Saunders LPL 4500 ii 120V Power Supply Alternative

[Grayjohn900]

Hello Fellow Photrio Members,

I am posting in the general "Darkroom Equipment" forum, but please forgive me if this is not the correct forum to post on - I am new and still learning to navigate the forums.

I am thinking of purchasing a second-hand Saunders LPL 4500ii model for $600 which I am told is a great price for this enlarger. The only issue is that it does not seem to come with the power supply. I thought it best to ask the forum on any guidance they can provide in sourcing the power supply? If that's not possible due to the enlarger not being in production for some time - perhaps alternatives that can be worked through to get the enlarger working until I can source a replacement.

Any suggestions, guidance, food for thought would be greatly appreciated!

Thank you!

Grayjohn900

 

[koraks]

I am posting in the general "Darkroom Equipment" forum, but please forgive me if this is not the correct forum to post on - I am new and still learning to navigate the forums.

You're doing fine!

Personally I would consider $600 a reasonable price for a relatively modern second-hand 4x5" enlarger in complete and working order. Of course, the bandwidth on market prices for such equipment is huge, so YMMV. Your location is listed as LA, which I expect is a relatively rich hunting ground for second hand darkroom equipment (as US metropolitan areas often are).

What would be included in this particular setup; e.g. what kind of head, other accessories etc? Is the power supply missing, or is it defective?

In terms of a power supply, if it only powers the bulb, you could get a generic DC switch-mode power supply (eBay, AliExpress etc.) with adjustable output voltage and a sufficient power rating. Simply wire this to an AC plug and plug it into a timer of your choice. You could build a case for it (ensure proper ventilation) for safety & aesthetics. This is probably cheaper & quicker than trying to find the dedicated power supply. The unit may end up being physically smaller as well. A generic power supply that would work for this setup can be had for around $50. Add a few bucks for wiring, a plug and finishing (boxing it up).

 

[logan2z]

KHB Photografix in Canada sells refurbished power supplies for LPL 4x5 enlargers. They’re not inexpensive, however, and they’re now having to tack on an additional 40% charge to cover the US tariffs. That puts the power supply at nearly the same cost as your enlarger. But it’s an option if you can’t find one at a more reasonable price…

Refurbished Power Supply for Saunders/LPL 4x5 Enlargers

 

[thinkbrown]

I wired my saunders lpl 6700 up with a 12v mean well switch mode power supply which was straightforward. The confusing part is that seemingly the enlarger shipped with a different bulb depending on location. Apparently US models use a 12v bulb while the rest of the world used 82v. I suspect an 82v bulb would be harder to work with given the lack of off the shelf power supplies at that voltage.

 

[koraks]

I suspect an 82v bulb would be harder to work with given the lack of off the shelf power supplies at that voltage.

Fortunately, SMPS units with adjustable output voltage are quite common and very affordable.

 

[bdial]

I agree with Koraks that 600 is a bit much for what is essentially a very large paper weight.
When the original power supply on mine died, I cobbled up a substitute with a dimmer to get the correct 82 volts. It served me well for a few years until I found a replacement original at a good price.

 

[4season]

It's been awhile since I owned a 4550XL, but IIRC, the stock USA power supply was not an LPL product, but rather, a small and lightweight Saunders-branded box made in the USA. I never bothered to open it up, but the size and weight seemed consistent with a simple constant-voltage power supply. I'm sure you can get an SMPS to work, but I don't know how consistent your exposures will be.

 

[Chan Tran]

If the power supply is to only power the bulb and it's of low voltage like 12 or 24V then something like the meanwell switching power supply would be good. It's efficient and hold the voltage steady.

 

[bdial]

I think the common configuration is a 200 or 250 watt 82 v bulb, the XL version uses the 250 watt bulb. The fan operates at 120 volts. There is one cord from the head to the power supply carrying the wires for the lamp and the fan.

Some Beselers and Omegas used 24v 200 watt power supplies, 24v supples seem to be much more common. It’s probably possible to adapt the enlarger to use 24v power, though the fan might be a challenge.

 

[koraks]

the fan might be a challenge.

I'd just run that directly off of 115VAC if the enlarger is used in the US anyway. Be sure to include a fuse in the circuit.

 

[Grayjohn900]

Hello Everyone,

Thank you for the responses, feedback, and guidance! I did want to provide some updates since posting this as Im hoping it may help someone later down the line researching something similar.

[DISCLOSURE] LONG POST AHEAD
TLDR; I am still searching for a power supply, but KHB has 3 recommendations on what can work with this enlarger. Several vendors will keep me in mind if they come across any spare power supplies.

