Would this bulb work as a safelight?

[68degrees]

Hey folks I'd like to share this info: when my safelight bulb bit the dust I decided to try red LEDs (you can buy strips with pure red LEDs and DC converters for them quite cheaply nowadays .. I did so at the german Conrad store)
They are much brighter that the usual safe light bulbs. To try if it's safe to work in this light I covered the half of a blank sheet hang the LEDs a few cm above the paper, switched them on and waited for approx. 20 minutes. I developed the paper and it was pure white on either sites (the exposed and the unexposed). No signs of the LED light at all.

I cant find these anywhere. I looked at Lowes, Home Depot, Walmart. Does anyone know where I can find these red LED strips that K speaks of?

 

[k__43]

I cant find these anywhere. I looked at Lowes, Home Depot, Walmart. Does anyone know where I can find these red LED strips that K speaks of?

I bought it at a chain here in germany .. http://www.conrad.de/ce/de/product/...t-LED-Rot-LED-fest-eingebaut/1900021&ref=list

I was once at a place called "Fry's" in L.A. maybe they have stuff like this in the US ..

oh yes indeed they do:
http://www.frys.com/search?search_t...string=LED+strips&submit.x=0&submit.y=0&cat=0
I'd try to pick it up in a store if possible, and find someone to tell you what you need.

I needed a DC supply, cables and a DC-splitter for two of those strips. I paid roughly 60€ for the set. well adding more strips is cheaper, the DC supply was the most expensive part.

 

[68degrees]

I bought it at a chain here in germany .. http://www.conrad.de/ce/de/product/...t-LED-Rot-LED-fest-eingebaut/1900021&ref=list

I was once at a place called "Fry's" in L.A. maybe they have stuff like this in the US ..

oh yes indeed they do:
http://www.frys.com/search?search_t...string=LED+strips&submit.x=0&submit.y=0&cat=0
I'd try to pick it up in a store if possible, and find someone to tell you what you need.

I needed a DC supply, cables and a DC-splitter for two of those strips. I paid roughly 60€ for the set. well adding more strips is cheaper, the DC supply was the most expensive part.

Nice. Dankeschon!

 

[Phil_F_NM]

Aren't you trying to save money?
The LED option may work but you'd need to test it with your paper and you don't want to spend the money and get all set up to find out that you have too much light and are fogging your paper.
I understand you want a brighter darkroom but then it's not a darkroom. The photos you see of other darkrooms that look bright are either very long exposures or dramatized through use of brighter red incandescent bulbs instead of actual paper-safe bulbs or filters.
I don't necessarily want to be the stick in the mud but I'm sure a few of us here have made similar mistakes long ago in the past (myself, notably) and just getting the proper materials the first time around usually is the best and least expensive method.

Phil Forrest

 

[k__43]

Aren't you trying to save money?
The LED option may work but you'd need to test it with your paper and you don't want to spend the money and get all set up to find out that you have too much light and are fogging your paper.
I understand you want a brighter darkroom but then it's not a darkroom. The photos you see of other darkrooms that look bright are either very long exposures or dramatized through use of brighter red incandescent bulbs instead of actual paper-safe bulbs or filters.
I don't necessarily want to be the stick in the mud but I'm sure a few of us here have made similar mistakes long ago in the past (myself, notably) and just getting the proper materials the first time around usually is the best and least expensive method.

Phil Forrest

1) I'm actually quite sure it works with red LEDs since their spectrum is really narrow. (I used variable and fixed grade paper, RC and Fiber, brands ORWO, ADOX and Tetenal)
2) safe light bulbs are actually really expensive .. I had a very dim one that died on me after one weekend of darkroom work. It had cost me around 20 euros. The 2 LED strips are as bright as at least 2-4 of those single bulbs and do not die so fast.


I had no chance on getting another safe light bulb to continue my work after it died, it was christmas one year ago and my "lab" is in a city were they do not sell darkroom supplies anymore.
I had to try my luck or I wouldn't be able to print for quite some time.

 

[68degrees]

Aren't you trying to save money?
The LED option may work but you'd need to test it with your paper and you don't want to spend the money and get all set up to find out that you have too much light and are fogging your paper.
I understand you want a brighter darkroom but then it's not a darkroom. The photos you see of other darkrooms that look bright are either very long exposures or dramatized through use of brighter red incandescent bulbs instead of actual paper-safe bulbs or filters.
I don't necessarily want to be the stick in the mud but I'm sure a few of us here have made similar mistakes long ago in the past (myself, notably) and just getting the proper materials the first time around usually is the best and least expensive method.

Phil Forrest

Phil thanks for the input. Originally I just wanted an economical locally available safe bulb that I could screw into my bathroom fixture. Its also on a dimmer and thought I could dial it in to maximum brightness without fogging.

I had read that the reason dimmed red bulbs wont work is because they are not monochromatic. But red LEDs are and some are also dimmable. So I searched for one with Edison 26 base but they were no cheaper than the red photo bulbs at the online camera store. (probly last longer though)

I also found some Red LED nightlight bulbs which I might try.

As far as testing goes, K_43 tested Red LED light and confirmed that it proved to be much brighter and safe. He hung the light centimeters above paper for 20 min! without fogging.

For a small cheap light source, nightlight holder and safe and bright how can I go wrong?

The nightlight bulbs I saw I contacted the seller and asked if they are red leds in a red bulb or if they are white leds in a red bulb. They must be red LEDs so im waiting for a response. They are $2 each. Ill buy 3, put them on a dimmer (if possible) and dial in the maximum brightness without fogging.

I have a big Kodak safelight with #13 filter. It plugs in, has a long cord and if this LED thing doesnt work out Ill hang it from a hook and let the cord come down next to the wall and plug into the wall outlet. Besides its so dim can hardly see anything.

Hey folks I'd like to share this info: when my safelight bulb bit the dust I decided to try red LEDs (you can buy strips with pure red LEDs and DC converters for them quite cheaply nowadays .. I did so at the german Conrad store)
They are much brighter that the usual safe light bulbs. To try if it's safe to work in this light I covered the half of a blank sheet hang the LEDs a few cm above the paper, switched them on and waited for approx. 20 minutes. I developed the paper and it was pure white on either sites (the exposed and the unexposed). No signs of the LED light at all.

 

[MrFujicaman]

No. You need a Wratten OC bulb. Usually 15 Watt, placed more than 1 meter away from your paper.
The old red bulbs were only good for orthochromatic papers and films of which almost none are available today.

Phil Forrest

Phil.....uh..WRONG !!!!!

Red bulbs work with any B & W paper. You're thinking about Ortho FILM.

 

[zuiko85]

I ordered online, can't remember the store, a red LED rope light, 9 feet long. It just plugs into my Time-O-Lite safelight plug and is very bright. It cuts off at 670nm and my paper can't see past 650nm. Did a very light grey exposure on one half of an 8X10 and then lay a metal ruler across exposed and unexposed parts. After 10 min. at 6 inches from the paper there was no sign of the shadow from the ruler when I developed the paper. I just leave it tacked up around the bathroom (my darkroom) near the ceiling. Works great and cost me about $36 shipped.