Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Any AGA projectors in the USA?

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Posted by Thomas Jonsson (Member # 1902) on 09-23-2004, 02:31 PM:

Swedish AGA made cinema equipment (projectors,
lamphouses, soundsystems, loudspeakers etc) from
the early 30´s to the mid 60´s, I think. Was any
AGA equipment ever installed in the USA?

Thomas

Posted by Tim Reed (Member # 137) on 09-23-2004, 05:02 PM:

I've never seen any, and I serviced a good deal of 1920s-1950s vintage theatres in the south and eastern US, and throughout the midwest and southwestern US. That's not to say there weren't any, just not any that I ever saw.

Bet they had them in Canada, though. [Wink]

Posted by Daryl C. W. O'Shea (Member # 1303) on 09-23-2004, 05:17 PM:

I bet Gord serviced them somewhere even if we didn't have them up here! [Smile]

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 09-23-2004, 08:51 PM:

I doubt that there were any that actually were installed in the U.S., perhaps some in collectors hands, but there were a fair number of early Ernamanns and some Phillips stuff. A friend on this site and myself recently latched onto 4 Phillips FP-56 projectors.... 2 came from South America and Two from Denmark. These are really nifty, virtually silent running, very small, 35mm machine thats built with many similatities to the DP-70. Will post some photos tommrrow. Perhaps my new "favorite" machine... we'll ee how long it takes Steve K to see this.....

Mark @ CLACO

Posted by Gordon McLeod (Member # 33) on 09-23-2004, 10:44 PM:

When the GK line went bust Ed McCormack wanted rank to use AGA rather than the cinemecanica line
he had several imported but they never got installed and were shipped to the UK

Posted by Thomas Hauerslev (Member # 566) on 09-24-2004, 02:03 AM:

Susan M. Todd in Ireland (widow of Todd, Jr.) has a large AGA stove in her kitchen made by the same company which made the projectors.

Posted by Thomas Jonsson (Member # 1902) on 09-24-2004, 03:53 PM:

That´s correct. AGA used to make stoves as well.
They are still around today making industrial gas
on tubes of different sizes. You can buy one, Thomas,
and use it to fill baloons [Big Grin]

AGA´s later projectors and lamphouses were very
handsome, with a nice dark wine-red color. I think
they ran very smooth and produced nice steady pictures.

Mark, what´s the difference between Philips FP 5 and
FP 56? Is it if it has a door or not? Didn´t they come
in either black or light grey color?

Thomas

Posted by Pete Naples (Member # 761) on 09-24-2004, 04:20 PM:

Used to? Still do AFAIK, in fact until I read this I though they only made stoves.

An AGA wood/oil burning stove is something of a status symbol in these parts.

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 09-24-2004, 07:45 PM:

Aside from Gas and stoves AGA also makes some really fine diving equipment, some of which I own.

Thomas,

The post-war FP 5 and 6 share the same main frames, gear train and movement. The 5 is a very basic projector with no water cooling. The 6 is a bit more elaborate with the addition of water and air cooling facilities and adjustable loop setters built into the upper and lower sprockets. These projectors are finished in black wrinkle. No door on these projectors.

Phillips FP-5

The FP-56 is a more updated version that appeared in the mid 50's with both air and water cooling facilities, a bit heavier main frame, up to 4" diameter lens mount. Same gear train and movement as the FP5 and 6. The FP-56 with integral motor weighs in at 120 lbs!! These are the quietest projectors I've ever heard run period. So quiet running with out film and extremely quiet with film that one has to consider a flashing light across the motor to know when its on..... [Confused]

The FP-56 is dinished in an odd color which is an off white wrinkle finish. No door on this projector.

Phillips FP-56

The FP5 and 6 utilized the model 3837 sound reproducer that sat just below and to the left of the projector. The FP-56 used a bit later sound reproducer that is configured exactly the same as the one on the DP-70 but built in a similar stand alone casting to the 3837 instead of the bolt in configuration as used in the DP-70.
From what it appears so far the 3837 is a bit superior sound reproducer as there is a spring loaded damper that increases the wrap around the sound drum to 240 degrees. The later reproducer for the FP-56 and DP-70 used only 200 degrees of wrap with no damper roller.

Tye FP-7 was the fully enclosed version of the above projectors. It weighed a ton as part of the enclosure was actually part of the main casting of the projector.

All of these Phillips machines share alot of design traits with the DP-70 but the FP series does not have a conically ground star and cam. Apparently those were only used in the DP-70.

These projectors actually have four oil filters in them although the brochures say they have three. There is one extremely fine mesh brass screen(about 20 times finer than the one in the Simplex X-L) with a magnet inside of that. A second magnet hangs in the oil line feeding the intermittent, and there is a magnet inside the intermittent. Undoubtedly these three magnets drastically extended the life span of these projectors big time. All were designed by Jan Kotte. Thomas Haurslev and another film Techer get credit for helping me latch onto these incredible projectors.

Mark @ CLACO

Posted by Gordon McLeod (Member # 33) on 09-24-2004, 10:21 PM:

The FP7 was also available with a high speed pull down movement called the SUper 7

Posted by Thomas Jonsson (Member # 1902) on 09-25-2004, 05:17 AM:

Yes, sorry, AGA still makes stoves. I should know
that.

Mark, thanks for the inormation about the Philips
projectors and the nice pictures. They really knew
how to build machines in those days. I once saw an
FP56 head, with door, painted in black. This must
have been very unusual?

As far as I know the FP56 is regarded as one of the
finest 35mm projectors ever made, along with Bauer B11
and B14. If you are looking for more FP56´s, Mark, I
think Hasso in Germany have one for sale. Visit their
website at www.hasso.de and go to "Shop" Gebrauchte
gerate.

Thomas

Posted by Richard Fowler (Member # 893) on 09-25-2004, 10:40 AM:

FP5 series are Great machines. I have one customer in Latin America with his entire circuit are these machines with the exception of three of another make. He plans to retire those three when he finds enough spares to replace them. The three of the newer make require more operational cost/maintinance than the 15 FP5 he owns.

Posted by David Graham Rose (Member # 1450) on 09-28-2004, 01:40 PM:

Greetings from a dark Cambridge

I once owned an AGA, but traded it in for a Raeburn projector due to the increased stability of picture. It also exhibits 0.024% less wow on the soundhead (on avarage) than the AGA.

From Cambridge, goodnight

David