Durst CLS 1840 Color Enlarger Rewire Question

[Michael Kadillak]

In a previous thread I mentioned that I recently acquired a Durst CLS 1840 enlarger that was modified by Durst USA to use a 220V 2,000 watt power unit and uses a 2,000 watt halogen bulb. Because of the fact that I do not feel that the work I want to accomplish with this enlarger does not need such enormous power / illumination and secondly because 2,000 watt halogen bulbs appears as scarce as hens teeth I want to explore the possibility of seeing what it would take to modify this enlarger to take 120V 1,000 watt halogen bulbs (which appears to be more available) and see who I would be able to engage to assist me with this endeavor considering that Durst USA is no longer in business? In the current configuration I can use use density filters and if the heat gets too intense (which is why I suspect the unit came with an auxiliary vacuum to suck hot air away from the head) I can spread out my use accordingly. But if the bulb goes dead it takes the unit down with it. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks in advance.

[Luis-F-S]

I would run the fan continuously after the rewire. Not sure how to handle the pre-heat/shutter perhaps IC can chime in. Check with the folks who fix old radios they can possibly put you in touch with the right people.

[Keith Pitman]

Have you gotten it to light up yet? If not, I’d get it working before deciding to undertake some expensive modifications. The 2000W bulb may work fine and last a long time.

[ic-racer]

If you can find an EST1000 and 1000W lamp, you could convert your head back to the original state.

Another option is to find an EST2000 (not the EST2000-N). That older model switches between 220V and 170V (2000W and 1000W), and you can lower the voltage, perhaps down to 120V, though I'd be a little scared to put the 120V 1000W lamp in it even with the 1000W button engaged.

Durst Pro USA also made the EST 1500 which one could reverse engineer and make one themselves (it is a switching power supply, does not look that complicated compared to the original)

199680

[Oslolens]

I would avoid the heat and the fan and put in dimmable LEDs. They can be dimmed in at least 3 ways, variable voltage, limiting the current (but if one LED break, the others will get more and by cutting the power, you see the flickering on budget lamps. I was planning to use my 110-240VAC/20A 8-15V power supply/batter charger on LED strips, but ended on a simple 9x11" light table. Horizontal enlarger still not finished.

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[Drew Wiley]

Oslolens - what you're describing is like replacing a Ferarri with a skateboard. These Durst head were very powerful and sophisticated devices. They can be tamed for more ordinary usage without giving up those features which made them so expensive to begin with.

[Oslolens]

Oslolens - what you're describing is like replacing a Ferarri with a skateboard. These Durst head were very powerful and sophisticated devices. They can be tamed for more ordinary usage without giving up those features which made them so expensive to begin with.More like T-ford with a Tesla Truck ;) They will both carry 2 pigs and a barrel, but Tesla has air conditioning. It's my belief you don't need the halogen unless doing colour. Heiland makes them, but at a steep price €4022,-

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[Luis-F-S]

Michael, pls post and let us know what you decide to do. L

[ic-racer]

I would avoid the heat and the fan and put in dimmable LEDs. They can be dimmed in at least 3 ways, variable voltage, limiting the current (but if one LED break, the others will get more and by cutting the power, you see the flickering on budget lamps. I was planning to use my 110-240VAC/20A 8-15V power supply/batter charger on LED strips, but ended on a simple 9x11" light table. Horizontal enlarger still not finished.

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Can you show this Dimmable 220V LED replacement for the CLS2000? I don't know it and does not appear Drew knows it either.

I know the following:
1) Original lamp (Colamp2000/Thorn HX27). These are available on the internet; I posted a link to one.
2) Reverse engineered lamp. This may be available from Russia. I'm testing one now (see e-mail correspondence on the lamp below)
3) Other replacement lamps, like the available $80 2000W 220V FTL (PICTURED BELOW) have a globe a little too big to fit through the CLS2000 reflector opening though the base will plug into the existing socket. If I ever run out of options, since I have a number of reflectors, I'd take an older reflector and grind the opening bigger. Only a few millimeters of glass would need to be removed to allow the FTL lamp to be used.
4) Another option for the FTL is to remove the lamp from the base ("new base" on existing lamp is how the Russian DIY Colamp2000 is created) and re-attach it after fitting it through the reflector.

199993
199992


Thank you!
Did you use my DIY colamp2000?

I wish to order new run on factory and miss statistics days. They told me use in in my 2506 but better not to use in vertical.

I had statistics with horizontal machines and it work fine.

Need more data with vertical. Till now one burned and one running one month.

[Michael Kadillak]

Michael, pls post and let us know what you decide to do. L

I certainly will Luis. Contacting the electrician that helped me install the special plug receptacle. Since it was a while ago I want to make sure he made it a 220V connection. I am not about to just plug it in without verifying all is OK. Last thing I need is the smell of blue smoke.

[Drew Wiley]

There isn't going to be any remotely resembling a dimmable LED replacement. Oslolens was speaking about replacing the entire head with a bank of dimmable (?) LED's, a " "skateboard" both geometrically and qualitatively. I'm well aware of various experiments to make and market LED VC heads. I cheer Heiland on, but that's quite an expensive option when a footswitch to on/off the 220V fan, if it's split off onto its own circuit, costs around $20. The actual Durst head is shutter-equipped, so that it trims off both the warm-up and afterglow of the bulb, allowing very precise exposure, and yes, for color work especially. That could be done with an ordinary enlarger by using an enlarger lens with its own leaf shutter with an electronic release synched to the enlarger timer. Extra heat is nice in the winter, bad in the summer.

