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Cooltouch
Tinkerer
Username: Cooltouch

Post Number: 159
Registered: 01-2009

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Votes: 0 (Vote!)

Posted on Wednesday, December 07, 2011 - 12:47 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only)

I have an old Vivitar 285 -- one of the later ones with the black back, not the gray back. It sat in a camera bag for years -- it was my mother's and she just never used it. So when I rescued it, I found that it wouldn't work at all. I dismantled it, thinking the capacitor was probably shot, but when I applied my multimeter to the contacts (and NO there was NO JUICE left in the capacitor!!!) it behaved as a capacitor should, I guess. It was absorbing the current my meter was sending out. So this has led me to think that the capacitor is probably okay.

I have a Vivitar SB-4 A/C adapter and I've used it to bring a 283 back to life. I hooked the 283 up to it, and just let it sit. After three days of being hooked up to the SB-4, it woke up and has been working normally ever since. So far, my 285 has been hooked up to the SB-4 for more than three days, and I'm wondering if it is gonna respond at all.

Incidentally, I checked the SB-4's output voltage and was surprised to find that it puts out 226 volts DC, and enough current to give you a bit of a jolt if you happen to put a finger across both test leads. :-)

Anyway, just looking for some advice as to what I should do next.
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Cooltouch
Tinkerer
Username: Cooltouch

Post Number: 161
Registered: 01-2009

Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!)

Posted on Friday, December 09, 2011 - 12:42 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only)

Just thought I'd add to this. So far, no joy. I've had the 285 hooked up to the SB-4 power supply for several days. At first, with the 285 on, and then with it off. It doesn't seem to want to wake up. Any ideas?

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