Did I buy a dead head?

[Tim k]

Some background,
I just recently picked up a new to me Omega d6, with two heads, a Chromega color head and a little pancake cold head. I finally got a chance to start it up and give it test run. Keep in mind that I am just barely beginning to understand what the heck I'm doing in the darkroom.

So here is what happened,
I'm using Ilford multigrade rc paper. No matter what I did with the color head, everything zeroed, or how much magenta I dialed in, or how long I exposed the paper, I couldn't get any blacks in the print to save my life. The prints came out muddy and seriously lacking any contrast.
So, then I thought just for fun I thought I would try the cold head. My first attempt was a nice sharp print with nice contrast and dark rich blacks.

I then took a look inside the color head, at the color dials. And when I dialed them all to zero, there was a yellow cast to the filters that were in alignment. They all rotate correctly, and the projected colors change on the print like you would expect.

So, is my head dead? I think I read somewhere that they are not worth repairing, if its even possible anymore.

Thanks

[Archphoto]

Is it possible that one of the filters is off its ZERO point on the dial ?

If you can adjust the knob for it, by loosening a srew and putting the knob into the right position you would have solved the problem.

Peter

[Mark Sampson]

Did you have the Omega head set for white light? as in the 3-position lever >high-low-white< ?

[willwilson]

I have Chromega color head that I use on my D3. There is not a lot to the unit. It's a great head.

http://www.khbphotografix.com/omega/

When you open up the top of the unit and move the (High-Low-White) lever to the white setting does it move all of the filters out of the light path? Moving this lever should disengage all filtration on the White setting, engage color filters on the High setting, and engage color filters and the neutral density filter on the Low setting.

Your diffusion box could also need relining, as they yellow over time. You can make replacement stryrofoam for the inside of the diffusion box quite easily, but you can also buy replacement kits on feebay or from someone like KHB.

Parts are still available for this unit and the bulbs are fairly common. I plan on using mine for a long while and have been stock piling parts in case they become hard to find.

[Tim k]

Guys,
Thanks for the input. Honestly, I never questioned any adjustments in the head. I'm out of town at the moment. Will check it out asap when I get back.
Will let you all know.
Thanks

[ic-racer]

how much magenta I dialed in, or how long I exposed the paper, I couldn't get any blacks in the print to save my life. The prints came out muddy and seriously lacking any contrast.

Reads like a paper developer problem. Which developer, dilution, temp time, etc?
If you just stick a strip of paper (with the lights on) in the developer, what happens?

[John Cahill]

Reads like a paper developer problem. Which developer, dilution, temp time, etc?
If you just stick a strip of paper (with the lights on) in the developer, what happens?
*****
He gets good blacks using the cold light head. I assume his development technique is the same as with the problematic color head.

[Donald Miller]

Check the lamp that is installed. It should be a 250 watt 22 1/2 volt lamp. If someone replaced this with a 115 volt lamp or even a 84 volt lamp (used on some Omegas) the output would be materially less than required.

[ic-racer]

*****
He gets good blacks using the cold light head. I assume his development technique is the same as with the problematic color head.

Reads to me like that was just an 'attempt.' If he can get good blacks, then perhaps the yellow filter is not moving out of the way.

[Tim k]

Guys, I just got home, and took a look under the hood. When the yellow dial is set to zero, it was actually all the way into the light path. I actually never thought to look to see if it was doing what it was supposed to. Looks like I need to do some adjusting. I would assume that this is the solution to my problem.

Mark and Will, I am not sure what lever "high-low-white" your referring to. Is it the lever to the right of the dials, that lifts the filters out of the light path. It seems to me like the filters are either in the path or out of the path. Am I missing something else obvious?

ic-racer, I don't think that my chems or paper are the issue. Same chem process and same paper with my little enlarger, or room light, and I get nice predictable blacks, no problem. However, I was beginning to wonder what else I may have screwed up along the way.

Thanks everybody.

[Mark Sampson]

The lever on the right side of the head. "White" pulls all the filters out of the light path. "High" is the normal working position. "Low" just adds an ND filter to the pack for longer exposures. Obviously, if you'd been printing on "White", the filtration would have no effect on the paper contrast. Once you get that head adjusted properly (although the manual is of little help) you'll be fine.