KMR EQUALS ONE STOP AV

At KMR we continually strive to supply you with the same quality replacement parts you need at reasonable prices. We source and/or develop parts to fill dwindling manufacturers' supplies. Price gouging is not in our ethics program. Ethics in business-- oh my--it has to start somewhere. We realize price is an ever- increasing consideration in times of shrinking AV budgets. Please contact KMR to see how we can fulfill your need for high quality parts at reasonable pricing.

DON'T PITCH THOSE PARTS

Not a week goes by without someone asking me what to do with a box of Beseler, QC, Technicolor, or Kalart Victor parts. Quite frankly I'm a sucker, but with 1,000's of square feet of KMR full of parts and a wife who won't let me put any more in the garage or the basement, I am at a loss. I can't condone the trash because the next week I will get a call from someone looking for the things you offered me last week. Another problem is that we are in this business to make money so we can send our kids to your colleges, etc.

It's just not proper for a non-profit to give the parts to KMR so we can sell them. But you non-profits can trade the parts among yourselves without the moral/ethical dilemma. Our task is getting you together. From week to week I have trouble remembering who needs what and who has what available. Without waiting for Al Gore to fire up the NATIONAL INFORMATION HIGHWAY let me make a suggestion:

If you have parts you want to dispose of make a list on any kind of disk--5/3 PC or MAC and preferably in ASCII. Include your name and phone number where you would like others to contact you.

When I have collected a couple of pages then I will publish the AV PARTS SWAP LETTER and distribute it to those who give me a FAX number to send it to. Why not print it and just mail it? Because I'm cheap and I can send it late nite for 11 cents versus 29 cents to mail it and because I can deliver it in a timely manner.

Even if you don't have any surplus parts that are forcing you out of your shop or threatening to collapse the ceiling because they're stored in your attic, but you want the list, send me your name and FAX number. I will add you to the distribution. I will not take the FAX numbers from the KMR data base and send the information to them because I hate getting faxes of stuff I don't want, just like you do.

KODAK DISCONTINUES CAROUSEL PARTS

On February 14, 1994 Eastman Kodak Company announced as of April 1st they would discontinue distribution of parts for---

Carousel Models 600 thru 860H & Custom Ektagraphic Models Slide thru AF3 16mm projectors Models 126-TR thru 120 M

As you are probably aware Kodak has been running out of Carousel parts for the last couple of years starting with the 625491 rear condenser lens and now motors and focus shafts. KMR has been in negotiations with Kodak for the better part of the last year and a half trying to persuade Kodak not to trash the parts once they stop distribution. Kodak has been cooperative with our present distribution of the 625491 lens, which we have been manufacturing for the last year.

Kodak has been presently unwilling to make any deal on the remainder of the Carousel parts. It has been our policy to continue the original manufacturer's prices on parts mass purchased at the end of their manufacturer's life cycle. We have adjusted the prices on parts that we are manufacturing only when we have to procure more parts at a higher price. KMR can't afford to buy and stockpile enough parts to the supply the whole country's future needs unless we can get a deal.

We encourage you to look at your Kodak Carousel parts requirements NOW and decide what parts you might want to purchase from us or any other source you are now using for your Kodak needs. When dealers and customers are finished with their purchases KMR will try again to obtain the remainder of the parts so we can continue to supply you. Some of the more common parts such as links, rivets, heat filters, front condensers and focus gears are already in the works at KMR. You should order your future requirements NOW from Kodak and then look to KMR for some kind of continued product support in the near future.

KODAK LENSES

For the last 18 months KMR has been manufacturing a replacement lens for the Kodak Carousel projector. This lens is available from KMR for the same price that Kodak sold it for ($29.00). We also have the lamp socket for the early style projectors at a new price that reflects revised production costs. Order the rear lens under its P/N 625491 as if it were a Kodak part. (Kodak lens P/N 835595 subs to P/N 625491.)

