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Strobeflower issue

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James Tengo View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote James Tengo Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Topic: Strobeflower issue
    Posted: 12 August 2011 at 11:53am
I've got here a poorly club strobeflower, it didn't appear to like being airfreighted and with a limit of 4,200 kg on our shipping I managed to get down to 4,199kg by removing the spares.... In Japan at sonic mania, have soldered the broken legs of the capacitors back to the board at the front of the unit, was just getting a clicking sound, now getting a high pitch noise that drops in pitch the longer you leave it in test mode. Does anyone out there have any useful suggestions?
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shagnasty View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote shagnasty Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 12 August 2011 at 5:48pm
Do these use diode pumps to push mains to 340V DC and then 680Vdc via 2 banks of 2 capacitor like the proper strobe flowers did?
 
If you have 2 sets of 2 paralell caps feeding a grey trigger transformer (from the opti Quaser projector) the small 2 caps should reach 340V (from a 240V supply, japan is 100v, I assume to do have a 1:2.4 step-up) I wouldn't want to delta wire these..
 
If the first rail isn't at 340 then check the diode pair, in fact just replace them, they are something like IN5400, use 1amp rated diodes at the highest voltage you can lay your hands on, these babies see massive spike and fail reall quick, the opti spec'd part is good for 10mins...
Disconect the feeder to the second pump cicuit and and check you have 340V.
reconnect the second stage (you'll need to dump the 340v first, use a 500r resistor to short it...) and then re-power, if you now get 340 on rail 1 and 680 on rail 2 all is good, if not replace the large diode on the 680V caps (silver M6 beast).
 
Make sure the circuit doesn't fire while you have your meters connected as the pulse will shred a DMM..
 
IF you have all these voltages and not flashing, try the opto device on the power board and finally the thyristor, but a I would suspect if they are buzzing it is a voltage multiplier issue..
 
I can put you in touch with the world's leadin strobe flower sufferer if none of the above helps....
 
S
 
 
 
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James Tengo View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote James Tengo Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 12 August 2011 at 8:47pm
Too late for the gig, we dropped the gag (it's a "hand held" strobe flower the turn waves about) Mains was a supplied 230v 50hz supply (they can give you any standard voltage and frequency here, the whole rig was a mix, atomics on 230v 50hz, df 50's on 100v 60hz, VL 3k's on 110v 60hz, mac 700's on 220v 60hz...) It has 4 sets of parallel caps, 3 groups of 3 and a pair. Voltages stepped up twice but not a third time, no parts easily available in the 2 and a half hours I had to look into it. Who do you recommend for strobe flower repairs? I know a lot of people who have little piles of them that need love and attention
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shagnasty View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote shagnasty Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 13 August 2011 at 12:37am
The guy is Gareth Jones, between him and myself I think we've mended all the Opti storbe flowers in the UK, poss Europe...
 
The Club strobe flower is after I stopped working for Shad and I have only ever used them, I have been told they use pretty much the same archeture, but I have never dropped on onto a bench, hence the "if this, then that, nature of my post.."
 
PM me an Email address and I will will drop Shad you details...
 
You are using a mix of 50 and 60Hz? How? massive cyclic converters ? (think massive power factor issues here) Japan is 100/170/50Hz AFAIA, we had 60Hz from Show Power (yeah really we toured 240/415/60Hz to keep the thrid world country happy)...
 
From your layout description you should still be looking for a multi-stage Cockcroft–Walton pre-charge rig with a pulse tranny over the top to actaully ionise the gas.....
 
Anyway enjoy the chep raw fish (lucky f***er) and PM me....
 
