Kodak Sound 8 HiD

[John Burgess]

Those members who modify projectors might be interested in my Kodak . Firstly I used an old set of BTH SRB 16 mm arms to accommodate 2200ft arms which are bolted to the front casing. These were perfect as I convert 16mm spools to 8mm. I then bought a Chinese mains operated motor 110rpm fitted a suitable pulley and then a spring belt which acts like a slipping clutch as the reel gets heavier. HiD lighting was a must , I removed the internal elliptical speaker to make way for the ballast unit , no fan was needed as the one fitted to the projector is on continually once plugged in. It also has a dowser which was also a bonus.Then I modified the lens barrel to accommodate 33.5 mm diameter lenses. I have both prime and zoom .The tube amp is stock and sounds great as they do. A full large spool will run over 2 hours , great for features, switch on , check focus , adjust sound level then sit back and enjoy the film uninterrupted was intended. I am not a trained engineer just an enthusiast of some 70 years who likes a challenge. The finished machine is fabulous, picture quality really bright and steady with the lovely mellow sound only tubes can achieve.
John

[Kenneth Horan]

Great job, John. I'm sure standard 8 never looked so good.

[Joseph Banfield]

You simply can't go wrong with a vacuum tube amp and standard 8mm sound film. Besides, you get ZERO film chatter in the sound, like with most, BUT NOT ALL, Super 8 projectors! And best of all, most of the earlier standard 8 prints have superior contrast and sharpness when compared to their Super 8 equivalents. Good job, John!!!

[Janice Glesser]

Very impressive John! Any enhancements you can make to these wonderful machines is truly an accomplishment. Kudos to your skill in making a great projector even better

[Paul Adsett]

Well done indeed John! What a great looking modification. I'm sure your standard 8 films now look , and sound, flawless.

[Lee Mannering]

Superb John you have always been the Sound 8 guy in the UK and come up trumps again. Reelly nice job my friend and a good choice of lens. My late uncles Kodak amp is still going strong as well so they mush have done a good job in design I guess.

[Lee McCaffrey]

Interesting project John. Do the spring belts you use as a slipping clutch make any noise during operation? I've always liked the idea of making a long play unit and these belts seem like a simple way of powering the take-up reel.

[John Burgess]

Hi Lee
Yes the spring belt works just fine, I make my own lengths from old ones I’ve bought at cine fairs .There is no noise at all during projection.
The trick is to get the tension just right, as the reel fills up the belt will slip. I screened a full feature last night a 2200ft spool was full and it managed to take up perfectly. Hope this helps .
zJohn

[Lee McCaffrey]

Thanks for the info John. A lot of long play units seem to work on continuously adjusting the motor speed throughout the runtime but this design seems more straightforward, I'll have to look into it