Beseler 45s color head light problems

[fralexis]

I just bought a Beseler 45mxt with a 45s color head. Works great, but there seems to be an automatic switch that I don't understand. Sometimes, the indicator light on the top left of the head glows faintly. When I try to either turn on the focus button or hit "run" on my timer (Patterson enlarger timer), the enlarger light will not come on and the indicator light glows brightly). If I switch the color gels on, the enlarger light works fine. But without the gels, no white light. Obviously there is some sort of a safety switch that I don't understand. Can anyone help? Thanks!

Alexis

 

[frobozz]

Do you have both the cords hooked up properly? The big one coming out of the back of the head is supposed to be plugged in to the wall and permanently powered (to run the fan, etc.) and then the other smaller one plugged into a connector on the head plugs into your timer and just turns on the light when it is needed. I believe the focus slider overrides that second cord and turns on the light regardless, while sliding the filters out of the light path. It almost sounds like you have the cords plugged in the wrong way around (control cord into an always on socket and main cord into your timer)? Or something like that.

Duncan

 

[George Nova Scotia]

That would appear to be the "Paper Saver Circuit" in action. If you have the filter retractor in the white light position and then turn on the timer, the indicator light will come on and the main light will not. You need to reset (cancel) the timer and return the retractor forward to engage the filters. If you don't want any filtration you have to set the filters to 0 but leave them in. For focusing you can move the lever to the white light position after you turn on the head.

 

[Mainecoonmaniac]

George is correct. When you print color, you print with filter packs. The filtration makes it difficult to focus. The lever gives you white light for you to focus easier. If you're like me and you forget to flip the lever back to the filter pack, you can ruin your sheet of paper because you're exposing it with the white light if you didn't have that feature. So the "paper saver" feature leaves the light off until you flip the lever back to filtration.

 

[Mark Crabtree]

I think the two previous posts have identified the problem, but thought I'd add that on mine that switch is fussy. Sometimes I have to flick the changing lever to get it to go back into exposure mode. That even happens sometimes when I have been printing and not gone into the white light mode. I'm sure it is just a bad or dirty switch, but mention it since sometimes the same issues appear in other examples of a same model.

 

[silver4me]

Help to set up a Beseler 45s color head

I'm glad I found this thread - I need help! I print in B&W and have been happily using an older 23CII with a DGA color head for variable contrast filtration. I excitedly bought a MCRX with both a condenser set up and then acquired a 45s (regular not computerized) colorhead. But I am confused as to how to connect it.

It has two power cords: a long one and a short one. The short one appears to connect the fan and the long one the lamp - which seems backwards. I was expecting the short one to connect to the power unit attached to the MCRX and then that goes into my timer and the long cord to the wall. But that doesn't work.

Right now I have the short cord from the colorhead plugged into the wall and the long cord from the colorhead plugged into my timer. That makes it work much like my DGA - the fan runs all the time and the lamp works with using the timer. But the white light indicator no longer lights up. It turns orange when I'm in filtration setting and goes off in white light mode. As a note: I know the indicator can display both as orange and regular 'white' because if I reconfigure the connections with the short cord into my timer and the long cord into the wall that's what it displays switching between white and filtered light. But with the short cord plugged into the timer the fan only runs when the lamp is on?

If anyone can help clarify how this head should be configured or has a pdf of the manual available I would be most grateful.

-mark

 

[George Nova Scotia]

From the front the power cord is on the right, this should be plugged into the convenience outlet on the motor box or an AC outlet. The timer cord is on the left and should be plugged into your timer.

I don't have a scanned copy (yet) PM me your email address and I'll see what I can do this weekend.

George

 

[frobozz]

Back when I had this enlarger, I scanned in my manual for the computerized color head. The operation is largely the same, except for the computerized part (which frankly, is prone to age-related circuit board failures; I preferred the manual version of the head!)

http://backglass.org/duncan/darkroom/beseler_dichro_45_head.pdf

Duncan

 

[silver4me]

Thanks for the help and information. I think I have it set up properly - but perhaps there is a problem with the convenience outlet on the motor box? I have the cord on the left (from the front) plugged into my timer. That cord is long (4ft or so). The cord on the right (from the front) is short (12-18 in). I tried plugging that into the outlet on the motor box but it doesn't work. The motor does work to raise/lower the head. So I connected the cord on the right via an extension cord to the wall and that seems to work. So maybe I need to test for voltage out of the motor box? Sounds like when the motor box is plugged in, that convenience outlet should provide regular AC line voltage. is that right?

Thanks again for the info and help,

-mark

 

[George Nova Scotia]

Yes the convenience outlet should provide power when the box is plugged in. I don't see any fuses but the might be something hidden inside - or a broken wire.

 

[silver4me]

Thanks again George - you are right no fuses...I took the cover off hoping to find a disconnected or broken wire and discovered two things 1) The "switch" outlet (bottom) is wired to the other outlet (top) in a way that appears that the top only gets power when the bottom outlet has a "switch" plugged into it and is "on"? 2) Neither plug is wired directly with a ground. The ground wire from the wall power goes to the box but neither outlet's ground connections connect to anything - which worries me a little since the 45s is a three pronged device. The old "resistrol" and lamp for this enlarger when it was a conventional condenser set up only had a two prong plug.

So for now, it seems until I figure out the wiring on the enlarger box, I'll just plug the short colorhead wire into an extension cord and into the wall and start making prints! If you do get around to scanning the manual for the 45s and could send it along I'd be most appreciative. I tried to contact Beseler to get a copy or a pdf and they wrote back saying it would cost $75.00!

-mark

 

[George Nova Scotia]

Okay, I've never seen the version with resistrol setup, the ones I have just have a single convenience outlet. I did come across a picture showing the resistrol and a switch hanging from a short cord which sounds like yours.

Making prints sounds like the best idea

The manual should be in your mail box, if not let me know and I'll try again. The file was rather large so I might have to scan it with different settings.

George