INFOCOMM INTERNATIONAL

This is THE show for the Audio/Visual industry and this year it will again be in Anaheim, California, but surprise, surprise in June. Just when you are closing the school year and doing the graduation thing ICIA wants you to come traveling. Whose idea was this??!! This show has been held for many years with the educational AECT show but now it has been combined with ITVA (International Television Association). In the past years when the INFOCOMM show has been in Anaheim (late Jan or early Feb) KMR has been able to secure free show exhibit passes for its customers. However, this year we have been unable even to negotiate a good deal to view the exhibits.

I have always felt that its good to see the stuff when it's new and shiny before it drops into your shop busted and ugly. Looking at new products and reviewing their capabilities sometimes can save the district from purchasing weird, un-serviceable stuff.

If you wish to attend, contact the International Communications Industries Association at (703) 273-7200 and ask for Terry Bolls. The one day exhibit pass is 60 bucks but the information brochure will not be available for a couple of weeks. Another ploy is to contact the product vendor that is getting most of the district's money for all that equipment and ask them for a show pass. One more alternative--KMR may be able to procure some passes from an equipment vendor. Please call us if the dollars to attend are a problem and we may be able to help. KMR staff will attend. Please call so we can get together.

There will be hundreds of audio/visual manufacturers exhibiting at the show and one of the best features is the Video Shoot-out where dozens of video projectors, both CRT and LCD versions, are setup side by side with the same video information displayed on the same type of screens with the same size picture. If you have to make video projection purchase recommendations, this is a must see.

AAVT

The Association of Audio Visual Technicians will be holding their annual conference during the INFOCOMM show in Anaheim. For $179.00 (Early Registration) AAVT will give you a chance to see the exhibits at the INFOCOMM show and also attend all of their programs, which will include "An Overview of Fiber Optic Technology as Applied to AV" by Emery Straus of OptoDigital Design, "VCRs and Camcorders" by Greg Capelo of GRC Electronics, as well as the "Nuts, Bolts and All That Jazz" which was a great hit last year in New Orleans. The AAVT program starts June 9th with an exhibit pass for the afternoon of that day and the AAVT reception at 7:00 that evening. The AAVT programs wrap up at 5:00 p.m. on Saturday, June 11th. For the exact show schedule and other AAVT information please contact:

AAVT PO Box 10264 Denver, CO 80250-1264 Phone (303) 698-1820 FAX (303) 777-3261

KMR AT AAVT RECEPTION

If you are going to be in Anaheim, whether attending INFOCOMM with ICIA or AAVT, please join your host, KMR, and AAVT members at the AAVT reception at 7:00 p.m., Thursday, June 9th at the...

Holiday Inn Main Gate 1850 South Harbor Anaheim, CA 92802 (714) 750-2801

BESELER/DALITE LAMPHOUSE

The overhead lamphouses that used the FAL or FCB lamps had a problem with continued socket failure from the heat/cool cycle causing the springs that held the tension on the lamp to fail and arc at the lamp ends. With the newer production, DaLite changed to the DYS lamp and revised the original lamphouse to use the DYS socket.

The original Beseler lamphouse was an exotic affair that provided the proper air circulation for the lamp, held the reflector, lamp bsocket, and provided a place for mounting of the let run fan thermostat and, in later units, an over temperature turnoff thermostat.

In later production DaLite value analyzed this lamphouse and made some changes so it could be constructed for less cost. At that time the price of the replacement lamphouse was about 78.00 dollars, making it expensive to replace when you only needed the socket. The new lamphouse, while adequate for the new production overheads, did not allow for fan motor protection in older units. The fan motors in the new production overheads had a plate mounted on the rear of the motors to keep the lamp rays from hitting the motor bearing and coil. This plate was not present in the older overheads. When the new version of the DaLite lamphouse was offered by another company they too did not make provisions to shield the motor from direct lamp radiation.

The KMR version of the DaLite lamphouse is the original version that provides lamp radiation protection and is available in various configurations, depending on what you want to salvage from the old unit. A breakdown of the KMR lamphouse is available from our parts department, showing the component parts you may purchase, from the complete unit to individual parts you require for your repair.

