Aristo VCL4500 & RH Designs Timer.....?

[resummerfield]

Do you have a pointer to such turret filter holders?

My filter turret holds 3 filters and I had it machined for my enlarger. The Durst Latirad filter holder (like this one on Ebay) was the basis for the design. The Latirad holds 70mm filters, and the Tiffen 72mm filters will fit, once you remove the Tiffen metal ring.

 

[jstraw]

Ah, ok...thanks.

 

[Nicholas Lindan]

If the ZBE head provides a steady light output, it does so at the expense of maximum light intensity.

It produces whatever light output the controller demands of it. If it be the max then it is the max...

One tube is always at maximum intensity and the other tube is turned down to adjust the contrast. It is the same with every other head. If it is a fixed illumination (undimmable) head then the timing of one of the tubes is reduced in relation to the other. The effect in printing speed is the same.

The ZBE gives the option(s) for various control strategies where contrast can be changed but printing time is kept the same - in this case the lower contrast settings do cut down the light. The same happens with regular VC gel filters without much complaint. The ZBE also has the option of keeping the printing times at their shortest and automatically adjusting the printing time as contrast is varied. And programming this function for the responsivity of various papers. And programming the blue/green balance for various grades for various papers so the same dial setting produces the same contrast on all papers. And scanning the image on the easel and for the selected paper and automatically selecting the best grade and exposure for the image. And, and, and. To compare this with an Aristo ...

Compensating timers/light integrators work mostly, and mostly they work well enough. But so will a plain Aristo if you keep careful watch over heating time and printing duty cycle. Problems with VC cold light heads arise as the lamps age. The differential in light output changes and unless the integrator has a sensor for each lamp the integrator will lead one down the garden path. And individual lamp sensors won't detect the change in the lamps spectra as the lamp ages, for that one needs filters matched to the sensitivity curve of the emulsions or an integrating spectrophotometer.

Whether the features and precision of the ZBE is of use is something everyone has to judge for themselves - as the story goes Edward Weston produced prints with a peice of glass and some sunlight for printing and a raincoat thrown over a card table for a darkroom. The equipment is not the limiting factor.

It seems the owner will be happier with something simpler. But sell the head on to someone who will appreciate it and be willing to keep it running.

 

[SusanK]

Nicholas ~ Just prior to your post, I was able to find the ZBE website, as well as their .pdf manuals for my light source. Reading through the materials, I was amazed at the capabilities of the ZBE. I received it w/out a manual b/c the original owner had died. I've been using it's basic features only b/c I was unaware of the various other features.

I didn't mean to imply that I wanted to dump this light source, nor that I was unappreciative of it. I would love to keep it running but, alas I am not the type who can tear something apart, tweak things, and return it to working order. If I tear something apart, I break it. Period.

I am considering a call to a Canadian company who services the ZBE to see about replacing the light tubes. I read that they are rated for 10K hours of use. I'm certain that the original owner could've easily put that many hours on them. And since the light flickers on occasion, that might be an indicator that they need to be switched.... if anyone makes them anymore.

It seems I may have irritated you w/ my posts. Just wanted you to know that was not my intention.
Susan

 

[Nicholas Lindan]

I am considering a call to a Canadian company who services the ZBE to see about replacing the light tubes. I read that they are rated for 10K hours of use. I'm certain that the original owner could've easily put that many hours on them. And since the light flickers on occasion, that might be an indicator that they need to be switched.... if anyone makes them anymore.

After thinking about my experience with intermitent cold-light sources - flourescent lamps - the major reason they flicker is that they are loose in their socket and they just need a little wiggle now and then. If the lamps have wire leads then the screw that clamps the lead may be loose. See if you can find an electronic engineer/tech/hobbiest who can open it up and see the connections are tight.

10,000 hours is a _lot_ of hours. There are about 2,000 working hours in a year. Pulling a number out of the air ... I doubt an enlarger has the light on for more than 10% of the time day-in-day-out. That gives 200 power-on-hours/year and it would take 50 years to accumulate 10,000 hours on the lamp.

But the 10,000 figure is most likely based on the factory noticing that if left on more than half the lamps are still burning a year later. A fair middling number probably go belly up after only a few hundred hours.

To see if it's a failing lamp can you see if there is there any blackening at the ends of the lamp?

 

[280hpwrx]

ZBE tubes

Hate to be the bearer of bad news, but the tubes for the Oriental/ZBE VCCLS are NO LONGER AVAILABLE from ZBE nor Aristo. Best advice, find a parts head.

Some guy just sold three as a set on eBay for $199...a bargain for the tubes alone. Another guy was selling a brand new in box/never used head on eBay a few months back...it never sold.

I sold mine years ago, six months before they stopped making the heads.

Great head though, but the tube issue is ugly. Check Google. Somebody may have figured out something.

Try Jens Jensen at Durst Pro USA. I think they were making a digital head that looked like it used the same ZBE keypad as found on the Starlite. He may know of spare heads floating around.

CH

 

[resummerfield]

.....the tubes for the Oriental/ZBE VCCLS are NO LONGER AVAILABLE from ZBE nor Aristo......

Yes, Aristo no longer offers the tubes as a stock item, but they will, on request, manufacture custom tubes. So I wonder if Aristo would, or could, custom manufacture a tube for the ZBE head? Has anyone tried this?

 

[280hpwrx]

Yes, Aristo no longer offers the tubes as a stock item, but they will, on request, manufacture custom tubes. So I wonder if Aristo would, or could, custom manufacture a tube for the ZBE head? Has anyone tried this?

True, but I was told long ago that Aristo REFUSED to make more since they were so troublesome to make in the first place. It's probably worth a try at any rate. Maybe a group of owners could get into a group buy...

A LOT of those heads were sold.

CH