Kodak Carousel Trouble

<p>My projectors , a 4200 and a 4400 are both jamming on me. A tray will run for a while then stop. I tried different trays, same results. Is there some part of the mechanisms ( on machine or tray) that might benefit from some lube? Neither unit has high mileage, and were both stored in their original boxes. But now 40 years down the road things aren't flowing. Any suggestions?</p>

<p> I puzzled over which category to post this, but decided the answer is in the "older heads" here. Then again slide projectors and Kodachromes , have everything to do with classic manual cameras! Thanks in advance of any help.</p>

<p>Steve,<br>

In my experience the 140 slide trays are more finicky than the 80 slide trays. Also; they may be jamming on a slide that's in a thicker mount or a slide who's mount is damaged or frayed.</p>

I think a hand held, daylight slide viewer is the best way to view slides. They show a larger image and there is none of the heat damage to the slides that would result from projection lamps. Buy several from EBay. A Zadiix Royal Deluxe is one of the better models if you can find one, it has a focussing eyepiece and can be disassembled for cleaning when needed.

<p>Steve, what do you mean by "jamming" and "stop"? Does the projectors<br>

1) leave a slide permanently in projection,<br>

2) retrieve the previous slide but then fail to rotate to advance the next slide,<br>

3) retrieve the previous slide, rotate to advance the next slide but then fail to load it?<br>

Also, AFAIK your Carousel models offer the choice of different ways to advance slides (button on the projector, remote, auto at selected intervals). Does you problem present itself with all of these?</p>

<p>Steve -</p>

<p>I concur with Maury.<br>

Back in the day, I used a Carousel a lot with both 80 and 140 count slide trays. The 80's never jammed, the 140's were p.i.t.a. often, esp. with thick or not perfectly flat slide mounts.</p>

<p>I also had a stack loader that was a quickie way of previewing slides w/o traying them. Still found on Ebay often. ... " Kodak EC Stack Loader p/n 1514249 (I think) "</p>

<p><a href="

<p>I showed some slides to the grandkids recently, they were amazed. LOL </p>

<p>Jim</p>

<p>Love the EC Stack Loader.<br>

The maintenance manual for the 4200 and 4400 is available online. There are two completely different generations of them, with two different manuals.<br>

But if it's always the same slide in a 140 tray, it's the slide not liking the tray.</p>

<p><strong>Steve, what do you mean by "jamming" and "stop"? Does the projectors</strong><br /><strong> 1) leave a slide permanently in projection,</strong><br /><strong> 2) retrieve the previous slide but then fail to rotate to advance the next slide,</strong> <br /><strong> 3) retrieve the previous slide, rotate to advance the next slide but then fail to load it?</strong><br /><strong> Also, AFAIK your Carousel models offer the choice of different ways to advance slides (button on the projector, remote, auto at selected intervals). Does you problem present itself with all of these?</strong><br>

<strong> </strong><br>

<br /> Yes, slides get stuck.It locks up and doesn't advance,retrieve or anything. yes it jams no matter what after a 20 or so slides. Method of advance doesn't matter either.</p>

<p>I was going to recommend the stack loader too. Most of the time, it's quicker, easier, and more useful than loading trays if you're at less than 60-80 slides.<br /> However, if the problem is in the advance (which often is worn out on old, surplus projectors from schools and such), the stack loader may have problems too. There used to be people to service these, but you can understand that is getting worse all the time.</p>

<p>You can recapture some of the old 'slide show' mystique with a good image projector and a screen. Some of them are pretty cheap now, especially used.</p>

<p>I have read elsewhere that the 80 load trays were better and less problematic. Check the local thrift stores, you can usually find them for about 1$ each.</p>

 

<p>This is my problem. There are over 4,000 slides in this photo, all in trays.This is only 20% of what I'm trying to edit.</p><div></div>

<p>Steve, then next step: when the projector gets stuck, do you hear the "wrrrrrrrrr" sound of the mechanism trying in vain to retrieve the slide, or everything stops and remain silent?</p>

<p>I don't have any experience with Kodak Carousel projectors. However, Kodak Service & Support provides a free download of the Carousel service manual at the following link:</p>

<p><a href="http://resources.kodak.com/support/pdf/en/manuals/slideProj/manual/carousel_sm.pdf">http://resources.kodak.com/support/pdf/en/manuals/slideProj/manual/carousel_sm.pdf</a></p>

<p>Note that lubrication is addressed in Section 3, and there's a troubleshooting chart at the back of the manual. Also, if you do a search on "Kodak Carousel repair kit," you'll see that a kit containing replacement parts is still readily available. Good luck!</p>

<p>Gordon, that's very helpful.</p>

<p>For older versions of Carousels, Micro-Tools has a service manual for the 850H and 860H available at<br>

<a href="http://www.micro-tools.net/pdf/kodak/Service-Manual-Kodak-Carousel-Custom-850H_860H.pdf">http://www.micro-tools.net/pdf/kodak/Service-Manual-Kodak-Carousel-Custom-850H_860H.pdf</a></p>

<p>They also sell the various repair kits Gordon refers to.</p>

<p>I also meant to say that you're pretty much stuck with having to use a projector so long as the slides are stored in Carousel wheels. Adorama (<a href="http://www.adorama.com/searchsite/default.aspx?searchinfo=slide+storage">link</a>) and others (e.g., <a href="http://www.lineco.com/cart.php?m=product_list&c=990&primary=1&parentId=&navTree[]=2081&navTree[]=2109&navTree[]=990">link</a>) sell archival boxes that would be a lot more compact, once a transition is made.<br>

Over many years of transparency showing in classes*, I learned that the larger the capacity of the carousel, the more likely it was to jam on return. As the projector wore, the accuracy required for the narrow slits was lost.</p>

<p>____________<br>

* Not for nothing was I known as the Marquis de Slides. ;)</p>

<p>Steve, on a further thought; have you tried to run your projectors with empty trays? If so, what happens?</p>

<p>I've had trouble with some slides jamming if they were warped.</p>

<p>The cycle solenoid "link" is the most common <strong>failure</strong> to the transport system in the Kodak slide projectors. (But all out failure isn't your symptom)<br /> Now, with age, not only will the link fail, but also <strong>the rubber belts</strong>.</p>

<p>Slippage of these rubber belts especially due to stretching, will cause the transport system to be weak in performing it's chain reaction functions - Sporadic jamming especially upon heat-up, can be the result/symptom...</p>