Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Adding stereo to a Devry?

This is topic Adding stereo to a Devry? in forum Film Handlers' Forum at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

To visit this topic, use this URL:
https://ft-forum.com/ft/cgi-bin/ubb/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=004950

Posted by Alan Gouger (Member # 543) on 06-01-2003, 12:42 PM:

Hello
I want to add stereo to my Devry projector and was wondering at this time should I go with a red led reader or just a stereo cell.
How difficult is the mod and can you point me to a source to purchase the needed equipment.

Thank you.

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 06-01-2003, 01:08 PM:

Alan,
I am almost finished with the first DeVry retrofit for LED reverse scanner for a friends projector and there are a number of other DeVry owners also waiting for this. Projected price is about $600.00 U.S. all inclusive. This will utilize a C.E. pickup and LED bracket of our own design. You will be able to install it in the field as long as you have the normal A chain equipment and test films.
Call if you're interested in one.
Mark @ CLACO
801-355-1250

Posted by Ken Layton (Member # 133) on 06-01-2003, 01:30 PM:

I'd like to see a picture of the installed retrofit kit.

Posted by Steve Kraus (Member # 476) on 06-01-2003, 03:03 PM:

Hmmm...a $600 update for a $100 projector.

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 06-01-2003, 03:44 PM:

Steve,
If you know of any for 100.00 please send me a half dozen freight collect!!

Ken,
I will make pics available as soon as I'm finished with the final product and the parts are anodized. Since I ahve one customers machine waiting in the shop now and another request for a pair of them I am going to do a run of 10 the first time through.....
Mark @ CLACO

Posted by Alan Gouger (Member # 543) on 06-01-2003, 06:24 PM:

Mark

I sent you an email.
If your limited on space the Devry with a double mutt make a great team [thumbsup]

Posted by Paul Salley (Member # 740) on 06-01-2003, 06:55 PM:

Nice Devry Alan !
I've been wanting one for sometime, but never have seen one colored blue? More pictures please?

Posted by Mike Fitzgerald (Member # 1304) on 06-01-2003, 07:53 PM:

Speaking of Devry The Battleship North Carolina is still looking for a pair of lamphouses to put on the Devry projectors that they have. [beer]

Posted by Alan Gouger (Member # 543) on 06-01-2003, 08:41 PM:

Thanks Paul

Heres one more.

I bought this years ago. I no longer remember from who. It was shipped to me just as she looks.

Posted by Robert E. Allen (Member # 1351) on 06-03-2003, 12:44 PM:

Great looking machine Alan.

As I recall it is one of only two machines made in this country with a barrel shutter (Motiograph being the other). It is also chain driven, right? I ran a pair at a drive in in Victorville, CA back in the '50s.

Posted by John Anastasio (Member # 607) on 06-03-2003, 03:38 PM:

Yep, they're chain driven. I take it that you ran Motiographs at the drive-in, not DeVrys. (Unless it was a very small drive-in.) [Smile]

Posted by Gordon McLeod (Member # 33) on 06-03-2003, 11:34 PM:

There were a lot of driveins in the 50's equipped by devry
The original gardnier projector Ballantyne R was a standard simplex with a barrel shutter

Posted by Don Furr (Member # 1469) on 06-04-2003, 05:51 AM:

A TIP for DeVry owners!!!
If you will replace your blower motor on the top of your lamps with an exhaust fan (get the heat out) you will increase your lamp life by a TON. You can take a lot more heat away from the bulb than the small hole at the rear bottom of the lamp housing will allow your to blow. I haven't put a bulb in either of mine in 6 months.....and I run a lot of film.

-Don

Posted by Tim Reed (Member # 137) on 06-04-2003, 10:27 AM:

quote:
I am almost finished with the first DeVry retrofit for LED reverse scanner

Mark, are there enough units out there to justify all that work?

It IS a nice blue machine, btw. I like it!

I used to service a bunch of drive-ins in WV that had DeVry 16000 systems. I loved the chain drives... only wish Christie, Prevost, and Cinemeccanica would pick up on that.