BH SLOT LOAD PROJECTORS

A service note about these models--1575, 1580, 1680, 2575, and 2580. The retainer for the entrance roller is easily removed by little darlings who sometimes handle the AV equipment. Most likely it gets swept away in the night trash. Worst news is that the retainer, BH 710420, is NLA. To keep everything working ask for BH 30211 grip ring and BH 31029 washer from KMR.

FAX ORDERS

INFORMATION SUPERHIGHWAY or not, send in your orders over our FAX number at (714)668-9866 and we will both save time and money. It also eliminates those devilish problems with hearing an "E" for a "Z", etc. Even requests for price and availability can be processed this way. Don't forget to give us your FAX number. As we've said before, "nothing but the FAX, ma'm."

ATC SELLS PHONO OPERATION

By now, old news, but in case you have not heard, AudioTronics Corp. has sold the Phono division to Telex. The folks at Telex have continued to supply most of the parts for the existing base of ATC phonos and have gone on to build and market some new models under their own name. Since this NEWS item is almost two years old, Telex now has most of the kinks out of the supply system and has maintained the original ATC part numbers, making life easier for you and me. AudioTronics continues producing the cassette players from a smaller facility in California.

PHOTO & SOUND

After 52 years as one of the largest audio-visual dealers in the country, Photo & Sound company declared bankruptcy about two years ago. KMR has purchased part of the Photo & Sound service parts inventory. We have moved all these and are in the process of stocking approximately 25,000 pounds. Gives a whole new meaning to the word overweight. Those items, especially ATC case parts and older Beseler parts, that we may have told you were NLA are now back in stock. This gives KMR the largest inventory of AV spare parts in the country. Having more parts in stock enables us to ship TODAY parts necessary for the repair of those units that have a way of piling up in your shop.

B&H ARMS ARE BACK

Way back when EIKI still owned the B&H 16mm projectors the supply of spare film reel arms was exhausted. To get any at all you had to purchase the complete assembly for over 100$. One of the first items we corrected when we purchased the B&H 16mm Movie and 35mm Filmstrip projector line was to manufacture new tooling and replace the front and rear arm supplies. Arms are now in stock and we have the tooling to make more, so the supply should be uninterrupted. We have also replaced the heat filter and power switch for the 745 filmstrip projector (switch also works on the 301 overhead) and several other parts that were obsolete. No solution for the crank arm and film advance knob has yet been found at a reasonable cost. We continue to work at replacing parts whose previous supply was exhausted. All this takes time since there are 2,645 part numbers in the B&H part inventory, but we purchased these parts to support a product line we know you are still using.

A/V PLANNER

With this issue of the Service Bulletin we are distributing the latest copy of the handy dandy KMR 18 mouth AV PLANNER. This planner should get you to next the next holiday season. The 94/95 version will be available for pickup at INFOCOMM and will be included with orders we ship after July 1st. This is the 6th year we have distributed the AV planner and continue to strive to improve it. If you have any suggestions or recommendations you would like to pass along to us, please do so.

The 94/95 (next one), new and improved, will include such exciting stuff as a projection lens chart, running time for various length films and some other helpful goodies. Keep those suggestions coming.

If you did not get your A/V Planner with this bulletin it means one has been shipped to you with one of your orders in the last 6 months. If you still don't have it or need another copy, please give us a call and we will stick one in with your next order or just pop one into the mail.

LANGUAGE MASTER/CARD READER

In the 1970's BVC (Before Video & Computers) B&H was facing the NAVA (now INFOCOMM) show without a NEW product. In an effort to dazzle the dealers and educators they dropped the electronics of a tape recorder in a box and mounted a record playhead opposite a rubber coated capstan. Taking an IBM punch card and gluing a strip of magnetic tape on it the card could be inserted into a slot and pulled past the head. The card was pre-recorded with a word or phrase that was then printed or pictured on the card. The product was an instant hit!

