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Mark Wood
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, January 31, 2005 - 09:39 pm: | 
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Hi. Just got one of these and would love to use it. Problem is, 15 volt battery is easy to find but capacitor is not. I've heard that you can solder a 100-500uf capacitor in place of the drop in kind and it will work fine. Anyone know what I can do to revive this thing? Thanks in advance for any replies. Mark |
Winfried
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, February 01, 2005 - 06:53 am: |
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You can buy electrolytic capacitors from electronic components distributors such as Digi-Key. Maybe an electronic tinkerer can get you one. Such a part will cost less than a dollar. Unfortunately I live in Germany, otherwise it would be no problem to send you one. |
David
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, February 01, 2005 - 08:00 pm: |
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The easiest solution will be to buy one with a capacitor. 15V battery is easy to find? |
Tony Duell
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, February 04, 2005 - 01:52 pm: |
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I am going to assume this is a bulb-type flashgun.
The capacitor is not particularly critical. You want to get one around 200uF (220uF is the closest common value), at least 15V working voltage (25V is common). Modern capacitors are a lot smaller than the ones made 30 or more years ago so you should have no problem fitting it in.
Solder the wires to the contacts for the original capacitor. Make sure you get it the right way round -- the new one will have at least one of the leads marked either '+' or '-'. If you get it wrong you will most likely ruin the new capacitor, if you're unlucky it'll burst, but that is very unlikely in the sort of circuit that's used in a bulb-type flashgun.
[A aside here. The problem with connecting it the wrong way round is that the oxide film that forms the dielectric (insulator) in the capacitor will re-disolve into the electrolyte. The capacitor then goes effectively short-circuit, and is no use. If enough current flows the electrolyte may boil and cause the component to burst. That will not happen if the circuit of said flashgun is conventional, though]
I can ssure you that 220uF capacitors are a lot easier to find than 15V dry batteries! |
John Shriver
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, February 15, 2005 - 07:54 pm: |
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Yes, I've found that you can get the batteries. Radio Shack will sell you one, but it may be dead, and you'll be expected to pay postage for the replacement. I got a good one from batterymart.com.
But I've also realized that the capacitor is defunct. Same problem with my Canon Flash Unit Y. New ones are amazingly small. |
