Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: DP70 - trying to get running

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Posted by Adam J Gillette (Member # 11019) on 10-01-2019, 12:13 PM:

Our university was gifted a DP70 film projector, I'm trying to find a manual for it so that i can set it up but am having no luck, I'm totally new to this kind of equipment. I run the tech for our Theater & Film program. Any help would be great.

Posted by Pete Naples (Member # 761) on 10-01-2019, 12:35 PM:

AKA Norelco AAII

It's probably in the warehouse [Smile]

Posted by Marcel Birgelen (Member # 6801) on 10-01-2019, 12:52 PM:

The manual from the Film-Tech Warehouse.

But you really should try to get someone for a few days that teaches you the ins and outs of operating such a machine, especially if you have no experience with film whatsoever. There are many little gotchas that can save you from damaging precious 35mm or even 70mm film.

Posted by Adam J Gillette (Member # 11019) on 10-01-2019, 08:46 PM:

Who want's to take a trip to Fairbanks, AK??

that's the biggest problem. the guy we got it from did use it once upon a time and hopefully will have some pointers, but who knows how much he remembers.

Posted by Tim Androes (Member # 9010) on 10-02-2019, 01:46 AM:

Is that the projector from the little arthouse up there? if so i think it came out of the multiplex and a guy named Steve Little in Anchorage used to do the service on it. don't know if he's still in anchorage but you could check. so glad to here that it hasn't been junked out. i currently service four of those machines here in Seattle (privately owned in one location)

Posted by Emiel De Jong (Member # 4225) on 10-02-2019, 02:11 AM:

And check out:
https://in70mm.com/dp70/index.htm

Good luck and please post some pictures when you have installed your machine!

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 10-02-2019, 08:37 AM:

I have rebuilt and installed just over 50 of them in my career. You need to be very careful with them and in particuluar the run up time of the motor should be about 5+s seconds. The longer the better but no need to go longer than 6 or 7 seconds. Some of the GE motors run them up in 2 to 3 seconds. The Master Motors or a Variable Speed direct drive are the best motors. A very fast runup can put a lot of undue stress on the gearing and may shorten the life of some of them dramatically. Parts are stupid expensive If you can find them. A 35mm Kinoton sprocket should normally be used on te projector to run 35mm. The dual gauge alumnium sprocket teeth have an extremely short life span. A set of 35mm gate bands was $200 last time I checked and BL&S is the only source for parts (if they decide they want to sell you any parts at all) and they sell at rip off prices. I know people that they have turned away that needed parts. Both LaVezzi and Wolk are gone as far as getting any parts made.
You ought to consider getting Miles McRae up there from Seattle (McRae Equipment). He is pretty good with those machines.

Mark

Posted by Scott Norwood (Member # 30) on 10-02-2019, 09:17 AM:

As much as I love these machines, I would say that, unless you have a service technician who knows them well and unless you have a need to show 70mm film, you would probably be better off selling them and buying Simplexes or Centurys.

For 35mm, there are other machines that are equally good and easier and cheaper to service. The Norelcos are hard to beat for 70mm, though, and would be my choice for that format.

Posted by Sean McKinnon (Member # 612) on 10-02-2019, 11:20 AM:

[beer]

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 10-02-2019, 04:09 PM:

quote: Scott Norwood
you would probably be better off selling them and buying Simplexes or Centurys.

Century JJ's yes.... Simplex 35/70's suck. Any and all viable film projectors are going to be hard to find a reliable-affordable parts source for. I never felt the Simplex 35/70 was even a viable projector. Those machines damaged more 70mm prints at Cimneplex Theaters than carter has pills.

But getting back to the DP-70... They are hardly fragile or even trmpremental. We had popcorn pushers operating them and only had an issue at one Megaplex site where the popcorn pusher was adamant about opening the gate with the machine running. Even that machine was back on screen the next day. All the machines I serviced were fed a new set of gate bands and an oil change yearly. All ran 16 to 18 hour shifts with zero break downs. Thats why we put them in.

Mark

Posted by Marcel Birgelen (Member # 6801) on 10-02-2019, 04:54 PM:

There are still quite some DP70s out there sufficient spare parts to keep them running for quite a while, finding spare parts for any film projector currently is somewhat of a challenge though.

I might be somewhat biassed, but I think a DP70 is one of the easier machines to operate out there, if you give them just a little bit of TLC, they tend to just keep running...

I was wondering how you're going to use the machine. Just for 35mm or also for 70mm? You have just one of them or a pair? And do you have a platter system for example?

Posted by Scott Norwood (Member # 30) on 10-03-2019, 12:20 PM:

Regarding my earlier comment, I should probably clarify that I was making some assumptions based upon the OP's location.

Rolls-Royce makes beautiful cars, but I wouldn't want to own one in Fairbanks, AK, since parts and service would be difficult to obtain and expensive (more so that usual). It would probably be better to get something that the local mechanics know well and for which parts are readily available.

For the same reason, unless a technician who is familiar with the equipment is nearby, I wouldn't want a Norelco booth there, or one with any other sort of esoteric equipment. It might work for a well-funded non-profit that is committed to film exhibition, but having to cancel shows and fly in a technician from LA, NYC, or Boston to, say, replace a gear, isn't a great business plan. In that sort of environment, I'd rather go with equipment that might be more likely to have failures, but which is easier and faster to fix.

I agree that the Norelco is an easy machine for operators, and that it is a bit more fool-proof for 70mm than the Century JJ.

Posted by Adam J Gillette (Member # 11019) on 10-03-2019, 12:28 PM:

Thank you all for the help and suggestions.

as far as use goes, it will probably just mostly sit as an artifact to old film tech for our students to oggle at. hopefully we could show something once in a while if i get it to work, it differently won't be in regular use for showings.
it will be at least a month or two before i can really spend some time on it. so I'll let you know how things go then and if i run into any specific problems.
Thanks again for all the help and info!!

Posted by Thomas Hauerslev (Member # 566) on 10-17-2019, 08:34 AM:

"Our university was gifted a DP70 film projector"

What is the serial number please and location?

Posted by Tim Androes (Member # 9010) on 10-19-2019, 04:51 AM:

Probabaly from the Goldstream, Fairbanks.

Posted by Helmut Maripuu (Member # 2281) on 10-19-2019, 03:24 PM:

I like Zeis Ikon Favorit 70 !
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KM8vpFurZzo