Oh, wait a minute! What was I thinking?! Haha, but then they wouldn't make any money on belt sales, silly me!
[Roll Eyes]

Posted by System Notices (Member # 2357) on 08-21-2005, 03:23 PM:

It has been 809 days since the last post.

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 08-21-2005, 03:23 PM:

Alas, after a years hiatis from working on the DeVry stereo mod kit I am finally just a few days away from having the first one complete. People have been bugging me via e-mail for the last couple of months to get this done and make them available. This is in fact a foreword scan mod and will soon be offered as a complete bolt in kit that uses existing mounting holes on the DeVry. The scanner bracket and LED mount foot are completed and all that is left to do is to machine the actual LED bracket that will secure to the LED mounting foot. All parts will have a black anodize finish and the actual production units will probably use the BACP scanner I expect to do alignment tests on the first one next weekend. I have a limited supply of used Infrared LED's that can be utilized or it can be supplied with a standard RED LED if desired.

Mark

Showing scanner mounted in position. Mounting the scanner in the reverse position would be possible but only by locating the scanner electronics remotely so I chose to keep it simple and mounted it in the forword scan position.

Here the LED mount has been Photoshoped in as close to its ultimate finished shape as possible. I opted to keep the inside of the sound drum as accessible as possible to enable it to be easily kept clean.

Posted by Alan Gouger (Member # 543) on 08-21-2005, 10:13 PM:

Hey Mark this is great news. Cant wait to hotrod my Devry [Wink]

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 08-21-2005, 10:23 PM:

I will post pics next weekend of the completed system. The best part of this is that it literally screws in place using existing holes in the main frame. This will allow anyone to upgrade their DeVry on site.

Mark

Posted by Robert E. Allen (Member # 1351) on 08-22-2005, 02:48 AM:

"Yep, they're chain driven. I take it that you ran Motiographs at the drive-in, not DeVrys. (Unless it was a very small drive-in.)"
_________________________________________________________________

Gordon is right John. They were DeVrys. But I can't remember the lamphouse.

Posted by Louis Bornwasser (Member # 3063) on 08-22-2005, 08:41 AM:

Most drive in Devry's used Strong Utility or Strong Mogul. Must have been a package. Louis

Posted by Robert Throop (Member # 61) on 08-22-2005, 09:04 AM:

I've seen pictures of drive in Devrys with Strong Super 135's as well.
Bob

Posted by Robert E. Allen (Member # 1351) on 08-23-2005, 03:44 AM:

Bingo! Robert. I think you're right' The Strong was grey and square right?

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 08-23-2005, 07:36 AM:

Exactly [Big Grin]

.......

Posted by Tim Reed (Member # 137) on 08-25-2005, 06:14 PM:

I serviced the Park Drive-In at Phillipi, WV in the early 80s. It had DeVrys with Kneisley Xenexs behind them. I think they originally had Super 135s, but I can't be sure. It was a good 70ft. wide screen tower, though. Another WV drive-in (Jane Lew) had DeVrys on an even bigger screen, with Super 135s. The Lovetts built a lot of drive-ins there, and equipped them nearly the same.

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 08-30-2005, 06:54 PM:

Now back to the topic of this thread... adding stereo to a DeVry.....

Finally had some time to get the LED mount finished up and mounted on its foot. Still have to wire up the supply which will be located in the rear of the lower compartment. The LED is fully field replacable and is socketed. The LED mount is adjustable vertically as is its distance to the film plane... but its fixed laterally as is normally standard on these devices. Mounting is easily done and is just "Bolt Right In" using original factory mounting holes.

We matched the color of the LED as close as was possible to the color of this customers DeVry [Cool]

.

Mark

Posted by Bruce McGee (Member # 131) on 08-30-2005, 10:25 PM:

Mark, that is some kind of beautiful job there. Its also the first time I've seen a DeVry close-up. Nice. Kinda makes me want one real bad.

Still running the Holmes 8's.

