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Author
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Topic: The GSS Moneypit
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Dino Everette
Phenomenal Film Handler
Posts: 1535
From: Long Beach, CA USA
Registered: Dec 2008
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posted October 03, 2012 06:05 PM
Ahhhh,,,good times.....SO I finally acquired a GS after 100 years of film collecting, and it had a few issues so I picked up a second one (of the same version) to use for parts...Overall I was still in very good shape having only spent about $500 for the 2 x machines...I got an overview of the problems on the one machine from Leon which seemed to be mostly amp related...The other one was having a problem with the takeup, so I took both of them to a local guy who I knew fixed GS's. It wound up costing me around $400 in repairs for him to tell me that the one that the takeup wasn't working but that sounded OK, has a bad amp, two cracked gears that will eventually go, and a bad torque motor on the back which is why it wasn't taking up...He pronounced this one dead..The second one that Leon said only had amp problems, I got back saying that the amp is bad and will go soon, also has 2 cracked gears that will eventually start clicking and then give out...I understand that each of the cracked gears will cost me around $150 from Leon, and he said that each machine needs 2 of them (that will simply be the parts cost)so that will be a guaranteed $300 in parts plus the note I have somewhere from Leon mentioned that the amp board will cost around $150-$200 bringing me close to $400-$500 in parts plus the labor which is going to run another like $300-$400...I don't know how you GS guys are doing it, as this repairman said that all GS's are going to have these gears cracking since they are nylon and are now getting up to 30 years old...I am really starting to think that the GS was a very poorly designed machine, since I have many, many older machines with nylon gears that are still running fine...I am beginning to think the better route for me since I don't care much for stereo is to fix a brighter lamp into an ST-1200 and call it a day....
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"You're too Far Out Miss Lawrence"
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Graham Ritchie
Film God
Posts: 4001
From: New Zealand
Registered: Feb 2006
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posted October 04, 2012 02:07 AM
You better get used to photos like this ![[Eek!]](eek.gif) ![[Wink]](wink.gif)
Just kidding ![[Smile]](smile.gif)
Dino, Dont give up on the GS1200, not just yet, it might be at times a pain in the butt, but it is a good projector when its going right. My original second hand machine I have had for about 17 years "above photo when it was in bits when I made a two bladed shutter for the thing" anyway, it cost $1300 dollars when I bought it and when it arrived the stupid thing would not go. I was really ticked of at the time, considering by old ST1200 cost me only a couple of hundred and had never had given me any problems.
However once you are on top of those problems it should be good..... so hang in there.
Regarding the amp, can it not be repaired cheaply, as electronic components are not expensive?. Another thing, the low torque you mention. I bet thats an easy fix, it will be the two brushes running on a gummy commutator. Dino I would give it a go at pulling the back "carefully" off the motor in place " two screws" and give it a good clean.
One thing you do need when owning a GS1200 is the service manual all....176 pages of it complete with all the wiring diagram's.
Fixing a GS1200 reminds me of the saying..."where there is a will there is a way"....and there always is.
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Paul Adsett
Film God
Posts: 5003
From: USA
Registered: Jun 2003
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posted October 04, 2012 10:11 AM
One good thing about the GS is that it has an excellent service manual that has exploded views of all the assemblies along with detailed trouble shooting and repair procedures. Its a little intimidating when you first look into the innards of the GS, but the service manual shows very well how to remove all the major assemblies and pretty soon you get to know your way around the machine. Despite my repair list, I have never had to send my projectpr out to Leon for repair, being able to do it all myself, so I have had no labor costs. In fact I have had my GS totally stripped down, and installed a 2- bladed shutter and new stereo amplifier without difficulty. There is certainly a considerable feeling of satisfaction in successfully repairing a GS. Definately like maintaining a throughbred sports car, as others have noted!
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The best of all worlds- 8mm, super 8mm, 9.5mm, and HD Digital Projection,
Elmo GS1200 f1.0 2-blade
Eumig S938 Stereo f1.0 Ektar
Panasonic PT-AE4000U digital pj
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Dino Everette
Phenomenal Film Handler
Posts: 1535
From: Long Beach, CA USA
Registered: Dec 2008
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posted October 04, 2012 11:41 PM
Ah the punch line to all of this? I went to play my first film on the dying (but beautiful) model, and within about 10 seconds it starts making the most annoying / loudest crackling and popping I have ever heard come out of a projector (in stereo I am assuming)....So I pulled out the one that he said was totally dead and I should scrap, and it sounded beautiful, but the take-up still doesn't work...The repairman said you cannot use the brass gears, but I am tending to no longer believe most of what he said to me...It almost feels like I was taken for a ride...Basically it cost me $400 to get back the machine that Leon said needed a new amp, still needing a new amp, and the other one that had take-up problems, still has take up problems...I should have just given the money to Leon when he still had the machine...I think I will email you Paul about those gears..
![[Frown]](frown.gif)
There used to be a camera/projector repair shop in Hollywood that was filled with all of these beautiful old projectors so I took one in to them for repair (a Bell n Howell 16mm) and they called and told me that it was going to be $400 for the repair or I could have the machine back un-repaired but I would have to pay their $150 diagnostics fee, being that the machine was worth $100 tops I naturally did nothing and left the machine there, and figured out how they got so many projectors for their shop. It was probably a small repair and they were able to put another machine on the shelf for sale....
I think I will watch some 16mm this weekend and take a break from Super 8...
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"You're too Far Out Miss Lawrence"
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Paul Adsett
Film God
Posts: 5003
From: USA
Registered: Jun 2003
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posted October 05, 2012 09:06 AM
Dino,
One thing I would like to mention to you. it is quite possible (maybe probable) that even though your GS1200 amplifier has a problem , that it will still play flawlessly via the extrenal AUX OUT connectors on the back, when connected to an external stereo system. Usually on the GS1200'S it is the final amplifier stage (that powers up the internal and external speakers) that craps out, but the pre-amp stage (which connects to extrenal stero amp) is usually fine. I have had amplifier problems on both my GS1200'S and in both cases the pre-amp was fine, so that I could still run the projector without any problems via the AUX OUT connections to an external system (which is the way I always run my projectors anyway).
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The best of all worlds- 8mm, super 8mm, 9.5mm, and HD Digital Projection,
Elmo GS1200 f1.0 2-blade
Eumig S938 Stereo f1.0 Ektar
Panasonic PT-AE4000U digital pj
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