Saunders/LPL 4x5 Enlarger: Power Supply

[jmedlock]

(Was also posted to the LargeFormat website.)

Hi,

To those who own the Saunders/LPL enlarger -- and -- to the great electrical engineers of the world who happen to be photographers.

I own a Saunders/LPL 4500II 4x5 enlarger from before OmegaSatter took over the line.

I just purchased a new power supply from B&H http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=productlist&A=details&Q=&sku=90222&is=REG.

Note that the picture on the website is not accurate - the power supply being shipped is different - OmegaSatter is now shipping the original power supply developed by LPL (part #200400). Unfortunately the new power supply is not compatible with my old power supply. The 4-prong connection on the cable that runs from the enlarger to the power supply doesn't fit!

I talked to Customer Service at OmegaSatter and they said that "Saunders bastardized the enlarger by developing a different power supply than designed by LPL." She told me that Hazlow Electronics in N.Y. (585-325-5323) developed the Saunders version of the power supply. She also said that they have had customer complaints about the new power supply not fitting the old-style connection to the enlarger, but do not have a solution. In other words, I am SOL.

So now my questions:

I write software for a living and know little about electronics, but I am hoping I can use the new power supply.

I called and left a message for Larry at Hazlow Electronics and hope he will be able to help. But failing that, I am hoping someone here can help.

Does anyone have a schematic for the old power supply? The cable that plugs into the power supply has 4-pins: but I don't know which pins are for what (options are: fan, lamp, ground).

The new power supply schematic states the following (formatting below is what they show):

• No.1-2pins to Lamp.
• No.3-2pins to Fan.
• No.4-to Earth

So I take this strange formatting to mean that Pin #2 is doing double-duty. It is serving both the Lamp & Fan, and that Pin #4 is ground.

Does anyone know where I can buy the 4-prong connector for the new power supply? (This assumes you know what it looks like -- I don't have a picture of it, but it is a round connection with 4 inputs. How is that for a description?)

Could there be such a thing as an electrical adapter that would fit the old connector & the new connector? (This assumes you know what the old connector & new connector look like. Do I need to do a Google search?)

Has anyone else come across this problem? Do you have a solution?

I bought the power supply as a backup because of the great price ($160 vs $360 or whatever other places are selling it for). Fortunately my old power supply still works! But I'd like to know if I can get the new power supply to work with my enlarger, otherwise I'll return it to B&H.

Thanks!

 

[jmedlock]

Potential Solution: Saunders/LPL 4x5 Enlarger Power Supply

For those interested, I have a possible solution posted here:

http://largeformatphotography.info/lfforum/topic/500563.html

 

[Donald Miller]

(Was also posted to the LargeFormat website.)

Hi,

To those who own the Saunders/LPL enlarger -- and -- to the great electrical engineers of the world who happen to be photographers.

I own a Saunders/LPL 4500II 4x5 enlarger from before OmegaSatter took over the line.

I just purchased a new power supply from B&H http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=productlist&A=details&Q=&sku=90222&is=REG.

Note that the picture on the website is not accurate - the power supply being shipped is different - OmegaSatter is now shipping the original power supply developed by LPL (part #200400). Unfortunately the new power supply is not compatible with my old power supply. The 4-prong connection on the cable that runs from the enlarger to the power supply doesn't fit!

I talked to Customer Service at OmegaSatter and they said that "Saunders bastardized the enlarger by developing a different power supply than designed by LPL." She told me that Hazlow Electronics in N.Y. (585-325-5323) developed the Saunders version of the power supply. She also said that they have had customer complaints about the new power supply not fitting the old-style connection to the enlarger, but do not have a solution. In other words, I am SOL.

So now my questions:

I write software for a living and know little about electronics, but I am hoping I can use the new power supply.

I called and left a message for Larry at Hazlow Electronics and hope he will be able to help. But failing that, I am hoping someone here can help.

Does anyone have a schematic for the old power supply? The cable that plugs into the power supply has 4-pins: but I don't know which pins are for what (options are: fan, lamp, ground).

The new power supply schematic states the following (formatting below is what they show):

• No.1-2pins to Lamp.
• No.3-2pins to Fan.
• No.4-to Earth

So I take this strange formatting to mean that Pin #2 is doing double-duty. It is serving both the Lamp & Fan, and that Pin #4 is ground.

Does anyone know where I can buy the 4-prong connector for the new power supply? (This assumes you know what it looks like -- I don't have a picture of it, but it is a round connection with 4 inputs. How is that for a description?)

Could there be such a thing as an electrical adapter that would fit the old connector & the new connector? (This assumes you know what the old connector & new connector look like. Do I need to do a Google search?)

Has anyone else come across this problem? Do you have a solution?

I bought the power supply as a backup because of the great price ($160 vs $360 or whatever other places are selling it for). Fortunately my old power supply still works! But I'd like to know if I can get the new power supply to work with my enlarger, otherwise I'll return it to B&H.

Thanks!

The number two pin would be a neutral and is common to both the fan and the lamp. The lamp #1 requires a lower voltage then the fan#3 (I believe it to be 82 volt for the lamp and 120 Volt for the fan). The #4 would be be the ground leg and should be continuous to the ground leg at the wall plug in.

As another poster mentioned, it would probably require only a matching set of four pin connectors (male/female) from Radio Shack to effect the conversion.

The only major consideration is that the transformer in the power supply is of sufficient VA capacity.

 

[cnmne]

FWIW the plug on the "Saunders version" power supply is called a "Jones plug".