Will a gralab 300 timer work for my besler 23c series 2 enlarger?

WILL WORK FOR FILM · Jan 3, 2017

Just purchased a Besler 23c series 2 enlarger and need to find a timer for it. Will a Gralab 300 work? or would I be better served with something else?

Paul Howell · Jan 3, 2017

Dont know why not, I have used Graylabs as an enlarger timer, my preference is a repeatable timer, I use Unicolor and Heathkit but thinking about a Bessler audible timer.

darkroommike · Jan 3, 2017

It will work but as Paul has already said a print and repeat timer is better in my book and frees up the Gralab for process timing.

tedr1 · Jan 3, 2017

One more vote for an electronic timer, Beseler make one, they can be found on ebay, there are other brands also, Saunders LPL made one, try a search on ebay for darkroom timer, usually a bunch of different types come up.

ac12 · Jan 3, 2017

YES
I used one when my elec timer died.

WILL WORK FOR FILM · Jan 3, 2017

I am glad that I asked. Thanks.

Julie McLeod · Jan 3, 2017

When I set up my darkroom in the fall, my Beseler 23CII came with the Gralab 300. It works fine but it's not very convenient so I bought a repeatable IC Enlarger Timer on eBay and now use the Gralab strictly for timing print developing steps.

ac12 · Jan 3, 2017

One thing with the GraLab is the luminescent dial.
I would keep it away/shielded from your paper.

HowieP · Jan 3, 2017

Have used Besler 23 CII enlarger with Gralab 300 for 30 years with no problems whatsoever. Now use 2 one strictly for enlarger other for chemical processing. No problems with inaccurate times and luminescense has never affected paper. Hve two more waiting for if these ever die but I expect them to outlast me.

M Carter · Jan 4, 2017

I gotta say, one of the best beginner upgrades is a repeating audible timer - I found it life changing. Beseler and Omega made them and they show up on eBay quite often.

They have footswitch jacks, and this is huge for dodging and burning - no more leaning over to the timer, you can have your hands ready. The switches are more rare and pricey. Just get a 1/4" musical instrument jack (like what's on a guitar, a mono 2 conductor, also knows as TS - TRS is stereo) and a musician's momentary footswitch at any music store or Amazon. Less than $20 for both. Find a place to install the jack on the timer, and solder the 2 conductors from the old switch port to the guitar jack (polarity doesn't matter). The Beseler has 2 wires, the omega 3 - one is a ground, it's green, just ignore it.

It's just a killer upgrade, especially for the money involved (the timers can be found for $25 - $30).

StephenT · Jan 4, 2017

Yes, it will and I highly recommend them. Both of my enlargers now have analog timers attached. I found that the electronic ones become unreliable as their components aged. NOTE:::::the electronic ones I have experienced were state of the art 30-40 years ago - I am confident that new ones will work just fine, but they won't cost just $30 or so! However, I still prefer the analog GraLabs - just something about them.

MattKing · Jan 4, 2017

My only problems with a Gralab 300 are:
1) I prefer a timer that resets itself back to the same time after it completes a cycle; and
2) I like having the option to work in short times, and fractions (tenths) of seconds.

IIRC, there are Gralab analog timers that do reset themselves, but I've never seen one.

With respect to the desire for fractions of sections, it flows from my preference for working in fractions of stops. Ralph Lambrecht's Beyond Monochrome has a wonderful table of fractional stops, and once you get past the initial hurdle, they are really intuitive.

But with reasonably short printing times, you need fractions of seconds to repeatably get 1/6, 1/4, 1/3 of a stop (etc.).

Will a gralab 300 timer work for my besler 23c series 2 enlarger?

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