn't mention the Eprad Platter.

Posted by Paul G. Thompson (Member # 655) on 08-17-2002, 01:22 AM:

Brad, you or nobody didn't even mention the Eprad Platter.

Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 08-17-2002, 01:44 AM:

I guess I should create a new category for that one Paul.

I've seen pictures of and can't believe anyone actually mass produced what has to be the stupidest platter design of all time:
Eprad

Posted by John Westlund (Member # 913) on 08-17-2002, 02:20 AM:

Can I find pictures of this EPRAD platter on this site?

Posted by Peter Kerchinsky (Member # 1098) on 08-17-2002, 05:03 AM:

I'll say it now and have said it again
All Super/ORC platters should be used as boat anchors in Puget Sound.
Anything made by CFS should be blown up in tiny pieces so we don't have to pollute any dumpsites where they belong.
The only platter we should all have is an AW3.
To hell, and I mean platter hell, with the rest.
Good night!

Posted by Joe Redifer (Member # 3) on 08-17-2002, 06:07 AM:

Platters that I have worked with and love:
Christie AW3R with visible LED

Platters that I have not worked with but think I would enjoy:
Kinoton (current model)
Speco (newer model, but with the Film-Tech modifications--see review on this site)

Platters that I have worked with and am OK with but still would recommend a few design improvements:
Strong phase control (with auto-sensing takeup switch, not the 4 position Payout/Rewind/Make Up/Off switch)*
Strong digital control*

*I am not a fan of any platter that uses vacuum cleaner motors or a variac that controls both payout and takeup at the same time, but these seem to do OK. Now if they could just make one simple change to the brain and threading would be much easier.

Platters that I have worked with and cannot stand:
Anything with "ORC" on it
Strong/Potts microswitch
Strong phase control with the 4 position Make Up/Payout/Rewind/Off switch
Christie AW3R with "auto-timing" (though you CAN put the visible LEDs in and they will work great)

Platters that I have not used but am pretty sure I would not enjoy due to obvious design flaws that I can easily see in pictures and reports from users:
Big Sky
Eprad
Simplex Air Platter
Any endless loop system

Posted by Scott Norwood (Member # 30) on 08-17-2002, 07:29 AM:

I have worked with and I like:

Christie AW3 and AW3R (have not seen the latest ones, though)

I have not worked with but think I would like:

Kinoton
Strong (current model)

I have not worked with but think I would hate:

ORC Super Platter

Posted by Gordon McLeod (Member # 33) on 08-17-2002, 09:57 AM:

Platters I like
Kinoton All models
Ernamann
Most of the strong potts
AW3
Tecco

Platters I hate
Eprad
Applied Energy (Rank)
Xetron/Neumade
Wassman
CFS

Second thought all platters are evil it should all be on reels anyway

Posted by Jeff Leyland (Member # 1092) on 08-17-2002, 01:36 PM:

My favorite platter is the older Speco's. I used them for four years during college and a few years after. I can only remember one platter going down once in all that time.

Also during college, two of our theatres used the Simplex Airomatic (I am pretty sure that was the name). Yes they were very noisy and did produce heat. We had several comments from customers that sat in the back of those two theatres of hearing either airplanes or sirens. It wasn't until about six months before I left that they retired those things and put in two more used Specos.

My only experience with Christie was not very good. It was a new location and we were getting a lot of thrown prints. I was not there long enough to get the glitches out of them.

My last two locations I have been 'blessed' with the micro switch. One theatre had Potts platters and threw prints left and right. My current theatre has CFS Super Platters (Stupid Platters). I give all credit to my booth staff for making these platters run smoothly. We all know that they take constant maintenance to run effectively.

Posted by Jason Black (Member # 684) on 08-17-2002, 02:03 PM:

My list is rather short, as I've only had the opportunity to work with the following

1) Teco - very reliable, tight winding platters. Variacs do go bad from time to time. Aside from that, no problems.

2) Eprad - Why were these even made? I had the model with the damn pole in the middle at past theatres. You had to take up on the top platter if you planned to move anything on Thur. night, otherwise, you broke it down on 6k's and spun it back up.

3) Christie AW's & AW3's. Didn't like them. They were older models and the threading pattern seemed to be a big PITA, IMO. I was (un)lucky enough to have a five tier system feeding two houses in Wilmington. I hated that thing with more than a passion. Rollers on the floor, on the wall, on the cieling. It simply left too much room for error, IMO. Also had a brief experience wit the mini-winds. I *believe* these were AW2's?

4) Strong - Probably my favorite out of all platters I've ever used. I have the microswitch variety now (Model 35-AP3) Replaced a few micro-switches in my time, but that only takes 5 minutes to do. The only drawback I see to these platters in when a microswitch DOES go bad DURING the show, you have to spin the platter manually. I've had this happen a total of 4 times maybe in the last 10 years.

5) ORC - I have no clue what model they were. They had a spring loaded payout head in the 'brain' that had a little pin which could be moved into one of 5 different holes. I'm guessing this allowed for the payout speed adjustemnt? I was 16 at the time and can't remember many specifics about these units. I don';t recall having a lot of problems with them however.

Posted by Paul G. Thompson (Member # 655) on 08-24-2002, 03:18 PM:

Grade "A": Christie AW-3-R since most of the bugs are now worked out. Would be very pleased to have.

Grade "B": Xetron XNR-335/535 of the early 1980's vintage, as long as the drive pucks are up-to-date, and the reed switches have been replaced with micro switches. Would be very happy to have.

Grade "C": Strong/Potts A-3. Would be happy to have.

Grade "D": LP Associates. It certainly is not a bad machine. I do like them, but never had one.

Grade "E": CFS or the older POTTS. I would accept them if I had to. I can keep them running without too much problem.

Grade "F": Any platter with the ORC name...Not in my booth!

Grade "0" (Ziltch, Zero, Zip) Eprad. Not a chance!

Posted by Stephen Jones (Member # 16) on 08-25-2002, 03:14 AM:

Kinoton are my choice followed by Cinemecanica.
Love the I.R brains that Kinoton use,very gentle with film and never had a brain wrap with a Kinoton platter in all the time I have used them and in the last 2 and a half years we have been open they have performed perfectly.
Have used specos over the years and have to say not impressed by them.
But would like to try out the latest model to seee if they have improved over the last few years.

Posted by Joe Redifer (Member # 3) on 08-25-2002, 11:53 AM:

Stephen will you please purchase and send me 6 brand new Kinoton platters? Thanks.

Posted by Jean-Michel Grin (Member # 1360) on 08-25-2002, 12:40 PM:

I've been send to dump last week two ORC platters unit and replaced them by Strong 5-deck Alpha platters. Munch better !

Posted by Daniel Boisson (Member # 1027) on 08-25-2002, 01:27 PM:

Christie AW3. 2 of ours don't always take up right away, but after that, they're so reliable.

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3% Body Fat. 1% Brain Activity.