Want to Buy Minolta/Beseler 45a parts/broken units/etc.

argentum_et_lux · May 24, 2017

I am looking to buy or pay shipping on broken, unwanted complete or parts of the Beseler/Minolta 45a xenon flash enlarger heads. I will be using some for spare parts and others to repair broken units.

EdSawyer · May 25, 2017

I have at least 4 or 5 of these, but they are complete, working, not broken units. I could probably part with a couple if need be.

argentum_et_lux · May 26, 2017

EdSawyer said:
I have at least 4 or 5 of these, but they are complete, working, not broken units. I could probably part with a couple if need be.

Let me know how much you would want for them if you dont want to sell I understand. I have two working units and a couple of part units. I just got the schematics for these and have started looking at what components are still available. So far it appears all of the chips are either still in production or avaialble on the surplus market. I think I have found a nearly identical substitute for the original tubes. I will be downloading the ROM files from the rom chip as soon as I find my rom programer/reader in storage. I want to document and preserve as much about these as possible as i want to be able to continue using them for many more years while repairing and servicing a few so I can help someone out who wears theirs out.

Kino · May 26, 2017

argentum_et_lux said:
Let me know how much you would want for them if you dont want to sell I understand. I have two working units and a couple of part units. I just got the schematics for these and have started looking at what components are still available. So far it appears all of the chips are either still in production or avaialble on the surplus market. I think I have found a nearly identical substitute for the original tubes. I will be downloading the ROM files from the rom chip as soon as I find my rom programer/reader in storage. I want to document and preserve as much about these as possible as i want to be able to continue using them for many more years while repairing and servicing a few so I can help someone out who wears theirs out.

I bought one of these units surplus on a 45 MXT chassis, but have yet to test it. I thought that the enlarger chassis was worth the price alone. If I get a chance soon, I will try it out and see if it works. In any event, I assume you are interested in the head assembly alone, right? It's possible I would put a conventional head on this chassis anyway...

EdSawyer · May 26, 2017

argentum, will PM you about these. They are great units and I hope to use them a long time too (which is why I bought 6 of them and stocked up on spare tubes.) I have some documentation you might want too, maybe we can trade info. I don't think I have a schematic of them.

Replacement flash tubes would be a huge plus!

btaylor · May 26, 2017

I believe the head is inseparable as the fiber optics run to the controller and do not unplug. I have 3 of these units, but have not tried to use them yet, I think the one that came with the enlarger is broken (couldn't get focus tube to work). Perhaps this would be a great weekend to get one of them up and running-- I am very much enjoying a return to RA4 printing and these heads are supposed to be very efficient.

EdSawyer · May 30, 2017

Sometimes the conducting surface of the buttons on the control unit get sticky, and need cleaning. That could be the reason for the focus not working on yours btaylor. they are nice units, the best color head for the beseler 45 series, I think.

argentum_et_lux · May 30, 2017

btaylor said:
I believe the head is inseparable as the fiber optics run to the controller and do not unplug. I have 3 of these units, but have not tried to use them yet, I think the one that came with the enlarger is broken (couldn't get focus tube to work). Perhaps this would be a great weekend to get one of them up and running-- I am very much enjoying a return to RA4 printing and these heads are supposed to be very efficient.

What Ed said: The buttons have conductive carbon pad that closes two points on the pcb. Make sure to give unit time to discharge if you open it. You will have to remove 6 screws to pop the top cover and then a few that hold a metal shield over processor and key board area.
Carefully remove screws from processor pcb and you will see buttons. I would clean the carbon pads and pcb trace with some isopropyl. Do not mess around the big caps in the low rear of unit as they can hurt you if not discharged, Otherwise i have found mutiple hard presses on the keys will get them working again without cleaning.

argentum_et_lux · May 30, 2017

EdSawyer said:
argentum, will PM you about these. They are great units and I hope to use them a long time too (which is why I bought 6 of them and stocked up on spare tubes.) I have some documentation you might want too, maybe we can trade info. I don't think I have a schematic of them.

Replacement flash tubes would be a huge plus!

Ed i am testing some oem tubes right now. If they work out I might set up a group buy or something. If I find out an off the shelf tube is not quite right I am talking to an overseas xenon tube manufacturer about cost to get custom made. If the oem ones work reliably enough I could probably sell them at 20 to 25 each maybe less. I do not know yet what custom made ones would cost each-might be less in quantity, It will be a few months before i have completed testing them but i will let you know

btaylor · May 31, 2017

Thanks Ed and argentum, I will give cleaning the buttons a try!

EdSawyer · May 31, 2017

Thanks for the update! Keep us posted. I think the supply of tubes is what keep more people from embracing this color head. Honestly, they (tubes) last quite a while, hundreds of prints at least, maybe thousands, in my experience. But a new supply would be superb!

Want to Buy Minolta/Beseler 45a parts/broken units/etc.

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