8mm Forum: Ektasound 285 won't stay on Run/Thread

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Posted by Adam McAlmont (Member # 6518) on July 07, 2018, 03:55 PM:

Hello. I have an issue with my Kodak Ektasound 285 projector. When I put it on Run/Thread it automatically clicks over to Rewind. It seems it is stuck in such a way to always trigger the automatic rewind feature. If I hold the knob on Run/Thread, I can watch a movie, but that gets old pretty fast! I have tried running film through it forward and reverse, hoping it would self-correct, but that hasn't worked. Its not clear to me how to get to the parts that are sticking. Any suggestions? Thanks! [Smile]

Another issue is the sound doesn't really work--I get only very, very faint sound (sound Super 8 movie has been tested on another projector). Thoughts?

Posted by Steve Klare (Member # 12) on July 07, 2018, 05:24 PM:

Hi Adam,

There is a lever inside the place where the film gets turned around and flipped horizontal to turn downward over the roller into the slot. It's supposed to only get pulled forwards when the film (anchored to the reel) tightens up at the end and then the rewind is triggered.

1) Maybe your supply spindle isn't turning freely and the drag is pulling the lever all the time. What if you take the film off the supply spindle and let it spin on something like a pen and see if it still happens?

2) Maybe whatever spring holds that lever out is un-sprung and the lever is stuck?. What happens if you run the machine forward film-less and then curve some film through the guide (only) and see if there is any resistance to pulling the lever to trigger rewind?

On old sound machines that have sat dead for years very often low sound is the result of some oxidized switch contact and you can fix it just by operating the switch a bunch of times. Things like headphone jacks should also be on your list of usual suspects.

Posted by Janice Glesser (Member # 2758) on July 07, 2018, 05:33 PM:

Hi Adam...this is a common problem with this model projector. If you PM me your email address I can send you the service manual that will describe how to open up the projector. I had this issue with one of mine and just went in and disconnected the trigger mechanism. I never used the auto rewind anyway. You may not have to go to that extreme to fix it...but it's an option.

Posted by Adam McAlmont (Member # 6518) on July 07, 2018, 05:52 PM:

Steve Klare, thank you for the suggestions on the auto rewind, and I will definitely look into your ideas for the low sound. Edit: Regarding suggestion 1, the switch goes to rewind whether I have film on or not…

Janice Glesser, I have PM'd you and really appreciate it! Because my Ektasound wasn't working I recently got a Sankyo 500. The Sankyo is great, but I wrongly thought "Single 8" meant the same thing as "8mm". I really need a projector that can play 8mm (I have some films and family movies). I read your tip on another thread that the Ektasound is good for transfers too since it has the speed adjustment!

This is a great forum!

Posted by Janice Glesser (Member # 2758) on July 08, 2018, 12:31 AM:

Adam a very good dual format (Std. 8mm & Super8mm) projector for film transfers is the Sankyo 2000H.

Here's a short video I made showing the features of this projector.

https://youtu.be/wc9JFjoxkLo

[ July 12, 2018, 12:34 AM: Message edited by: Janice Glesser ]

Posted by Steve Klare (Member # 12) on July 08, 2018, 07:43 AM:

So, Adam.

It sounds like there is some pressure actuated switch in there that's stuck.

I'm with Janice here: in your spot I would disable it. I actually used this feature when I first got my Moviedeck, but then again I did a lot of things as a teenager that scare me today! We're always talking about the possibility of films becoming damaged from debris in the film path, and this adds the dimension of high speed rewind through the path too! I love that they left the lamp lit: made for quite a show on screen.

There's also the idea that a film rewound this way does at least double wear on the machine's innards.

You can see where Kodak was coming from here: ease of use. They didn't get rid of rewinding but they could make it automatic. It was the 1970s and VCRs and video cameras were either on the drawing boards or already in the stores: they were doing what they could to protect their format.

Quite a few of my earliest films had the film fixed to the reel hub to make this work and on the machines I use now this becomes kind of like a dog running past the end of a long leash! (The film breaks)

"-oh, yeahh...THAT!"

Posted by Adam McAlmont (Member # 6518) on July 08, 2018, 08:48 AM:

Steve, yes disabling makes a lot of sense. Thanks to the guide Janice sent me it should be relatively easy. Now I just need to get past the first step of moving the spring that releases the supply spindle, necessary to take the top cover off. When I have more time (I work weekends) I will figure out how to connect with that spring!

Posted by Steve Klare (Member # 12) on July 08, 2018, 09:03 AM:

It's all news to me!

I've never broken mine (in about 40 years) and taken it apart very little!

I have other machines that I use a great deal more I've had apart down to the frame a few times, but the Moviedeck is pretty much a black box to me.

From what I've seen it's very well thought out and beautifully assembled. It's clever in a lot of ways, even if it's meant to solve too may things that aren't really problems.

-I've been rewinding reel to reel for about 20 years now and I'm doing just fine!

Posted by Barry Fritz (Member # 1865) on July 08, 2018, 12:35 PM:

Janice meant Sankyo 2000H.

Posted by Adam McAlmont (Member # 6518) on July 27, 2018, 07:16 PM:

I just wanted to follow up on my progress with the Ektasound 285. Thanks to the manual from Janice, I was able to remove the top casing and re-lubricate the arm that triggers the automatic rewind. I also cleaned the areas within reach with alcohol, including the pressure pad and the lens. For whatever reason, the sound works now! Loud and clear! The rewind trigger is still wonky, so I will likely disable it completely next.

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