Noisy Cold Light.

[Michael Graves]

Anybody know what causes a cold light head to buzz rather loudly? The illumination is nice and consistent, but the noise is enough to drive me nuts.

[Jay Wolfe]

I just had a similar experience with my Zone VI 8x10 non-VC head connected to a Zone VI compensating timer. Turned out that the lamp brightness setting was too low. The light was fluttering also. When I turned up the lamp brightness, all was well again.

[Michael Graves]

Far as I can see, the 4x5 version doesn't have a brightness adjustment. And I don't notice any fluttering.

[Jay Wolfe]

Back to you, then! [The brightness adjustment (on mine) is on the timer, not the cold light.}

[Michael Graves]

Aha! I'm slow, but I'm trainable. I use a Gralab 450 and there is no adjustment like that. So I guess I gotta live with it. The cold light on the 57MB doesn't buzz. Just the 4x5.

[Merg Ross]

Who manufactured the cold light? Sounds like a cold transformer, or one about to go bad.

If it is an Aristo, you might try asking here: louise.kessler@voltarc.com
This is the customer service e-mail for Aristo.

[Bruce Barlow]

I second Merg.

In ancient history, when Zone VI cold lights started to buzz, the transformer had a short life ahead of it. When Zone VI went to having their own made, rather than buying from the incumbent, Fred beefed up the transformer to mostly eliminate the problem. Mostly.

[Michael Graves]

Thanks. I will look into that. Sounds like something I can actually do if I can get the part.

[ic-racer]

Thanks. I will look into that. Sounds like something I can actually do if I can get the part.


The transformer in mine looked like something from the 'neon light' industry. It was made in Hong Kong. I suspect you should be able to source a suitable replacement for yours.

[RichardRitter]

Try reversing the plug.

[Greg Lockrey]

If reversing the plug doesn't work and if you can get the cover off to see the winding, you could get some electric motor winding two part epoxy from a motor rewind shop or industrail type hardqware store and pour it on the windings to encapsolate it better to leasen the effect of that 60 cycle hum.

[Roger Thoms]

Micheal, just curious did you solve you buzzing problem? I just got a used cold light and guess what it buzzes.

[sidmac]

My Aristo would hum when it was cold but the humming went away after it warmed up a bit

[Jim Galli]

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