Posted by Fred Georges (Member # 505) on 08-30-2005, 11:36 PM:

Congratulations Mark. Superb Job [beer]

There are still a LOT of these machines used in collector circles & you've solved the major lament with them. [thumbsup]

Posted by Larry Myers (Member # 738) on 08-31-2005, 10:55 AM:

Yes, the pictures look great but I think your not threaded correctly. I destroyed a few trailers that way. The film has to come down stright under the first guide roller as it goes through the fire trap then on to the drive assembly.

Does it still look like it's going to be $600 for this setup?

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 08-31-2005, 12:16 PM:

Thanks for the kind comments folks!! This has been a long time comming....

The actual production version of this will use the BACP scanner, keep in mind that this is the prototype scanner and I used what ever junk we had floating around in the shop to build it up. The BACP greatly simplifies the installation by eliminating the need for an external power supply and hence alot of extra wiring. All that you need to power the BACP is the included wall wort and then simply connect its output to your processor. The supply for both the LED and preamp are contained inside the scanner pickup on a user replacable plug in module. It also has signal presence LED's and power supply LED's so one can monitor the reader. Have not set the actual price yet, am still awaiting pricing back from the CNC shop on the 3 different mounting parts.

Mark

Posted by Larry Myers (Member # 738) on 08-31-2005, 12:30 PM:

I have had a lot of experience with CNC work and setup time can be a killer although the per piece price can be very low. I have worked on jobs where the setup is $10,000 and the per piece price is 30 cents each. Great if your making door handles for GM and not so great if it's a handful of parts project.

[ 08-31-2005, 04:47 PM: Message edited by: Larry Myers ]

Posted by Tim Reed (Member # 137) on 09-01-2005, 11:21 AM:

Superb, Mark! Superb.

Posted by Alan Gouger (Member # 543) on 09-01-2005, 05:42 PM:

Im currently running mono but its no fuss and solid and thats fine for my older prints. When watching a movie I wonder "If I only had stereo"
Now that Mark has made this possible I guess the next progression will be " If I only had surround sound"
Are we ever happy [Eek!]

So this upgrade also means a surround processor and more speakers will be in the near future [Big Grin]

Posted by Larry Myers (Member # 738) on 09-01-2005, 07:43 PM:

That is exactly my thought also.

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 09-01-2005, 09:10 PM:

quote: Alan Gouger
So this upgrade also means a surround processor and more speakers will be in the near future

Thats ok because CP-50's are very readily available and very inexpensve!!

Mark

Posted by Roger Manning Jr (Member # 1560) on 09-07-2005, 06:44 PM:

So Mark what is the price for this? I have a Devry and would like to add this to it.
Roger

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 09-07-2005, 08:14 PM:

Rodger,
Thanks for your interest. With the BACP pickup its at $675.00 for the bolt in conversion. The BACP simplifies things greatly and also lowers the LED current to very low levels so the LED will last as long as you'd be using that projector. The scanner will run off the included wall wort that comes with the scanner kit. We will be accepting orders the end of September for them.

Mark @ CLACO

Posted by Roger Manning Jr (Member # 1560) on 09-07-2005, 08:47 PM:

WOW thats three times what I paid for my mint Devry!!
I think I'll pass.
Roger

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 09-07-2005, 08:58 PM:

I would expect many people to feel that way. Its not really what the projector is worth... 150 dollars for many of them, its what quality do you want back from the projector!! For a semi- portable its far superior to anything similar new that you can buy if properly maintained!! If you're satisfied with Mono sound and don't anticipate collecting anything with Stereo variable area or Cyan Dye tracks then you're probably better off with what you have.

This pickup is of course aimed at high end collectors that want to hear everything thats in a given track with the best possible clarity or those that want to feed the best possible stereo LT/RT signal into a 2-4 processor. The original optical system in the DeVry comes about 1/10th of the way to the performance level of this system.

