Strobe on power pack no longer works. Did I fry it???

DaveK

Okay never borrow something from a friend that you aren't willing to replace if you break it. I may very well be replacing my friends power pack unless someone can help me.

I wanted to just test and see if I would be happy purchasing a studio lighting system before I invested. My friend as a pretty old Novatron 440 HDX light kit with 4 lights and accessories. I set it up and had it working for about a day but after shooting about 40-60 pictures in the last session, the pack stopped firing the strobe. My daugther thought she heard something come from the powerpack right before it stopped working.

At first I thought I just over worked it and let it cool down but it still will not fire strobe though the model lights do come on. On the power pack is a small light that used to blink when it was on but that no longer blinks. I do not see any easy access to the power pack for a fuse and due to the fact the model lights do still come on my worst fear is that I fried the unit.

Please help. I have searched alll over the web and here for anyone with similar problems and solution but have yet to come across an answer. The Novatron site is void of any useful manuals or postings but I may just call them if no one here has a simple solution.

I already have a watch list on e-bay for a replacement Novatron power pack but would prefer to not spend a couple hundred or so if there is a fix.

ziggy53

Dave,

That is an old unit and I am not familiar with that model. Novatron is still an excellent firm to work with so try to solve the problem through them. (There are much better pack systems than Novatron, but their support is still great.)

ian408

Did you smell anything after hearing the pop/sound? If so, then likely something did 'fry'. Otherwise, it's probably just a fuse. But, and this is a biggie, when an internal fuse goes, it's usually more than just over-voltage that caused it.

I'd call the mfg and see what they say.

DaveK

ziggy53 wrote:

Dave,

That is an old unit and I am not familiar with that model. Novatron is still an excellent firm to work with so try to solve the problem through them. (There are much better pack systems than Novatron, but their support is still great.)

Yes, it is quite old and I probably pushed it too much after sitting in storage for so long. I will end up giving Novatron a call to see if they can advise.

Thanks Siggy53!

DaveK

ian408 wrote:

Did you smell anything after hearing the pop/sound? If so, then likely something did 'fry'. Otherwise, it's probably just a fuse. But, and this is a biggie, when an internal fuse goes, it's usually more than just over-voltage that caused it.

I'd call the mfg and see what they say.

That was my first thought as well and I stuck my nose by the vents but did not smell any burning or overheated electrical plus the unit was not even hot, just slightly warm.

Being a complete novice with this system I am wondering if the flash rings may of all burned out instead and the power pack is fine. Will the burnt out flash wings stop the power pack from blinking in a ready state? Seems a stretch but again I am not experienced with these systems.

patch29

DaveK wrote:

Being a complete novice with this system I am wondering if the flash rings may of all burned out instead and the power pack is fine. Will the burnt out flash wings stop the power pack from blinking in a ready state? Seems a stretch but again I am not experienced with these systems.

You could probably burn out the flash tube. Do those heads have cooling fans in them? probably not.

What does the tube look like?

I would call Novatron and see what they suggest.

DaveK

patch29 wrote:

You could probably burn out the flash tube. Do those heads have cooling fans in them? probably not.

What does the tube look like?

I would call Novatron and see what they suggest.

No cooling fan. The tube wraps around the center bulb and is about the thickness of a fat straw.

Art Scott

Once you have this prob fixed....run away from power pack units...yes overall the lights are smaller but you have cables every where, unlike with a mono head unit that cotains the power supply in each head...really they are no more expoensive than a unit such as the nova tron......My main reason for using mono head units is simply this..if one light goes I can still shoot as long as I have at least one light.......as of right now I shoot with 3 Paul C Bull white lightning 5000's.....he also has another line called the Alien Bees, which a tyon of people on here use......also with a lot of mono head units you can get batteries to use them on location but the modelling lithe will not work (too much power drain).

Good luck.

DaveK

Art Scott wrote:

Once you have this prob fixed....run away from power pack units...

Thanks Art. I have been reading and weighing the pro/cons of both and you make some very good points. As this was a free loaner (may be at a price now ) I thought it was a good way to just see what a studio light package would do for my work. I was quite pleased in the limited time I had to test them and convinced I want to get my own setup soon. I was fortunate to have 4 lights with my friend's kit to experiment with as well.

I still have a huge learning curve before I feel comfortable making the purchase however and want to be sure I get a setup that I will be happy with for at least 5 years if not longer.

DaveK

Just an update for others that may run across this thread with a similar problem.

I called Novatron. Let me first say I was completely impressed with the fact that the person answering the phone was a real person and was completely knowledgable and able to help me. I called two different times and within 2-3 rings they answered and handled my questions. Very impressive in this day of automated phone mazes.

Well here is what I found. The fuse was blown. If you unscrew the top panel it is on the back side of the panel. I replaced it but right after, I fired the strobes one time and it blew again. I went through three fuses (I know, I'm a bit slow) and decided at that time to call Novatron again for advice on why the fuses where blowing. They said it is most likely the capicator or diode have gone bad. Due to the age of the power pack it would not be economical to send this in for repair and I would be better off replacing the unit.

So unfortunately for me I am now in the position of looking for a power pack to replace for my friends light kit. So much for a free experiment of a light kit and may it be a lesson for all, count the possilbe costs before you borrow from a friend

(Anyone looking to sell a Novatron power pack???)

ziggy53

If it is just a diode, there are shops that may fix the pack for a reasonable price. I would suggest that the most likely problem is the capacitors and they can get expensive and hard to find.

Explain to your friend the problem and what you have tried to correct the problem. If they haven't used the pack in a long time, they may understand about the problems and not hold you accountable.

If you do decide to replace the pack, call Novatron one more time to find out what they recommend in terms of a replacement. There may be several models to look for.