Red LED safelight bar useful

[Ulophot]

This item may have been posted previously, but I just got one and installed it, and thought I'd pass on my experience.

From Superbright LEDs, I got item # EGLB-x. Mine is the 18” model. https://www.superbrightleds.com/line...8705b79dd1e94b. (And no, I have no connection with them.)

My darkroom does have a “sheltered” enlarger station, so I am at some pains to keep light dim at the enlarger base. (See attached layout.) Normally I use amber safelight, but Fomatone requires red light. I previously had installed 2 red LED mini-globe bulbs near m regular safelights, but despite considerable efforts to control the light, I found visually disturbing the intensity on the wall areas on which the light was bounced from a few inches away, and have been planning for a while to find a better solution.

The bar is just 5/8-inch wide and very light weight. After playing with placement and light-baffling ideas (it’s VERY bright), I attached it to a piece of lath wood and hung it about 10" from the ceiling with monofilament, over the fixer area of my sink. For baffling I used black oak tag an inch or two up the sides with an overlapping cover piece that has some rectangular holes cut in it to allow heat and some light to escape. The cover is a few inches short of the bar's ends. The light is about the brightness at my developer tray of the amber light, and about the same level at the enlarger. I’ll keep the other red light over the paper cutter, which was the less disturbing of the two.

Had I a light-segregated enlarger station, or an ability to douse the safelight when the enlarger goes on as many timers allow, that little bar would be plenty to make the darkroom very bright.

[Doremus Scudder]

Hi Philip,

Have you done a safelight test with the LED strip yet? I have a different red LED strip, but mine required rubylith filtration.

Best,

Doremus

[Ulophot]

Hi Philip,

Have you done a safelight test with the LED strip yet? I have a different red LED strip, but mine required rubylith filtration.

Best,

Doremus

Not yet; I just put it up. The mini-globe bulbs I use are from the same company and they tested fine. I realize that the company may not be the manufacturer, so I will certainly check, though at the illumination level I am using, my expectation is that I'll test fine for at least 5 minutes. I'll post back with results.

I know, I should have tested before posting. My youthful enthusiasm is sometimes unbridled.

[Ulophot]

Meanwhile, back at the darkroom, the safelight test was carried out. I am pleased to report that no fog appeared on a test strip exposed as follows:

Enlarger exposure for a light Zone VII with all lights off

Exposed in sections at sink level under the LED bar for 2, 4, and 6 minutes

Developed with the same safelight on for an additional 3 minutes, albeit 2 of those minutes were face down. The face-down is my way of keeping track of the 3 minutes I use for this paper: first and third are face-down.

Then I tested with safelights on for enlarger exposure plus two minutes of safelight at the enlarger (as if for longer sereis of exposures -- burning-in, etc.) with part completely covered (from safelights), followed by three minutes of safelight exposure, followed by development as before. All good.

Again, my lighting may not be as bright as yours, for reasons stated in my OP, above.

[Ben Calwell]

Hi Philip,
I spritzed my drink out of my mouth when you stated that Fomatone requires a red safe light. I’ve been using Fomatone MG Classic for several months with an amber safe light and have noticed no issues. But maybe there are issues, and I just haven’t seen them. I need the fish the data sheet out of the trash.

[Ben Calwell]

Hi Philip,
I spritzed my drink out of my mouth when you stated that Fomatone requires a red safe light. I’ve been using Fomatone MG Classic for several months with an amber safe light and have noticed no issues. But maybe there are issues, and I just haven’t seen them. I need the fish the data sheet out of the trash.

[Ben Calwell]

Sorry for the double post.

[phdgent]

I simply put frosted 280lm LED bulbs in the tree Kodak beehive safe lights I have hanging in my darkroom.
But I must admit that I replaced the original Kodak Red filters by two layers of Ulano Rubylith Red Masking Film.

"...Rubylith is a red masking film, which is suited for use with orthochromatic films. Rubylith is "safe" for use with camera speed darkroom films as well as indirect gelatin stencil films and diazo, diazo acrylic, or SBQ sensitized stencil films or emulsions. Rubylith is primarily used in the camera and plate making operations for offset lithography, flexography, gravure, and screen processes where orthochromatic films and plates are used..."

And yes, Foma FB III paper must be used in RED safelight, reed the info sheet packed with the paper...

[Ben Calwell]

I simply put frosted 280lm LED bulbs in the tree Kodak beehive safe lights I have hanging in my darkroom.
But I must admit that I replaced the original Kodak Red filters by two layers of Ulano Rubylith Red Masking Film.

"...Rubylith is a red masking film, which is suited for use with orthochromatic films. Rubylith is "safe" for use with camera speed darkroom films as well as indirect gelatin stencil films and diazo, diazo acrylic, or SBQ sensitized stencil films or emulsions. Rubylith is primarily used in the camera and plate making operations for offset lithography, flexography, gravure, and screen processes where orthochromatic films and plates are used..."

And yes, Foma FB III paper must be used in RED safelight, reed the info sheet packed with the paper...

Good information. I’ve not used Foma FB III paper, but the data sheet that came with my package of Fomatone MG Classic FB paper says to use an orange safelight. I use a Kodak OC safelight, which is orangish-amber and not noticed any issues with that paper.

[phdgent]

Here is that tech. info sheet:

FOMABROM VARIANT III.pdf