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Author Topic: Strong, Simplex, Millennium, and Century Projectors Carey Barber Expert Film Handler Posts: 143 From: Newport News, VA, USA Registered: Jan 2003 posted 02-06-2009 12:27 PM                     The only equipment I have worked with (until a few days ago) has been the "Christie package". So, I was trying to understand the relationship between the following companies/products: - Strong/Ballantyne - Century - Millennium - Simplex Now I THINK that Strong is a large company that owns other smaller groups (like Century). Also, Millennium and Simplex are particular Strong models. Is this correct? Any info you folks could give me would be great. Thanks, Carey  |  IP: Logged Justin Hamaker Film God Posts: 2253 From: Lakeport, CA USA Registered: Jan 2004 posted 02-06-2009 12:39 PM                        never mind me, others have much better answers. [ 02-06-2009, 06:23 PM: Message edited by: Justin Hamaker ]  |  IP: Logged Monte L Fullmer Film God Posts: 8367 From: Nampa, Idaho, USA Registered: Nov 2004 posted 02-06-2009 01:05 PM                     You can take a peek here about STRONG products.  |  IP: Logged Ken Lackner Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1907 From: Atlanta, GA, USA Registered: Sep 2001 posted 02-06-2009 01:07 PM                     Ballantyne of Omaha owns Strong International, and markets its cinema equipment under this name. Century Projector Corporation and Simplex Projector Company were originally separate companies, in fact competitors. Optical Radiation Corporation (ORC) purchased Century. Strong purchased Simplex, and later purchased ORC, so therefore they own Century. Justin is correct; Millennium is a model of Simplex projector. Millennium was the successor to the PR1060, which replaced the PR1050. The Millennium is currently manufactured side by side with the Apogee. All of the above are models of Simplex. Century projectors have not been manufactured by Century since they were purchased by ORC in 1982. However, Strong continues to manufacture the Century projector to this day. Century history Simplex history Strong history  |  IP: Logged Louis Bornwasser Film God Posts: 4441 From: prospect ky usa Registered: Mar 2005 posted 02-06-2009 02:52 PM                        In fact every National Amusement screen has a Century; it is also the dominant projector in drive ins, and in the 250 miles around Louisville Ky. (Yes, I like XL's too.) Louis  |  IP: Logged Robert E. Allen Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1078 From: Checotah, Oklahoma Registered: Jul 2002 posted 02-06-2009 02:54 PM                     I toured the Balantyne plant in '06. All those machines are manufactured at the Omaha plant. They were also busy working on a digital system at the time. The Apogee is the latest model of Simplex. I had one in a theatre I was managing in Iowa. It put out the the most steady picture I've ever seen. It had to be modified however with a free-wheeling sprocket for the lower loop.  |  IP: Logged Mark Gulbrandsen Resident Trollmaster Posts: 16657 From: Music City Registered: Jun 99 posted 02-06-2009 03:52 PM                     quote: Louis Bornwasser In fact every National Amusement screen has a Century Yes, but hopefully they are YOUR rebuilds! Yours are far superior to the ones Strong is building. Indiana is predominatly Black Wrinkle Simplex X-L in the Drive Inns I used to service. Mark  |  IP: Logged Tim Reed Better Projection Pays Posts: 5246 From: Northampton, PA Registered: Sep 1999 posted 02-06-2009 05:25 PM                       quote: Louis Bornwasser every National Amusement screen has a Century Well, *most* of them, anyway. They have a fair number of P-35GP's and PR-1060s, too (the latter being ex-Regal). The Christies are NA builds. FWIW, Ballantyne began in the business by selling sound systems and arc lamps. They sold the Ballantyne BW projector, which was a rebranded Wenzel, which was a Standard Simplex clone. Harry Strong of Toledo started Strong Electric in the early part of the 20th century, with his revolutionary reflector arc lamp; a major improvement over the condenser arcs of the day. Simplex projectors were made by International Projector Corporation (IPC) in New Jersey. If I'm recalling my history correctly, I believe a founder of IPC was C. Francis Jenkins, who, along with Thomas Armat, were true pioneers of motion picture projection. They developed the famous Maltese Cross (Geneva) intermittent movement which was used in the mechanism that became Edison's Vitascope. (Most projectors today employ Geneva movements.) Century Projector Corporation was formed in New York (circa 1938) by the sale of the company that made Kaplan projectors (yet another Simplex Standard clone). Sam Kaplan was a NYC projectionist and a president of Local 306. In the early 70s, Ballantyne began making Pro 35 projectors. In the late 70s/early 80s, Ballantyne bought Strong Electric and was subsequently bought by Canrad-Hanovia (xenon bulb mfgr) and became Strong International. The rest of the acquisitions and projector lineage are mentioned above (I think I got all this right).  |  IP: Logged Monte L Fullmer Film God Posts: 8367 From: Nampa, Idaho, USA Registered: Nov 2004 posted 02-06-2009 07:31 PM                     quote: Justin Hamaker never mind me, others have much better answers (You could have kept your post up, for it was a valid post. Don't feel what you know isn't important, for it shows that you want to be a part of the Film-Tech team..) My two bugs with the Mil projector though (Took these pics with my celphone: rotten results in color why the option of B/W - to show more detail..): The short pulldown knurl knobs on the upper pad roller assembly .. but do understand why so now after it was explained - the lens would bang into the back knob. Yet, why not put a full-sized knob on the front of the pad arm? (I totated the turret purposely to show the lack of clearance of the rear knob on that pad roller arm...) The turret release latch (on the manual turret): looking to wanna poke an eyeball out in this horrible position. You think that they'd put that release