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Author Topic: Simplex mag. penthouse, help! Dan Lyons Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 698 From: Seal Beach, CA Registered: Sep 2002 posted 06-13-2004 04:02 AM                     Simplex (IPC) XL mag penthouse model SH-1025. How on earth did these mount to a projector head? There are plates on both top and bottom, are these adaptor plates? The top plate attaches with 4 small screws and has holes for standard reel arm/kelmar bracket attatchment. HOWEVER, the lower portion which should mount to the projector head has only holes for 4 small screws, the "adaptor plate" also, there are no holes which correspond to the standard mounting holes for reel arms. Did old projectors have more holes in the casting for these penthouses to attatch to or were there different types of reel arms that used 4 small screws back then?? Due to the strange shape, if you want to put a Kelmar cleaner on top you'd have to stack brackets! (btw, yes i have the mag head, but it's not installed. Yes, it's a bit dirty, haven't cleaned it yet) The last two pictures are the holes in question, and the adaptor plate, the face showing is the side that mounts agains the penthouse casting. The one large hole is just that, a hole, no threads. Anyone have manuals for this model or other 35mm only mag heads? Danny .  |  IP: Logged Phil Hill I love my cootie bug Posts: 7595 From: Hollywood, CA USA Registered: Mar 2000 posted 06-13-2004 04:33 AM                  Both of my SH-1025's have the 4-hole pattern and mount directly to the top of my 1986 Simplex PR-1014 using those 4 holes without any adaptor. You must have weird projector like a Pro 35 or something... >>> Phil [ 06-13-2004, 05:57 AM: Message edited by: Phil Hill ]  |  IP: Logged Dan Lyons Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 698 From: Seal Beach, CA Registered: Sep 2002 posted 06-13-2004 04:49 AM                     quote: Phil Hill You must have weird projector like a Pro 35 or something... You know it. THanks for the info. btw, I have no plans of putting it on the Pro 35 anyway. So, Simplexes have extra holes, now i'm curious... besides my strange projector, do all other brands have extra holes? I just can't find pics of projector tops in the warehouse,haha. Danny  |  IP: Logged Stephen Furley Film God Posts: 3059 From: Coulsdon, Croydon, England Registered: May 2002 posted 06-13-2004 05:32 AM                     That penthouse looks like the ones that I mounted on a pair of Westar (think Century) projectors, but they didn't have that detatchable plate/casting under them, I had to make up something to mount them, and get the heads in the correct position. I also had to mount them in a slightly odd position, but that was nothing to do with the projectors, but something in the projection box, part of the operating gear for the fire shutters, that was in the way. This was in someone's home cinema, I know souh places don't normally have fire shutters, neither do most public cinemas in this country for that matter, but this one does. Please do not ask any 'awkward' questions at that point.  |  IP: Logged Gordon McLeod Film God Posts: 9532 From: Toronto Ontario Canada Registered: Jun 99 posted 06-13-2004 09:54 AM                     The adapter plate under your pentouse is for mounting it on an E7 and will also work on a century if you make the upper loop slightly oversize. If you can find one the motiograph penthouse is the best bet as it had a movable roller inside it to offset the height for sync to make it universal Westrex also had this feature  |  IP: Logged Dan Lyons Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 698 From: Seal Beach, CA Registered: Sep 2002 posted 06-13-2004 12:35 PM                     Thanks for all the info guys. So, anyone have manuals for any of these? Now i'm really curious to see detailed pics/diagrams of the other brands that Gordon mentioned. manuals, please! danny  |  IP: Logged Will Kutler Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1506 From: Tucson, AZ, USA Registered: Feb 2001 posted 06-13-2004 01:19 PM                     Hi Dan Do you want or need that E-7 mounting bracket? If not, then I would not mind having it for my E-7 restoration project. Although my E-7 really has no $$ value, I am just having fun restoring this machine as my own personal toy and show-piece. After a lot of looking...I even managed to find a complete front-shutter set-up...which was also used on Supers.  |  IP: Logged Steve Guttag We forgot the crackers Gromit!!! Posts: 12814 From: Annapolis, MD Registered: Dec 1999 posted 06-13-2004 04:04 PM                     Later Simplex XLs do indeed have all of the holes...to this day even. Older XLs do need the appropriate "top plate" on the projector and the penthouse or you can drill and tap some 3/8" holes for standard reel arms right onto the penthouse (done it). I know we have the exploded view diagrams on the soundhead but I don't know if it lists all of the various plates. Note, older XLs needed the correct top plate just to mount the upper magazine/reel arm. Steve  |  IP: Logged Joshua Waaland Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 800 From: Cleveland, Ohio Registered: Dec 1999 posted 11-15-2004 12:24 AM                     Danny, Thanks for posting this. I brought up this same topic a few months ago. I have the same problem mounting to my projector. I have the older XL's and Simplex penthouses. I tried to detach the upper magazine and add the penthouse but noticed a bracket missing also. The bottom seemed to line up okay but needed a bracket in the hole where the film passed and the upper needed something to add my magazines back on. It looks as if the brackets that are on top of yours are exactly what I need to add my magazines back on. I also would really like to get my hands on a manual. I called Strong and asked for one and they faxed me a manual for a 35/70mm picture head?!  |  IP: Logged Mark Gulbrandsen Resident Trollmaster Posts: 16657 From: Music City Registered: Jun 99 posted 11-16-2004 07:34 PM                     Toss that penthhouse and look around for an old ampex or motiograph. they are much better penthouses and mount to any standard projector. Never cared for that particuluar penthouse... way too tight. The Ampex and Motio's also had much better damping of the tight loop. Mark  |  IP: Logged Steve Guttag We forgot the crackers Gromit!!! Posts: 12814 From: Annapolis, MD Registered: Dec 1999 posted 11-16-2004 08:51 PM                     I've set up both the Ampex and the Simplex penthouses...I prefer the Simplex...much better control over tension and head position. Steve  |  IP: Logged Mark Gulbrandsen Resident Trollmaster Posts: 16657 From: Music City Registered: Jun 99 posted 11-17-2004 09:19 PM                     Thats ok Steve you can have the Simplex... Both the Ampex and Motio have much better designed rotary stabilizers. The larger diameter of both models flywheels is a big advantage with thick mag film. I've always thought the Simplex flywheels were a bit whimpy for mag striped film. I can't ever remember having any problems setting up with any of the three mentioned in this thread within their limits, but the Magnasync comes to mind as a bit difficult unit. By the way, the Ampex head mount is the same one used on the JJ, 35/70 XL, and tens of thousands of dubbers and is very flexible in its adjustments and very sturdy once locked down.... pretty much the idustry standard moun t and is still widely used today. Mark @ CLACO  |  IP: Logged Steve Guttag We forgot the crackers Gromit!!! Posts: 12814 From: Annapolis, MD Registered: Dec 1999 posted 11-18-2004 08:32 AM                     Ah Mark yes it is and I wish Jack Dimmers was alive today to back me up but according to him and my findings too...it is also one of the biggest causes of poorly aligned heads. One has a hard time setting azimuth without messing up the Zenith since all three points are interractive. On the Simplex penthouse, one can set azimuth, zenith and tilt independantly. Furthermore, one can compensate for the pull of gravity precisely. I have no clue as to what you are talkling about on the Simplex stabilizers...their flywheels were quite massive and certainly were up to the job of 35mm magnetic. About the only feature I liked about the Ampex penthouse was that when one opened the pads, the spocket locked for easy threading and tension setting. The Simplex 35/70 did not use the same adjustments as the Ampex though (nor the same as the 35mm mag penthouse). The 35mm head went with the two screw tetter-totter menthod. Simple and one couldn't screw up the Zenith. For the 70mm head it was on a round base that was kinda novel. You could adjust azimuth, head-depth, rotation...all without affecting the other adjustments. Again, better than the Ampex/Century approach. I don't know if the original Simplex 35/70 penthouses had Mu-metal sheilds but the Strong bread penthouses did not and that was a definite negative for it. Way too many ways to pick up magnetic fields...especially at changeover time. Steve  |  IP: Logged Joshua Waaland Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 800 From: Cleveland, Ohio Registered: Dec 1999 posted 11-18-2004 07:01 PM                     Dan, If you ever want to part with those brackets let me know I will buy them from you. Thanks. Josh  |  IP: Logged Paul Vollmers Expert Film Handler Posts: 161 From: Sister Lakes, MI, USA Registered: Jul 2001 posted 11-19-2004 09:24 AM                     I have a Simplex E7. I also have a Ampex Mag sound unit. Will the mag unit just mount to the top of the projection head or do I need a mounting bracket? It sure is heavey too. Paul--  |  IP: Logged

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