This is topic Platter Preferences--CFS Super Platter or anything else in forum Film Handlers' Forum at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.


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Posted by Jeremy Fuentes (Member # 2135) on 02-01-2005, 01:56 PM:
 
Personally, I think the CFS platters rule the world. They are 10 times better than any other platter and 16 times better than changeovers. Dont even try to change my mind about this. I was trained on these platters, so they must be the best. Nuff said.

Me and my CFS platters

You and whatever you use
 

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Posted by Gordon McLeod (Member # 33) on 02-01-2005, 01:59 PM:
 
No the Simplex Airomatic platter or the Applied Energy Rank (the green turds) rule they are only eclipsed by the EPRAD platter with the line shaft up the middle
 

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Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 02-01-2005, 03:44 PM:
 
Clearly Jeremy has been smoking some opaque tape !
 

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Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 02-01-2005, 08:06 PM:
 

quote: Gordon McLeod

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No the Simplex Airomatic platter

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Naw, those airomatic platters stink big time..... the remains of one is sitting in the Kaysville, UT cinema and it does still run.

CFS.... you mean "Stupid Platters".......the VERY worst of the worst and I'll take the Air-o-matic platter any day over any "Stupid Platter"....at least you have the novelty of the air drive motors.... .

Brad, I think Jeremey needs to be temporarily banned till he learns to love AW-3s.

Mark
 

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Posted by Joshua Waaland (Member # 287) on 02-01-2005, 10:55 PM:
 
Well Jeremy that depends on what you are talking about. If you want to know my preference of platters for a giant sized Frizbee then the Super Patters have my vote. They have nice straight edges that should cut down the wind resistance. If you mean to run film on however then I wouldn't trust Super Platters to run a Gigli trailer on.
 

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Posted by Chris Hipp (Member # 1788) on 02-02-2005, 03:02 PM:
 
I have never worked with super platters and have heard many bad things about them. However, Jeremy likes them and he liked Anchorman, so the only logical conclusion that I can come to is that super platters are great.
 

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Posted by Peter Mork (Member # 1336) on 02-02-2005, 03:58 PM:
 
They're great! They suck!
Are we back in Junior High now?
 

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Posted by Dean Kollet (Member # 1789) on 02-02-2005, 06:44 PM:
 
personally, I think that CFS super platters suck balls

....just kidding, I've never used them
 

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Posted by Monte L Fullmer (Member # 2797) on 02-02-2005, 07:04 PM:
 
Yep, "Stupid platters" .. goofiest damned things ever created. And I though those air-driven ones were goofy-hearing those "taking off" every time the brain switch opened up. You need to work with a Super to understand what we all talk about. (YEECH!)
 

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Posted by Adam Martin (Member # 641) on 02-03-2005, 02:47 AM:
 
Clearly this is way above a number of heads. Super Platters kick ass.
 

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Posted by Monte L Fullmer (Member # 2797) on 02-03-2005, 03:38 AM:
 
..I think Jeremy wanted to "stir up a wasp's nest" with this topic - just to see how much flak he'd get (and harrassements as well..lol).

Prob, he can't stand CFS "sloppy platters", or doesn't even know what they are. He just wanted to get us going again after witnessing that "Hellfire and Brimstone" barrage given from the fellows in that opaque tape topic.

And, if he gets quite a bunch of flak, we'll have to take a 50 gallon barrel full of Dr. Pepper and baptize him in that stuff. He won't forget that. (lol)

-Monte
 

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Posted by Cory Isemann (Member # 2517) on 02-03-2005, 08:21 AM:
 
Only having dealt with two makes of platters, I would have to lean to Neumade over Strong. I like the design better, and they're less likely to throw prints.
 

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Posted by Christian Volpi (Member # 2370) on 02-03-2005, 08:26 AM:
 
No way. The old SPECO platters rule. I mean the brain can't be removed which makes print movement a breeze. The center rings can be bent with my little toe. Oh, and those old pressboard MUT's!! I love them!
 

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Posted by Jeremy Fuentes (Member # 2135) on 02-03-2005, 10:42 AM:
 

quote: Monte L Fullmer

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..I think Jeremy wanted to "stir up a wasp's nest" with this topic

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quote: Mark Gulbrandsen

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I think Jeremey needs to be temporarily banned

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quote: Adam Martin

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Clearly this is way above a number of heads

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quote: Chris Hipp

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However, Jeremy likes them and he liked Anchorman, so the only logical conclusion that I can come to is that super platters are great.

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Finally someone who uses logic! Anchorman ruled!! Brad loved it too!!
 

