Aristo 5x7 Cold Light Head

[false_Aesthetic]

Heya,

I was just given an Aristo 5x7 cold light head (and enlarger). I've never used one before and have only seen the variable contrast Zone VI heads with all the Zone VI wiz-bang gadgets that came with it. This head only has 1 color tube (looks like daylight to me) and didn't come with any voltage/intensity regulators or anything else.

Questions:

1) There are 2 cords that come out of the head. 2-prong and 3-prong. The 2-prong turns the light on. I think the 3-prong turns on a heater inside the head. If this is the case, do I need to use one of those enlarger timers with a probe (like a MetroLux) to ensure accurate exposure?

2) It was mentioned on the LF forum that the light might be "blue" and print higher contrast on VC paper. The company that now offeres replacement Aristo tubes says that the 5x7 bulbs are "daylight balanced." Does this count as "blue" (I guess it is when compared to tungsten bulbs)? Do I need to filter the light in addition to using an Ilford/Kodak filter pack to make a "soft" less contrasty print?

Thanks
T

 

[bill@lapetelabs.com]

If the tube is a v4500 tube you will have to add a cc30 yellow to it to get LC with the subtractive filter set (Yellow/ Magenta). If it's a v54 tube that won't be necessary the tube has a yellow component in it. The two prong plug goes into the timer and the three prong goes into the wall plug. I have several new Aristo D2HI's which have the v54 tubes and the older ones have the v4500 tubes. My Aristo CL 4500 head was upgraded to a v54 tube recently and it has gained a full stop without the need for the cc filter. They are all 4x5 but the same applies to the larger formats. Check with Aristo/voltron (?) for the exact designations of the tubes.

 

[Ken Nadvornick]

Best bet is to jump directly over to the Aristo website, now a sub-sub-division of LCD Lighting Inc., and take a look:

Aristo by LCD Lighting​

The link Products>Aristo>Aristo Replacement Lamps lists the current replacement lamps available for purchase. The link Products>Aristo>Aristo Archive contains all of the technical information for both current and discontinued products. If you still can't find what you are looking for, consider emailing Louise Kessler at:

louise.kessler@voltarc.com​

She was the person directly responsible for the resurrection of the Aristo replacement lamps. She's extraordinarily helpful and if there's any way to find your answers, she'll know how to do it.

Ken

 

[ic-racer]

. If this is the case, do I need to use one of those enlarger timers with a probe (like a MetroLux) to ensure accurate exposure?

It depends on you length of exposure and printing technique. My Aristo 1414 (Label of graph is wrong) had a response like this with just the pre-heater alone, which was totally acceptable to my working style.