Weird Question About Car Battery Chargers

S

Scott Free

Joined
Sep 15, 1999
Messages
3,319
My question concerns car battery chargers, but I'm not going to be charging a battery, and it's not even for a car.

Here goes: I'm a photographer with one of those ol' fashioned darkrooms. For those who don't know, an enlarger projects light through a negative to produce an image on photo paper. Enlargers generally plug into power supplies which regulate the current to the enlarger so that it continues to put out a given amount of light, even if someone should happen to turn on a tv or electric space heater in another part of the house.

My problem is, that I bought my enlarger used, and it did not come with a power supply. I can't find one on eBay. A friend knows someone who also lacks a power supply for his enlarger. Instead, he uses a car battery charger that also has a 110 outlet. (I didn't know such a thing even existed.) I'm assuming then that the 110 outlet on the charger is regulated. Is this right? Is there any reason I shouldn't do this?
 
if I'm following right, the enlarger runs on 110, has a standard three prong plug, and the "power supply" is just to keep steady power? if thats the case, find out the draw (in amps) of the enlarger, and buy a smallish UPS. then it will let you finish a pic if there is a brown/ black out. much better and more efficient that a battery charger. UPS's are rated for continuous duty, where as most home sized battery chargers that I have seen at not. plus you'd add surge/ ground protection to your gear. am i on the right track with your question?
 
Yep...you're more than on the right track. Someone on a photography forum suggested the same thing. I posed my problem here too, because you guys are always so smart!

Thanks.
 
You're probably just fine plugging the enlarger directly into your wall outlet. Just don't turn on other heavy-load electrical appliances while enlarging.

Otherwise, the computer UPS idea is a great one and any UPS should be enough to run an photo enlarger.
 
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