Timer Slow?

[josh.]

I have recently set up a black and white darkroom in my basement. After buying a gralab 450 timer off ebay I made my first prints today. I noticed though that every so often after i pressed "start" the enlarger light would take up to .5 seconds to come on. Also, after being in focus mode, it sometimes won't switch over to time mode. Is this a problem with the enlarger or the timer? Any ways to fix this? If it helps, the enlarger is a Beseler 23II with a color dichro head.

Thanks in advance.

 

[glbeas]

I've heard of this problem, and it's not the timer but something in the color head circuit to do with an internal relay. Several of the folks relating this problem also experience failure of that relay and how to fix it with alternate parts as this one was not available any more. I'm not sure if it as in Apug threads or not, do a search of the threads and see what falls out of the tree.
One thing also you want to check the wattage of that color head against the load rating of the timers relays, it shound be printed on the timers case somewhere, usually the backside.

 

[josh.]

Yes Gary, you were right. It is indeed not the timer but the Dichro head. After searching I came upon this thread:

(there was a url link here which no longer exists)

I have just contacted Phoebe asking for a copy of the schematics.

Thanks.

 

[Chan Tran]

I had 2 Beseler 23CII with the dichroic head. I don't have them any more so I have to call upon my memory. There is the power supply for the head and the timer is not supposed to plug directly into an outlet but rather into the to timer outlet on the power supply and then there is a cord from timer that plugs into the timer. You would have to turn the power supply on first and then activate the timer. If you set the head in focus mode and then start the timer you can not get it out of this mode until the timer shuts off.