Ilford head 500

[Rmaydana]

I share a doubt, I have an ilford 500, it is already several years old, it needs maintenance. And here come the doubts;
1 where I live there is no ilford service or anyone who knows about enlargers.
2 Alternative solution - (the head works) what works erratically is the power supply.
What do you recommend.
Go for the analyzer pro side
Or heiland solution
Has anyone already had this solution?

 

[koraks]

The easiest solution would be to look for a replacement power supply on e.g. eBay. While costly, it's likely to be the most affordable option as well, if there's nobody to help you with repairing the defective unit.

If money is tight, you could consider something like the light source from the Intrepid Enlarger (https://intrepidcamera.co.uk/products/intrepid-4x5-enlarger-kit)
I'm not sure what kind of enlarger you have, exactly, but it may be possible to fit one of those into the chassis. It'll be far cheaper than the Heiland unit.

 

[Rmaydana]

The easiest solution would be to look for a replacement power supply on e.g. eBay. While costly, it's likely to be the most affordable option as well, if there's nobody to help you with repairing the defective unit.

If money is tight, you could consider something like the light source from the Intrepid Enlarger (https://intrepidcamera.co.uk/products/intrepid-4x5-enlarger-kit)
I'm not sure what kind of enlarger you have, exactly, but it may be possible to fit one of those into the chassis. It'll be far cheaper than the Heiland unit.

The budget is 300 usd.
The source is heavy and makes the mail very expensive. I have to discard it
That's why the idea was to migrate. I have an omega D5

 

[koraks]

Ok, I'd look into the Intrepid solution. It will almost fit your budget and the odds of getting your 500 system back to life without local help or decent electronics knowledge at that price point is probably futile.
The Heiland solution will be something like 5x to 10x your budget, so is pretty much out of the question.

 

[mshchem]

Use what you have. Wait until it stops you from printing. Meanwhile save your money for the best setup you can afford. What enlarger do you have?

 

[MattKing]

Can you describe what problems you are encountering? Depending on your answer, we might be able to give helpful advice on how to get it back to normal operation.

 

[MattKing]

What enlarger do you have?

I have an omega D5

An Omega D5 with an Ilford 500 head is a great tool to work with.

 

[koraks]

I have a feeling it might be related to this: https://www.photrio.com/forum/threads/point-that-does-not-work-well-ilford-head-500.194351

 

[Rmaydana]

Yes, it is mine. I still have the problem. I think I know where the problem is, but I can't find anyone who can guarantee a solution.
I think I know where the problem is, but I can't find anyone who can give me a guarantee for the solution.
an alternative is to change the whole ilford head for a heiland one, this is a not so economical option, it is the last one I would like to take.
I would like to ask the group if anyone else has had a similar problem.

 

[Rmaydana]

Can you describe what problems you are encountering? Depending on your answer, we might be able to give helpful advice on how to get it back to normal operation.

the ilford power supply should cut off after 2 minutes of switching on. that is what the manual describes and that is how it used to do it. for some time now it has not cut off, and the fan of the head works continuously, so i can't do darkroom sections for more than two hours. the fear is that it stops working or it runs out. in that case i would have no solution whatsoever.
I live in Paraguay, here is really scarce or unusual everything related to photography.
my options are
1 - get a used power supply board, and make the change. i have no idea of the cost. i have only seen complete power supplies and they weigh more than 5kg, considering the weight and the value to bring them to Paraguay will cost me at least 600 usd.
2-an option is analyzer pro - i think i have no idea if it still uses the power supply.
3- higher budget or opt for a heiland VCC kit.

 

[koraks]

So the fan runs continuously. How is that a problem exactly? Why not just keep using it?

 

[mshchem]

It's really a nice setup. I would try to wait until you can find an electronic expert. Probably just something simple. The Ilford heads are great but getting pretty old. I like the halogen lamp source.