Manaufactured D2 LED lamphouse?

[Ulophot]

I may have missed a thread (my wife might suggest that I'm missing more screws than that...), but I see nothing recent on manaufactured LED heads for the Omega D2. The ModernEnlargerLamps site, which offered a rectangular model that fit right into the existing D2 lamphouse mounting, appears to have been dormant from quite a while. DIY is way out of my league on something like this.

I use a round Zone VI coldlight head along with a Zone VI compensating timer. I had to replace the head last year when my original started smoking(!) and my electronics engineer neighbor looked it over and pronounced last rites. I happened to find one cheap within two days. Fine so far, but eventually it will go, so I have been keeping an eye out for new possibilities. I print 4x5,645, and 35mm.

FYI, I don't have a smart phone, soI can't control anything with an "app." It would be great to have it stabilized with my present timer, which connects to the sensor in the head with a simple phone cord (anyone remember phone cords?), but that may be a stretch.

Anyone know of any in production or planned?

[Bob Salomon]

I may have missed a thread (my wife might suggest that I'm missing more screws than that...), but I see nothing recent on manaufactured LED heads for the Omega D2. The ModernEnlargerLamps site, which offered a rectangular model that fit right into the existing D2 lamphouse mounting, appears to have been dormant from quite a while. DIY is way out of my league on something like this.

I use a round Zone VI coldlight head along with a Zone VI compensating timer. I had to replace the head last year when my original started smoking(!) and my electronics engineer neighbor looked it over and pronounced last rites. I happened to find one cheap within two days. Fine so far, but eventually it will go, so I have been keeping an eye out for new possibilities. I print 4x5,645, and 35mm.

FYI, I don't have a smart phone, soI can't control anything with an "app." It would be great to have it stabilized with my present timer, which connects to the sensor in the head with a simple phone cord (anyone remember phone cords?), but that may be a stretch.

Anyone know of any in production or planned?

Go to Omega-Brandess and ask them.

Why wouldn’t you have a smart phone?

[Eric Woodbury]

He's too smart to have a 'smart phone'.

My latest smart phone doesn't take 'apps'.

[Luis-F-S]

I’d find a backup Zone VI head. Way cheaper in the long run.

[ic-racer]

I'd get a D Chromega II head while they are still cheap on ebay. Totally mechanical head with very long-lasting filters and inexpensive halogen lamp.

[Tin Can]

He's too smart to have a 'smart phone'.

My latest smart phone doesn't take 'apps'.

I tried real hard to keep a landline, but it kept failing with no dial tone.

When they dismantled the PHONE company it was all downhill.

[LabRat]

I'd get a D Chromega II head while they are still cheap on ebay. Totally mechanical head with very long-lasting filters and inexpensive halogen lamp.

The problem with this is there are plenty of heads around, but finding the lift arm kit is dicey, then installation is tricky to get right, so if the unit was not set up for it, not good idea... Maybe KHB has parts, but a tough install to level the head correctly...

If you still have the condensers, you could just go back stock and use the 212 bulb, or a replacement bulb bright light source that sits at the same height as the old bulb... I like adapting some small format enlarger color head at the same height of the bulb over condensers to get the sharpness of the condenser source, but with contrast control via CC filters in the new head...

I haven't tried them, but I expect LED to have a spectrum that would confuse MG papers that were designed to be exposed under tungsten light...

Steve K

[Mark Sampson]

I've adjusted the alignment on numerous D Chromega II heads. It's not that difficult (admittedly it's not the best mechanical design). For non-professional use it should be a set-it-and-forget-it procedure, plus the color filters make using VC papers a breeze. All those Chromegas I used were on the job, though. At home I've used a Zone VI cold light w/stabilizer on my D-II for almost 30 years now. Back then a new color head was cost-prohibitive, so I never considered it. Today it may be another story.

[LabRat]

I've adjusted the alignment on numerous D Chromega II heads. It's not that difficult (admittedly it's not the best mechanical design). For non-professional use it should be a set-it-and-forget-it procedure, plus the color filters make using VC papers a breeze. All those Chromegas I used were on the job, though. At home I've used a Zone VI cold light w/stabilizer on my D-II for almost 30 years now. Back then a new color head was cost-prohibitive, so I never considered it. Today it may be another story.

They are tricky to tweak the adjustment so that the head lands evenly when lowered onto the neg carrier, that shifts the carrier and neg around, and leaks light...

And there is usually some critical not obvious part missing, or from another version that becomes a head scratcher...

I have serviced and set up many over the years, and they would drive many crazy trying to get it right from scratch...

Steve K

[Keith Pitman]

I don’t know how similar D2s versus D5s are, but this might be helpful:

http://www.largeformatphotography.in...d-for-Omega-D5

I know Jim is very satisfied with the LED head he created.