Mark @ CLACO

Posted by Daryl C. W. O'Shea (Member # 1303) on 09-07-2005, 09:13 PM:

If it's $675 with both the reader and a RSLH-2 (or similar) LED module that's a steal. Even if it's with a "not so user friendly" LED mount (which is actually just as, or easier, to deal with if you don't have a spare RSLH-2) it's still a deal for what you're getting.

Looks good Mark! I wish I at least had to make custom brackets for sound heads that weren't complete pieces of [bs]

. So far I'm sure the 6061 T6 I've made them all out of will outlast the crappy heads.

Posted by Don Furr (Member # 1469) on 09-07-2005, 09:20 PM:

Mark,
IMO your upgrade kit for the Devry is reasonably priced [beer]

Considering what you have to pay for a Kelmar kit (or others) that are mass produced I think your price which includes R&D is right in line. [thumbsup]

Don

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 09-07-2005, 09:36 PM:

Thanks for the good words guys! CLACO makes very little on them but I have to keep it in line with what home hobbiests can swing. The pickup accounts for about 2/3's of that price but with the positive only experience I've had with BACP stuff its the only way to go... plus the simplicity of not having to wire in a seperate power supply as I did in the prototype. I could deliver sooner but have an install to go do next week... am moving this week so little time for this now. End of September though I am doing a run of 12 of them in the shop at CLACO. CNC is not out of the question price wise but the lead time for delivery is 3 months!! I already have three spoken for thanks to Film-Tech and the 35mm film site.

Mark

Posted by Alan Gouger (Member # 543) on 09-07-2005, 11:36 PM:

Not only do I not have the technical know how to piece meal something like this together on my own but I also do not have access to a machine shop for the brackets ect to retro this to fit as a do it yourself install. The time alone for all the R&D & parts would have cost me far more.

This will cost me what I would have paid for 2 decent films yet it will bring me far enjoyment and new life to my current collection and all films in the future & add some value to my machine.

Posted by Tim Reed (Member # 137) on 09-08-2005, 10:11 AM:

Yes, it's a good price, Mark.

Posted by Daryl C. W. O'Shea (Member # 1303) on 09-09-2005, 02:14 AM:

In case anyone ever has the silly idea of wanting a reverse scan reader in a [puke]

Mod 6.

In retrospect I should have just made a new middle extension piece for the standard BACP LED bracket "post", cut the existing metal tube off and just taped some holes. Oh wait, I meant, I should have really took a sledge hammer to that piece of [bs]

sound head. Good thing they only run 20 minute reels.

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 09-09-2005, 09:13 AM:

Daryl, Thats interesting!! Good job on that one. We have a customer in the Dakots someplace that is running that sound head with Ballantyne BW's on top. I .... think.... we just about have them convinced to upgrade to a Powers 6B setup for next summer though....

Mark

Posted by Gordon McLeod (Member # 33) on 09-09-2005, 10:20 AM:

Model 6 soundhead lets see BACP makes a plug in replacement LED could they make a plug in gear box for that POS as well [Smile]

Posted by Daryl C. W. O'Shea (Member # 1303) on 09-09-2005, 11:00 PM:

Plug in gear box comes in casing that for some reason looks like any other sound head. "One part replacement" is easy. Simply unbolt sound head from hanger and projector and replace. [Big Grin]

Oddly enough though, it's been almost 10 years since I last had a gear box go in one. Maybe it's the slow starts and ~10 minute warm ups, or maybe it's the fact that I keep a spare gear set in my trunk at all times. [Smile]

Thanks Mark!

Posted by Phil Hill (Member # 371) on 09-09-2005, 11:03 PM:

Daryl, it's the Karma of the spare gear set....

Posted by Gordon McLeod (Member # 33) on 09-10-2005, 08:44 AM:

No Phil it is the Karma of the sledge hammer sitting on the floor beside it [evil]

Posted by Daryl C. W. O'Shea (Member # 1303) on 09-10-2005, 09:22 AM:

The great thing about that sledge hammer is that it doubles as incentive for people to turn off their headlights while I'm running a drive-in. [evil]