Beseler Dichro 45 no light

[Bill_4684]

I recently acquired an old Beseler Dichro 45 color 4x5 enlarger. It gets electricity when turned on (The fan comes on and the LED's light up on the front), but the main bulb won't come on even though it's good (I bought a new one to check it out). The contacts for the bulb are hot when tested on a meter, which is what is perplexing me. I have no manual for it and don't know where to go next. Any suggestions?

[Jon Shiu]

Apologies if this is too obvious, but did you check the bulb with the meter?

[Donald Miller]

If this is a screw in lamp then the following may apply:

Occasionaly on certain equipment the center prong of a lamp socket will lose it's spring tension. When this occurs the prong will fail to contact the center electrical contact of the lamp and even though the socket checks O.K. with a meter it will not light the lamp.

That is what I would check first.

[Andre Noble]

I know my Ushio high watt overhead bulbs that I use in my school overhead projector have a high rate of being "Dead on Arrival".

I'll bet it's the bulb, even though it's new.

[Ken Burns]

I believe this unit has a lever underneath the bottom right side that lifts the filters out of the light path for focussing. If the filters aren't returned to the light path afterwards, the light will not come on. Is this perhaps the problem?

[Adrian_5246]

Could be the bulb, even though new, of course. But unfortunately there is a a component in the lamp control circuit which has been obsolete for quite a few years, and if this item "blows" then the lamp circuit is uncontrolled, and may give you too high a voltage, blowing lamps, or too low a voltage or no voltage at all.
The component is ISO-3 on the board nearest the end of the unit. It is an unusual type of opto isolator, using an incandescent lamp instead of an LED , and thus is guaranteed to fail sooner or later. The fact that a voltage can be read by a meter at the lamp socket means nothing, unless the lamp is inserted at the time. Otherwise there is enough "leakage" to activate the meter, but it is only microamps, and is misleading.
I believe that a company called Baytron claims to be able to repair ISO-3, but that is all I know. Good luck.

[Calamity Jane]

I am just about finished restoring 3 Dichro 45s - only have a metering problem left in one unit. One unit had the exact same problem.

The most common (and universal) problem with the Dichro 45 is corrosion of the board-edge connectors and headers. At the time when these units were made, connector technology had some bugs.

The proper fix is to clean all the connectors, which means removing the 3 circuit boards. (Mark all the cables to the power control board with the P number on the board so you get them back in the right places!) The male header pins on the motherboard will show black deposits on the side toward the daughterboards. This needs to be cleaned off with some VERY fine emery cloth or sandpaper - "contact cleaners" will NOT remove these deposits. For all of the female headers on the daughterboards, use acetone and small wooden toothpicks to scrub every single one of these puppies! Keep working the toothpick back and forth into the connector hole (across the contact spring). When it gets dirty, switch to a clean toothpick and keep going until 4 or 5 strokes leaves the toothpick coming out clean, then move to the next one. I did one Monday and it took 3 hours :-(

When all the connectors are clean, put it back together.

I'd wager $100 your problem will have disappeared!

I'd suggest you could take it to a TV/radio repairman if you don't feel confident doing this yourself but 90% or repairmen will not take the time to do it right - they will spray it and call it good.

You may be able to get away with unplugging and plugging in the control board and the processor board (these are the only two that effect the lamp) and that saves disconnecting the miriad of cables from the control board.

WHAT AM I DOING????!!!! If I give away all my secrets, I won't get any more cheap 45s 'cause people will be fixing them themselves!!!

[DonSweet]

An old thread but I'll give it a try. Jane you still out there? I'll likely contact Baytron, but I was wondering if you ever saw this problem: I bought a DATA Module and all I did was switch the chips like you were supposed to. It didn't work, so I switched it back. Now all I get is whacky single digit blinking and the enlarger light flashing. What the heck happened? ... Much appreciate your input. Thanks. Don

[shorthood]

I am just about finished restoring 3 Dichro 45s - only have a metering problem left in one unit. One unit had the exact same problem.

The most common (and universal) problem with the Dichro 45 is corrosion of the board-edge connectors and headers. At the time when these units were made, connector technology had some bugs.

The proper fix is to clean all the connectors, which means removing the 3 circuit boards. (Mark all the cables to the power control board with the P number on the board so you get them back in the right places!) The male header pins on the motherboard will show black deposits on the side toward the daughterboards. This needs to be cleaned off with some VERY fine emery cloth or sandpaper - "contact cleaners" will NOT remove these deposits. For all of the female headers on the daughterboards, use acetone and small wooden toothpicks to scrub every single one of these puppies! Keep working the toothpick back and forth into the connector hole (across the contact spring). When it gets dirty, switch to a clean toothpick and keep going until 4 or 5 strokes leaves the toothpick coming out clean, then move to the next one. I did one Monday and it took 3 hours :-(

When all the connectors are clean, put it back together.

I'd wager $100 your problem will have disappeared!

