Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Most Reliable Piece in the Booth

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Posted by Bill Enos (Member # 440) on 02-04-2004, 09:00 AM:

Last night I was looking around the booth thinking "what is the most reliable thing in here", then my thought was interrupted by the ding....ding....ding of the Hatke Reel End Alarm and I knew. These things are at least 50 years old, have only one moving part, and I've never had a failure in 18 years. They are a marvel of simplicity. Designed today, it would probably have 40 parts and 10 adjustments or at least two microprocessors and require a computer with proprietary software to operate a tenth as reliably. Anybody know the history of them?

Posted by Edward Jurich (Member # 1787) on 02-04-2004, 11:02 AM:

Aren't those the ones that use ball bearings that when the reel spins fast enough they ring the bell. Those things may never wear out.

Posted by Kenneth Wuepper (Member # 1174) on 02-04-2004, 07:00 PM:

These units were a Godsend. The feed magazines of the era were equipped with a little arm that has a weight at one end near a bell on the outside while, inside the magazine the arm terminated in a small roller. This roller ran on the emulsion side of the film. As the spool emptied the arm would fall, the weight springing against the bell just once.

The problem with the sensor arm was that if it stopped, the little roller would scratch the image . Even when turning, it would press very hard against the film as it passed the radius point of the spool. Threading was a trick also, causing many pinched fingers, as you had to hold the arm up until the reel edge passed the arm on the way into the magazine.

The Hatke was a very good tool for improving print life. (Some operators missed fewer reel changes since there were 3 rings instead of one.)

Posted by Paul G. Thompson (Member # 655) on 02-04-2004, 08:15 PM:

Hatke reel alarms rock! I still have two of them laying around.

Posted by Don Sneed (Member # 955) on 02-04-2004, 10:45 PM:

I woke up from a many of good sleep while working a single screen booth in my younger days, it sure was the best, can y'all remember the days of putting a quarter or a fender washer in the film when rewinding to ding the film mag....now that this was mention....the reel end alarm was the most reliable piece of equiptment in the booth.... [Razz]

Posted by William Hooper (Member # 71) on 02-04-2004, 11:48 PM:

I like the ones with the long thin arm & weight hanging below. They look like they're busy even when they're not ringing.

Posted by Steve Kraus (Member # 476) on 02-05-2004, 10:57 AM:

I have the pendulum-type alarms, too, although mine seem somewhat homemade.

Most reliable equipment: Is there anything more reliable than a traditional projector base?

Posted by Edward Jurich (Member # 1787) on 02-05-2004, 11:11 AM:

--------------------------------------------------
Is there anything more reliable than a traditional
projector base?
--------------------------------------------------

Not if it has an elevation adjustment that keeps slipping
[Big Grin]

Posted by Scott Norwood (Member # 30) on 02-05-2004, 11:16 AM:

RCA Photophone racks are pretty reliable. It's interesting to see how many theatres are still using them, usually with modern Dolby systems installed.

Neumade handcrank rewinds are good, too.

I hate hearing the reel-end alarm bells in the auditorium. There are few things more annoying to the audience than hearing bells ringing during the film. They're fine if the insulation in the booth is good, however.

Posted by Jeremy Fuentes (Member # 2135) on 02-05-2004, 11:33 AM:

Technicolor reels are pretty reliable..oh damnit I forgot to take my medication again, sorry people.

Posted by Aaron Sisemore (Member # 145) on 02-05-2004, 01:10 PM:

I have seen a Brenkert base/pedestal where the mount for the soundhead (a casting) actually cracked in half and the whole projector came crashing to the floor in the middle of a show! [Eek!]

-Aaron

Posted by Richard Greco (Member # 2032) on 02-05-2004, 01:15 PM:

The most reliable piece of equipment in my booth would be the chair I sit in [Smile]

Everything seems to always break down!

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 02-05-2004, 01:20 PM:

I think Richard may hhit the nail on the head... The projectionists stool is certainly well made.

I too have had base problems with LL3's parts cracking. Just repaired a colar on the elevation control of one of my rental bases!!

Mark @ CLACO

Posted by Chris Hipp (Member # 1788) on 02-05-2004, 01:51 PM:

I dunno, my sound rack towers are pretty reliable, havent had one fall over yet, even when run into it on a scooter.

Posted by Randy Stankey (Member # 64) on 02-05-2004, 01:57 PM:

quote:

Jeremy Fuentes: Technicolor reels are pretty reliable...

Reliably BAD!

So I guess, if you can rely on something to be bad, then it IS reliable! No?

[Big Grin]

Posted by Jeremy Fuentes (Member # 2135) on 02-05-2004, 02:00 PM:

Yeah, your'e right. Ive had a previous employee who was reliably bad.

