8mm Forum: GS1200 question

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Posted by Michael O'Regan (Member # 938) on June 22, 2012, 02:01 PM:

This is something which I've always been meaning to ask someone but never got around to - why did Elmo go with the "piano-key" controls rather than with the traditional dial control?
Is there, or was there at the time perceived to be, an advantage?

Posted by Claus Harding (Member # 702) on June 22, 2012, 02:12 PM:

The reason is that the GS is electronically controlled, so the "keys" activate a circuit; they do not physically engage a set of mechanical linkages.
The ST is mechanical, so the turning of the handle literally engages the mechanism to start the machine.

Claus.

Posted by Steven Sigel (Member # 21) on June 22, 2012, 02:12 PM:

I think it was considered "top of the line"... There was a pushbutton version of the 16mm projectors as well available for a premium of course...

Posted by Michael O'Regan (Member # 938) on June 22, 2012, 02:14 PM:

Has this design proved advantageous? Or just more complicated.

Posted by Claus Harding (Member # 702) on June 22, 2012, 02:27 PM:

As someone who owns both machines:

The ST, while not quite as "sexy" as the GS, is the steady worker; the GS has been the pricey primadonna.

When the GS flies, it is beautiful; when it dies, it just...dies.
Aging 1980es cutting-edge circuit-board technology is expensive to fix these days...the machine has 4 motors and all kinds of wonderful options, but in my case, reliability has not been its strong suit.

Claus.

Posted by Michael O'Regan (Member # 938) on June 22, 2012, 02:51 PM:

I've heard some people on here say that the keys have been problematic as the years have gone by, or at least, the circuits controlled by the keys. I guess what I'm asking is would it have been any better if a dial had been used? Could a dial not have been used to activate the circuits?
Or would it have made any difference at all?

Posted by Claus Harding (Member # 702) on June 22, 2012, 03:22 PM:

I don't think it would have made any difference.

What happens after the circuits are engaged is where the "bugs" are showing up, regardless of how you engage the circuits.
The motor control, the cooling, audio....the GS is packed to the gills with boards and weighs almost as much as my 16mm Elmo 3500 Xenon...ridiculous, when you think about it.
Cold solders, bad wiring, logic issues...the thing can be a rat's nest of issues.

The last thing it did was the most inexcusable: it stopped cold, mid-screening, with the lamp still on and the gate open. Instant death of a couple of frames. When I tried to start it again, it stopped again, this time with a hideous electronic burning smell.

It's like a demanding expensive mistress. You know you should walk away, but when it's good, it's really good and you forget the cost... [Big Grin]

Claus.

Posted by Desmond Godwin (Member # 2530) on June 22, 2012, 04:09 PM:

Howdy Michael. I would have to say the 'piano key' switch design on the GS is the better option. Im sure elmo could have designed a rotary dial but it would have entailed a lot of switching contacts and a tedious wiring path to get where they wanted. The switching operations of the projector are controlled
in total by electro-mechanical relays and solenoids,activated by the piano keys. Now which would you prefer a Big 'Clunky' rotary dial or a soft 'sexy' piano key operation.Have you ever operated a Chinon 7500 with its Big 'Clunky' dial. The innards of plastic rotary dials tend to wear out with a lotta use,and the GS was intended for hard work so they went for a much sleeker and i think better 'modus operandum' Yes faults and problems are bound to surface but its really not that complex a machine to rectify faults. I would sooner be replacing a faulty relay or diodes on its control circuits than to have to dismantle a complex mechanical rotary knob that by its time would now be well worn and obsolete where as you can still get a relay. So yes Elmo could have designed a rotary knob but they were looking into their crystal ball..
[Smile]

Desmond

Posted by Mark Mander (Member # 340) on June 22, 2012, 05:12 PM:

The key type switches were also designed for helping with lining up the frames of film for accurate recordings,Mark.

Posted by John Clancy (Member # 49) on June 23, 2012, 02:48 AM:

When these machines are right they give years of flawless operation. The problem many people have is they have purchased old machines which have had many previous owners and you never know what you are going to get in those circumstances. One of mine was a one previous owner machine but it turned out to be completely knackered. Bill Parsons rebuilt it for me about 8 years ago and it's run beautifully ever since.

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