Acquired some UV lamps, not sure what else I need. Any advice?

[schultzjoe1]

I recently got some Olite AL9's from someone clearing out their darkroom. The deal was mainly for an enlarger, so I didn't really do much research on the lights beforehand. I've done some googling, but good manuals seem hard to come by. I'll be using these for contact printing and lumen prints. I've got some questions, and I was hoping someone could help point me in the right direction.

My questions are:

Does anyone have a link to some manuals on use and service for this specific model?

Do I need a control unit for the lamps? I tried just plugging them in and nothing seemed to happen. Is this because something like a light integrator is required for use, or an issue with the lamp itself? A 1k quartz lamp included in the lot lit up as soon as plugged in, if that's any indicator. Is there a warm up process? There are no external controls. I'm guessing a control unit of some sort is needed, but I don't know.

Thank you!

 

[Rick A]

Olec OLITE Manuals

Olec OLITE Pdf User Manuals. View online or download Olec OLITE Service Manual

www.manualslib.com

 

[schultzjoe1]

Hi Rick, I saw that manual. It's useful for servicing the units, but nothing more than that. No setup information, or anything like that. Thank you, though!

 

[koraks]

It's useful for servicing the units, but nothing more than that.

The service manual does give useful hints about operating the device. It should power on 'just like that' provided that the bulb is in working order. Observe that the shutter should be closed as the bulb heats up and should open only once the bulb is at operating temperature.

If nothing happens as you turn the unit on, consider that the bulb may simply be dead. The fact that your alternative bulb did light up suggests it might be something as simple as a dead bulb.

I notice that on Reddit you've been given the advice to stick to your existing UV LEDs; I would agree with that advice. They're overall more convenient. More compact, too.

 

[schultzjoe1]

Ahhhhh, that makes sense. Not a big deal, but definitely a bummer.

Yeah, it's sounding like UV LEDs are the better option at this point. I've got these, so may tinker around with them anyways, but will stick with the LEDs otherwise. Thanks for the help.