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Charles Miller
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, March 25, 2006 - 04:39 pm: | 
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I've got a vintage Argus hotshue flash that requires a specific power supply configuration. It requires:
One 22.5v B.Battery (which I've already found), and
One 200mfd 30v capacitor
Each of these items is about the size of a AA battery, and they snap into the flash battery case side-by-side. The required capacitor apparently has a positive terminal on one end and a negative on the other.
I'm not sure of the age of the camera (an Argus C-Four) or the Argus flash (no obvious model number), but I'd hazard a guess at late 50s to early 60s.
Can anyone advise me as to where I might find this capacitor? |
M Currie
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, March 25, 2006 - 08:09 pm: |
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It appears that although the batteries and bulbs are still available, the capacitors aren't. they used to be pretty standard, but I haven't seen them around in that form recently.
But I think you can get the proper capacity capacitor at places like Radio Shack. I don't think it would be too difficult to make up a package with tape, cardboard, a little extra wire, foil, etc. that would fit the space if you're concerned about keeping the original flash unit unsullied. Or you could just hard-wire a new capacitor into the flash unit, soldering the leads to the contacts. |
Dan Cluley
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, March 26, 2006 - 12:20 am: |
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I don't have any addtional info on the capacitor, but can tell you that the C-four was made from 1951-1957 (If it is the C-4R with a wind lever instead of knob then it is 1958) The '54-'57 models have "colormatic settings" (on the shutter speed dial the 50 is in yellow, while the 100 is in red, and there are red/yellow markings on the rangefinder and lens) the earlier versions do not have the yellow markings.
I am assuming that the flash you are describing is the one with the folding fan reflector. If so, those seem to have been introduced about '58-'59 |
M Currie
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, March 26, 2006 - 07:21 am: |
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by the way, I should add that the C-four's hot shoe is a standard one, and that it does have an X sync. Of course that doesn't help when what you really want to do is to use the old flash, but it does mean that you can use a modern electronic flash, and since it has a leaf shutter, it should sync at any speed. |
Will
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, March 26, 2006 - 10:33 am: |
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Hi Charles,
Try these guys (mouser.com). I've ordered from them many times. They are excellent. No minimum order. They also have data sheets in PDF form so you can look at the dimensions and other important specs before purchase.
Will
P.S. you may have to copy and paste this long link.
http://www.mouser.com/?Ne=100&handler=data.listcategory&Ntt=*capacitor*&terms=capacitor&crc=true&N=110&Ns=SField |
Charles Miller
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, March 27, 2006 - 10:05 pm: |
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Well, the folks at Mouser even backed down on this one. They told me, quote: "That cap is a no-bid." LOL... they referred me to an "antique electronics shop" in Arizona, which referred me to a "vintage camera expert" in South Carolina, who told me that even if I could find the exact capacitor to fit the flash battery case, the chances of the cap working after almost 50 years were extremely remote.
So, instead of jumping through any more hoops on this deal, I'm going to take the easy approach and solder a modern 200mfd 30v capacitor to the flash contacts. I just hate to give up on the original technology, you know? Kind of defeats the purpose of collecting it.
CM |
Glenn Middleton
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, March 28, 2006 - 10:44 am: |
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Why ruin it by soldering. Make up a casing from 'Plasticard' and a length of their plastic tubing - see a good model shop/supplier for this - two small bolts and nuts will give you the contacts on the outside at each end. Two tag washers on the inside will allow you to solder in the capacitor. Basically you produce a hollow plastic cylinder, with stuck on ends holding the bolts for contacts.
With a bit of paint and a Dymo Label Printer you will be able to fool all but the expert collector. |
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