8mm Forum: ...So THAT is why the picture was dull!

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Posted by Melvin England (Member # 5270) on November 06, 2016, 03:25 PM:

I managed to purchase, recently, a Bell and Howell DCR projector on Ebay. Runs beautifully. Nice steady picture.... but a bit dull. I put it down to an old bulb so decided to replace it. Taking the bulb out, I realized what the problem was....... a 24 volt 250 lamp in a machine designed for 12 volt 100 watt bulbs! Oh La La!
Eagerly replaced it with a brand new one, and "Bundle of Joy" never looked better...... and the 250watt bulb can now be a back up for my 16mm projector. A "No Lose" situation!

Posted by Andrew Woodcock (Member # 3260) on November 06, 2016, 03:41 PM:

I thought these took an A1 232 lamp, not an A1 231 as you are suggesting?????

No just checked, it seems only the DCT took a 150w lamp.
Sorry Melvin, I thought they both did.

The Osram Xenophot version will give you your brightest image here with this one. Of this much at least...I am certain!! 😂😂😂

Posted by Melvin England (Member # 5270) on November 06, 2016, 06:17 PM:

Hi Andrew. I am not certain of the bulbs required for the higher spec machines in this group. I expect they would also be higher and more powerful, but with the DCR it specifically says on the housing that holds the bulb into position and connects to the film gate, that the bulb required is 100w 12v.

I have, as you suggested, fitted it with an Osram Xenophot and the improvement is vast.

Posted by Andrew Woodcock (Member # 3260) on November 06, 2016, 06:32 PM:

Good move Melvin! [Wink]

Posted by Janice Glesser (Member # 2758) on November 07, 2016, 12:00 AM:

Melvin...Do you get much hum on your DCR?

Posted by Maurice Leakey (Member # 916) on November 07, 2016, 02:36 AM:

The DCR and the DCT are, of course, made by Sankyo and badged as Bell & Howell.
I have both (and other Sankyos) and have never had any problems with hum.

Posted by Andrew Woodcock (Member # 3260) on November 07, 2016, 03:58 AM:

I was really surprised though to see only the flagship DCT model contained a 150w lamp.
I really was of the impression both models did. [Confused]

Posted by Maurice Leakey (Member # 916) on November 07, 2016, 04:39 AM:

There is also a third model, the DCM. This takes the 100w, 12v, lamp (A1/231).

Posted by Dominique De Bast (Member # 3798) on November 07, 2016, 04:53 AM:

The lamp power spécifications don't tell everything. In addition to the quality of the lesn, the way the projector is designed (to allow a maximum of light to go through the gate) is very important as well. A bulb from one make may vary from the one from another make. I once replaced a 250 watt lamp by a 200 watt one and it was brighter !

Posted by Melvin England (Member # 5270) on November 07, 2016, 06:31 AM:

Janice - The only time I experience a hum is when I have just switched it on. This unit does surprise me because, as you would rightly know with your Sankyo 800 and Maurice's remarks, the Bell and Howell is a Sankyo by another name..... except the DCR does not have an on/off switch (unless I am seriously overlooking something) like the Sankyo's do. Consequently, the unit jumps into life as soon as the plug goes into the socket, hums gently, and when I am running a film the hum appears to have gone, but at present am using the in built speaker for the sound, so it may be only drowning out the hum, I am not sure. It certainly is not an intrusion during a film.

Dominique - I agree. Bulb performance does vary depending on make. As Andrew pointed out, the Osram Xenophot is brighter than most 12volt 100w lamps and I have used both types and the Xenophot wins all the time.

Posted by Andrew Woodcock (Member # 3260) on November 07, 2016, 07:56 AM:

A lot of the "middle ground" Super 8 machines are the same regarding feedback hum from the transformer and magnetic head forming a feedback microphone effect loop.

It does tend to quieten down somewhat once you're actually projecting a sound film through them with the heads loaded but there is always a ground loop isolator if you are overly distracted by these things.

https://www.kenable.co.uk/product_info.php?products_id=8073&gclid=CNH1uK7jltACFQeeGwod5TUGhQ

The Bauer machines I use suffer the very same fate with no film loaded and the volume slider raised high. Doesn't bother me though once the film is running and the head is loaded so long as the recording levels of the soundtracks are decent.

Posted by Dominique De Bast (Member # 3798) on November 07, 2016, 10:00 AM:

Do you just plug this accessory in the "mic" plug ? I don't see how this could fix a hum made by the heads.

Posted by Janice Glesser (Member # 2758) on November 07, 2016, 02:39 PM:

Melvin...mine too has a hum when I first plug it in. The hum is a little loader then I'm use to with other sound projectors. However, when playing a movie the hum dissipates to a point where it's not noticeable. The picture and audio clarity is excellent.

Here is a video of my DCR.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SiJHDopiDGI

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