Old Elinchrom packs

[ocarlo]

Hi,
Is anyone still using the old Elinchrom power packs (3000-6000ws)?
Will be going into tintype soon and need all that power.
Wondering about availability of replacement tubes/capacitors etc...
thanks.

[Leigh]

A comment regarding older strobes of any type and their capacitors.

Caps deteriorate with age, but not irreversibly in many cases.

They fail due to heat buildup when first powered up after a long nap (many months or years).

The solution is to bring them up slowly, thus:

Pick some time of the day (noon?) to start this process. It takes a week.

At the same time each day, power the pack up for the period shown, then shut it down without firing it.
The first day for ONE minute.
The second day for TWO minutes.
The third day for FOUR minutes, then 8, 16, 32, and 64 (an hour).

At that point you should be able to use the pack reliably.

If the capacitors are really bad, the pack fuse will blow. Should that occur, it needs professional help.

- Leigh

[ocarlo]

Thanks for the reminder.
I had read about this method - what I forgot was to ask the Ebay sellers if they'd already done this
prior to testing it themselves.
Haven't pulled the trigger yet - waiting to speak to Manfrotto on Monday.
While they are indeed very cheap these days, it still is prudent to see if repairs and parts are available, don't you think?

cheers.

[Leigh]

what I forgot was to ask the Ebay sellers if they'd already done this
prior to testing it themselves.

Never believe an evilpay seller about anything, particularly about capacitors because they're totally clueless.

Did I say never? Sorry, I meant NEVER.

I don't know about repair parts from the manufacturer.
I do all my own repairs, and source my parts from national parts distributors like Mouser and Digi-Key.
High-voltage electrolytic capacitors are still readily available, but they're not cheap.

I was a warranty service station for Novatron studio strobes.
They used matched sets of caps in their power packs, and only sold them in sets to be replaced together.

- Leigh

[ocarlo]

thanks Leigh - the item is now marked as ended. Does that mean it was sold, or the vendor simply pulled it?
any case, its Quality Camera - they seem pretty reputable...
When you say capacitors (in pairs) don't come cheap - how expensive?
Seems to me there's no alternative - beyond throwing major $$ at Profoto or Broncolor.
And even with repairs, it's still very cheap for what you get.
btw - are you still in the business of repairs? any referrals?

I'm also thinking of using them for location in Africa. - any recommends for a generator for these old Eli packs, esp.
two 4000ws packs to power a 8000ws bi-head? any issues I should be aware of?
I've only ever used the battery Rangers and AcuteBs...

thanks

[Leigh]

I have no idea what the disposition of the item(s) may have been.
You'd have to ask the seller.

There are usually more than 2 capacitors in a flash of any size.
They can run from $20 to $50 or more apiece, depending on the exact specs.

I'm not sure how I would size a portable generator for strobes. I've never done that.
The gross estimate would be simply getting one rated to supply the current required by the head.
This would result in a generator much larger than actually needed, but it would work without voltage sag.

Where are you located? You should put that in your profile.

- Leigh

[GeorgeK]

I've got a problem with my Digital RX1200 generator, sent it to service 4 weeks ago they said they were going to call me, never did it, I called them three times no specific answer just "excuses" so I decided to get it back and take it to another service. Before I'll do I would like to ask if someone had a similar issue (posted also to LULA).
Problem : When the Digital RX1200 generator fires the studio electrical panel's main circuit breaker cuts off all electrical power in studio. I've tried both ports with different lamp heads and the problem remains. It seems like α generator's short circuit or overload issue. There is no problem with any of my other generators (Profoto 8A and Broncolors). Could someone provide an advice?