KORAKS - thank you for the response! The enlarger is by itself in pristine condition. I did consult with some other vendors on their thoughts and they also agreed it was a reasonable price. Unfortunately, the cord is a 4-pronged cable atypical for the states. For now they will keep me in mind if a power supply comes up. Kevin B. over at KHB had a thorough response to this as well I will list below.

Logan2z - Thank you for suggesting KHB! I had also emailed them prior to posting this in hopes of covering all my bases. KHB, specifically Kevin B., was phenomenally helpful in providing further context. I will paste his reply here:

"Hello grayjohn900,



The enlarger you have was made in Japan by LPL and imported into North America by Saunders thus it was co-branded Saunders/LPL. Saunders opted to have LPL attach different model numbers (thus the 4500-II/7451 confusion) and they also opted for a different power supply and cable configuration. The original power supplies provided by Saunders were made in the USA and were a budget design, to be kind. The factory power supply from LPL in Japan is far superior and later versions of the 4500-II would have been supplied with a different cable connector to fit the LPL factory power supply. I provided a modified Japanese power supply to directly fit the earlier Saunders/LPL enlargers. Both the USA and Japanese made power supplies are listed in my on-line store at the links below.



http://store.khbphotografix.com/Voltage-Stabilized-Power-Supply-for-Saunders-LPL-4x5-Enlargers.html

http://store.khbphotografix.com/Power-Supply-for-Saunders-LPL-4x5-Enlargers-Refurbished.html



Since LPL in Japan have ceased production of the enlargers new power supplies are no-longer available. I can only provide refurbished units but at this time I have none in-stock. I do hope to have some in the next couple months.



Alternatively it is possible to modify the enlarger to use a different lamp and to run on a power supply from a different enlarger manufacturer. The power supply I use in this case is the one for an Omega 4x5 enlarger as linked below. This would require your sending part of the LPL for modification but is straight forward, reliable and cost effective.



http://store.khbphotografix.com/120V-Power-Supply-for-Super-Chromega-D-and-E-Colorheads.html". - Kevin B.

4season - You are correct, this is consistent with what KHB recommended

CHAN TRAN - It seems the power supply also powers the fan and other peripherals which is what makes its less cut and dry sadly, but good thoughts!

BDIAL - KHB did have some suggestions as a third option for modification but I have not yet fully looked into it

THANK YOU EVERYONE! I will continue to monitor and update this thread to see what options become available. I really appreciate all of you hopping on to provide information toward a solution. I am hoping by providing all possible solutions and information to pay it forward for any other fellow researcher.

 

[koraks]

Thanks for the update; good luck with the project and I hope you'll get it up and running soon!

 

[ic-racer]

You don't need a switching power supply. Just an appropriate AC transformer to match the bulb voltage and wattage.

 

[gary mulder]

Maybe you can use this idea to build power supply for the LPL 4500 ii

 

[koraks]

You don't need a switching power supply. Just an appropriate AC transformer to match the bulb voltage and wattage.

That's true, but an smps is these days usually both cheaper and easier to find.

Maybe you can use this idea to build power supply for the LPL 4500 ii

That's an excellent solution; very cost effective, compact, easy etc.

 

[ic-racer]

In my experience switching power supplies would need the timer on the secondary, but timing the primary would probably be ok for most practical purposes in an amateur B&W darkroom.

 

[Chan Tran]

That's true, but an smps is these days usually both cheaper and easier to find.


That's an excellent solution; very cost effective, compact, easy etc.

A smps would give you the kind of voltage stabilization that you really wish for back in the days.

 

[koraks]

In my experience switching power supplies would need the timer on the secondary, but timing the primary would probably be ok for most practical purposes in an amateur B&W darkroom.

Capacitance on the output is generally low enough in relation to the power of the bulb to not be a problem. Swtiching the secondary is a little more involved since it's DC, so many relays will suffer too much.

 

[ic-racer]

Capacitance on the output is generally low enough in relation to the power of the bulb to not be a problem. Swtiching the secondary is a little more involved since it's DC, so many relays will suffer too much.

Other than the light not extinguishing on time.

 

[koraks]

That's what my post that you quoted addressed.

 

[gary mulder]

The afterglow of the halogen lamp will be factors greater. If it turns out to be a problem, you solve it with a shutter.

 

[Melvin J Bramley]

Depending upon the model , the power supply could have 24 volts for the bulbs and 120 volts for the fan.