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Author Topic: Any AGA projectors in the USA? Thomas Jonsson Expert Film Handler Posts: 216 From: Bromolla, Sweden Registered: Sep 2003 posted 09-23-2004 02:31 PM                       Swedish AGA made cinema equipment (projectors, lamphouses, soundsystems, loudspeakers etc) from the early 30´s to the mid 60´s, I think. Was any AGA equipment ever installed in the USA? Thomas  |  IP: Logged Tim Reed Better Projection Pays Posts: 5246 From: Northampton, PA Registered: Sep 1999 posted 09-23-2004 05:02 PM                       I've never seen any, and I serviced a good deal of 1920s-1950s vintage theatres in the south and eastern US, and throughout the midwest and southwestern US. That's not to say there weren't any, just not any that I ever saw. Bet they had them in Canada, though.  |  IP: Logged Daryl C. W. O'Shea Film God Posts: 3977 From: Midland Ontario Canada (where Panavision & IMAX lenses come from) Registered: Jun 2002 posted 09-23-2004 05:17 PM                        I bet Gord serviced them somewhere even if we didn't have them up here!  |  IP: Logged Mark Gulbrandsen Resident Trollmaster Posts: 16657 From: Music City Registered: Jun 99 posted 09-23-2004 08:51 PM                     I doubt that there were any that actually were installed in the U.S., perhaps some in collectors hands, but there were a fair number of early Ernamanns and some Phillips stuff. A friend on this site and myself recently latched onto 4 Phillips FP-56 projectors.... 2 came from South America and Two from Denmark. These are really nifty, virtually silent running, very small, 35mm machine thats built with many similatities to the DP-70. Will post some photos tommrrow. Perhaps my new "favorite" machine... we'll ee how long it takes Steve K to see this..... Mark @ CLACO  |  IP: Logged Gordon McLeod Film God Posts: 9532 From: Toronto Ontario Canada Registered: Jun 99 posted 09-23-2004 10:44 PM                     When the GK line went bust Ed McCormack wanted rank to use AGA rather than the cinemecanica line he had several imported but they never got installed and were shipped to the UK  |  IP: Logged Thomas Hauerslev Master Film Handler Posts: 451 From: Copenhagen, Denmark Registered: Aug 2000 posted 09-24-2004 02:03 AM                        Susan M. Todd in Ireland (widow of Todd, Jr.) has a large AGA stove in her kitchen made by the same company which made the projectors.  |  IP: Logged Thomas Jonsson Expert Film Handler Posts: 216 From: Bromolla, Sweden Registered: Sep 2003 posted 09-24-2004 03:53 PM                       That´s correct. AGA used to make stoves as well. They are still around today making industrial gas on tubes of different sizes. You can buy one, Thomas, and use it to fill baloons AGA´s later projectors and lamphouses were very handsome, with a nice dark wine-red color. I think they ran very smooth and produced nice steady pictures. Mark, what´s the difference between Philips FP 5 and FP 56? Is it if it has a door or not? Didn´t they come in either black or light grey color? Thomas  |  IP: Logged Pete Naples Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1565 From: Dunfermline, Scotland Registered: Feb 2001 posted 09-24-2004 04:20 PM                     Used to? Still do AFAIK, in fact until I read this I though they only made stoves. An AGA wood/oil burning stove is something of a status symbol in these parts.  |  IP: Logged Mark Gulbrandsen Resident Trollmaster Posts: 16657 From: Music City Registered: Jun 99 posted 09-24-2004 07:45 PM                     Aside from Gas and stoves AGA also makes some really fine diving equipment, some of which I own. Thomas, The post-war FP 5 and 6 share the same main frames, gear train and movement. The 5 is a very basic projector with no water cooling. The 6 is a bit more elaborate with the addition of water and air cooling facilities and adjustable loop setters built into the upper and lower sprockets. These projectors are finished in black wrinkle. No door on these projectors. Phillips FP-5 The FP-56 is a more updated version that appeared in the mid 50's with both air and water cooling facilities, a bit heavier main frame, up to 4" diameter lens mount. Same gear train and movement as the FP5 and 6. The FP-56 with integral motor weighs in at 120 lbs!! These are the quietest projectors I've ever heard run period. So quiet running with out film and extremely quiet with film that one has to consider a flashing light across the motor to know when its on..... The FP-56 is dinished in an odd color which is an off white wrinkle finish. No door on this projector. Phillips FP-56 The FP5 and 6 utilized the model 3837 sound reproducer that sat just below and to the left of the projector. The FP-56 used a bit later sound reproducer that is configured exactly the same as the one on the DP-70 but built in a similar stand alone casting to the 3837 instead of the bolt in configuration as used in the DP-70. From what it appears so far the 3837 is a bit superior sound reproducer as there is a spring loaded damper that increases the wrap around the sound drum to 240 degrees. The later reproducer for the FP-56 and DP-70 used only 200 degrees of wrap with no damper roller. Tye FP-7 was the fully enclosed version of the above projectors. It weighed a ton as part of the enclosure was actually part of the main casting of the projector. All of these Phillips machines share alot of design traits with the DP-70 but the FP series does not have a conically ground star and cam. Apparently those were only used in the DP-70. These projectors actually have four oil filters in them although the brochures say they have three. There is one extremely fine mesh brass screen(about 20 times finer than the one in the Simplex X-L) with a magnet inside of that. A second magnet hangs in the oil line feeding the intermittent, and there is a magnet inside the intermittent. Undoubtedly these three magnets drastically extended the life span of these projectors big time. All were designed by Jan Kotte. Thomas Haurslev and another film Techer get credit for helping me latch onto these incredible projectors. Mark @ CLACO  |  IP: Logged Gordon McLeod Film God Posts: 9532 From: Toronto Ontario Canada Registered: Jun 99 posted 09-24-2004 10:21 PM                     The FP7 was also available with a high speed pull down movement called the SUper 7  |  IP: Logged Thomas Jonsson Expert Film Handler Posts: 216 From: Bromolla, Sweden Registered: Sep 2003 posted 09-25-2004 05:17 AM                       Yes, sorry, AGA still makes stoves. I should know that. Mark, thanks for the inormation about the Philips projectors and the nice pictures. They really knew how to build machines in those days. I once saw an FP56 head, with door, painted in black. This must have been very unusual? As far as I know the FP56 is regarded as one of the finest 35mm projectors ever made, along with Bauer B11 and B14. If you are looking for more FP56´s, Mark, I think Hasso in Germany have one for sale. Visit their website at www.hasso.de and go to "Shop" Gebrauchte gerate. Thomas  |  IP: Logged Richard Fowler Film God Posts: 2392 From: Ft. Lauderdale, FL, USA Registered: Jun 2001 posted 09-25-2004 10:40 AM                     FP5 series are Great machines. I have one customer in Latin America with his entire circuit are these machines with the exception of three of another make. He plans to retire those three when he finds enough spares to replace them. The three of the newer make require more operational cost/maintinance than the 15 FP5 he owns.  |  IP: Logged David Graham Rose Expert Film Handler Posts: 187 From: Cambridge, UK Registered: Sep 2002 posted 09-28-2004 01:40 PM                     Greetings from a dark Cambridge I once owned an AGA, but traded it in for a Raeburn projector due to the increased stability of picture. It also exhibits 0.024% less wow on the soundhead (on avarage) than the AGA. From Cambridge, goodnight David  |  IP: Logged

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