Got a wonderful Gossen Luna Pro meter as a birthday gift, was my great grandfather’s. Unfortunately, it uses the dreaded mercury cells, and commercial adapters are too thick, and the battery cover will not close, I fortunately have a few from my Nikon F metered prism. If anyone has one, or knows where to get one, let me know!
Want to Buy In Search Of Gossen #4145 battery adapter for Luna Pro light meter!
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I believe Gossen used to sell them directly. You could try contacting them. You have two other options: hearing aid batteries or calibrating the meter for silver oxide cells.
I think Gossen discontinued the kit, but if you can't find one used, maybe give this a try?
What adapters have you tried? On <this website> the manufacturer of the C.R.I.S. MR-9 Mercury Battery Adapter shows his adapters, when used with silver oxide 386 batteries, are compatable with the Gossen Luna Pro Cds meter. Can anyone verify if this combination does or does not work in the Gossen meter?
You need two MR-9 adapters at $40USD each, so not cheap -- but if you are not comfortable with a soldering iron, the MR-9 adapters might be an option?
On the other hand, the same author of the YouTube video posted in #3, above, says in <this YouTube video> that the C.R.I.S. MR-9 Mercury Battery Adapters varies quite a bit in function and may not produce the desired results. If you want to try the diode modification, you might want to watch this second video which provides more information about which diodes work best in the Gossen.
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Double check the battery you are using. I had similar issue recently and discovered that I was inadverantly using a cell with same diameter but different height than the required 386 cell. The cell I initially used was .1mm taller and that was just enough to make the battery cover not fit quite right.
gossen-photo.de
Replacing Mercury Batteries V625PX - Gossen
The production and sale of V625PX and PX13 mercury batteries has been forbidden since 1 January 2000 by EU directive 98/101/EC, because they contain a large proportion of the hazardous substance mercury. Diese These batteries are part of the following GOSSEN exposure meters: LUNASIX, LUNASIX 3...
gossen-photo.de
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I made an adapter for my Leica MR-4 lightmeter (which requires only 1 cell) using the instructions I found on butkus.org. I can't seem to produce the link, but it downloads a file called batt-adapt-us.pdf. It was written by Frans de Gruijter in The Netherlands, but I am not sure if the original author still has a web page up. At any rate, it discusses uses Schottky diodes to reduce the voltage of silver-oxide batteries. Quite a lot of good information there, but you have to be happy using a soldering iron to make one of the adapters using the silver-oxide batteries. At the end of the documents is some info about buying from him, but I am not sure he still does that so you have locate and make everything yourself. Some of the commercial adapters are just to 'fit' a modern cell into the same space and the voltage of a silver oxide battery will be wrong compared to the old mercury cells. Apparently the zinc-air cells used in hearing aids have a closer voltage but a more limited life span. Look at the de Gruijter document, it explains quite a lot and the adapter I have makes my MR-4 meters work.
Following that info, I also soldered another diode into my Lunasix meter but I'm not sure it all worked out OK because the battery test doesn't work, though the meter does. In the end, I bought a Digisix meter, reasoning that it would be good to have a meter that was designed to use modern batteries for when the MR-4 didn't fit my needs (like another camera.....)
Jonathan
Following that info, I also soldered another diode into my Lunasix meter but I'm not sure it all worked out OK because the battery test doesn't work, though the meter does. In the end, I bought a Digisix meter, reasoning that it would be good to have a meter that was designed to use modern batteries for when the MR-4 didn't fit my needs (like another camera.....)
Jonathan
I’ll call up my local camera store and see if they would put the diode in the right place. Hearing aid batteries aren’t a viable solution due to my extremely dry climate, they last maybe a month before dying.
I am unsure of the model, but here is a picture of the adapter and a battery:
I am unsure of the model, but here is a picture of the adapter and a battery:
Attachments
MattKing
Moderator
That is an alkaline battery - which is problematic - and the larger “44” size. If that adapter includes a diode, it will only output the correct voltage at one point of the alkaline battery’s discharge curve. And if it doesn’t include a diode, it will never output the correct voltage.