[Michael Kadillak]

Follow up on my enlarger activities. Had to bring over my electrician because it was not wired for 220V in my darkroom which was resolved. The male / female plug were not mated properly which was probably a good thing because it only had 120V wired to the circuit. Was able to connect the power unit cord to the head and plug in a timer and she fired right up and the fan in the head came on nearly instantly. I did not put the top over the light head yet. There is an opening in the top cap to the light unit that looks like it is supposed to be open to allow air to be pulled in by the fan exhausting it to the rear. I have a hole in the middle of the top box that has a hose connector screwed to it to accept a 3" hose. For now I may close it until I determine if the heat is intense enough to require the augmented blower. Sure is bright.



200165

[Keith Pitman]

Congratulations! Making progress!

[ic-racer]

Yay!! It is working!!

[Drew Wiley]

Lack of heat exhaust can be quite bad for the colorhead itself, not to mention a potential fire hazard. You should have something fireproof
lining the ceiling and wall directly above and behind the colorhead. I happen to use FRP (fire-resistant fiberglass panel), even though I have
my enlargers very well ventilated. Otherwise, I'd fail a local fire inspection if they actually ever came over (they don't, and just want their
annual inspection fee paid, a lazy habit in any number of cities around here that has also led to numerous catastrophic fires in un-inspected art and industrial facilities).

[Michael Kadillak]

Lack of heat exhaust can be quite bad for the colorhead itself, not to mention a potential fire hazard. You should have something fireproof
lining the ceiling and wall directly above and behind the colorhead. I happen to use FRP (fire-resistant fiberglass panel), even though I have
my enlargers very well ventilated. Otherwise, I'd fail a local fire inspection if they actually ever came over (they don't, and just want their
annual inspection fee paid, a lazy habit in any number of cities around here that has also led to numerous catastrophic fires in un-inspected art and industrial facilities).

I will surely find some fire resistant fiberglass panels and install then for the same reason. I want to monitor the existing fan in the head and see how it dissipates heat as my Plan B is to install the auxiliary fan. Given the fact that the existing internal fan is set up to blow air to the back of the light head I would assume that the auzillary fan would be set up to blow air into the top of the light head not pull air out of the light head.

[ic-racer]

The way my EST2000-N runs with the CLS2000 head is that the two fans always run when the 2000W lamp is ON. They also will turn off when the main lamp is off. However, if the internal temp. sensors sense elevated temp. then the fans will stay on until the temp cools.

For a typical 16x20 print I might have a base exposure of 20 seconds with 5 to ten burns of 20 seconds. This almost never elevates the temperature to cause the fans to run after the main lamp turns off.
If the fans do stay on after an exposure, I usually take a break and let it cool down, but it is actually designed to keep making exposures when the fans are running continuously.

[Michael Kadillak]

The way my EST2000-N runs with the CLS2000 head is that the two fans always run when the 2000W lamp is ON. They also will turn off when the main lamp is off. However, if the internal temp. sensors sense elevated temp. then the fans will stay on until the temp cools.

For a typical 16x20 print I might have a base exposure of 20 seconds with 5 to ten burns of 20 seconds. This almost never elevates the temperature to cause the fans to run after the main lamp turns off.
If the fans do stay on after an exposure, I usually take a break and let it cool down, but it is actually designed to keep making exposures when the fans are running continuously.

Great to hear. When I had the enlarger on and ran it for a couple of minutes with the fan on it did not seem to get excessively hot. I was hoping what you confirmed with your response. Thanks!

[Drew Wiley]

The point is, all of that is subject to fallible sensors and electronics, just like in a modern pain-in-the-butt automobile where you have to mortgage your house to replace a failed relay or sensor or thermostat. That's why you want the common-sense insurance of a fire-resistant wall and ceiling. It's also a damn expensive colorhead itself, and overheating is very bad for dichroic filters, gaskets, etc, and especially color film. Any heat which it does exhaust should ideally be vented outdoors by a remote booster fan to prevent ambient air temp rise around the colorhead itself. Hot air rises. (But at the moment, I'm on the bottom thread, so no quips yet)...

[ic-racer]

Can you show this Dimmable 220V LED replacement for the CLS2000? I don't know it and does not appear Drew knows it either.

I know the following:
1) Original lamp (Colamp2000/Thorn HX27). These are available on the internet; I posted a link to one.
2) Reverse engineered lamp. This may be available from Russia. I'm testing one now (see e-mail correspondence on the lamp below)
3) Other replacement lamps, like the available $80 2000W 220V FTL (PICTURED BELOW) have a globe a little too big to fit through the CLS2000 reflector opening though the base will plug into the existing socket. If I ever run out of options, since I have a number of reflectors, I'd take an older reflector and grind the opening bigger. Only a few millimeters of glass would need to be removed to allow the FTL lamp to be used.
4) Another option for the FTL is to remove the lamp from the base ("new base" on existing lamp is how the Russian DIY Colamp2000 is created) and re-attach it after fitting it through the reflector.

199993
199992

Updated information on substitute lamps posted here:
https://www.largeformatphotography.info/forum/showthread.php?32852-Durst-L1840-Enlarger-8x10-10x10-Everything-you-wanted-to-know&p=1541730&viewfull=1#post1541730