Amber and red safelights both in one place

[Ulophot]

Since posting recently about wishing I could get an amber LED bar like the red one I had found for safelight (https://www.largeformatphotography.info/forum/showthread.php?180502-Follow-up-on-recent-LED-safelight-post), I have improved my safelighting as shown in the attachment.

I prefer amber and use red only when printing with Foma paper. My new configuration bounces the light from both sources, providing soft, even illumination over the sink.

The red LED “bar light” was described in the earlier post. It’s 18 inches long by about ½ inch. I had mounted it on a strip of wood and suspended it over the sink. I have now used a slightly larger piece of wood and added two board-mountable bulb sockets, one at each end, each with an amber mini-globe bulb (Superbright LED’s S11 amber bulb). A friend helped me with the wiring, so that a single lamp cord for both amber lights goes to the wall socket. The red bar has its own cord, with an quick connector near the bar. When I need the red, it’s easy to connect it and unplug the amber lights.

Because of my darkroom layout, spill from the amber globes had to be controlled. I made short collars to fit down over them, but the reflected light off the ceiling and wall was still too. Today I hung part of a sheet of black oak tag, attached to a thin dowel, from the ceiling hooks from which the assembly is suspended to solve this issue.

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[Fred L]

Ah, so you're bouncing the amber off the ceiling ? Is it too bright if hung pointing down ? The dual set up looks convenient for switching between safelights though.

I'm not a fan of red safelights at all, led or otherwise. I use Thomas Duplex for all papers, FOMA included, with no issues at all.Not ideal for small or low ceiling darkrooms but can be done.

[Ulophot]

Fred, maybe more than you wish to know, but various factors led me to bounce. My darkroom layout, in a room with an 8' ceiling, is shown in the attachment.
Previously I used two "bullet" safelights for amber, and DIY socket-on-wood-block for red with shaded S11 bulbs. I got the red bar, because the local hot spots of red against the wall, especially the one over the sink, were bothersome. After finding the red bar more than bright enough to bounce, yielding soft, even light, I looked for an amber bar. No such luck. Eventually, it occurred to me to use amber S11's -- already tested and one in use in the bullet over the paper cutter -- in the same place.

After finding appropriate sockets online, I created the new assembly, as described. These mini-globes are very bright indeed, and yes, aimed downward, the light would be too bright and not as soft and even as bounced. You can see from the diagram why the bounced light still needed to be controlled from spilling too much onto my enlarging easel. The room layout, other than the sink, could have been configured differently to avoid this problem, or I could paint the upper wall behind the sink black, but neither appeals to my over work in the room. With the new amber lights and baffling, I have brighter, more even safelighting at the sink and less spill at the easel than before. Hard to beat.

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[bmikiten]

I'm in agreement with Fred. I taught in a group setting for several years and the overall impression was that the amber (Thomas) light was more natural and easier to work in. We did try switching or using a combination but most people complained about the dual sources. The vanes can be closed or even have ND filters applied if the Thomas light is too bright. I use mine in a 12x14 darkroom with high ceilings and just bounce it. The only other light I have is a green one for using development by inspection once in a blue moon.

[Ben Calwell]

I use amber safelight with Fomatone 131 (as recommended in their data sheet) with no issues. At least no issues that my aging eyes can see. I would like to explore LED safelights.

[Doremus Scudder]

I switched to red safelights when using a lot of Foma paper and haven't switched back. I have all the amber safelight filters, I just find the red darkroom easy and comfortable to work in. I, too, like bounced light. My darkroom is painted white with the exception of the areas around the enlargers, so lots of nice, soft indirect lighting. All my safelights are on a separate switched circuit (four outlets close to ceiling level on a regular light switch) so I can dowse the lights easily whenever needed. Each safelight has a separate pull chain as well.

In contrast to others' experience here, I did have fogging issues with Fomabrom 111 and amber safelights.

I bought a Thomas safelight to try out a couple of years ago. I hated it: too bright and way, way too noisy. I sold it for much less than I paid.

Best,

Doremus

[phdgent]

When I started working in the darkroom (as a young boy so many years ago) there was red light (the famous Philips bulbs). in the Academia's darkroom, where I studied, there were red light bulbs too.
Once scholing finished and I became a free lancer, again red light but then the famous Kodak beehives, 3 of them.

Now these beehives are still in use but with warm white 180lm LED bulbs, instead of traditional white 15W incandescent light bulbs, and Lithographic red filters as the original Kodak red filters ware not 'safe' enough with LED's.

These safelights are switched with a changeover relais connected to the timer, when the enlarger is on, the safe lights are off and vice versa. This makes it easier to see the projected image and where and how to dodge and burn.

I once tried amber light but didn't like it, I couldn't find anymore my way in the darkroom...

BTW, my darkroom is painted white too.