You need that type of adapter designed for the slightly smaller “43” or 386 size batteries in order for it to work in the two battery compartment in your meter.
When paired with the correct battery, that adapter will most likely work with a lot of equipment that are designed to use a single 625 battery - many aren’t quite as picky when it comes to cell size.
You need that type of adapter designed for the slightly smaller “43” or 386 size batteries in order for it to work in the two battery compartment in your meter.
When paired with the correct battery, that adapter will most likely work with a lot of equipment that are designed to use a single 625 battery - many aren’t quite as picky when it comes to cell size.
That looks exactly like the voltage-converting adapter sold by Criscam and others.
The various nomenclature can make battery selection a challenge.
The 44 (357) and 43 (386) cells differ only in height. Both are 11.6mm diameter. 44 is 5.4mm high and 43 is 4.2mm high. The height difference could be the issue with the battery cap.
As mentioned by others, silver cells are really the right idea…
The various nomenclature can make battery selection a challenge.
The 44 (357) and 43 (386) cells differ only in height. Both are 11.6mm diameter. 44 is 5.4mm high and 43 is 4.2mm high. The height difference could be the issue with the battery cap.
As mentioned by others, silver cells are really the right idea…
Just got off the phone with my local shop, they’ll recalibrate it to work with 625 alkalines for $60. I know alkalines aren’t ideal, but with my experience with them in my Canon AE-1, they work well enough to get good exposure through most of their life, only causing issues as the voltage drops near the end of battery life.
My experience with the C.R.I.S. MR9 battery adapter was that after about a year, it no longer worked. A friend is using 675 zinc oxide hearing aid batteries and a no. 9 O-ring . It replaces a 625 battery and puts out 1.4v.
I think I read (in that document about making the adapters) that lkaline batteries have a voltage drop toward the end of their life, so in the end they actually put out less than the old mercury cells. Whether this matters to the piece of equipment or not is another matter. I know that the alkaline battery that is sacrificed to make the adapter with the Shottkey diode puts out too much at the beginning because I put one in the meter and it read maybe one stop too high. The air-zinc batteries have a voltage drop curve that is closer to a mercury cell but they have a pretty short life.
MattKing
Moderator
You have the adapter - get the 386 batteries for it instead.
I wouldn't risk a roll of slide film with a Gossen Luna Pro meter and alcaline batteries.
I have that pdf if you want a copy.
I have in the past suggested using Wein cell 1.35 V MRB625 battery in a Leica M5 and equivalent equipment to replace the PX 625 batteries. No other calibration or adaptors needed. The response from Photrio members was all over the place from their cost to using hearing aid batteries. The Gossen Luna Pro requires 2 batteries . The Wein MRB625 cost about $4.50 each from B&H . When not using the meter remove the batteries and put a piece of tape over the + side of the battery and it will last for very long time making them not so expensive as claimed by others. One alternative is to purchase adaptors at $40. each .
Yes, they work just fine and I've had them for several years.
I'm definitely a DIY person and not afraid of the soldering iron and was going to try one of the various methods to do it myself but got sidetracked on lots of other projects and ended buying two of the adapters from CrisCam. They arrived promptly and came with batteries. When not using them in my Gossen Lunasix 3 (Euro version of the LunaPro) I use them in my Minolta SRTs.
In cade for anybody else looking for an adapter for Gossen lightmeters or any other gear that take two (2) 625 batterys, they just released a new one:
silvergrainclassics.com
You can buy the new adapter straight from them for €30 here:
gossen-photo.de
New battery adaptor for Gossen Lunasix models
Gossen battery adapters for the old Lunasix light meters were discontinued. Gossen has now developed a successor.
silvergrainclassics.com
You can buy the new adapter straight from them for €30 here:
Batterie-Adapter Set | Gossen
gossen-photo.de
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