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Author Topic: New Christie P-35GP Pulley Kit Mark Gulbrandsen Resident Trollmaster Posts: 16657 From: Music City Registered: Jun 99 posted 10-13-2007 08:55 PM                     I installed one of these kits (a pre-production sample) just a couple of days ago and man what a difference. The new system lowers flutter to unbeliveably low levels. This would also mean that older machines retrofitted with the new kit will actually play back SRD tracks at low error rates where before many would not play back at all because jitter was just way too high. The new pulleys are made of injection molded composite material of some sort also it has some sort of lubricant in it which should make the belt drive system run very clean. These pulleys and the round tooth timming belts make for one heck of a smooth machine. Because we switch to round tooth timming belts every pulley in the P-35 gets replaced with these new pulleys. Christie spent a small fortune developing these pulleys because of all the molds needed and these pulleys have already been extensively field tested. We've had Cine-X 35's in and running for going on three years on the original factory belts... which show no wear at all. This system is just an expanded version of the belt/pulley system in that machine. While I don't have any pricing on the kit yet I was told that it is going to be very inexpensive. All in all if the pulleys hold up well it will be a very good upgrade to any P-35. Install time was just a little over an hour. The belt kit as supplied. As installed on a late model P-35C which we had already converted to a P-35GP. Mark  |  IP: Logged Louis Bornwasser Film God Posts: 4441 From: prospect ky usa Registered: Mar 2005 posted 10-13-2007 09:53 PM                        Cool!! About 20 years too late, though. Louis  |  IP: Logged Brad Miller Administrator Posts: 17775 From: Plano, TX (36.2 miles NW of Rockwall) Registered: May 99 posted 10-13-2007 11:10 PM                     Christie had this in their ShoWest booth last spring. Did nobody else see it then?  |  IP: Logged Steve Guttag We forgot the crackers Gromit!!! Posts: 12814 From: Annapolis, MD Registered: Dec 1999 posted 10-13-2007 11:37 PM                     Louis, it is actually closer to 30-years too late....and I have zero confidence that they have the solution yet. How many times do they need to reinvent this thing? How many times do they obsolete existing systems?  |  IP: Logged Ken Lackner Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1907 From: Atlanta, GA, USA Registered: Sep 2001 posted 10-14-2007 07:56 AM                     Does this kit negate the need for belt dressing?  |  IP: Logged Mark Gulbrandsen Resident Trollmaster Posts: 16657 From: Music City Registered: Jun 99 posted 10-14-2007 09:06 AM                     Ken, Yes! But you mean to say you weren't using Film Guard on your belts? I agree with you other guys its comming along way too late... Its kinda tounge in cheek for me because I sugested this to Bevan Wright well over a decade ago. I was told by the guys at Christie when I was out there a couple of of months ago that the technology to mold the parts to this accuracy didn't exist even 5 years ago and that all the metric round tooth belts are now available off the shelf. Had they attempted to produce these parts even 5 years ago the pulleys woulda been metal and the belts woulda been custom stuff. It woulda been just way too expensive to pull off. Brad, Yes... I first saw it at Showest 2 years ago and I seem to remember posting pics here. There is also a composite curved runner available and that was also shown back then as well. Steve, I will be installing a few more of these where I will be able to take the time do a before and after W&F check. The kit I installed was put in because the machine is in an analog only house and it had audible W&F. The kit took care of the problem. Also another way to tell that it does work is to lightly squeeze the stabilizer dancer rollers together with your fingers. With the old belts you can feel the teeth of the old square tooth belts engaging and disengaging... kinda like alot of sprocket tooth ripple. This problem occured when they went to the double sided belt.... the older gearbox type Christies don't suffer this problem. With the new kit that ripple effect is gone. The projector also ran quite a bit quieter. Mark  |  IP: Logged Phil Ranucci Expert Film Handler Posts: 236 From: Carpinteria,CA, United States Registered: May 2006 posted 10-14-2007 03:05 PM                     And what is the cost of the kit?  |  IP: Logged Mark Gulbrandsen Resident Trollmaster Posts: 16657 From: Music City Registered: Jun 99 posted 10-14-2007 03:28 PM                     Phil, I have no idea of cost but I was told it will be very inexpensive to purchase. On another note at least Christie hasn't stood still on continuing refinement of film products as have other US projector mannufacturers. I think thats something to be said for a company that is way larger in the D-Cinema field than they are in film. Mark  |  IP: Logged Tim Reed Better Projection Pays Posts: 5246 From: Northampton, PA Registered: Sep 1999 posted 10-14-2007 06:41 PM                       Oh, give it some time. These will be fluttering, too.  |  IP: Logged Ken Lackner Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1907 From: Atlanta, GA, USA Registered: Sep 2001 posted 10-14-2007 07:52 PM                     I'm anxious to try one of these kits. Makes me wish I had some Christies in my area.  |  IP: Logged Mark Gulbrandsen Resident Trollmaster Posts: 16657 From: Music City Registered: Jun 99 posted 10-21-2007 01:19 PM                     quote: Tim Reed Oh, give it some time. These will be fluttering, too. Oh, you must mean like the 5 star flutter??? According to Jim Dukes the suggested list will be $250.00. Delivery will start in one month. That price is a bargain in and of itself and about 1/4 the price of a new set of alumnium pulley/idler/belt set. Mark  |  IP: Logged Jeremy Weigel Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1062 From: Edmond, OK, USA Registered: Mar 2007 posted 10-21-2007 06:10 PM                     Are there any modifications that have to be done to a P35C? New holes drilled and tapped? I see in your pics that there are now 3 belts and 3 or 4 tensioners. And does the kit utilize the existing shutter gear box or does it require one to replace it with the newer $900.00+ version?  |  IP: Logged Mark Gulbrandsen Resident Trollmaster Posts: 16657 From: Music City Registered: Jun 99 posted 10-21-2007 07:00 PM                     quote: Steve Guttag How many times do they need to reinvent this thing? How many times do they obsolete existing systems? In response to Steves comments which I missed: They haven't obsoleted the present P-35GP design at all.. it is indeed the exact same belt paths, number of pulleys and idlers... just made from a different material, and better metric round tooth belts... longer lasting and at a huge savings. One of the rare cases where cheaper can be better. The same style round tooth metric belts and alumnium pulleys somewhat cured the 5-Star of the exact same flutter problem and very short pulley and belt life! To answer Jeremy's questions... This kit won't work on the 35C with the shutter gearbox as-is, that projector main frame would require extensive mods... which all though expensive is not an impossibility, a new motor mount also needs to be fitted as well because the 35GP motor is mounted much lower than the 35C motor. The 35C's that I did were actually very early or first generation 35GP's that were belt drive shutter but still had the gear drive intermittent. I had converted them to the current version of the 35GP about a year ago when the original pulleys finally entered oblivion and they basically couldn't run any longer... then we did the new pulley kit on the sole analog house at this location to get rid of all existing flutter which was somewhat audible... not any more though. Generally converting your 35C's to the GP version gets pretty expensive but the new belt kit might help keep the costs a bit more in line. I could put together a price based on the new kit and necessary machining but keep in mind that you'd also need the jack shaft and shutter drive assemblies, the new curved trap assy is also preferable to do at the same time. Mark  |  IP: Logged Louis Bornwasser Film God Posts: 4441 From: prospect ky usa Registered: Mar 2005 posted 10-21-2007 08:38 PM                        After much thought, the fact that they CHARGE anything for this is insulting. I cannot even count how many penthouse readers I had to sell to those who had Christie basement readers. They have more than paid for their (partially) non functional digital sound projectors. This should be available INSTALLED at no charge. Louis  |  IP: Logged Mark Gulbrandsen Resident Trollmaster Posts: 16657 From: Music City Registered: Jun 99 posted 10-21-2007 09:31 PM                     Louis, Most of the SRD basement readers that I know of... Edwards had the most... were all taken back by Christie a very long time ago and credit or compensation issued... I know Monte can verfy this as happenning. Not sure what happened at your end. Mark  |  IP: Logged

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