Posts: 1006
From: West Midlands United Kingdom
Registered: Aug 2011
posted August 06, 2018 02:52 PM
Mark, you might want to try Bill Parsons as I believe he used the lamp Ugo Grassi was having made, and helped to verify it was as good and even better than the original Toshiba lamp. I know he sang the praise of the lamp, and may have a spare lamp he could sell you.
Posts: 715
From: Campobasso, Italy
Registered: Jun 2013
posted August 09, 2018 02:51 PM
Mark, I've never met Ugo, and I don't read about it anymore on the Italian forums, maybe he really abandoned the hobby. But I knew that Maurizio Di Cintio, who is on this forum, knew him (on internet or in person), maybe he can help you get in touch with him.
Both location in the above links show Avellino, so must be the same person. He is a senator now...so he might not leave the hobby but is just busy with his current position.
Posts: 873
From: Southern England
Registered: Apr 2008
posted August 10, 2018 02:36 PM
Mark, I have emailed you an email that I have for Ugo. Even if he is not active in super 8 he undoubtedly still has his equipment and lamps.
Posts: 701
From: Massachusetts
Registered: Jun 2003
posted August 29, 2018 10:24 AM
FYI - If you need a source for GS-1200 Xenon lamps, Superior Quartz in Pennsylvania has them. I sent them one to clone years ago.
Posts: 977
From: Ortona, Italy
Registered: Jan 2004
posted August 30, 2018 11:59 AM
I have one of them, too but whilst probably a little brighter, the arc is less consistent than the orginal Toshiba lamps and the light on the screen almost imperceptibly flickers... Barely noticeable, but if possible, I'd rather go for an original Toshiba or a Chinese clone....
Posts: 873
From: Southern England
Registered: Apr 2008
posted August 30, 2018 07:59 PM
Phil Sheard at CHC did have a few of the Toshiba originals but last time I asked he wanted £450 a piece for them. Too much for me. I did find one on German eBay at about £150 at some point. Wittner had the SQ clones also but again over £350 I think.
Ugo would be worth pursuing though because he has all the lamps. In addition to his own commissioned Chinese ones I know he had SQ clones he would probably part with cheaply too.
Posts: 978
From: Bapchild, Kent, UK
Registered: May 2004
posted August 31, 2018 06:08 AM
A question I should have thought of when I owned my Elmo xenon projectors - do the Toshiba and original Elmo xenon lamps (all now up to 30 years old) have a 'use by' date, as if this is the case many of the 'new / old stock' ones dealers are still trying to get huge sums for would by now be fit only for the dump?
Regarding Ugo - I once bought two of his Chinese GS1200 xenon lamps but never used them they went to Bill and then into other machines that were in for repair. Ugo may well have decided that servicing and dealing in cine projector spares is not appropriate now he has a full time prominent political career?
Posts: 977
From: Ortona, Italy
Registered: Jan 2004
posted September 01, 2018 03:26 AM
I do not think these lamps have a "use by" date so if you find an original spare, you should go for it even though £ 450 is really steep for me...
Posts: 1006
From: West Midlands United Kingdom
Registered: Aug 2011
posted September 01, 2018 05:48 AM
Do the Chinese copy's use quartz glass to make the envelope, as this is one of the reasons they are cheaper to make, however I was told that because the gas molecules are smaller than the glass molecules they escape through the gaps, so over 30 years you could loose some to the outside giving a shorter life span, lending credence to Kevin's argument. I do recall Bill saying how good they were, but its not helping Marks search for a lamp....