latch in a more safe position, or constructed a latch that was better designed - like a pushbutton latch release or something.. -Monte  |  IP: Logged Scott Norwood Film God Posts: 8146 From: Boston, MA. USA (1774.21 miles northeast of Dallas) Registered: Jun 99 posted 02-06-2009 07:49 PM                        More issues with the PR-2000: the aperture plates are difficult to change and also are way too easy to accidentally bump. Also, the upper feed sprocket is too high (compared with the PR-1014), which gives an awkward upper loop if threaded like the PR-1014 (with the top of the loop at its largest size even with the top of the upper feed sprocket). I'm not really sure why people buy this model when the PR-1014 works perfectly well, has less to go wrong with it, and runs quieter (because of the film compartment door). Do people really just order the turret machines because they are afraid that someone might drop a lens? While I'm ranting, one thing that no 35mm projector seems to get right is the focus knob. I want one that is big and, ideally, has two concentric knobs (coarse and fine adjustment, like on a microscope), and which is located some distance away from the lens itself. Too bad no one seems to make this, as far as I know.  |  IP: Logged Monte L Fullmer Film God Posts: 8367 From: Nampa, Idaho, USA Registered: Nov 2004 posted 02-06-2009 08:26 PM                     quote: Scott Norwood Do people really just order the turret machines because they are afraid that someone might drop a lens? They got booth monkeys running projectors, and you have to make things simple for them - that's all the intelligence they are allowed to have... Know of a 6plex that has split PR-1050's and PR-1014's and agree with Scott: PR-1014's are great machines. Yet, due to manual lens changes, these clowns manage to bust up three lenses - 2 prime lens on the anamporphic and one flat..by dropping them.. ..and the owner doesn't to do anything to prevent these accidents.. -Monte  |  IP: Logged Carey Barber Expert Film Handler Posts: 143 From: Newport News, VA, USA Registered: Jan 2003 posted 02-07-2009 01:08 AM                     Thanks for all the info fellas! I am training at a theater that uses Simplex Millenium projectors. When I go back home to begin working at my new theater we will be using some old Century projectors. I have been working with Christie P35 projectors so long that they are pretty much THE projector in my mind. I am going to have to learn some new material here very soon! Thanks again, Carey  |  IP: Logged Monte L Fullmer Film God Posts: 8367 From: Nampa, Idaho, USA Registered: Nov 2004 posted 02-07-2009 02:25 AM                     I was also doing some Mil training today as well on a staff member who is exited to learn projection. I showed this person some neat tricks that wasn't shown to this staff member when this person begain the basic training procedures. ..and interestingly enough, this trainee was shown how to set the INT sprocket to be in frame on startup - just had to correct on how the correct loop sizes are to be. ..was somewhat impressed with this trainee. There's actual hope that this new generation can show professional interest in this field. Good Luck - Monte  |  IP: Logged Steve Guttag We forgot the crackers Gromit!!! Posts: 12814 From: Annapolis, MD Registered: Dec 1999 posted 02-07-2009 08:25 AM                     A little addendum to Tim's otherwise excellent chronology...Ballantyne was the importer of Norelco projectors, at one point. The Pro-35 was actually a Norelco DP75 knockoff but in 35mm. Look at it...it has a more than passing resemblence on the gear side. Ever noticed that a Ballantyne and Norelco/Kinoton single aperture plate fit each other? And then there is the whole framing bushing thing. As for turrets vs single lens holder...while I agree that single lens holders are the way to go...look at what happens with less inclined "operator." The poor Scope lens never has a chance...it gets slammed in such that it rarely if ever matches focus with the flat lens AND it gets twisted. On manual turrets, the poor scope lens gets twisted as it is the "crank" by which to turn the turret. Also with turrets...no need for a place to put the lenses...they are both there. For focus knobs...Christie had an excellent single lens system with a really nice/clean focus rack. Kinoton FP75s is a real nice focus...it goes through a gear reduction too. I also always liked the AA2's focus assembly. The fatal flaw being that your hand could get into the picture if you don't pay attention AND it is sooooo looooooong that it is not friendly to short EFs. Monte...on the pad roller arm thing...remember, there are more lenses than just yours...some stick back further...but more to the point...the other pad roller is normally the eccentric one...the less leverage there the better. I've changed many an eccentric pad roller shaft. And even more to the point...left up to a factory worker...they'll put the short knob on the wrong shaft! Remember back in the IPC days, only one shaft had a knob! And yes, National Amusements had a bried stink with Christie P35-GPs. When ORC sold to Strong...Glen didn't want to deal with Strong and went for the Christie package...29,000 revisions later on the P35 (in the first month) and back to Century they went. I don't have the 2009 price sheet...but I think I heard that the Apogee is no longer being made. Steve  |  IP: Logged Louis Bornwasser Film God Posts: 4441 From: prospect ky usa Registered: Mar 2005 posted 02-07-2009 08:47 AM                        Steve has it exactly right: a few Christies and back to Century. Every tech called me and thanked me; they thought I was responsible. I have run a 30 year cost/benfit analysis of auto lens changers vs. not. It is slightly cheaper, long term, to use the lens changer. Of course, if suitably qualified people were hired, then this would not be necessary. (Remember, you also save the cost of the lens cabinet, etc.) My best case scenario: Old Century or XL with a Kelmar gate/turret. This is what we sell if we are permitted. Louis  |  IP: Logged

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