8mm Forum: Question on Comet (Cirse) 8mm projector

This is topic Question on Comet (Cirse) 8mm projector in forum 8mm Forum at 8mm Forum.

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Posted by Clinton Hunt (Member # 2072) on January 27, 2017, 08:11 PM:

The piece that's missing on the back of the lamp area might be easy to fix by simply blocking the hole .... QUESTION - if I place a reflector over the hole it makes no difference to the brightness of the projected image than if I simply place me hand over it - what do you think or suggest?

Posted by Will Trenfield (Member # 5321) on January 28, 2017, 05:21 AM:

A missing name plate perhaps?

Posted by Paul Adsett (Member # 25) on January 28, 2017, 07:40 PM:

Clinton, I'm pretty sure that the hole in the back is a location for a spherical or parabolic mirror. It's possible that just putting a flat mirror in that location does not significantly increase the screen brightness. It's also possible that putting a spherical or parabolic mirror in that location does not do too much either! Both the Bell & Howell Regent/606h and its clone the Revere 88 have a curved reflector in this location.
If I were you, unless you can find the proper mirror, I would just block off the hole with a piece of metal. Better still, convert the projector to efficient 12 volt 100 watt halogen lighting, which would not be too hard to do and would give you a brighter picture. Cirse themselves later made these machines with the 8 volt 50 watt lamp 'spaceman' lamp, but these are very expensive now.
Here is a Cirse Ad from ACW July 1958:

Posted by Clinton Hunt (Member # 2072) on January 28, 2017, 08:56 PM:

Hi Paul,
thanks for the info and thoughts and for the great advert [Smile]

I'm sure it was for a spherical or parabolic mirror also,I do have a mirror like that (from a 8mm old projector that was junk) so i placed it over the hole and that's where I thought it made no difference.
I have a Nilus as shown in that ad so I will take it out of its case and have a look.
But I think I will just cover the hole [Smile]

Cheers

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