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Author
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Topic: Bell and Howell 1698 speed problem
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Chris Bird
Expert Film Handler
Posts: 218
From: Kingston upon Thames, UK
Registered: Jul 2013
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posted October 16, 2018 02:39 PM
At the Chorleywood fair a couple of weeks ago I purchased a green Bell and Howell 1698, with the worm already replaced, for a very good price.
Unfortunately, all is not well. The sound is muffled, but more importantly the machine seems to be running slow. I compared a reel on both this new machine and my trusty black 1695, and the difference was noticeable, probably around 2 fps I would judge, ie I think the 1698 is running at around 22 fps.
Obviously it may need a trip up to Kevin Brown to get it all to rights, but one thing that puzzles me is that the voltage on both my machines is set to 250v, not 240v. Is that right? Though given the 1695 sounds fine, I guess it must be ok. I just wondered if it would account for the speed problem.
Sometimes, a machine is cheap for a reason.... Though given the worm has been replaced, it may be worth spending the money to have it all properly serviced. Assuming it's not one of the worms that's a fraction of an inch too large, which Kevin has warned me about, which would mean a ton of work needs doing to replace it again.
Out of interest, it has a sticker on it labeled 'Penrose Cine' from Streatham Hill, London, who may conceivably have carried out the worm replacement. I've not come across them before.
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Chris Bird
Expert Film Handler
Posts: 218
From: Kingston upon Thames, UK
Registered: Jul 2013
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posted November 03, 2018 03:44 AM
An update on my 1698. The projector has now arrived at Kevin Brown's and he has checked it over for me. This may be a useful cautionary tale for others. While the machine has had a new worm fitted previously, it is one of the dreaded ones which are a fraction of an inch too large. Kevin says that over the course of a feature film it would heat up, expand, and potentially jam the mechanism.
Whoever fitted it also got the timing wrong, so that the loop restorer would function while the claws were still engaged - ouch.
Kevin is going to put all this right for a very reasonable price, as well as fitting a three bladed shutter and a varispeed feature so that the machine can run at any speed (very useful for the silent films I mostly collect, which are shot at a variety of speeds rather than just 18 or 24).
But the moral is don't assume that because a B+H has a new worm that it has been done right by someone who knows what they're doing! To fit a replacement worm correctly is definitely a job for a skilled professional with the right tools and jigs.
The machine was cheap to begin with, so I am not unhappy overall, and will end up with a fine machine at the end of it.
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