RIP D5X, now what?

My faithful old D5XL has stopped working. Symptoms are as follows. The lamp turns on but is very dim now. I thought it was a bad bulb and put in my spare, but still same thing. I was in the middle of a print and it just quit. So now it is time for a decision. Can I get the power supply repaired? I think it is most likely on the output side of the power circuit, as the timer, pedal and everything else seems to be working well. Curious that the bulb still comes on, but very dimly.

Anyone have an idea about a repair or new part to make it work again? Is there an outfit which will do a repair? Anyone have a spare unit I could buy? Any ideas? Thanks, tim

I'm sure somebody can fix it. The question is will the repair bill be higher then buying a new used enlarger?

Ask Omega for who handles services in your area.

Ask Harry!

Talk to Harry Taylor at Classic Enlargers.... He's the king of Omega advice and repair; he has helped me on numerous occasions. He might just have the part(s) you need.

http://www.classic-enlargers.com

Cheers and good luck.

I would look at the bulb voltage rating and check the power at the socket. Sometimes if the bulb is 24VDC then it's just a burned out diode (or rectifier bridge) which is easy to fix. I assume that you have the dichroic head as the condenser head is too simple. I believe the problem is in the power supply and I am pretty sure that it can be fixed.

Chan, thanks for your input. I figured it was a fairly basic repair, but I need to find a shop which is capable of this type of trouble shooting. It is beyond my capabilities as I don't have the equipment to do it myself. Any ideas on who would be best to contact? thanks, tim

Tim, you may want to try Kevin at KHB Photografix (905) 670-5166

or www.khbphotografix.com . The guys is Yoda when it come to enlargers.

noseoil said:

Chan, thanks for your input. I figured it was a fairly basic repair, but I need to find a shop which is capable of this type of trouble shooting. It is beyond my capabilities as I don't have the equipment to do it myself. Any ideas on who would be best to contact? thanks, tim

Click to expand...

Tim,

Since you're in Tucson, look in the local white pages for Robert Watson, also in Tucson. He is quite knowledgeable about Omegas and I believe he does repairs. If not, he should be able to point you in the right direction. I think his email address is rwatson767-at-aol-dot-com

Mike Sullivan

MY D5xl has a power transformer/timer. It's a Chromega. Could that be the source?

Happy Ending

Yesterday morning on ebay I was able to get a "new" power supply for less than $100.00 ($115 with shipping). This is the newer model and should do the job for a few more years. All's well that ends well. I'm still going to have the old one checked out and fixed if possible, so I can have a "spare" if needed. The new one should arrive next week some time, so printing is still on hold for now. Thanks for the suggestions. tim

Follow-up and options

I'm still mulling over the question about sharp prints, tonality and which type of enlarger is "best" for printing in general. I realize the question is a bit broad in its scope, but there are threads on APUG which have caused me to re-think my printing options while I await the arrival of my "new" power supply.

There is one school of thought which says that a condenser type is better than a diffusion or cold light source. Still another is the point-source type, for the ultimate in sharpness and tonality. I'm interested in hearing about the models which are deemed to be best for printing of 4x5 b&w negatives. Since there are so many enlargers going begging right now, what would be the best choice in the used market to look at, for superior print making? Donald has mentioned that a Durst or Devere would be superior in design and function to the more common Beseler and Omega types, but are there others which would fit the bill as well? What are the real differences in these systems which make them better?

I'm still pleased with the prints I have from my D5-XL, but it doesn't hurt to think a bit. Don't want to go on another "magic bullet" chase for the ultimate in enlargers, but if one comes along, I would like to be able to understand my options. Since my only experience in printing is very limited (contact and diffusion), I'm open to suggestions. thanks, tim