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Having developed an interest in the Bolex 18-5 projectors, I've seen a lot of useful information on the old forum, but there's one thing I haven't been able to establish, so I wondered if anyone might know. I realise that the halogen lamp holder that Bolex supplied with some Super 8 18-5 projectors, and sold separately, can't be used in the Std 8 version, as this doesn't have the correct fittings for it. However, if I could remove, from a 'spares only' Super 8 18-5, the entire lens mounting as seen in the photo, including the black metal part on the left that connects it to the chassis, I wondered if that could be installed in a Std 8 18-5, and used with a 50 watt halogen lamp? Perhaps no one has tried this, but no harm in asking...
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I see no reason why this shouldn't work. I retro-fitted a normal halogen bulb to a Bolex 18-5 standard 8 machine with no issues. That of course, was a DIY using a projector bracket from a spare Elmo FP-series machine I have. I purchased a 50 watt halogen, and it worked liked a charm. -
Ive got both 18/5 versions,st and super 8, and dont see why you cant do this. The lamp holder mounting bracket from the super 8 model does look like it would fit the st 8.version. Worth trying given the cost of A1/17 lamps.Comment
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Seeing an old Derann newsletter recently I found that in 1998 the price of and A1/17 was almost three times that of an A1/231. Goosness knows what the difference is now.Comment
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Thanks for all the replies. In view of the positivity, I'll probably give the proposed switch over a try, so long as I can reach the inside of the chassis where the mounting bracket is fixed, as I doubt whether I can remove it from the front.
The A1/17 lamps certainly are very expensive, especially considering their estimated life of 25 hours. Plenty pf people/businesses offer them, so there seems no shortage yet, but the lowest price I've seen recently was £29.99, and some are considerably more. I see the A1/224 75 watt 'spaceman' bulb used in non-halogen Super 8 18-5s is much harder to find than the A1/17, although there's currently one on ebay for £24.99.Comment
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Further research has caused me to come across a very different halogen lamp holder that was used in the early 50 watt version of the Super 8 18-5, and I imagine was also used in the Std 8 version. The reflector appears to be built in and metal, so a lamp without a reflector was used. I'm aware that (non-reflector) 100 watt halogen lamps of this type are still produced but does anyone know of (or use) 50 watt or 75 watt equivalents that are still available? (I appreciate a 75watt lamp would need a change of transformer.)
Last edited by Adrian Winchester; March 20, 2022, 12:20 PM.Comment
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That is fascinating Adrian, I never knew they made such a holder for the early machines.Comment
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I managed to pick one up (Ibelieve when Maplin were closing down) code BRL and made in Hungary under the General Electric brand.Comment
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Did Bolex have these made for their machines or was this a later edition?Originally posted by Brian Fretwell View PostComment
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Shane - it says "Made in u.k." on it, so perhaps it was a UK product only made by the Atlas brand, and not Bolex. As it also says A1/263 on it, it might have been marketed as a replacement for the 'spaceman' bulb in any projector with the same base.
BRL lamps seem to still be readily available for a fairly modest price.Last edited by Adrian Winchester; March 21, 2022, 08:27 AM.Comment
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Ignore my previous post, I hadn't enlarged the photo. so hadn't read the number. I do have an A1/263, but it is a Thorne and looks completely different with a continuous black back.Comment
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It's too bad these were not produced in large numbers. This replacement would help a lot of people who own the Regular 8 and earlier Super 8 versions of the 18-5. I tried a general search online but couldn't find this lamp assembly anywhere. Is there a key word or phrase when searching?Originally posted by Adrian Winchester View PostComment
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Brian - forgive me not completely ignoring it, because BRL lamps seem to be the exact type that would work in the type of lamp holder pictured! I've amended my words above because I've now found some UK sources such as this one: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1819017539...UAAOSwxixZ~FLm
It would be interesting to know how the brightness compares to the 'spaceman' bulb. I'm guessing that a metal reflector of this type wouldn't be quite as good as a conventional reflector lamp, as otherwise they may have become more commonly-seen in projectors.Comment
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I can tell you that my Eumig Mark M Super 8 projector uses the same style bulb but is 100 watts. That machine uses a reflector behind the lens. The reflector is built into the projector itself. In front of the bulb is a condenser lens. This combination makes for a very bright light on screen. The nice part is these bulbs (FCR) are very cheap to buy.Originally posted by Adrian Winchester View Post
Now in the case of the assembly that we are talking about here, it's hard to say how it compares to the spaceman bulb. When I retrofitted my Bolex 18-5 Regular 8 machine I didn't notice any difference in brightness between the spaceman bulb and the halogen bulb.Comment
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The A1/263 was a direct replacement for the A1/17, sold as an upgrade because it would be a whiter light.
The reflector,lamp and base were integral,all in one and you replaced the lot each time the lamp was changed.Comment
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