8mm Forum: Pathe Gem Motor Help!

This is topic Pathe Gem Motor Help! in forum 9.5mm Forum at 8mm Forum.

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Posted by John Wakefield (Member # 5726) on August 27, 2017, 03:56 AM:

Hi all,

Any help much appreciated. I bought my Pathe Gem about a year ago (with no former knowledge of home projection) and fell in love with it and the Pathe archive.

I have used it often over that year, oiling and keeping it as clean as I could and it has run beautifully.

However last night (as fate would have it just before a load of friends were coming round to watch some films)the motor suddenly got slower, faster, and then stopped. It won't come back on.

Since I first bought it whenever you power the projector up you could hear the hum of the motor even before increasing the speed. Now that sound is gone.

There is power flowing to the lamp which still works.

In the day before it stopped I had run it for a few hours without issue, except that, on a couple occasions the motor didn't kick in but a quick rotate of the screw on the front connected to the drive belt kicked it straight back in. (the only time I've ever had to do that too).

I'm obviously desperate to get it running again but am no electritian or mechanic and am scared of damaging it. Is there anyone/ any business who could help with this, or know of anyone? Obviously happy to pay for any help if needbe!

I am based in South London.

Thanks in advance for any help!

J

Posted by Maurice Leakey (Member # 916) on August 27, 2017, 04:03 AM:

I very much regret to say this, but it sounds as if the motor has now died. The motor, designed to run at 180 volts, was always one of the weak points in the Gem/Son projector design.

Posted by John Wakefield (Member # 5726) on August 27, 2017, 04:10 AM:

That's sad to hear but does not totally suprise me if that's the case :/

Is it possible to replace the motors? Either with an equivilant or indeed a more modern piece of kit to do the same job within the projector case?

Or does that likely mean the projector is a writeoff?

Would be very sad to see it silent.

Posted by Maurice Leakey (Member # 916) on August 27, 2017, 04:16 AM:

The big problems, John, are the small physical size of the motor, and the voltage with which it is designed to work with.
You could try some small electrical firm who specialise in rewiring, but no doubt that would be quite expensive.

Posted by John Wakefield (Member # 5726) on August 27, 2017, 07:24 AM:

Thanks for the advice, much appreciated! [Smile]

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