Omega EN question

[Rael]

Has anyone here heard of an Omega EN enlarger? I'm told it was used for aviation film and can do 5x7. Apparently has a florescent cold head that stays on all the time and a shutter to time the exposure? I can't find out much about it, or whether there are any limitations compared to regular E series. Thanks for any info anyone might have.

[Bob Salomon]

If it was aerial then it would have been for 5x5" or 10x10" which were the common sizes we used in the 60s in the USAF.

[Jac@stafford.net]

Bob Salomon jogged my memory! (RAF Upper Heyford) Rael, you might be thinking of the Omega E 5x7 or Omega F 8x10. Both were used in military darkrooms. I don't' know of any that used a constant light source with shutter. I never used an F.

[Rael]

If it was aerial then it would have been for 5x5" or 10x10" which were the common sizes we used in the 60s in the USAF. looks like 5x5 but will handle 5x7. For 200 bucks I'm thinking of taking a chance on it.

[ic-racer]

It seems to me that restoration of a Fluorescent lamp enlarger should be less expensive than a "Coldlight" enlarger. The ballast, starter, bulb(s), sockets, etc. should all be easily replaceable items. One difficulty you might encounter, however, is a non-working electronic shutter.

[ic-racer]

I don't have an Omega E Omegalite, but I found these pictures in my archive. The first one may not even be an Omega enlarger or head but as I recall it had multiple individual straight fluorescent lamps and an Omega electronic shutter. The second one is an Omega E with the single circular 11" lamp fluorescent lamp but lacking the shutter.
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