Elmo GP-E Projector - missing power cable

[Niels Henriksen]

Hello - I am trying to get an old projector (Elmo GP-E) working to watch some old family movies. It hasn’t been used in years and somewhere along the way the power cable was lost. Is there anything special about the power cable or do you think I could rig something up to safely attach the two leads from some other cable to the connectors on the projector?

[Steve Klare]

This is tricky business, actually.

A lot of people believe that since this is alternating current, there is no difference between the two power lines inside the power cord. Actually this is very untrue and the difference between them can literally kill somebody.

One line is "Hot", and here in North America is 120 VAC (more or less). The other line is "Neutral" and has next to no voltage on it. If you have a voltmeter you can measure this on a 3 prong outlet. The skinnier prong will have that 120, and the fatter one will be next to nothing when you measure either with the other lead in the outlet's third prong.

The difference here is "Hot" needs to run directly to the fuse (-and I'm guessing this machine has one). If it goes to the non-fused line and there is a short circuit inside the machine, the fuse will not blow and something may get really hot and cause a fire.

There's another side to this. I think I see a ground connection there. If there is a third, green wire inside running to that inlet, it must be connected to the third prong on the power cord. Without that, if there is a short to the case, the fuse can't blow and the parts exposed to human contact can become a wicked shock hazard!

Sometimes machines this old have two prong, sometimes three: It pays to be sure.

If you don't feel up to messing with this stuff, please don't! The best thing is to get the right power cord and let it work the way it was meant to.

I bought a projector once where somebody changed the AC power inlet and they left off the ground connection.

-glad I saw this before I plugged it in!

[Niels Henriksen]

The back is set to come off easily and the fuse is right there.

[Steve Klare]

-and there's your "hot"!

The color code is correct too: black for hot, white for neutral. ("Black" as in "Death"!...seriously.)

I think I see a terminal for a ground connection, but at least for now there is no connection to it. Is there some unexplained dead-end green wire in there? (Maybe something to do with that twist-tie?)

[Steve Klare]

Hey!

Van Eck has a replacement:

https://van-eck.net/en/product/adapt...-_ka-0056-_ad/

It is kind of an adapter between a standard, modern power cord and the inlet on your machine.(Every time a modern personal dies, it leaves one of these cords behind: there are millions of them in bottom drawers all over the world!)

[Niels Henriksen]

I’m not sure that plug would work. There would need to be a notch where the ground connector is. There is no obvious ground connection for the plug on my projector. I will try to connect some leads in the coming days to at least assess whether the projector even works!

[Shane C. Collins]

The Van Eck plug will work in your machine. If you look at your photo above, you will see the ground notch at the bottom below the two prongs. This is how these old cords worked in those days. The new cord will plug into the two prongs, and the bottom notch will slide onto the ground. I have a similar Bolex cord that works the same way on the Bolex 18-5 projector. I would buy this from Van Eck and you'll be back in business. Also I would order new belts from him as well, and install those so the machine performs up to spec. These are easy to work on!

[Steve Klare]

-and Van Eck's webpage mentions Elmo GP-E specifically.

I'd be tempted if there is a ground connection on that inlet and you are able to set up a three prong power cord to run some green wire down to the frame and hook it up.

The idea of getting electrocuted is worse for me than most people! I'd be just as dead, but even worse the subject of some...Committee at my job! (Nobody wants a tombstone with a lightning bolt on it!)

[Kim Trampus]

Niels, If you haven't bought the cable yet, I will sell you mine for $30 obo plus shipping. I bought one from Van Eck in the Netherlands for $43.82 including tax and shipping to the USA. I was trying to restore an old Elmo GP-E that I found at the goodwill. As it turned out, it needs a top latch piece and the main sprocket gear is too worn down to work reliably.