Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Converting 220 volt to 110

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Posted by Paul Gordon (Member # 3320) on 11-22-2005, 08:40 AM:

Hello all,

I just purchased a used Prevost 16mm Xenon projector and was wondering if I could convert it to 110 volt power? Its only a 500 watt Xenon bulb. Whats the deal with 220 volt anyway its two hots and one ground? any help would be great.

Cheers

Posted by Gilbert Travin (Member # 2138) on 11-22-2005, 08:59 AM:

If I understood well, your projector works in 220 V - 50 Hz and your AC outlet gives 110 V - 60 Hz.
European products have often the capability of several AC power ( such as 110 or 130 and 220V), you can verify that by looking at the label fixed close to AC inlet!
If not, you must use an elevator transformer 110 to 220 V AC that can be able to give the total power (in watts) for projector, xenon power supply, amplifiers etc ...

In any case : You can also ask Prevost in Italy to verify if the projector accepts to work correctly in 60 Hz ....

http://www.prevost.it/

Cheers

Posted by Louis Bornwasser (Member # 3063) on 11-22-2005, 09:05 AM:

The 60 vs 50 hz problem might affect the speed. Equipment generally runs hotter on 50 hz than on 60; colder on 60 than on 50.

The voltage in most of the world is 220/240 from hot to neutral. In the US/Canada 220 can be found between 2 hot wires. As long as the projector "floats" it is OK to connect to 220 (2 hot wires.) Louis

Posted by Gordon McLeod (Member # 33) on 11-22-2005, 09:25 AM:

Since I assume that this Prevost is one of the ex cineplex ones then the gear train is correct for 60Hz
You would be best to wire from the panel directly to the machine since the rectifier in be base IREM draws a substantial current that would add to the cost of the step up transformer

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 11-22-2005, 07:15 PM:

You could buy this 50 hertz generator shown at the bottom of the page from Surplus sales in Nebraska and run your Previst off it. I guarantee you that you'd be the only one on the block with one of these! Probably more than you paid for the projector but it would work.....

They also have a good stock of Wilmers used golf balls in case you need any of those too.

Mark

Posted by Paul Gordon (Member # 3320) on 11-23-2005, 06:50 AM:

The projector was originally from a cineplex when they were running 16mm in the late 70's? anyway it is 60 Hz. Thanks for all the info

Paul

Posted by Randy Stankey (Member # 64) on 11-23-2005, 10:52 AM:

Remember this: When an electrical appliance is set up for 220 volts it will draw less current. When you convert it to 110 volts it will draw more. Whatever electrical circuit you connect it to must be able to provide the current the device wants.

Not including the motor and any other electrical "needs" that projector has, a 500 watt lamp will need about 2.5 amps if it's running on 220 vots. If you convert it to 110 volts the same machine will need about 5 amps.

By itself that's not much. But you've got to include the motor and any other electrical systems on-board. Every one will need more current. You've got to include that in your plans to wire this baby up.

Just off the top of my head, I don't imagine that your machine will draw more than 20 amps but it's something you've got to think about in advance. It's what I call a "Sanity Check".

If my calculations are wrong then I should be corrected but that's the point of sanity checking. [Wink]

Posted by Matthew Bailey (Member # 601) on 11-23-2005, 09:17 PM:

Is there any way you can change the connections like you do when you run an electric clothes dryer on 110? In other words,connect the two hots together?

Posted by Gordon McLeod (Member # 33) on 11-23-2005, 09:41 PM:

The Prevost motors are a 3 phase motor using a bank of capacitors to create a third phase
They need the full 220 to operate properly or if on 208 it must be rewired to 3phase with starting resitors (better yet a baldor invertor drive)

Posted by Gilbert Travin (Member # 2138) on 11-24-2005, 02:09 AM:

If the motor is a 3 phases one, the better solution is to use an electronic variator that gives the 3 phases (Input 110V 1 phase and output 3x220V). And you can adjust frequency as you want !

IMHO, the battery of capacitor providing the third phase is not a "clean" solution [Confused]

Posted by Gordon McLeod (Member # 33) on 11-24-2005, 08:55 AM:

The group of caps actually has proven to be very stable and reliable over time and is "factory original"

Posted by Tim Reed (Member # 137) on 11-24-2005, 01:43 PM:

quote: Gilbert Travin
IMHO, the battery of capacitor providing the third phase is not a "clean" solution

Cinemeccanica machines for this country are set up the same way. Out of thousands of installations, there is very little trouble from this.

Posted by Gilbert Travin (Member # 2138) on 11-25-2005, 04:15 AM:

OK well !
Capacitors is in fact a cheap solution for a little power motor.
I thought of a motor of lamphouse-extractor driven with capacitors that had burned !!!
It was in 1973 ! Progress was made since !!! [Big Grin]

Posted by Josh Jones (Member # 447) on 11-25-2005, 03:36 PM:

Surplus sales also has fingerstock, and hard to find stuff like RF bypass caps, broadcast tube sockets and all sorts of meters.

I fixed a moseley SG-1 SCA generator this week with parts from these guys [thumbsup]