Planetarium Star Projectors

[Jem]

Yeah, I knew about the one at Greenwich... but, it doesn't have the 'big thing in the middle'

[SpitzSTP]

Attaching the wires to the terminal blocks. Good thing I labelled them all. This modification will allow the machine to be dis-assembled and re-assembled since the wires now detach at the base of the yoke, rather than being hard-wired as it was in the theater. I am using wire label markers on each wire. Eight connections completed, only about another hundred to go.

[SpitzSTP]

Starting on the second of three terminal blocks. There is reportedly a portion of this type of projector on display in San Diego at the Fleet Planetarium, although I understand they only kept the starball and stuffed it on a pole in the lobby. I am aware of only two other Starscapes besides what is left at Fleet that may still exist. The rim around the pedestal makes a handy place to set the tools while I am up on the ladder, although I keep knocking them off.

[SpitzSTP]

Here is a collection of photos from another ongoing project (past and present). This is the Spitz STP hybrid that was installed in the old Fillmore East theater in NYC in the 80's. This projector was a basket case when I found it and extensive restoration work has been done on it. My friend Ron appears in a few of them. Ron reverse engineered the original control system and built the new control panels from scratch. Some photos are circa 1982-85 in NYC (which I do not own the rights to, but are generally in the public domain), others are ones I have taken within the past two years in Phoenix. The restoration is about 80 percent complete. Work on this stalled out a couple of years ago when my salary was cut four times and I went through a period of unemployment which put a stop to parts procurement. This machine is especially interesting because it was built specifically for the entertainment industry. The manufacturer, Spitz, reportedly re-used the star globes from a retired Model "B" projector they had built for the U.S. Air Force that was once installed at the Air Force Acedemy in Colorado Springs. The original mounting system in NYC incorporated a large hydraulic piston which moved the star projector up and down along with the circular lighting truss. I have searched for the circular truss for many years and am no longer certain that it exists. Rumor has it that it is still intact at a warehouse in Jersey or PA but I have been unable to pin down its exact whereabouts. If anyone finds this post in the future that knows where the truss is, please let me know ?

[SpitzSTP]

OK, back to the Starscape. I finished attaching all of the wires for the central core. Next will be to attach the wires I cut from a junction box which goes into the opening, and completes the connections to the pedestal. I had to move one of the terminal blocks from the plate I made to the cavity inside the yoke for clearance issues. The funny thing is, that I had estimated there were 54 terminals needed so I chose six ten-position barrier strips for a total of 60. When I finished attaching all of the wires, I ended up with exactly 60 (six more than thought due to wires that had shielding around them). So I had exactly enough terminals. Sometimes the planets all line up in exactly the right place at the right time, albeit rarely.

[SpitzSTP]

Aux projectors are being added to the Minolta and the pile of parts that go on this projector is getting smaller and smaller. I've been resorting to the "round robin" approach on these machines. I work on one for awhile, then do a little on another one. The new PC for the AVI is being built up to replace the old one, shown here in a shockmount road case I got for it last week. I mounted a better light source for working on the starscape wiring. I didn't get any more wiring done, but at least I'll have better light next time I work on it. And, in other news, my friend Ron finished the slab for his dome. I don't think he will mind if I share his photo here.

[cyberb0b]

growing fat of all those

[allthatwhichis]

I wanna go on a fieldtrip to your house...

[SpitzSTP]

Server rack picked up yesterday, for mounting the AVI Omniscan sphere. A stop-over at Karl's house on the way home yielded a memorable laser show and interesting conversation. Just need to fab a mounting and we can get the thing vertical inside the rack. The sphere will raise electrically through the top on its telescoping pedestal. The motor is connected to a gear reduction drive that raises or lowers the sphere. The gear oil will have to be replenished as it all leaked out while the unit was on its side. Fortunately I had sheet plastic under it so it didn't ruin the rug, already pock marked from molten solder so I guess that's a moot point. Picked up a couple more road cases to mount some of the rackmount stuff, they are used but will clean up nice.

[polishedball]

Great update. Just awesome. Very cool idea for mounting.