Nova quad print unit power question

pentaxuser · Aug 25, 2019

odell1618photography said:
It’s a new unit, never used. I bought it at a local camera store, it had a crack from shipping, so they had never sold it. Their original thinking was to use it with a power converter but had never considered the frequency issue.

It just seem strange that a U.S, store should purchase a Nova Processor that Nova says is not meant for the U.S. If the purchase was direct from Nova U.K. you'd have thought that Nova would have warned the store of the problems.

I appreciate it was new and the store sold it but I do wonder from whom the store obtained it?

pentaxuser

AgX · Aug 25, 2019

MattKing said:
My guess is that the temperature monitoring system includes some sort of timing circuitry that controls how frequently the temperature is checked, and that circuitry is affected by the mains frequency.

But in this case only the frequency of temperature metering would be changed and then only insignificantly.

Now I got curious. Maybe someday, someone more knowledgable makes us wiser. My first thought in this case was that sameone not knowlegable wrote the respective manual, and just want to be on the safe side, without any contemplating about it. But if Nova repeatedly said so... In the past with more stringent RF regulations I would have considered that a device would not have passed these abroad and thus was not marketed there.

odell1618photography · Aug 25, 2019

mshchem said:
Yes, you might or might not damage the unit. I doubt it would work correctly in any case. I would find an electrical engineer friend.

That is good advice.
At the moment I’m using the Nova without temperature control to process 11x14 black and white prints with replenishment. This as opposed to using trays has easily been worth the 100 bucks. So, if it works at 60hz, fantastico. If it doesn’t I still have a great work flow for black and white. I’ll give this thread another week perhaps and then decide on my move.

shutterfinger · Aug 25, 2019

There are two reasons to use a transformer , 1.) to step the voltage up or down for a motor or other device such as a heating element; 2.) to convert the voltage to DC for circuits. Neither of these would blow up or cause a major component failure if the main frequency was changed. Incorrect voltage will cause damage. Too high of a voltage will break down any insulating materials or cause an increase of current; under voltage will cause the devise to pull too much current as the device will try to maintain its specified power consumption.
What may happen is that your unit will not maintain the set temperature.

pentaxuser · Aug 25, 2019

Depending on where you live in the U.S. and where your darkroom is such as spare room in the h you may never need the heater part. Even RA4 can be done at 20 C. Our friends in Arizona and south Texas and possibly a lot of other states would probably be better off a refridgerated unit attached to the Nova rather than a heater

pentaxuser

mshchem · Aug 25, 2019

Another thought is Nova may not have wanted to go to the trouble of UL or CSA certification.
As the OP states that's a great setup for black and white printing at room temperature.

Andre Noble · Aug 25, 2019

I own 3 different Nove slot processors in the USA from 8x10 to 16x20. I use this converter box without issue on all three https://www.amazon.com/LiteFuze-con...00545NKNU/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8 On Monday, call these guys here about the 50hz vs 60hz issue. They make the Nova slot processors in house. https://www.theimagingwarehouse.com/Products/Nova-Print-Processors

odell1618photography · Aug 25, 2019

Andre Noble said:
I own 3 different Nove slot processors in the USA from 8x10 to 16x20. I use this converter box without issue on all three https://www.amazon.com/LiteFuze-con...00545NKNU/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8 On Monday, call these guys here about the 50hz vs 60hz issue. They make the Nova slot processors in house. https://www.theimagingwarehouse.com/Products/Nova-Print-Processors

Thanks for joining the thread, it’s really appreciated.
From their website their opinion is pretty clear, could you expand on which Novas you have, and are they meant to operate at 50 hz but you are successfuly operating at 60 hz ?

USA & CANADA Customers - Unfortunately, this product is unsuitable for use in the USA & Canada owing to highly sensitive electronic microchip controls which require a 230 volts 50Hz electrical supply. Although a step up transformer can be used to create 230volts from 110volts, the standard frequency of 60Hz also has to be converted to 50Hz in order for the unit to work. You can use a frequency converter but they tend to be expensive.

AgX · Aug 26, 2019

shutterfinger said:
Too high of a voltage will break down any insulating materials or cause an increase of current; under voltage will cause the devise to pull too much current as the device will try to maintain its specified power consumption.

Undervoltage will not make the current increase.

As I indicated above, such misunderstanding may be the cause for a respective warning by a manufacturer.

In computersystems a undervoltage may lead to a fault in data storing, but of course that is not the case here.
In this case though one may argue that undervoltage may bring the control unit beneath its limit for correct metering or switching, whereas the heater still would be working to some effect.

John51 · Aug 26, 2019

odell1618photography said:
The inkbird temperature controller does look like the way to go. The Nova has two separate water baths with heating units in each. The temp sensor from the ink bird could control the developer side. The other side may run slightly cooler.

Now the question is, should I plug it in as is to see what happens? If the temperature control circuitry at the plug fails I can go inkbird. If the heaters fail then they would fail using the inkbird as with inkbird in place there will still be US 60hz going to the heaters.

If there are 2 water baths, then use 2 Inkbirds, they're not expensive.

tezzasmall · Aug 26, 2019

I've just checked out the link above to 'theimagingwareshouse' and it states that the units are being 'restyled and redesigned' and will be available in September 2019. Could these newer versions be more suitable to the US market I wonder? Also I wonder if they are the new designs that were on Kickstarter(?) not so long ago = they looked REALLY interesting but I already have a couple of the original designs which work fine for me.

Terry S

shutterfinger · Aug 26, 2019

AgX said:
Undervoltage will not make the current increase.

I was referring to AC devices such as the primary of a transformer or an AC motor which will draw more current at low voltage. Logic circuits on the other hand potentially misread the low voltage and cause data errors.

odell1618photography · Aug 27, 2019

I plugged it in, and it works. The temperature control runs 3 or 4 degrees above actual. I ran the unit for several hours. I’ll run it again tomorrow.

AgX · Aug 28, 2019

So you cranked up your mains from 110V/60Hz to 230V/60Hz.

The actual bath temperature however turned out to be 36° instead of the set 40°.

Question now is whether this is due to the frequency mismatch of 60Hz instead of the standard 50Hz.

John51 · Aug 28, 2019

As long as the chem temps are constant, it's a working unit. Nothing to fix.

pentaxuser · Aug 28, 2019

Sounds like good news. For what it is worth my temperature dial indicator does not agree with the actual slot temperature. It may be closer to the water jacket temperature however. I have never tested this. If I recall correctly the dial when set at 20 makes the slot temperature of the chemicals about 2 degrees C hotter. I am based in the U.K. so I know this discrepancy is not related to the HZ or voltage

pentaxuser

bdial · Aug 28, 2019

Congratulations! I doubt that the temp scale on the knob is all that precise, FWIW. I use mine for B&W only, so I keep mine set to 20. (I have an older US market unit which doesn't use the fancy controller).

naaldvoerder · Aug 2, 2024

rbrigham said:
my heater broke and i just replaced it with aquarium heaters from amazon i think I payed £20 and they slotted strait in ...

Can you tell me which ones you used, and how you installed them achieving water tightness? Thx

Nova quad print unit power question

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