I'd suggest you could take it to a TV/radio repairman if you don't feel confident doing this yourself but 90% or repairmen will not take the time to do it right - they will spray it and call it good.

You may be able to get away with unplugging and plugging in the control board and the processor board (these are the only two that effect the lamp) and that saves disconnecting the miriad of cables from the control board.

WHAT AM I DOING????!!!! If I give away all my secrets, I won't get any more cheap 45s 'cause people will be fixing them themselves!!!

[Duolab123]

If you have an older Beseler 45 S Dichro head, assuming the bulb is good. You could gave a bad optical isolator on the circuit board. Usually the problem starts with delays in the lamp starting late or intermittently. Everyone of these heads, I've had 3 had this problem. Many years ago Beseler changed the design to resolve this. The part is obsolete, so I had a tough time finding parts even 15+ years back. I would need to check the numbers, there's two spots on the board Iso 1 and 2 can't remember which. I have it recorded in my notebook. It looks like a little aluminum can with leads soldered to the board. Vactrol was maker. Let me know if you want more info.
Best Regards Mike

[neil poulsen]

I am just about finished restoring 3 Dichro 45s - only have a metering problem left in one unit. One unit had the exact same problem.

The most common (and universal) problem with the Dichro 45 . . .

The following identifies two different Beseler color heads: The Dichro 45 (Computerized), and the 45s.

I was wondering, to which are you referring above?

[Corran]

The following identifies two different Beseler color heads: The Dichro 45 (Computerized), and the 45s.

I was wondering, to which are you referring above?

Bumping kinda old thread, to ask the same.

A kind member sent me a Dichro 45, not the S, and I'm having trouble with the bulb not lighting. I have read through the manual, and it doesn't really have a robust troubleshooting section.

The head turns on in "Status" mode as it should, then when turned "on" it takes a few flips of the switch to get it to show zeroes on the LED panel. At no point does the bulb turn on. If I turn the timer to focus or run the timer the head sometimes just reverts to showing one zero on one LED panel. Is that a message that the bulb is dead? I have read here and on other threads that they tried and failed to get the bulb to light even with a new bulb so I don't really want to buy a bulb if it is indeed a circuit board problem. The bulb looks almost new too, though I am aware that is not really indicative of anything.

One more question - which is newer, the 45 or 45S? I'm confused as to the difference.

[Paul Ron]

then this is the diagram you'll need for a dichro s.....

[Tin Can]

One reason I like condenser heads...Old electronics are the bane of analog photography. Light meters, flashes, all of it. Might be something in the air? Stop bath?

Reason 2 is they sell new for $2300! And that's with 33% off. https://www.adorama.com/be8278.html?gclid=Cj0KCQjwqM3VBRCwARIsAKcekb0O3X9tIkB-eHEmyEV_TEbJ94XFRhmatKzqGHtF4QxThSIjL5wxgWIaAqzyEALw_wcB

I now also hate any darkroom timer. They are not reliable. I have at least 10 bad ones, that look like new. Soooo

I am going to use a metronome, which I have but it's electronic too. Out damn spot!

German made all mechanical, another half yard gone. http://www.guitarcenter.com/Wittner/Taktell-Piccolo-Metronome-Ivory-1274115035574.gc?pfm=item_page.rrt1|ClickCP

[Corran]

I get that Randy, though I've not had problems with my timers (love my Beseler audible timer). I just hope this is fixable. Not sure what to make of Paul's post, I don't have an S or a want to reinvent the wheel here.

[John Olsen]

Ken Burns made a suggestion earlier in this thread about the filter lever under the head that I might call to your attention, just in case you read past it. See message # 5 above from 2004. This has happened to me before, and I felt pretty silly.
Good luck

[Corran]

Thanks John. Yes, the white light lever is set correctly. The LED lights will tell me that the filters are out of the light path as well, as expected. Light still doesn't turn on either way.

I've removed one circuit board and overall things look really clean. I'm not sure if the instructions in post #7 is for the 45 or 45S. I'm also not seeing how the other daughter boards are connected to the main board. They don't have the same simple connector as the one I removed.

Does Beseler repair these? Probably not worth it?

[Duolab123]

Thanks John. Yes, the white light lever is set correctly. The LED lights will tell me that the filters are out of the light path as well, as expected. Light still doesn't turn on either way.

I've removed one circuit board and overall things look really clean. I'm not sure if the instructions in post #7 is for the 45 or 45S. I'm also not seeing how the other daughter boards are connected to the main board. They don't have the same simple connector as the one I removed.

Does Beseler repair these? Probably not worth it?

Send an email to Kevin Brown at KHB GRAPHIX in Mississauga Ontario. He repairs all things Beseler, KHB is possibly Canada's best source for darkroom equipment. Kevin repairs stuff that no one else will touch, and he's been very helpful in helping me find parts to do my own work. Great company.

