Tip for printing with a MetroLux II

I was printing yesterday and noticed all my times seemed funny. Turned out, I was printing with Lux 2 and I usually use Lux 1. On my unit, those have different calibration numbers, but they don't need to because I only use one light source. I'm going to change the Lux 1 and Lux 2 calibration numbers to be the same so that it doesn't matter.

A Happy MetroLux II

MetroLux Sensor installation in a Beseler Condenser Head

A little hard to see, but there are 5 little holes drill in the housing beside the top of the lamp. One hole where the probe sees through is 1/4" and the other 4, or 2 pairs, are 1/8" provide attachment of nylon ties to strain relief the probe wire.

MetroLux Sensor installation in a 12x12 grid

Here you can see the photo diode looking down on the grid (between grids) on a 12x12. On the other side, stickies, nylon ties, and epoxy hold everything in place.

MetroLux, Very Early, Update

I recently had a MetroLux (One) come in for repair. It was a very early serial number, the 26th in production. There were issues with reset and the unit seemed to operate very slowly. All other functions performed. We don't get many MetroLuxes (MetroLuxi ?) for repair, they just don't break and I had never seen this before. As bad luck will have it, the percent function had 00 loaded. Don't know how that is possible, but when it happens all bets are off. Restoring this fixed the unit. I discovered that very early ML had no reset, we loaded new units with all the numbers by hand. And finally, the Custom Code Numbers were from 0 - 127, with most of them acting as duplicates.

Bottom line is that if you have a very early unit, you can tell by the Custom Code Number range of 0 - 127. In this case, you have no reset. A good CCN is about 23. See the Q & A and instructions for updates.

MetroLux (One) and MetroLux II

Well folks, we've been under cover for a bit. It is hard to have a job and run a business at the same time. There are only two of us. But, as one of us is now unemployed, there is a little more time. I've been learning about blogs a bit, so I thought I'd set up a blog for Metered Light since our website went down with all the info when the webmaster died. We should have backed him up.

Eventually we will have the instruction manuals for MetroLux One and MetroLux II here. Also answers to common questions. Then we will expand into the PocketSpot light meter information. As production comes back to life, we will get our website up, too.

MetroLux Q and A

Q Why use a MetroLux?

A MetroLux was primarily designed for use with coldlight enlargers. Coldlights have a fluctuating light output that is dependent on temperature mostly. MetroLux monitors the light output continuously and adjusts the exposure in real-time to compensate.

Q Will MetroLux work with other light sources?

A Yes. Although it was designed for coldlights, it works equally well with many light sources: tungsten, quartz, florescent, and the sun although we have had a hard time turning the sun off.

Q Can a MetroLux be upgraded to a MetroLux II (One to a Two)?

A No. Not only is the firmware different, but the hardware is different, too.

Q Can a MetroLux be repaired?

A Yes. We have the parts. Repairs are generally simple, quick, and inexpensive. Probably best to call Karl at headquarters: 415.452.9923 PST

Q Are instructional manuals available on the web?

A Yes. They are available at this blog. See April and May. Maybe I'll figure out the link soon.

Q What are the differences between a One and a Two?

A They look and function pretty much the same. The calibration procedure is different. Two has more memories and is friendlier to use and adjust. Two accepts the Remote Sensor, should you have one (no longer available new). Two has a shutter speed timer included.

Q What is the DIN plug on the front of the One?

A A very few of the first Ones had a DIN on the front. We had plans, but they never happened. It does nothing.

Q What is the screw in the hole on the front of the One?

A This adjusts the frequency and thus the resonance and volume and sound of the beeper. If you don't like the beeper, put tape over the hole beside the hole with the screw.

Q My Metrolux One doesn't reset and doesn't work. What gives?

A Very early Metroluxes didn't have a power on reset. If it doesn't count properly, make sure that all the memory registers have 'proper' numbers in them. The times can have anything, but the percent needs to be between 50 and 200. If it is '00' , this will cause problems.