Agfa c66

andrew walmsley · Apr 17, 2021

Hey all,

My very first post!!! Hoping someone with experience can help.

I've just bought one of these enlargers (its literally a direct copy of the durst m605) and cannot make sense of the in built timer - when i turn it on and dial in nothing happens, just stays on. (picture attached of the timer)

I've also tried plugging the enlarger 3 pin plug directly in my digital timer in to the wall, it makes a noise like its powering the enlarger but no light comes on.

So far i'm stuck with the idea of manually turning it off/on.

Ian Grant · Apr 17, 2021

It was made for Agfa by Durst so isn't a copy, there's some instructions online somewhere I say them about 18 months ago. Is teh bulb working at all ?

Ian

AgX · Apr 17, 2021

Welcome to Apug !

andrew walmsley said:
I've just bought one of these enlargers [Agfa C66] (its literally a direct copy of the durst m605)

It is not, instead it is a version of the M 606 built specially for Agfa incorporating a metering timer and being added a vacuum plate. Agfa intended it for commercial use in the graphic industry.

It is intended to be used only running on that metering timer. Maybe here your issue is situated.

andrew walmsley · Apr 17, 2021

Thanks agX.

Do you have any idea how to use it? Can it be modified to use another timer?

AgX · Apr 17, 2021

I never came one across and the manual is not clear to me on its use. But there should be a focusing setting. In this setting one should be able to use the unit on an external, classic timer.
In worst case one needs to open its electrical casing and sort things out.

andrew walmsley · Apr 17, 2021

I have no idea mate,don't see any thing simple that makes sense. I'm not confident with electricals.

The guy I bought from said he can't remember as below

"I think you click a button on the side of the analiser to start the timer, it's a long time since I used it but you should be able to find out more on line or YouTube."

AgX · Apr 17, 2021

Agfa's concept was to make exposure all-automatic. But that is not what you want. You seemingly want to dial-in exposure time manually. A feature not offered on this enlarger, to my understanding. (As said the manual is not clear on this.)

As I already said above, set the enlarger on continuous lighting, something what you already achieved. In this state wire a classic enlarger timer between the mains socket and the anlarger mains cable.
I assumed you were experienced at darkroom work and had such external timer already at hand.

andrew walmsley · Apr 17, 2021

Very.strange approach by Agfa!

Yes experienced.with using colour enlargers. I did try my existing timer and it made the noise (like it's on) but doesn't illuminate.

AgX · Apr 17, 2021

andrew walmsley said:
Very.strange approach by Agfa!

It was intended for making straight prints for print-form making or proofing in a graphic workshop. Prints that were based on silver-salt/dye diffusion processes.*
It was not intended for use in a amateur darkroom. Nor offered to amateurs. That is one reason why you hardly find it mentioned at Apug.

*a kind of instant photography process, as such was actually invented at Agfa and Gevaert and not a Polaroid

andrew walmsley · Apr 17, 2021

thank you anyway

Ian Grant · Apr 18, 2021

The instructions are here. you'll have to play around to figure out how to use it normally.

Ian

Don_ih · Apr 18, 2021

It's possible the internal timer is actually broken - seized, if mechanical. I'd take it apart and bypass the timer - have the light directly powered, so it can be plugged into a darkroom timer. Should be a piece of cake.

andrew walmsley · Apr 18, 2021

Thanks guys,the instructions make no sense to me.

Don - I wouldn't know where to start with bypassing but understand the concept. Might see if a mate can help

Canta_loupe · Dec 21, 2022

Hey Andrew,
did you figure out a way to bypass the internal timer on your C66? I'm in your same spot, having gotten my hands on one recently.

If anyone else with some electrical understanding would be willing to help, I can post some pictures of the internals, unfortunately I haven't been able to find an original wiring scheme.

Happy holidays

gone · Dec 21, 2022

Just to make your life easier so you can start printing, maybe buy yourself a simple $20-$30 Time-O-Lite timer and sell the complicated non working one on fleabay As Is?

Canta_loupe · Dec 21, 2022

momus said:
Just to make your life easier so you can start printing, maybe buy yourself a simple $20-$30 Time-O-Lite timer and sell the complicated non working one on fleabay As Is?

I own an external hauck timer, and a smaller enlarger. The problem with this one is that even though it has a focus mode, the switch is electrical and not mechanical, so it doesn't really work to power it through an external timer as is. That's why I think the easiest way would be to somehow wire the transformer directly to the bulb bypassing the PCB, and then use an external timer. I don't think anyone would be interested in buying it separately since this system was made for Agfa's own kind of printing system, and probably not for private use.

Canta_loupe · Dec 24, 2022

I was instructed by a kind internet denizen to connect these wires (pink and white going into a triac) to eachother, and it seems to have done the job. So I'll leave this here for posterity. Also, if anyone wants to to this themselves, I advise you to be careful with the screws on the casing since they're made of very soft metal, I wore two of them out, luckily they were only fixing the components inside so I could still open the thing up.

ic-racer · Dec 24, 2022

andrew walmsley said:
... when i turn it on and dial in nothing happens, just stays on. (picture attached of the timer)

Did you wait for the exposure sequence to finish. Looks like you have it set to 100 Exposure Units. That could be a very long time before it turns off. Try 4 exposure units and see how long it stay on.

Agfa c66

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