Timer for Chromega F?

[3e8]

I've just acquired a Fotar 10' vertical enlarger with a Chromega F Dichroic II head. It came with the power supply for the head, but no timer. I've found the manual online, and it says that either the timer must be able to handle a load of 1000 watts, or you have to use the Omega power relay.

At the moment, I have several Gralab 300's laying around, and I'm not sure if they will work. The listed "lamp load" is 600 W, but the max "resistive load" is 1200 W.

If anyone has this head, what timer are you using? Are you using it with the power relay? Does anyone know if there's an alternative to the Omega power relay that a electrician could construct?

Thanks,
Bryan

 

[Nicholas Lindan]

If that's a 1000W incandescent lamp load then you need a contactor to control it. A 7384K11 from Mcmaster Carr should be adequate.

http://www.mcmaster.com/#relays/=5xgbgy

 

[wildbill]

I got a kearsarge 402 for mine. I haven't actually used it yet but here's a quote from the original owner:

"I have been using the 402 for three years on that enlarger, no problems.
When I checked both timers today I see the 402 is rated 500 watts, the 403 1000 watts."

 

[Nicholas Lindan]

I got a kearsarge 402 for mine. ... I see the 402 is rated 500 watts, the 403 1000 watts."

Its a relation of current to the number of on/off cycles. The Darkroom Automation timer is rated for 300 watts based on 500,000 actuations. The contact life increases to 2,000,000 actuations at 200 watts.

500,000 actuations / 10 actuations/hr / 2,000 work hours/year = 25 year relay life at 300 watts.

By the same criteria, relay life at 200 watts or less would be 100 years or more.

 

[3e8]

I hate all over you.

Well, you will probably hate more knowing the total deal.Initially, I was planning on getting a HK horizontal mural enlarger for the price of $200. I had arranged to pick it up in NYC (about a 5 hour drive for me) this past Saturday. Thursday evening, the seller contacted me saying that when he went thru the lab’s storage looking for the parts, he couldn’t find the head for the HK. But, instead of the HK, he had a 10’ vertical Fotar, with two color heads and all the parts. I told him I had to check if I had the ceiling clearance for a 10’ column. I did some quick checking and found out that if necessary, I could cut down the column. So I called him back and said I would take it. He felt so bad about not having the parts for the HK that he also threw in an Ilford 2150 RC B&W roller transport processor for free.

So it was a great find, but I now have to store and set up everything in my sister and brother-in-law’s garage, as there’s no way the floor in my darkroom could support the ~600 lb. enlarger and ~300 lb. processor.

 

[3e8]

Well, that can cancel out with the -1 hate for the grief my sister is giving me for all the space it's taking up in her garage (which of course is otherwise empty, but that's irrelevant of course), and the fact that I'll owe her family portraits etc. at her whim.