Alternate Power Source for Flash
zeitgeist
> I recently brought out my old Singer Graflex Graflite Strob 250
> electronic flash to use with my newly acquired (used) Koni Omega Rapid 100
> MF Rangefinder camera.
>
> The Strob 250 flash uses a now defunct 510 Volt DC battery pack which
> was rectangular in shape with measurements of roughly: 6" tall x 3" wide x
> 1.5" thick (roughly the size of an adult's open hand), and carried the
> Duracell number of PF-497.
>
> Another reader of this NG suggested I contact Sunpak or Vivitar to see
> about a rechargeable type battery of this size and voltage, but this lead
> has turned up nothing so far from either company.
>
> My next question to this fine NG and it's readers would be if anyone
> knew of or had heard of a home made or home brew type of a battery pack
> using commonly available batteries connected to a circuitry that could power
> this flash at it's full output rating (it was advertised at 2,000 ECPS).
>
> If anyone could point me to a source of information for powering this
> flash (either AC or DC) I would be most appreciative, as I would like very
> much to pair this flash up with my Rapid 100 for some powerful nighttime
> shooting.
>
> Any help in this regards would be most appreciated and in advance I
> thank you for your time and effort.
>
I know there were AC power for those units, lots of luck
finding one. I used to use those things, but it was those
batteries that got me.
but as I recall, those singer 250's were not that powerful,
I moved from them to vivitars and don't recall missing
much. I would think that $75 bucks spent on a 283 and then
invest in a lumnidyne minicycler if you just have to have a
couple hundred near instant recharges a night. For one
thing, the 250's are not auto exposure, you have to know
your exposures for the distances. I used to the the 'fall
on your face' method of guessing distance, if you fell on
your face and kissed the bride's shoes, that was five to six
feet, f/22, if you would do a flip and land heel to toe,
that was 10 to 12 feet f/11. With a vivitar you can select
from four stops and not have to worry about it.
for serious power you would need a metz, norman, qflash,
lumnidyne etc. (I can't in good conscience mention sunpak
with these professional outfits)
vivitar is very proprietary about their stuff so they
wouldn't 'know' anything about other stuff, asking sunpak
about anything is like asking your HMO for healthcare, I
would contact Lumnidyne and I'm sure they have a website
ph#727-847-2777
as for home brew, I know there are lots of folks who make
their own turbo's with gel cell batteries, the kind in those
highway roadhazard blinkers, I think that's how Jackrabbit
and Underdog got their start, but those batteries are low
voltage. I'm not sure that the hi voltage power source is,
but I'd bet it wasn't 510.
z-ProPhoto <z-Pro...@onelist.com>
Richard Sparkman
I recently brought out my old Singer Graflex Graflite Strob 250
electronic flash to use with my newly acquired (used) Koni Omega Rapid 100
MF Rangefinder camera.
The Strob 250 flash uses a now defunct 510 Volt DC battery pack which
was rectangular in shape with measurements of roughly: 6" tall x 3" wide x
1.5" thick (roughly the size of an adult's open hand), and carried the
Duracell number of PF-497.
Another reader of this NG suggested I contact Sunpak or Vivitar to see
about a rechargeable type battery of this size and voltage, but this lead
has turned up nothing so far from either company.
My next question to this fine NG and it's readers would be if anyone
knew of or had heard of a home made or home brew type of a battery pack
using commonly available batteries connected to a circuitry that could power
this flash at it's full output rating (it was advertised at 2,000 ECPS).
If anyone could point me to a source of information for powering this
flash (either AC or DC) I would be most appreciative, as I would like very
much to pair this flash up with my Rapid 100 for some powerful nighttime
shooting.
Any help in this regards would be most appreciated and in advance I
thank you for your time and effort.
Richard Sparkman
jjs
> electronic flash to use with my newly acquired (used) Koni Omega Rapid 100
> MF Rangefinder camera.
And it still works? God, just last year I tossed my spare reflectors,
battery cases and bare-bulbs for those units.
> The Strob 250 flash uses a now defunct 510 Volt DC battery pack which
> was rectangular in shape with measurements of roughly: 6" tall x 3" wide
x
> 1.5" thick (roughly the size of an adult's open hand), and carried the
> Duracell number of PF-497.
Yep. Those batteries were actually comprised of common rectangular 9Volt
batteries wired in series to give something like 512 Volts. So, you can do
the same - if you are good with a soldering gun and can noodle out the
geometry which allows them all to be folded into a tidy package.
But they were not particularly powerful flashes, and they produced most of
their power via a long flash duration. We used them on pic stands with
slaves for news photography and other work which required above all,
one-person portability.
Kenneth F. Musella
I've been researching a source for those batteries as well for my old
Honeywell Strobonar 880 Pressman strobes. The battery (Eveready 497)
is available from B&H for $59.99. (Batteries Plus wanted $71). As
these batteries are not rechargeable, I have looking for an
alternative. I'm told that a Quantum battery with 'CH' module will
power my strobes, but haven't had the opportunity to look into this.
Perhaps you can find a Quantum/module combination for your gear. Good
luck, let me know should you find something that works.
Ken
On Fri, 02 Jun 2000 03:23:28 GMT, "Richard Sparkman" <ami...@gte.net>
wrote:
>Hello:
>
> I recently brought out my old Singer Graflex Graflite Strob 250
>electronic flash to use with my newly acquired (used) Koni Omega Rapid 100
>MF Rangefinder camera.
>
> The Strob 250 flash uses a now defunct 510 Volt DC battery pack which
>was rectangular in shape with measurements of roughly: 6" tall x 3" wide x
>1.5" thick (roughly the size of an adult's open hand), and carried the
>Duracell number of PF-497.
>