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Topic: Balco Platters ?

Barry Floyd
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1079
From: Lebanon, Tennessee, USA
Registered: Mar 2000

posted 10-04-2001 12:48 PM

Has anyone ever heard of a Balco Platter? I recieved a call from a fellow drive-in owner last night and he was interested in selling me his booth package - which included Century Projectors and a Balco Platter. Nothing appears in the manuals section. How do these compare with either an AW-3, or a Strong?

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Barry Floyd
Floyd Entertainment Group
Nashville, Tennessee
(Drive-In Theatre - Start-Up)

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John Pytlak
Film God

Posts: 9987
From: Rochester, NY 14650-1922
Registered: Jan 2000

posted 10-04-2001 01:29 PM

Check with Steven Krams at International Cinema Equipment Co.:
http://www.iceco.com/film_handling.htm

NTE also has Balco:
http://www.nteequip.com/inventory3.htm

AFAIK, it's the design the current Strong A-3 Platter is based on.

------------------
John P. Pytlak, Senior Technical Specialist
Worldwide Technical Services, Entertainment Imaging
Research Labs, Building 69, Room 7525A
Rochester, New York, 14650-1922 USA
Tel: 716-477-5325 Cell: 716-781-4036 Fax: 716-722-7243
E-Mail: john.pytlak@kodak.com
Web site: http://www.kodak.com/go/motion

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Paul G. Thompson
The Weenie Man

Posts: 4718
From: Mount Vernon WA USA
Registered: Nov 2000

posted 10-04-2001 01:43 PM

I think the BALCO is the current Strong A-3 platter.

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Aaron Sisemore
Flaming Ribs beat Reeses Peanut Butter Cups any day!

Posts: 3061
From: Rockwall TX USA
Registered: Sep 1999

posted 10-04-2001 07:20 PM

Paul is correct, the BAL[lantyne]CO platter is the same as the Potts platter of the same era. Most if not all Potts, early Xetron, and some late Strong parts whould interchange nicely...

Aaron

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Dave Bird
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 777
From: Perth, Ontario, Canada
Registered: Jun 2000

posted 10-04-2001 08:47 PM

MORE projectors Barry? You're gonna be a 12-plex before long

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Ken Lackner
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1907
From: Atlanta, GA, USA
Registered: Sep 2001

posted 10-04-2001 10:52 PM

Forgive the ignorance, but what's the Strong A-3? Is that the same as the Strong AP?

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Steven Gorsky
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 146
From: Frederick, MD, USA
Registered: Sep 2000

posted 10-04-2001 11:07 PM

The A-3 is the three deck Alpha. It is similar to the AP, but without the auto-programming features.

Steven Gorsky

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Ken Lackner
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1907
From: Atlanta, GA, USA
Registered: Sep 2001

posted 10-04-2001 11:12 PM

Is that the one where you have to flip a switch to either Takeup, Payout, or Off, depending on what you're using each deck for? That's the way it is with the Teco platters I currently use, and I HATE them! (I'm used to the AP's.)

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Steven Gorsky
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 146
From: Frederick, MD, USA
Registered: Sep 2000

posted 10-04-2001 11:36 PM

No, there are no switches, except for setting which deck for make-up. It's a lot like the AP, but the center-feed and the variac are different. Take a look at the manual in the manual section (where else

) for more details.

Steven Gorsky

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Ken Layton
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1452
From: Olympia, Wash. USA
Registered: Sep 1999

posted 10-05-2001 01:07 AM

Balco platter is the Potts/Strong platter with a Ballantyne nameplate on it. Balco was used as the name in the mid 80's before Ballantyne switched to just using the Strong name on the platter. Typical Balco platters of that era had a variac operated by a "brake cable" (there is a conversion kit to upgrade it to the current rod operated style) and the "control plates" (centerfeeds) were screwed down (there is a "drop-in" conversion kit). Balco platters of this age will likely have WHITE film rollers all over it. The serial number of the platter is located on the back of the "tree" down by the variac on earlier models.
They are good platters (better if they have the updates).

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Barry Floyd
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1079
From: Lebanon, Tennessee, USA
Registered: Mar 2000

posted 10-05-2001 12:33 PM

I thought seriously about the Century Projectors, but I'm running out of room for anything else. He was selling me a "package deal" that included the entire drive-in, less the property. All of his buildings were portable trailer-like things including the concessions, projection & restrooms. I called him several months ago regarding buying and relocating the screen tower. It's a bolt-together steel framed tower that's less than 3 years old.

We go before the zoning appeals board on the 19th of this month to get the property for the drive-in rezoned. Wish us luck, I think we're gonna need all the luck we can get.

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Ken Lackner
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1907
From: Atlanta, GA, USA
Registered: Sep 2001

posted 10-06-2001 01:07 PM

OK, I have seen those platters with the fixed brains and white rollers at a theatre we closed last year.

I did look at the manuals section. Don't you have to select which platter is takeup and which is payout? If not, than what do you mean it's a lot like the AP without the AP features?

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Steven Gorsky
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 146
From: Frederick, MD, USA
Registered: Sep 2000

posted 10-06-2001 05:07 PM

Oops, I just realized the platters I've used were DMCs and APs not Alphas. Anyway what I said about the Alphas was according to Strong's website:
"The Alpha Platter is the economical version of the most
reliable Platter System on the market. It features the same
components and options of the AP Platter without the Auto-Programming
features. Available in three- and five-deck 35mm and three-deck
35/70mm versions; uses the "Alpha" style Make-Up Table."

I also looked at the Alpha Operation manual again, I had it downloaded - and that proably why I was confused - I usually only download manuals for stuff I use. Anyway it says nothing about setting switches for payout and take-up, maybe this applies only to more recent Alphas?

Steven Gorsky
currently unemployed
looking to go back
into the computer industry

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Ken Lackner
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1907
From: Atlanta, GA, USA
Registered: Sep 2001

posted 10-07-2001 12:39 AM

You're right. I don't know why I thought I read something about switches.

The threading instructions look like the same procedure I used for the AP platters. And if there are no switches to set each deck to payout or takeup, then how is this system different from the AP? What do you mean by "without the AP features?" AP means Auto Programming, right? I thought that meant the platter system's ability to know which deck is currently being used for payout and which is takeup without having to set switches. (I know the AP has the takeup roller that moves to tell that platter to takeup. Does the Alpha?

I am pretty sure the older system I saw with the white rollers had the Takeup/Off/Payout switches. Do I remember correctly?

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Greg Pauley
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 173
From: Huntington, WV, USA
Registered: Jun 2000

posted 10-07-2001 12:22 PM

Ken, you are correct!
The Balco platters have the takeup/payout toggle switch mounted on the motor. We still are running 3 Balco platters we purchase new in 1980. Not a bad platter, some problems with the payout switches and timing problems from time to time. ourshowtimes.com

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