The frame is a beautiful peice of equipment, rather large and heavy, but it
will keep even very large negs completly flat.
The exposure unit came with a 1000w lamp in a fan cooled housing and it emits
light in the 400 nm range. Since I just bought it I havent put it through its
paces yet. Apperently there is a shutter in the lamphouse which is controlled
by the exposure unit. Also I have noticed a blue filter in front of the
lamp, anybody
know what its function is?
As soon as I have tested it I will inform you of how it worked.
>1) How can I get a more powerful light source under $800
I paid $200 dollars! A lot of printing houses are changing there was of
working (the digital
revolution) and a lot of units are on the market here in Sweden anyway. I
could get you a
70x100cm frame and lamp for $350 but the shipping from Sweden would be
expensive (it is a monster of
a machine).
>2) Will the source be relatively harmless (physically)
They tell me that it is not very harmful to your eyes, might have to do with
the blue filter.
I dont beleive them of course and I will take the utmost care using it. I
only have one pair
of eyes!!
>3) Could I find a source in this range that automatically compensates for
>UV output fluctuations?
After turning on the unit it warms up in a couple of minutes. Having a
steady power supply
and a shutter will ensure a consistent exposure.
>4) What types of Platemakers are recommended for non-silver processes?
They should output in the 350-450 nm range.
>5) Could I find one in a size 11x14 or smaller?
>I would appreciate any advice, but the more specific the better in regards
>to platemakers. Any info on suppliers, model-numbers, dates of production,
>etc. would be extremely helpful...
Try to phone to printers near to you and see if they have any used
equipment. The only
problem I see is that the replacement lamps can be very expensive >$100.
Hope this helps
Bjorn Andersson <bjorn@pophist.se>