meopta 6 enlarger... advice needed!

[B R Flutter]

Hi, I just bought a meopta 6 colour enlarger second hand. It is quite old but looks in good nick. However, it has an old unusual shape 3 pin plug on it which does not fit normal mains sockets.
I notice that if you buy these new they come with a transformer.
Any ideas how I can use it on normal mains?

 

[TPPhotog]

Yep your correct the 3 pin goes into the transformer and the the transformer plugs into the mains with a normal plug. (there was a url link here which no longer exists) may be of help, I hardwired my Meopta to a transformer used for ceiling lights and it works much better. Also the alternative transformer only cost me a few pounds instead of £60 for the meopta one.

Have fun the Meopta's are beautiful beasties

 

[sparx]

I'm a bit worried after reading this thread. I have a Meopta 6 (opemus) B&W head and there isn't a transformer in sight. It works fine though and i haven't blown up the local grid, which is nice.
I was also going to pose a question about the Opemus. Where do the contrast grade filters go (obviously not relevant to anyone with a colour head). I have been tucking mine in above the neg carrier but the other day, while trying some split grade printing, i removed the carrier to change filters and when I pushed it back i'd lost the print registration (DOH). Any alternative suggestions?

 

[TPPhotog]

Sparx,

Most of the manuals are at the Meopta site, sorry if that sounds like a bit of a cop-out but I'm not electrically safe as it don't like me - so don't want to suggest anything I don't know about.

As I use the colour head I'm not sure where the filters go

An alternative option if I'm in a hurry is I hold a filter just under the lens, so that the contrast is changed. Not much use if your dodging and burning though as you would need to be an octopus.

 

[Bob F.]

I'm a bit worried after reading this thread. I have a Meopta 6 (opemus) B&W head and there isn't a transformer in sight. It works fine though and i haven't blown up the local grid, which is nice.
I was also going to pose a question about the Opemus. Where do the contrast grade filters go (obviously not relevant to anyone with a colour head). I have been tucking mine in above the neg carrier but the other day, while trying some split grade printing, i removed the carrier to change filters and when I pushed it back i'd lost the print registration (DOH). Any alternative suggestions?

B&W heads do not normally require a transformer (more usually, a "voltage regulator") - only colour heads normally have them in order to keep the light intensity constant as the mains voltage fluctuates during the day. Frankly, I'm not sure why the poor old B&W head users are slighted in this way: after all, constant light intensity is just as useful to them, but there you go - cost I suppose...

My old Meopta Axomat had a filter drawer above the neg carrier, if yours does not have a proper drawer, I guess you will need to use the Ilford under-the-lens holder or see if you can get a colour head (I managed to get one cheap for my Axomat from the UK auction site about a year ago - haven't used it yet...).

Cheers, Bob.

 

[Bob F.]

Ooops - I just realised: B&W heads normally use mains bulbs - colour heads need more light to punch through the filters so use low voltage halogen lamps - hence the transformer/regulator...

Cheers, Bob.

 

[B R Flutter]

Thanks alot TP. As far as I can gather thetransformer needs to be 12V and 100 W output. Is there anything else I need to be careful of?
Barry

 

[TPPhotog]

Barry, You've spotted everything you need. The output wire from the transformer I hardwired directly into the Meopta as I thought a nice new length of wire would be better than the old one. Then of course the input wire to the transformer has the plug to connect to the mains. Even with my tractor level of mechanics I was able to rewire it all together in about 15 minutes. The Meopta's are nice and easy to refurbish and work with, so happy printing