Smile
 
S
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James Tengo View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote James Tengo Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 13 August 2011 at 3:13am
In the states we often get 240/415 50hz gensets, i've no idea if that was the case here, you just ask for what you need and they supply. Most of the kit I tour nowadays is 90-250v 50/60hz, all my kit is on ceeform so I just carry edison/twistlock/stage pin/shuko/whatever to ceeform and plug into whatever supply i'm given. Backline are more fussy, with vintage amps 'not liking' (sounding different) different frequencies. The strobeflower has a jumper for 110v operation, so that was run on 110, the colourweb, pixel line, glp impressions, chamsys mq300 are all 90-250v 50/60hz so all that was run on 110v, the Jem roadie needs 240/415 50hz 32a3ph, so that was supplied. my 6ch dimmer for a follow par and 3x s4 zooms needed 240v 50hz, so that was supplied. I do carry 110v lamps and use local dimmers if 240v 50hz not available. Most of the rig was locally supplied, i'm just carrying a floor package, so didn't have to know how they got the voltage/frequency they needed, just made sure I metered any socket they gave me before I plugged in. If it came up wrong they disappeared under the stage, came back a minute later and the same socket had changed to the correct voltage and frequency, so a repatch between supplies was probably the case.
Time for a wander to the Meiji Shrine then lunch. Love this place!
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shagnasty View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote shagnasty Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 13 August 2011 at 3:38am
Any digital kit, Desks, LED Shite, etc, will run 90-250/50-60 easy as they tend to use SMPSU which rectifiy the mains as a first move, anything with a ballast will go ape if you run wrong frequency....
Lamp wise 110V don't exist outside of UK building sites, nowhere in the world runs 110V power execpt UK in a 55-0-55 config for site use.
best bet to save carrying extra lamps is to use AVO racks and never buy a 240V lamp as they are dim and crap...
But that said, I am intrigued by your SF prob...
 
PM Me
 
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erobert View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote erobert Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 05 July 2012 at 12:17pm
Where did you get your strobeflower from? I thought about buying myself new ones and thought about getting them with http://www.serenataflowers.com - free delivery with serenata flowers. How much did yours cost?
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dave g View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote dave g Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 12 August 2012 at 11:45am


Thanks for the help from shagnasty posted here regarding flasher circuit. Two out of four strobeflowers now working, full restoration project in progress.

Will be available for hire if you dare.

Also many more pictures and video of these working will be posted soon.








Edited by dave g - 19 August 2012 at 10:44pm
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chilli View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote chilli Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 15 August 2012 at 10:49pm
aah i need someone to look at my strobeflowers, one just flashes very quickly t low power and the others are just really cantankarous about connectivity sometimes working and sometimes not..
Money can't buy you happiness, but it can allow you to be miserable in comfort.
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shagnasty View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote shagnasty Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 16 August 2012 at 1:16am
Originally posted by chilli chilli wrote:

aah i need someone to look at my strobeflowers, one just flashes very quickly t low power and the others are just really cantankarous about connectivity sometimes working and sometimes not..
one rashly assumes you know these beasts use pin 3 ground DMX cable, IE Mic lead or normal 3 pin DMX is not use....
 
to cheack the one flashing quickly disocnect the red-blk trigger wire from the logic board, if that stops if flashing the HV control board near the 2 redbull cans is good, check the voltage on the red-bull cans, should be 340V, if that is low change the 2 diodes on the HV board, use the highest voltage raged 2amp diodes you can find.
If you have 340, check you have 680 on the the lager cans, if not swap out the large M6 stud device on the top of the caps, again you want a Hi voltage device here....
 
Sonce you have done all that, reconnect the red-blk onto your logic board, if you have full power all good, if not check the 6 pin opto device on the HV board...
 
DO NOT try to make ANY voltage measuremenst ANYWHERE with a DVM if it look like the circuit is trying to fire, you'll toast a £1000 meter while you watch....
 
Big smile
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dave g View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote dave g Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 19 August 2012 at 10:38pm
Also watch out for bulging caps, they do a take a pounding and are from '88'

Any details of the club strobeflower circuit, never seen inside one myself.

All four units now fixed and working!


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dave g View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote dave g Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 19 August 2012 at 10:42pm


Edited by dave g - 20 August 2012 at 11:31am
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