Soon ATC, Califone and EFI had their own versions. There were other minor players but ATC, B&H and Califone all used the same type of cards. Little changed with the products until the late 80's when digital technology made the repeat function electronic and the student response recording cardless. Pass the card once and playback forever. By this time card reader manufacturing had moved to the land of the rising sun. Mamiya had the manufacturing for the B&H unit. When B&H sold the audio-visual division in 1986 the European division was dissolved and European distribution of the Language Master product was acquired by Drake Educational Ltd. Drake continued to purchase the units from Mamiya and sell them in Europe only.

Eiki International, the B&H successor, also marketed the digital version produced by Mamiya and sold in the U.S. as Eiki Model 1832/1832AR. Unfortunately Eiki never stocked replacement parts for this unit and never published a service manual. Eiki later developed its own unit and stopped distribution of the unit by Mamiya.

In January 1993, I had a meeting in New Orleans with Mr. Drake for the purpose of securing service information and spare parts for distribution. At that time Mr. Drake had just made a deal to sell the Digital Card Reader (Language Master is a B&H trademark) to Califone International. They were showing it at the show as the Drake/Califone Model 4436AV. Mr. Drake declined to discuss parts distribution with me and referred me to Mr. Bertram Givens who is president of Califone International. During the next 30 minutes Mr. Givens assured me that in a matter of a few months there would be a Califone service manual for the Digital Card Reader and that Califone would stock an ample supply of spare parts. Givens stressed how important service was to the success of a product and he maintained a strong commitment to product service.

It's been well over a year since that conversation and we have yet to see that SERVICE MANUAL or even a simple parts list. KMR talked to Califone on January 13 and asked for a date the manual would be available. We were told soon-- further questioning said 3 or more months. We then asked if we could get the part number and a price for the replacement speaker. We were told that if we would send the unit back to Califone they would fix it for the customer. The message here is that Califone has no spare parts either. When Eiki was handling the units they were stripping parts from new units to repair units that came back under warranty. Now Califone is doing the same thing.

In all fairness I think that the Digital Card Reader is a dammed fine product and seems to be relatively trouble free. I personally don't think that we live in an entirely DISPOSABLE SOCIETY yet. We still get, from time to time, in our service department the original B&H 711s. Somewhere out there they are still being used and serviced. That unit is over 20 years old. My great fear is that as neat as the Digital Card Reader is, it will be a service liability in the near future.

DUKANE DROPS OLD PARTS

In a two step move the DuKane Corporation has discontinued parts for all the record players and some of the older film strips. DuKane dealers were given an opportunity to purchase parts from DuKane prior to the end of product support. KMR Electronics then negotiated with DuKane for all the remaining parts inventory.

We have moved this inventory to our Chicago storage warehouse and have been shipping parts to DuKane dealers and customers to fulfill their current service requirements. The supply of some parts such as belts was exhausted before we purchased the parts but we have contracted with the supplier to produce these items for KMR.

Our biggest present problem is the DuKane power cord, P/N 200- 324. This cord was used by DuKane prior to UL setting the standards for this grounded cord. This cord is referred to in the industry as the business machine cord. When the UL standard was set the polarity of the cable was the opposite of the way DuKane had wired its units. This reversal made the DuKane cord special and was marked by DuKane with a RED TAG so as not to cause confusion in the industry. Although you could rewire the receptacle in the DuKane unit to match the present UL specification and use the STANDARD power cord, it is often not practical. KMR is looking at having this DuKane part molded so it will again be available.

WOLLENSAK 2600 SERIES

The Wollensak 2600 series machines (small format transports) used a molded plastic part to actuate the deck mounted on/off slide switch. The biggest problem was that the tabs on the actuator used to slide the switch broke. As the tooling for this part is long gone we have developed a metal insert, that goes inside the actuator, and operates the slide switch. Ask for KMR 60-001 when ordering (about $6.00).