Gossen Lunasix Tech Support

M.A.Longmore

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I need some help, and advice concerning the Gossen Lunasix.
I bought this ancient light meter for $20.00.
It has been sitting dormant for years, But, for $20 bucks
I had to take a chance, I've always wanted a second light meter
to have as a back up in case the Sekonic L-398 ever fails.
The Gossen uses 2 PX-13 mercury type batteries, I rushed home to check
APUG on the options for an alternate battery to get it working.
I saw that there are all types of high tech adapters, and modifications
available. I was looking for a low budget solution, as usual.
I went to Radio Shack and got an 8 pack of 675 Hearing Aid batteries,
( Zinc-Air cells ) for $7.00, dropped two into the meter and it now seems to
work perfectly according to the same reading taken by the Sekonic.
The only modification necessary, would be to add several properly sized O-rings to keep the batteries centered in the chamber.

As far as the actual condition of the meter, the sliding device that allows for reflected or incident readings is a bit dirty, dusty, and hazy. Would it be a DIY project to take it apart, clean the sliding selector and gently swab the interior ? Or just leave it alone ...

And I am assuming that the 675 batteries don't have a long lifespan, being
as they are sold in 8 packs, can the Zinc-Air battery life be extended by
replacing the tape on the cells when not in use ?

And where can I get theSpotmeter attachment for the Lunasix ?


Ron
From The Long Island Of New York,
And The Macro Management and Long Island @ Large Format APUG Groups
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MattKing

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Ron:

Try Costco for the batteries ($9.39 for 30):

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Hexavalent

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Lunasix are not difficult to open up and clean - just be very careful of the meter needle: it can get bent by looking at it the wrong way. IIRC, the 'shutter' mechanism connected to the reading button is a little fiddly.
 
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M.A.Longmore

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Hexavalent said:
Lunasix are not difficult to open up and clean - just be very careful of the meter needle: it can get bent by looking at it the wrong way. IIRC, the 'shutter' mechanism connected to the reading button is a little fiddly.
Click to expand...

.
Hi Ian,

Thanks for the info.
I was worried about you, I thought you might
still be hanging out in the temporary chatroom
that we used during the APUG Upgrade.


Ron
From The Long Island Of New York,
And The Macro Management and Long Island @ Large Format APUG Groups
.
 
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M.A.Longmore

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Can the Gossen Luna-Pro Spotmeter attachment also be
used on the Lunasix meter ? And, is that a worthwhile combination ?
Or would it be better to buy a "Real" Spotmeter ?


Ron

From The Long Island Of New York,
And The Macro Management, and Long Island @ Large Format APUG Groups
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Q.G.

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You could get the Gossen "Tele" attachment for next to nothing. That one works on the Lunasix. But it's a simple thing, offering a reduction of the angle of acceptance to 15 and 7.5 degrees only. But it does allow you to see what you are aiming the thing at exactly.

But before you go spend money, it's time again to clear up any possible confusion about the names of all these things.

The "LunaPro" (as it is used both officially and unofficially) can be anything from what is known as the earliest Lunasix through Lunasix 3S (CdS meters), Lunasix F (silicon blue cell - does flash as well, but takes fewer attachments) plus the later Profisix (also silicon blue cell, but needs an attachment to do flash, yet takes more attachments).

The "ProfiSpot" attachment will only work on the things properly known as Profisix and the later Mastersix.
The "Tele" attachment will work on all of them.

So make sure that you get the right "LunaPro".
 

MattKing

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Ron (and Q.G.):

One further caution. Gossen names vary depending on the distributor. As an example, a Profisix in Europe (and Canada) is the same meter as a LunaPro SBC in the US.

So you need to be careful when you are trying to determine which accessories fit on which meters.
 

Q.G.

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That's what i was saying, yes. A "LunaPro" can be any of many different meters.
So Ron, to help us help you avoid buying the wrong thing, can you point us to, or post, a picture of what you have and what you want to get for it?

It's only Bogen, in the U.S., who uses different, non-original Gossen names.
 
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M.A.Longmore

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Q.G.

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That will work. I guess...
There were a few versions of this meter. Which is it exactly?

What batteries do you put in that ancient Lunasix?
 
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M.A.Longmore

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Hi Q.G.,

Th original battery was the PX-13.

I am using the Zinc-Air hearing aid batteries.
My main meter is the Sekonic L-398, but this
old bastard is excellent for low light levels.
I remove the batteries and replace the tape
on the cells when not in use, I am assuming that
would help to increase the Z-A battery life.
Not really a big concern, being as Matt King advised
me to buy a pack of 30 for $10.00.


Ron
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Q.G.

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Ron,

Re the attachment: your Lunasix needs to be at least a Lunasix 3 to be able to take the Tele (or any other) attachment.

Remember that the Tele reduces the 30 degree angle of acceptance to either 15 or 7.5 degrees. Not smaller.
The Spot attachment (down to 1 degree) will not work on any of the Lunasixes, but needs the Profisix or Mastersix.
 
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M.A.Longmore

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Update :
Purchased the variable spotmeter attachment on eBay for $20.00.
Now, I need to get the correct Luna-Pro, or Lunasix meter.

I really complicated things, I used a Sekonic L-398 for 30 years.
And within two weeks I bought the Lunasix, two Weston Master II's,
one working unit but slightly damaged, and one for the parts.
And a Norwood Director non functional, but I couldn't resist it.


Ron
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