VM StereoMatic in the UK/Europe

[P3D Keith Wilson <100303.2573@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

I've been told that all StereoMatic projectors were designed for use on US 115V
electrical supplies, but I know that some people are using these projectors in
the UK and Europe on 220/240V supplies.  What's the best way of doing this?

One option is to use a transformer, but it would need to be large expensive and
heavy  to handle the power necessary for the bulbs.  Another option would be to
fit 220/240V bulbs and rewire the projector so that the fan is fed separately.
A much smaller transformer could then be used to power the fan only.  My only
concern is whether the insulation in the lamp circuit would withstand the higher
voltage.

A third option might be to retain the original bulbs, but wire them in series
and feed them direct from  220/240V, with the fan fed from a small transformer,
as before.  I'm not sure, however, whether it's a good idea to run projector
lamps wired in series.  I can see that slight differences in filament resistance
between the bulbs could result in one being overrun, and the other underrun.

The good Dr. T can supply a $20 gizmo which is supposed to allow 115V equipment
to be operated from 220/240V, which sounds great.  He tells me, however, that he
has a report that it is detrimental to lamp life.  Since the lamps are listed at
$35.95 a pair in the Reel-3D catalog, I'd really like to know for sure.  Is
anyone using one of these gadgets?  Can anyone tell me how they work - I guess
it's some kind of triac or thyristor circuit, but the $20 price tag can't allow
for much sophistication.

Of course, perhaps it would be better to go the whole hog and install modern
low-voltage tungsten halogen bulbs, together with a suitable tranformer.  Has
anyone done this?  As always, all information gratefully received.

And thanks, btw, to all who replied, on and off the list, to my recent query
about fuzzy VM reels.  The responses were quite intriguing - some collectors see
it as a very rare problem, while others feel that it's much more common.  I'm
inclined to believe that it is a duplicating problem which is mostly  found in
US-made reels from the 40s and 50s.  If anyone has other ideas, I'd love to hear
them.

Keith Wilson - near Oxford, in the cold and grey UK.


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