[Paul Ron]

The S model is the one with the vactrol problems... I posted the diagram incase you had that one, I saw someone mention tin can optoisolators. What dies in teh vacrtols are the mini neon bulbs. If you open the can neatly, you can install a new neon bulb. No one has done that yet but worth a try.

The other alternative is to replace the vatrol with a newer LED flavored opto isolator and a few extra parts... which I dont recall and hasnt been posted by the people that did that.

So this is just for people with that variety of board and for the search record in case someone needs the info.


yours may not be the same from what I see you describe.


.

[Duolab123]

The S model is the one with the vactrol problems... I posted the diagram incase you had that one, I saw someone mention tin can optoisolators. What dies in teh vacrtols are the mini neon bulbs. If you open the can neatly, you can install a new neon bulb. No one has done that yet but worth a try.

The other alternative is to replace the vatrol with a newer LED flavored opto isolator and a few extra parts... which I dont recall and hasnt been posted by the people that did that.

So this is just for people with that variety of board and for the search record in case someone needs the info.


yours may not be the same from what I see you describe.


.

I've fixed 3 Dichro S models by replacing the Vactrol iso. The S model doesn't have Led display. The 45S model came along after the bullet proof DG head that had a separate blower box and a 24V transformer that attached to the enlarger cross member, has a huge shop vac style hose that goes to the cooling blower box. The Dichro 45S went away when the computerized head with the d.a.t.a. modules came out. The computerized head then went away and a new and improved dichro 45S came back. Also the IMHO, the Finest head Beseler ever made came along, the Beseler 45 Universal. I have two of these beauties. The head comes with 3 250W lamps, they are additive heads 3 Dichro fixed filters red,green,and blue. Has a separate computer control box where you dial in Y,M,C filtration. The computer uses your inputs and uses the RGB lamps to deliver the correct exposure. Has a closed loop system that monitors lamp output, deadon.
The other version I have is the VC variable contrast head has green and blue filtration, the red filter is replaced with a clear uv cutoff filter. With the VC controller you can print any contrast or what I do is use split grade, 2 exposures 1 at zero, 1 at 5. It's fabulous. Beseler was bought and sold at least once during the production of the Universal 45, so it died a early death, they didn't sell well and have issues with the controllers. Last I heard Beseler still sold the now flawless new and improved 45S. However I suspect that when they sell what they have that will be it. Now the only new light source available for just about any large format enlarger are high tech LED sources made in Germany by Heiland supposed to be awesome look to spending a couple grand.
Of course the original condenser head works perfectly fine. Split grade filters under the lens works fine, costs about 35 bucks on ebay. Watch Darkroom Dave on the web teaching split grade printing, it's amazing.
I still print color, I think it's a blast. It's sure not as easy as using an inkjet :eek:
Mike

[Corran]

Thanks for the suggestion of KHB Graphix, perhaps he can give some advice because it will be entirely too expensive to ship across the border for a repair - cheaper to just buy a used, working head. This was a give away, and frankly I've blown the money I had from taxes on some film and getting new tires on both my wife's car and mine, so no extra cash to pay for a repair, for now. I definitely want to learn color and have a developing tube/roller and paper ready to go, just need RA-4 chemistry, and this head to work.

[Duolab123]

Thanks for the suggestion of KHB Graphix, perhaps he can give some advice because it will be entirely too expensive to ship across the border for a repair - cheaper to just buy a used, working head. This was a give away, and frankly I've blown the money I had from taxes on some film and getting new tires on both my wife's car and mine, so no extra cash to pay for a repair, for now. I definitely want to learn color and have a developing tube/roller and paper ready to go, just need RA-4 chemistry, and this head to work.

If you have acetate filters they work fine. Modern film and paper is so stable as long as you don't change film the filter pack is pretty much constant (this assumes you have a condenser head) Unique photo in New Jersey is a good source for RA-4 and C-41. RA-4 is so easy. If you heat the chemistry to around 100-104 F 45-60 seconds each for developer and Blix, I still use a regular old Kodak stop bath in between to reduce staining. No need to fret over +/- 1/2 degree like the old days. YOU DO WITH FILM, but color printing is a breeze. Hint find an old microwave to warm your chemistry, doesn't take much, just a few seconds. I've been doing this for 20 years saves a lot of time.

[esearing]

Thanks for the suggestion of KHB Graphix, perhaps he can give some advice because it will be entirely too expensive to ship across the border for a repair - cheaper to just buy a used, working head. This was a give away, and frankly I've blown the money I had from taxes on some film and getting new tires on both my wife's car and mine, so no extra cash to pay for a repair, for now. I definitely want to learn color and have a developing tube/roller and paper ready to go, just need RA-4 chemistry, and this head to work.

Let me know what you find out. I have one that stopped working recently too, I suspect the circuit board but don't know enough to mess with it. Thus the purchase of the Ilford system which has its own issues.

[I_have_more_pixels]

Does anyone have a schematic for the Beseler dichro 45 color head and control box?