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Author Topic: Strong Apogee...Good or Bad? Christian Volpi Master Film Handler Posts: 349 From: Arlington, NE Registered: Apr 2004 posted 11-12-2004 11:38 PM                        Has anybody had a chance to check out the new Apogee projectors from Strong? I'm the booth manager for a brand new 14-plex in Sioux City that opened up last week. We got 14 brand new Apogee's and I don't know if I like them yet. In the past I've used Pro-35's and Century C's (even a few Tokiwa's). Strong says that they are quieter, are they? NO! Steadier picture? MMM...a little. Confusing thread path? Hell yeah! Strong says that it is roomy to make threading easier. Sure, if I had the hands of a 4 year old girl. The chinsy little metal bands that they have for tension at the gate have already snapped on four of my machines, whether there was tension or not. Any way, I can give the Con's all day. If you use them tell me what you think.  |  IP: Logged Jack Ondracek Film God Posts: 2348 From: Port Orchard, WA, USA Registered: Oct 2002 posted 11-13-2004 10:39 AM                        Try This. The thread seems to loosely reflect what you've observed with your machine.  |  IP: Logged Mark Gulbrandsen Resident Trollmaster Posts: 16657 From: Music City Registered: Jun 99 posted 11-13-2004 12:53 PM                     Well, if you analyze what Strong tried to accomplish which was eliminating the belts in the drive system they very definately did that but they also built in several new cans of worms in the process on the film side of that projector. They should have taken the Millennium and the 5 star and combined them on one main frame without belts. That would have been VERY EASY and cost Strong alot less to accomplish. The Millennium is probably about as good as the Simplex has gotten over the years whilst the 5 Star over the years has also gotten vastly better than it originally was. Combining those two on the film side sans the drive belts would in all likely hood have been a much better machine. There would not have been any new parts to manufacture for the film side either.... just some new drive components to be able to make it beltless.... perhaps its just too simple for them to see that though. Its obvious that someone at Strong just doesn't get it..... here we go again with tons of new built in problems... upholding that Strong tradidion. Some are very basic design problems that wise engineers would have never dream't up in the first place. Many problems should have been delt with before the first machine ever left the factory...and some stem all the way back to the origination of the Simplex itself which in my 20 years of experience is still not the great projector that everyone thinks it is..... long lived for sure... but just ok picture quality over that long life as compared to other makes of projectors over their life span. Sources I know that have installed them say it leaks badly, the sound head is a cluster f##k, the gate design is poor with very thin bands as you mentioned, plus that stupid flat lateral guide plate to wear a nice groove into, and it is not available with a BACP scanner at least as of a few months ago. Sorry Strong but C.E. leaves alot to be desired, the BACP design is far superior and more flexible in its repair! IMHO the new Christie 35(not the 35GP!) gives the best bang for the buck in a U.S. built projector whilst the older Phillips and present Kinoton equipment is as good as film projection gets. Why anyone would sell the Apogee when there are better performing projectors for less money(Christie) and about the same money(Kinoton) respectively is simply beyond me. Mark  |  IP: Logged Don Sneed Master Film Handler Posts: 451 From: Texas City, TX, USA Registered: Aug 2001 posted 11-16-2004 12:09 AM                        I just installed 28 of these machines, at 1st I did not know if I liked them or not, but as I got more use to them, the threading got easier, there is many plus to the new design, and a few things that needs improving such as the tension straps, the slow start up of the sound drum, the picture is very steady, I had not had any oil leaks....I found if the gate is properly adjusted, all works smooth...so for I cannot complain....  |  IP: Logged System Notices Forum Watchdog / Soup Nazi Posts: 215 Registered: Apr 2004 posted 05-22-2006 10:08 PM                 It has been 552 days since the last post.  |  IP: Logged Andrew McCrea Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 645 From: Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada Registered: Nov 2000 posted 05-22-2006 10:08 PM                        I really like the Century machines, and I'm just wondering why Strong wouldn't introduce a one-piece for those projectors? Maybe them not messing with a good machine is a better thing?  |  IP: Logged Monte L Fullmer Film God Posts: 8367 From: Nampa, Idaho, USA Registered: Nov 2004 posted 05-23-2006 02:56 AM                     This is what Monee did with their version of the Century SA and the MR3E direct drive soundhead combination - made a one piece unit. -Monte  |  IP: Logged John T. Hendrickson, Jr Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 889 From: Freehold, NJ, USA Registered: Apr 2001 posted 05-24-2006 09:23 AM                     I heard recently that a new 10 plex in Connecticut installed them and they had so much trouble that they pulled them all out.  |  IP: Logged Andrew McCrea Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 645 From: Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada Registered: Nov 2000 posted 05-24-2006 12:56 PM                        The Monee or the Apogee?  |  IP: Logged Monte L Fullmer Film God Posts: 8367 From: Nampa, Idaho, USA Registered: Nov 2004 posted 05-24-2006 01:57 PM                     Prob were the Monees..."Indian Centurys" ... knew of a 5 plex that had them as well...so much trouble with them in the first few months of operation that the Monees were pulled out for PR-1050's. - that were front of those CFS "Charlie" consoles...and were using CFS "StupidPlatters" Course, the owners of this 5 plex wanted what they got and that was..cheap, cheap, cheap as they can get. But, going cheap had its rewards...called megaproblems..  |  IP: Logged

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