Posted by Frank Angel (Member # 248) on 02-06-2004, 07:46 AM:

quote:
I have seen a Brenkert base/pedestal where the mount for the soundhead (a casting) actually cracked in half and the whole projector came crashing to the floor in the middle of a show!

Geeez Aaron, now I am gonna get nightmares for weeks.

Anyone get those nightmares where there are 2000 people in the audience and film is tearing down the middle as it runs through the projector and you can't find one of the reels and they keep calling you on the intercom saying all they hear in the theatre is a loud buzz? I get them from time to time....makes you really thrilled to wake up.

As for those crappy little arm things that ride with a little wheel on the inside of the magazine, in one of my very first gigs, that's what they were using for the reel alarm and I hadn't been working there a week when one particular print was slightly warped and so it didn't wind particularly evenly on the wheel causing the film roll to be just a tad off center. So there came a point where there was enough space for the little wheel to JUST start falling but wait, now here comes the part of the off-center film roll where the film is higher and the arm jams right into the film, making a nice tear for a few feet which then reachs the gate and rips completely. I tore those things out that very night. The manager was good enough to get the concentric bell alarms, but for a few days I had to just be attentive to the reels. That was one dumb-ass design.

And yes, Scott, I totally agree; hearing alarm bells in the theatre at every changeover is about as tacky as letting a few numbers show in the countdown....just so the audience knows what's going on in the booth.

Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 02-06-2004, 12:20 PM:

I've been using the same splicer (a Guillotine) for 27 years. The only thing that has broken on it is the handle, but now I've got a cast-iron one that should last through my retirement.

We've also got a coin (change) dispenser in the boxoffice that's over 100 years old and works flawlessly.

Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 02-06-2004, 02:17 PM:

quote:
As for those crappy little arm things that ride with a little wheel on the inside of the magazine, in one of my very first gigs, that's what they were using for the reel alarm and I hadn't been working there a week when one particular print was slightly warped and so it didn't wind particularly evenly on the wheel causing the film roll to be just a tad off center. So there came a point where there was enough space for the little wheel to JUST start falling but wait, now here comes the part of the off-center film roll where the film is higher and the arm jams right into the film, making a nice tear for a few feet which then reachs the gate and rips completely. I tore those things out that very night. The manager was good enough to get the concentric bell alarms, but for a few days I had to just be attentive to the reels. That was one dumb-ass design.

Good to hear I'm not the only one who detests that stupid design. Just the mere fact that it is designed to rub down the center of the film...and on the emulsion side, is pure stupidity. (Much like the stupid Simplex/RCA soundhead design.) After scratching a film many years ago in a Simplex booth, I promptly removed them as well. From that point on the projectionists just paid a little extra attention to their job.

Posted by Travis Hubrig (Member # 1745) on 02-06-2004, 02:30 PM:

The door going into my booth has worked flawlessly for >25 years.

Posted by John Pytlak (Member # 331) on 02-10-2004, 08:09 PM:

I agree the little arm-and-roller reel-end alarm was a foolish design. I saw lots of prints with green emulsion scratches in those "good old days". [Frown]

Debris trapped in the old 3-roller magazine "fire rollers" (or rollers worn flat) were also notorious print scratchers. [thumbsdown]

Posted by Joe Schmidt (Member # 822) on 02-11-2004, 01:57 AM:

[Cool]

RCA Photophone rack?

Oh, that's far too recent. How about a Western Electric with brass nameplate, "Western Electric Mirrophonic Sound System" ?

Who remembers the RCA Monster Amps with p/p 845 triodes in the final and 866 mercury vapor rectifiers? The 845's help to heat the building in winter, and the pretty blue glow from the 866's reminds us that "It's Alive" !!!

Seriously, these amps were capable of Superfragilisticexpialidocious Sound. And never get into a fight with a spelling champ.

In any case, good racks never die. They fall thru the floor into the basement, taking the cracked pedastal along with them.

Posted by Phil Hill (Member # 371) on 02-11-2004, 02:23 AM:

If you're referring to something really great, and like how it was used in the "Mary Poppins" movie, you did misspell it.

The correct spelling is: Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious.

>>> Phil

Posted by Jack Rapper (Member # 1958) on 02-13-2004, 04:55 AM:

the most reliable pieces of equipment in my booth are either the reel end alarms or the annoying buzzer that the management uses to startle the projectionist at just the precise moment.

Posted by William T. Parr (Member # 677) on 02-14-2004, 01:32 AM:

Randy Stankey wrote:

quote:
quote:
Jeremy Fuentes: Technicolor reels are pretty reliable...

Reliably BAD!

So I guess, if you can rely on something to be bad, then it IS reliable! No?

Randy, Forgive Jeremy. he must have been partying to much down on Sam Rakin St. [Wink]

Posted by Jason Thode (Member # 1854) on 02-15-2004, 02:57 AM:

The most reliable peice of equipment in my booth would have to be the chairs. They are always there and so comfortable.