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Steve, wonderful work, Claus would be so proud - Shorty
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Thanks, Shorty!Comment
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Wrapping Up - Part One
CineSea 21 was originally scheduled to take place the weekend of April 17th. At the very beginning of March, our main issue was figuring out a better way to have the group dinner. “Table for 50, please.” had become problematic. Traveling, seating, ordering and settling the bill took up way too much time, to the point where it was interfering with our Saturday Night Screening. Shorty Caruso, Lou Franchetti and I were considering either having the dinner catered or just letting folks make their own arrangements. This became a planning headache and we thought “What could be more aggravating than this?” We soon got our answer.
The postponement was announced on March 22. The governor of New Jersey had placed the state into near-lockdown mode and specifically told people not to go the Jersey Shore. The Shalimar Resort was very accommodating, giving us a new date of October 2nd and moving all existing reservations over. If requested, full refunds would be freely given.
CineSea has an intimacy that comes from starting out small and slowly growing. Beginning with John Black and Shorty's first show in December of 2009, we’ve added people with each gathering at a leisurely enough rate that makes it easy to become friends and to keep in touch. Because of that rapport, Zoom conferences (Thanks to Ms. Tuckey & Mr. Cleveland) were held after the postponement where we could chat and throw ideas around for the next show.
Throughout the summer we were debating about whether or not to postpone the October event. Things were changing quickly. States would be put on quarantine lists, removed, then put back on again. Limits on indoor gathering sizes along with restrictions for bars & restaurants were being revised constantly. How could we safely hold a get-together?
Maintaining contact helped us decide. From the feedback we were getting, it was estimated that less than half of our group from the previous year would attend. That was a manageable figure. An update was sent out with then current COVID & travel advisory information. Precautions were made clear. Masks had to be worn, windows would remain open, no open containers of food, no bags of unwrapped snacks or large bottle beverages requiring cups would be allowed.
The response was very positive. Understanding that a lower attendance figure would make this CineSea easier and safer, a number of spouses and significant others volunteered not to attend this time. Snacks & beverages were kindly brought in, but these were all single serving individual bags and bottles. Dealer tables were spread out and later moved to make a larger area for distanced seating. I have to say appreciatively that everybody who came did their part to make this a safe and enjoyable experience.
Next: Projector troubles and triumphsComment
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Wrapping Up - Part Two
At the end of August my Elmo GS-1200 Xenon projector would not light up. At first I thought it was the bulb (the very same bulb that lit up the screen so nicely for 17 CineSeas!), I changed it out, but to no avail. It seemed to me that there was an issue with the lighting circuitry. While I have other incandescent tungsten projectors, I really wanted a brighter Super 8mm image for the CineSea Saturday screening. I mentioned this to Steve Osborne, who reminded me that Alan Gouger had written a Reel Image article (issue #45) about doing High Intensity Discharge lamp conversions to Elmo ST-1200’s. Steve added that Alan was now looking into converting GS-1200’s.
I knew that Bill Parsons in the UK had been doing HID conversions for years, however I knew of no one in the States that offered this service. Alan said he and others had experimented with different light sources and found that Metal Halide HID lamps were an excellent choice. He explained that although Xenon lamps deliver the fuller color spectrum, the HID lamps are brighter, more readily available and more cost effective. The lamps have a similar life expectancy of 1000 hours.
I recounted my projector dilemma and Alan made an amazing offer. He was just starting an HID conversion of his own GS-1200 and upon completion he would ship the projector to me so I could use it at CineSea. How unbelievably generous!
The projector arrived with plenty of time to test it out before heading to Wildwood. At first glance, it looked like any other GS.
The new bulb and holder fit perfectly in the projector’s original lamp house.
An addition could be found to the rear cover of the projector, between the remote control receptacle and the power cord input.
A 2 pin male connector had been placed there, to connect the ballast (power supply) that was needed to power the 150w HID lamp. Although the ballast could have been added on to the projector body, keeping it as a separate unit assured the elimination of any possible audio hum.
I connected the ballast to the GS and plugged them both in. Alan had cautioned me to power the ballast on before turning the projector on to avoid a loud pop through the speakers. It took a few seconds, but then the lamp slowly lit up. It takes a minute or so for the lamp to achieve proper brightness. I threaded up a film and I was immediately impressed by the amount of light that hit the screen. This GS was brighter than my Xenon! I also noticed that the lamp housing did not get anywhere near as hot as my Xenon does.
Even though the HID lamp has a color temperature of 6500 Kelvin, there is a slight greenish tint to the picture when using a brand new bulb. This goes away the more the lamp is used and a whiter light takes over.
The ballast and all cables easily fit into the rear pocket of the standard Elmo GS cover.
The projector performed flawlessly at CineSea. The prints looked great and I really appreciated the brightness, especially when it came time for Scope presentations. This converted GS held its own against the 16mm & 35mm projectors.
I greatly appreciate Alan’s kindness. Since he is now providing this conversion service through The Reel Image (contact Steve Osborne for details), I will definitely be shipping a projector to him. He’s currently looking into other lamp possibilities and I’m currently looking forward to having a brighter projector.Comment
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An amazing act of generosity by Alan, and his HID conversion of the GS1200 looks like a thoroughly professional job. One question I have is how do you handle loading, unloading, stopping and starting of the film since the HID lamp is always on at full brightness. Is the GS1200 perforated shutter (drops in place for still frame) good enough to prevent film damage?Comment
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A nice read Doug. Remined me of a pals GS1200 Xenon that wouldn't light I believe it was a Capacitor, cant remember exactly a bit ago. Likewise only having one more Eumig to convert to HID I've also started prepping one of the GS1200's for myself. A more complicated job than the humble Eumig in some ways but a worthy one. Since going HID it has improved the shows no end and the film blends in better with the 4K video projection I find. A crisper look to it.
As I hoped I'm soon to take the HID Eumig into a Cinema to run my film Cinema in Miniature as they have been kind enough to let me use a screen once empty before the deep cleaners go in. It will be interesting to see the projected image on a real Cinema screen for measure and will post some snaps.Comment
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Paul,
I'm sure Alan will clarify, however I believe he modified the still frame dowser.
Lee,
Very nice! I would love to try the Elmo long throw lens in a similar setup. I've never had the chance to present with it!Comment
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Excellent report Doug,
Very kind of Alan to move his machine so far away.
His HID conversion is great and looks to be a good choice. Also a 1000 hours expected life is a much better rate than "classical" Halogen now.
This is very encouraging to engage such a conversion.
He is on the right way
👍
To follow
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Excellent conversion
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This is great news! Thanks to Alan, and to Doug for posting this info.Comment
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Only just got round to reading this thread, but as always it was very enjoyable 🙂 and another superb job by Steve in bringing it to the rest of us that weren't there.
What a great commitment by all of those who managed to attend and I really hope circumstances will allow me to visit this great event at some point in the future 🤞
AliComment
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