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Posted by Joshua Waaland (Member # 287) on 02-03-2005, 11:20 AM:
 
For anyone who has never used a stinkin platter, here is just a taste:

First: the microswitches were just that. Micro. You could barely see the damn things and they just didn't hold up. I got to be a expert at changing them in the middle of a show.

Second: The make-up rings didn't hold tension on the film like a Potts ring. When you tried to move a print it fell apart.

Third: The goofy contraption they used on the variacs on the 5 deck models sucked. There was a bunch of linkage connecting the variac to the take up traveler. The set screw that held the linkage on the variac stem would always work its way loose. Even Loctite could not hold it. When the film ended and it came crashing down the set screw would gouge the hell out of the variac stem and you eventually got a very deep groove in the stem. This prevented being able to tighten the screw properly and it would spin on the stem. (Carmike was too cheap to replace it) This caused the platter to run at the wrong speed because the linkage was not tight on the stem, which in turn caused the traveler to start running up and down in cycles. When it would get to the bottom it would race back up and snap the film from tension.

Fourth: The dang thing would throw prints all the time for no apparent reason and sometimes it threw them due to the first point I made.

Fifth: The brains were stationary and there was little clearance for film moving on the 5 decks.

All in all I would say they sucked rear end. I have used Potts, Christie, Strong and I would say they all beat stupid platters hands down.

I would agree Jeremy probably started this post just to get things going. Jeremy you are such a trouble maker. What's next, Abortion, Euthenasia, Death Penalty, Politics?
 

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Posted by James Faber (Member # 2796) on 02-04-2005, 04:12 AM:
 
Christian, tell me about it. I'm working with 4 LP-270s right now. Fortunately, I did convince Mr. Money Man to get a retrofit kit for one of them, and trying to get the other 3 soon. When I first started working with them, I had a lot of wrapping problems, but I've gotten used to them, and haven't had any problems for a long time(but, I still have to fix other people's stupid mistakes. They call me at home to come fix their problems). Did SPECO do any better with the LP-280's?
 

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Posted by Joshua Waaland (Member # 287) on 02-04-2005, 06:53 AM:
 
James,

Funny thing is that when I worked for the theater with the super platters, the manager would call me at home on my days off to come help her when the platter would act up. i.e. thrown prints.

I only lived 5 minutes away. Several times I was called when the theater was full of people and had to come fix the platter (was a 5 deck that serviced two screens) and get it back up and running for the audience. One time she called me and I got there and the print was a heap of spaghetti. I told her she was crazy if she thought I was getting that print back together in a reasonable amount of time. I made her give everyone rainchecks.
 

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Posted by Pete Wolla (Member # 1581) on 02-06-2005, 05:57 PM:
 
in a single screen with only 3 shows per week. the cfs does the job.with a hula hoop on the platter no thrown prints did have one brain wrap. no need to move prints. had to use the wifes vaccum cleaner belts once
 

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Posted by Jason M Miller (Member # 2597) on 02-06-2005, 06:06 PM:
 
The only platters I have ever used are Strong Platters so no opinion here.
 

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Posted by Scott Norwood (Member # 30) on 02-06-2005, 06:50 PM:
 
The Super Platter is a POS. Admittedly, I've only worked with one (Peter is familiar with the venue in question), but it's always sort of an adventure to run that booth. The odd part is that every show I've run there has been a perfect presentation so far, though I fully expect a disaster there someday. I hate the MUT, too.

The only platter that I've worked with for any extensive period of time in a number of different theatres has been the AW3 (and AW3R) and that is definitely a quality piece of equipment. I have no complaints, other than a bad batch of motor cards and various bad batches of drive pucks (both problems now corrected). I've had exactly one (minor) brainwrap, and that was my fault when changing trailers too quickly. I've never seen a thrown print or even heard of it happening in this area on Christie platters.

I do prefer the older AW3s (1979 "Anniversary" version) with all the upgrades and the removable brain modification, but the newer ones work fine too.

The SPECO LP-270 design is OK. I don't like the old horizontal MUT, but that has been replaced with a much better design (which I haven't personally worked with, but all indications are that it works well).

I've threaded Xetron 5-deck platters and a Neumade a couple of times each, but I don't really have an opinion about any of them. I've never run Strongs. Note that I'm referring to running 35mm film on these platters; my experience with 16mm and 70mm has always been reel-to-reel.
 

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Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 02-06-2005, 07:52 PM:
 

quote: Joshua Waaland

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I only lived 5 minutes away.

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