This is topic Monee Projector in forum Film Handlers' Forum at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.
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Posted by Robert E. Allen (Member # 1351) on 08-25-2003, 02:09 PM:
I've been offered a Monee projector. I've never heard of the machine. It looks like a Century. Do you know anything about it? Is it still being manufactured (or are parts available for it) and if so where? Thanks.
Posted by Richard Fowler (Member # 893) on 08-25-2003, 02:39 PM:
The Monee projector is made in Bangladore India and is in production. International Cinema, Cinema Film Systems and others have imported the machine. If the machine has been in use in the U.S. it has probably been upgraded on the exciter lamp assembly and the seals in the intermittent, at least, and / or star and cam bearings upgraded for platter type operation. Allen set screws on the projector gears versus the screws supplied are advised. The soundhead uses oilite sleeve bearings on the drive shaft so this maintinance has to be considered. Parts are available but be sure you have the standard Century 20 degree pitch gearing instead of the 14.5 degree ( which has longer life ) since this would tie you to one source of parts. The Monee is a better clone than the Cinecita units which have been out of production for many years.
Posted by Pete Naples (Member # 761) on 08-25-2003, 02:41 PM:
The Monee is made in India, and is a near direct copy of the Century. I say near direct copy because it has some design modifications, similar to the London built Westrex Westar. They are still made today, so spares shouldn't be a problem. I try not to use Monee parts on Monee machines, as fitting a Strong Century past on a Monee is a definite upgrade! The quality of the Monee can be somewhat variable. The problems I've seen with them are mainly the grade/quality of the steel shafts. It's far too soft and wears very quickly; the accusracy of the castings and milled flats (for example where the film trap mounts) can leave a lot to be desired, it's not uncommon to find a machine that has very uneven focus, and on careful examination you find the the lens and film trap planes are not perpendicular. If you're lucky you can sort it out by carefully shimming the lens or trap (slices of coke cans are ideal for this). The screws are often a mixture of imperial and metric sizes amd often if you take two machines, and look at the same screws on each machine, they will be different!
All that said if you get it free or cheap and are prepared to spend some time and money on replacing dodgy Monee parts you will end up with a machine capable of Century like performance.
Posted by Bill Enos (Member # 440) on 08-25-2003, 05:15 PM:
Considering the comments above, unless these things are way less than half the price of a Century why would anybody buy one?
Posted by Gordon McLeod (Member # 33) on 08-25-2003, 06:41 PM:
Amazingly these machines do tend to keep running and are fairly servicable
One thing that was vastly superior in the Westrex design (monee and the like as well) was the upper and lower sprocket was on a sub assembly much like the simplex xl and it allowed for good alignment of the verticle shaft
Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 08-25-2003, 09:31 PM:
My experience with about a dozen of them over the last 20 years is pretty much like this....
If you get a good one its pretty much as good as a Century.... but there is no way to tell without putting it in daily service.
The screws self loosen. This is quite common on the verticle shaft and other important assemblys. Keep checking. Gives the operator something to do.
The intermittents are VASTLY INFERIOR no matter what! it may run nice now but in two years it'll sound like a meat grinder. Good thing though is that the LaVezzi rebuild kit will fit in it.
Hope some of the "my" experiences might help you decide one way or the other......
Mark@CLACO
Posted by Jean-Michel Grin (Member # 1360) on 08-26-2003, 04:10 PM:
Personaly I don't like verry munch theses projectors: Is verry difficult to en sure a good focus uniformity, because the turret move itself. For the spare parts no one part can replace another one easely: Anytime You have to make some adjustements when You remplacing parts...
Even, a century spare part could never fit in a Monee projector...
A good point: they are the cheapest projectors in the market...
Posted by Michael Schaffer (Member # 1204) on 08-26-2003, 08:35 PM:
I have a couple of these, and I have few problems with them. Well, the other week one of them had the round knob to open the trap come loose, so it couldn't be opened. But then I had the exact same problem with an original Century the week after...
Posted by System Notices (Member # 2357) on 03-17-2006, 08:36 PM:
It has been 934 days since the last post.
Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 03-17-2006, 08:36 PM:
I thought I'd dredge this one back up and mention that I had a verticle shaft in a Monee snap in two pieces yesterday. Perhaps that says something about the quality of Indian Steel...... ![[thumbsdown]](graemlins/thumbsdown.gif)
.
Anyone else seen this happen to one?
Mark
Posted by Monte L Fullmer (Member # 2797) on 03-18-2006, 02:10 AM:
..are those LIT/Century machines actually Monees? Saw the one at the LIT booth at Showest - a little bit different than what a Century should be.
Can't see STRONG licensing their Centurys to LIT, thus wondered if these where the Moneee POS's.
-Monte
Posted by Aaron Sisemore (Member # 145) on 03-18-2006, 04:03 AM:
Yes, the LIT machine is made by Monee.
-Aaron
Posted by Louis Bornwasser (Member # 3063) on 03-18-2006, 08:34 AM:
If you received the machine for free and then you did a full Century "conversion"...all shafts and gears and intermittent, you may well have a good machine. Beware the oilite soundhead bearings. I make a kit to convert to Century shaft and ball bearings. Louis
Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 03-18-2006, 12:11 PM:
The funny thing about the Monees that I service is that they are 1. Standard Drive.... and 2. They sound heads are already all ball breearing from the factory... There musta been a number of variations on the theme... I know Richard F. claimed they were like a direct drive Century...... Not true at least of these.
Mark
Posted by Robert E. Allen (Member # 1351) on 03-18-2006, 08:56 PM:
Hold it guys!!!!
I DID NOT post that and I have not been offered a Monee. Someone is playing games.
Posted by Adam Martin (Member # 641) on 03-18-2006, 09:28 PM: