Help With a Beseler-Minolta 45A system

[fuegocito]

Update, so I got a hold of some focusing light tubes, and it turns out the probem was the focusing tube. With the new tube in, the focusing light comes on fine, but it's not a steady light, it sort of a rapid flickering that can pass for a steady light, complete with a hum/buzzing sound, this is normal right?

[Pali K]

Update, so I got a hold of some focusing light tubes, and it turns out the probem was the focusing tube. With the new tube in, the focusing light comes on fine, but it's not a steady light, it sort of a rapid flickering that can pass for a steady light, complete with a hum/buzzing sound, this is normal right?

Perfectly normal

[fuegocito]

Perfectly normal

Thanks for the confirmation!

Man, what a weird bird, this head, I still haven't actually use it yet so I am not seeing the advantage(s) to warrant such a complex design. I mean as an enlarger head, all it needs to be is a steady source of light(halagen bulbs), and if you want to get fancy, cold steady/bright source of light with MC light mix. And as a colour head, all the above with a consistent color temperature output... This head seems to be way more complicated than it needs to be.

Well now that it's working, it's time to read through the dreaded instruction manual to see how it actually works. So, to be continue :-)

[Tracy Storer]

I used one several times in a friends darkroom, really nice for color printing once you got the hang of it. We called it "The Disco Head" because of the flashing lights.

[Pali K]

It takes some getting used to but if you get the workflow down, you will never look at another head for color printing. It's actually very easy to use once you realize that it works in EV stops with numeric adjustments. Its also excellent for split grade BW printing.

Tracy, Disco sounds about right

[EdSawyer]

agreed, read and understand it before judging. It is the best color head for the 45 series, no doubt.

[fuegocito]

agreed, read and understand it before judging. It is the best color head for the 45 series, no doubt.

Thanks Ed, point taken :-)

I am happy the unit is working as it should. It seems to be a solid system, weird as it may be compare to most conventional units :P

[Gary Beasley]

Glad you were able to get it going. Another thing to watch out for is sometimes the system will crash and you will need to reset it by pushing a paperclip into the little hole on the control box. Playing possum like that has gotten a few good units handed down as broken to a lucky few.

[fuegocito]

Thanks Gary, that is great to know. I'll report back once I have it going.

Glad you were able to get it going. Another thing to watch out for is sometimes the system will crash and you will need to reset it by pushing a paperclip into the little hole on the control box. Playing possum like that has gotten a few good units handed down as broken to a lucky few.

[Mike Fiction]

Ed, you wouldn't happen to happen to have the 45A manual still available? The link is no longer working. Or anyone else?
thanks!