Dichroic Head for Beseler 45 V-XL

[Badger88]

Guys, I need help! I purchased a Beseler 45 V-XL and I need a light source for B&W printing. I understand dichroic lamps can work well. I’m at a loss for what to purchase. I’ve read that the older Beseler dichroic heads can have an electrical fault and I don’t want to solder stuff to fix it. How about an Omega head with a mounting adapter? Any other brands/models? I don’t want to spend a boat load of money-I’m looking for a ylamp that will do the job. Thanks!

[cjbecker]

Have you considered the condenser head? I have been a die hard user of color heads because of the diffusion. But i just got a 45v-xl with the condenser head. Once I adjusted for the higher grade of the head. Ive been very happy with it. Especially knowing its a very simple head compared to a color head. Im using the above head 6x6 ilford filters and its been a very easy adjustment for me.

[Badger88]

Have you considered the condenser head? I have been a die hard user of color heads because of the diffusion. But i just got a 45v-xl with the condenser head. Once I adjusted for the higher grade of the head. Ive been very happy with it. Especially knowing its a very simple head compared to a color head. Im using the above head 6x6 ilford filters and its been a very easy adjustment for me.

Will the condenser head produce just as good results? Someone told me to get a variable contrast cold lamp, but I have no clue as to that either. It’s all very confusing to me.

[cjbecker]

In my eyes, they are just as good. I always like the smoothness that the diffusion delivered, but once i got the condenser dialed in, they had the smoothness. Scratches and dust are more pronounced on the condenser head but, for the simplicity that the condenser head is, i think i will keep using it. I could easily take the same negative, print it both under diffusion and condenser, and one would not be able to tell the difference. Actually did it with a 6x6 negative under a 23c ii, used both heads and the prints looked identical.

[Keith Pitman]

With a quality enlarger like that, I'd get a Heiland.

[Drew Wiley]

A Heiland? Fine if one can afford it. But that's like back when certain fun people would mount an imitation Rolls Royce hood ornament on the front of a VW beetle. A Beseler chassis will be functional, but not deluxe. As already postured, it would be easy to adapt a Chromega colorhead. They do everything one would need, whether VC paper or actual color printing. Of course, one should seek one in good condition, including the power supply. But they're abundant and often highly affordable these days. Condenser heads - well, I'm gonna get some pushback - but that would be kinda retro or arcane. Colorheads are so much more convenient when it comes to VC paper and illumination evenness.

[Sal Santamaura]

There's no better light source than the Heiland LED system. Period. And it is entirely appropriate for any enlarger. I've had one on my smaller Beseler for years. I'll likely get one for my 45 V-XL with Beseler 8x10 conversion soon, replacing the Aristo currently installed that requires filters for contrast control.

[brucetaylor]

On the less expensive side the Beseler Dichro dg head doesn’t have the electronic maladies of the 45s heads, and they are very inexpensive.

[domaz]

On the less expensive side the Beseler Dichro dg head doesn’t have the electronic maladies of the 45s heads, and they are very inexpensive.

Some of the older ones require a fan unit though. Mine didn't come with one so I fashioned one out of some powerful computer fans and some ducting the same size as the inlet on the head. The airflow is supposed to pull air through the head, not blow into it I believe.

[Rick A]

I managed to acquire a Zone VI cold light head with a power stabilizer for my 45MXT.

[Doremus Scudder]

I'm with Drew here; a dichroic head is really convenient. I've adapted Chromega heads to both my Beseler 45MXs. The enlarger I use most has the 5x7 Chromega E head (had to cut out the top aluminum plate and eliminate the upper bellows, but it works great!).

I do have the older Beseler (blue-colored) dichroic color head, complete with hoses and separate fan unit in storage somewhere. I'd be willing to part with it for not that much. PM me if you're interested.

Doremus

[shadow images]

I personally love the Beseler 45universal b&w Head followed by the Zone VI VC Head then the Ilford 500

[esearing]

New or Old? If you are young or plan to use it for many years to come, invest in a new head and controllers like the Heiland or Beseler 45SL . The used market has older VC , 45s, and ilford 500 system that are not always reliable and you need to tinker with them quite a bit to keep them running. If you need cheap, find the basic single bulb 45M head and use filters below the lens for split grade or single grade printing. Its easy to get darkroom G.A.S. as it is for cameras and lenses but if you invest in a good system upfront you will enjoy your printing time and likely use it more.

I love my Ilford 500 2 bulb system but I have had to replace the controller with one created by RHDesigns and the power supply seems to need firing up every two weeks to run reliably. I burned out two Dicro 45S units and basically disassembled them for their condensers and fittings. The VC head I had would not adjust the contrast enough to get much more than grade 3 because the interior mechanicals would fail. Cold head worked until it didn't , and finding a new bulb proved difficult. I have used a total of 6 heads in 10 years so could have likely purchased a new system for nearly the same investment.

I also have an old Federal single incandescent bulb enlarger which requires only a simple controller and under lens filters for use when the fancy heads die.

[Duolab123]

Look on Ebay. The Dichro 45S heads (old like 1980s) I would pass, I've fixed the famous opto-isolator #2 if you can find a super clean one might be OK.
Don't touch the D.A.T.A. models. Then there was a new version of the 45S that doesn't have the ancient isos etc. This was made 90's into about 5 years back.
The beautiful Beseler Universal 45 head with VC and color controllers is the greatest head Beseler ever made. Problem is they are prone to being quirky, I have 5 heads and 3 are reliable. No service, period.

So the original condenser head has a drawer for 6x6 inch filters, color or VC. Absolutely foolproof.

I would watch Ebay Zone VI made a really nice VC 2 tube head, THE LATER MODEL, this was made from late 90's until Calumet (last company to own Zone VI) folded around 2004ish

And again the old DG head with the separate blower box, transformer that mounted to the 45mx enlarger is a great head, but these things are 50 years old.

The New LED heads are cool but expensive.

[Duolab123]

Also ANY cold light will require a closed loop compensating timer (Zone VI, Metrolux, RH Designs) to work best.

[Drew Wiley]

I cannot recommend the Beseler Universal head unless all the components are thoroughly tested in advance. When they work, they work great. A number of power supplies even brand new had weak triacs. So if you're not skilled in diagnosing electronics yourself, you'll pay a premium to a specialty instrument service. Beseler themselves dropped the ball on servicing them long ago. I personally cannibalized certain components from several of these units to build even better heads. But in terms of the power supplies and control panels, they're sensitive to voltage fluctuations and EMI (electromagnetic interference). For example, you don't want any electronic lighting ballasts in the vicinity (old-fashioned ballasts are fine). On one unit I had no problems for almost a decade until some unannounced utility line work was going on nearby, changing overhead supply to underground. The sudden voltage jolt confused something inside the control panel. I have spares; but all I needed to do was just shut the unit off, wait a couple of days, and that particular electrical component gradually de-magnetized by itself. Of course, I checked my incoming line voltage first for normal consistency.