Way to get more brightness from D5500?

[SeanEsopenko]

The 75W incandescent enlarger bulb in my Omega Universal head (on a D5500) is turning out to not be bright enough for 16x20 enlargments and larger. Doing 3 minute exposures at F11 is kinda silly and the wide F stop is ruining my edge detail. Is it safe for me to put something like some 150W or 250W photo bulb or the likes in my D5500 or am I creating a fire hazard when doing that?

I'm thinking of throwing in something like this http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produc..._Lamp_250.html

[Brian C. Miller]

Animaniacs had a segment titled, Good idea, Bad idea.
(Good Idea: Buying a pair of shoes on sale. Bad Idea: Buying a parachute on sale.)

This falls into the "bad idea" category. The head does not have the cooling capacity for the bulb, and may not be able to redirect the additional heat away from filters and film.

Are you doing B&W? There are some projects about using 1W LED lamps. These still need some forced air cooling, but it would be better than burning your enlarger.

[Mark Sampson]

I would imagine that a 150w #212 lamp is the design standard for that head, as it is for the D-2 condenser head. A 250w #213 is probably too much. Do an alignment on your enlarger, too, f/11 should be sharp with a good 135/150 enlarging lens.

[SeanEsopenko]

I would imagine that a 150w #212 lamp is the design standard for that head, as it is for the D-2 condenser head. A 250w #213 is probably too much. Do an alignment on your enlarger, too, f/11 should be sharp with a good 135/150 enlarging lens.

It's labeled as a D-3 and there's an engraved plate saying it's rated for a 75W bulb.

Do you mean 4x5 should be sharp with a good 135/150, or 120 film should be sharp with a 135/150? I just checked the alignment of my enlarger by scoring a graph pattern into a piece of film with a sharp knife and it looked ok to me.

The problem is that when using an 80mm Rodenstock 5.6 lens at F11, I'm having to expose for 3 minutes with a 1.5 grade filter when enlarging 120 film to 16x20. Does that seem long to you?

And is there a focus finder that allows you to pivot a mirror so you can check the focus of the corners? My el-cheapo patterson only works in the center.

[ic-racer]

Are the condensers set up correctly?

[SeanEsopenko]

Are the condensers set up correctly?

As far as I know, yes. The large condensor unit has the convex portions of each lens in contact with each other and the flat portions are facing the top & bottom. I follow the diagram on the condenser flap and put the movable condenser on the very bottom for the 80mm and 50mm lenses, and remove it entirely for the 150mm.

I'm now thinking the unit can't get enough electricity and that's the cause. I'm using 3 extension cables connected together to get electricity out to the shack and I'm suspecting they're only 14 gauge wire. I use a propane heater for the shack but when I test out an electric heater there isn't even enough power for the fan to spin properly when the heating element is on.

I suspect I'm going to have to lease studio space

[Brian C. Miller]

There is an appreciable drop based on distance. I don't remember what it is.

How about getting a computer power line conditioner? Some of the battery backup units will adjust under- or over-voltage to a nominal 120V. I had a TrippLite with a multi-tap transformer in it which would automatically adjust the voltage. It was a great unit and it lasted many years.

[SeanEsopenko]

There is an appreciable drop based on distance. I don't remember what it is.

How about getting a computer power line conditioner? Some of the battery backup units will adjust under- or over-voltage to a nominal 120V. I had a TrippLite with a multi-tap transformer in it which would automatically adjust the voltage. It was a great unit and it lasted many years.

That's a good suggestion. Ok I think I have enough info to deal with this problem. Thanks everyone.

[rdenney]

I'm now thinking the unit can't get enough electricity and that's the cause. I'm using 3 extension cables connected together to get electricity out to the shack and I'm suspecting they're only 14 gauge wire.

That doesn't seem too likely.

If you have a 75W enlarger bulb and something like a Time-O-Lite which won't draw more than a few watts, you'll be using some fraction of an amp. Even at a whole amp, the voltage drop on 100 feet of 14AWG copper wire will be well under a volt. I doubt that will have any effect at all on exposure times. Obviously, other loads will affect that voltage drop, but I am thinking not much else should be on when the enlarger is on. If you are running an air conditioner, that's another matter.

Rick "who never had this problem with a D2" Denney

[ic-racer]

An Omega "D" condenser head rated for only 75W seems odd to me. Maybe some early unit. They made basically the same thing for 40 years and they took either a 75W or 150W bulb. Maybe if you put in a new ceramic socket it will upgrade to the 150W spec head.

BTW Bob Carnie uses 250W bulb in his Omega D condenser head. http://www.apug.org/forums/viewpost.php?p=401896 http://www.apug.org/forums/forum37/5...s-toronto.html