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Author
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Topic: Gambling Time: I Bought a GS1200.
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Claus Harding
Phenomenal Film Handler
Posts: 1149
From: Washington DC
Registered: Oct 2006
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posted November 25, 2009 01:26 PM
After some 27 years of faithful service, my ST1200HD will finally welcome its 'big brother.'
No excuse for this (!), except to say I guess I finally slayed the dragon in my mind that, since age 17 said, "You really want (NEED) one of those." And this just before the Christmas expenses....but it looked like a good deal (the classic line.)
The machine is in Buenos Aires, and I got the seller to knock $100 off after he had re-listed it without a sale, so the price was $900 + $170 in shipping.
He says it has been used about 5 times and is immaculate inside and out. The pictures are very nice.... ![[Roll Eyes]](rolleyes.gif)
I wish I knew all the things between the film paths that ID a machine as a series 1, 2 or 3; the best I could do was to compare with a photo of a known series 2 machine, so I am somewhat positive this is a series 2. I will post an image when it arrives, so someone can tell me with more certainty.
I am writing this with a smile on my face, but also with an awful knot in my stomach (I am sure you know what I mean), having gone out on a limb with money I should have saved.
The one thing I cling to: you only live once.
If I am going to have one, it's now. Not later.
Pray to the celluloid gods that this one shows up intact and as advertized. I will post an update when it arrives.
Claus.
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"Why are there shots of deserts in a scene that's supposed to take place in Belgium during the winter?" (Review of 'Battle of the Bulge'.)
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Paul Adsett
Film God
Posts: 5003
From: USA
Registered: Jun 2003
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posted November 25, 2009 01:57 PM
Good for you Claus! The GS is a great machine, and is the brightest projector you can get for super 8mm. The stereo sound quality is excellent, as is the optical mono sound. You will be immediately impressed by its superb design solid construction which is in the Bolex class. It is a real beauty to look at. Being all electronically controlled, they do have their own peculiar quirks, most of which have been documented here. The most common problems are with the micro- switches on the auto-thread/release mechanism, which fortunately are easy to replace. The good news is that the sound heads seem to last forever and no one has yest found a GS problem that cannot be fixed. Hopefully your machine will be entirely free of problems, in which case it will probably last for as long as you will ever need it. First thing I would do Claus is check the transformer setting is 115 volts, and then check the lamp - make sure it is 200 watt ESC or EJL, NOT the 250 watt ELC (which some people like to use, but which will endanger the transformer).
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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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Greg Marshall
Jedi Master Film Handler
Posts: 612
From: Nashville, TN USA
Registered: Sep 2008
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posted November 25, 2009 05:53 PM
Claus,
Congrats on the GS! I was eyeing that unit, and noticed he had even dropped the price on the second listing. I had won a GS a few weeks ago, but problems arose with the original owner, so for now, it has been cancelled. Once the owner releases it to the seller, I have first option to buy, but in the meantime, have been keeping my eye out. I should have tried to bargain with the guy you bought yours from! Ha! Being so far away, scared me a little.... let us know how the shipping and arrival goes! Looks like it is a version 3, as was the one I wanted.
Oh, and I feel your pain on the expense. I ate mac n cheese and peanut butter sandwiches for two weeks to afford the GS! (Not really, but close to being accurate)
Have fun!
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Gary Crawford
Jedi Master Film Handler
Posts: 979
From: Manassas, VA. USA
Registered: Jun 2003
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posted November 27, 2009 08:20 AM
Congratulations...I know how you feel. I got MY first GS this past summer myself. A real real bargain...someone put it on ebay with a short auction time at a super duper 650 dollars buy it now. Couldn't pass that up. I must have been the first to see it..so I hit buy it now. Despite arriving in a horridly shabby and flimsy box....it was in immaculate condition...with all accessories including the remote control box. And instead of the usual f1.1 lens, this one had a 1.0. I did send it , along with a two blade shutter I got from Steve Osborne , to Leon Norris for installation of the shutter and a total looksee......there were a few parts that needed replacing to get it mint, but still the cost added to the purchase price was less than the GS's usually go for. So far, it's behaved nicely..but I only use it for library and other public shows, for the most part. I found the projector (with the new fuji bulb from Osborne) is visibly brighter/whiter than the ST1200...with f1.0 lens on that one , too. The sound is where I really have noticed a difference. Less flutter...much better reading on the balance track for stereo. Zero backgroung noise or hum....and I like that, unlike the St1200HD, I can control the line output volume to my amps from the projector. It's also a quieter machine.
Reliability? Hard to judge it, but on Halloween night, in the rain...I put on an outdoor show at my church in which I had to haul it up a wall....climbing up a ladder...and it performed just fine...filling the 12foot inflatable screen beautifully.
I hope you have a similar experience with your new machine. I almost bid on that Argentina machine myself...but balked at the distance involved and the fact that even at the 1200 dollar figure, no one had bid on it when it was up a couple of times before. Let us know when it arrives. and thanks for sharing .
gary
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Neil Townsend
Junior
Posts: 24
From: Salt lake City, Utah USA
Registered: Nov 2007
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posted November 28, 2009 09:42 PM
Claus. I bought a GS1200 from Argentina last year. I think I saw the listing of the machine you bought; before it was discounted. When I saw the listing I could have sworn it was from the same person I got mine from. In fact, I think I have seen him sell a total of 3, including the one I got. I could be wrong, but it looked like the same shot of the machine to me each time. Someone finding 1200's in Argentina to sell? Again, I might be mistaken.
Well, anyways, I too was very worried about how the machine would arrive. It took a while, and when it did come, the packaging was in horrible shape! the box was about falling apart. the shipper had wrapped the original Elmo box in cardboard. He hadn't added any additional foam or anything. only minimal styrofoam was protecting the projector in the original box; which was in bad shape. when I opened it up a few little pieces fell out. I was worried. Well, once I plugged it in, and figured out how to run the different functions, the machine ran fine. Over a year later, continues to run great. The only shipping damage was the handle on top was chipped. I glued the piece back on. also one of the rubber feet on the front had broken off. The top handle was also bent downward. almost like the machine landed on its top, or had a lot of weight on it. Despite it all...it works very well. Overall its a great machine and I don't regret getting it. I use it quite a bit. Hope your GS arrives in good shape.
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![[Big Grin]](biggrin.gif)
Good for you.
![[Wink]](wink.gif)
although the GS1200 is the Rolls Royce it can be a real pain compaired to the ST1200 which as far as reliability I think is much better.![[Frown]](frown.gif)
I tried everything and in the end I gave up and sent it back to the person who had sold it. After convincing my wife and getting her OK to buy it in the first place I was not a "happy chappy"....well the gentleman concerned that sold it phoned my wife and said there is nothing wrong with it, ![[Confused]](confused.gif)
Yvonne passed the phone to me.. he said........listen...its going in the background still unconvinced he put the phone receiver next to the projector and left it there while he went and did something else, so there you have it I had a 10 minute phone conversation with a GS1200 ![[Eek!]](eek.gif)
its my favourite machine and the one I made and fitted a two bladed shutter to.![[Smile]](smile.gif)
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