Replacement Norman Capacitors

[Michael Graves]

I've got two Norman P-500D power packs. One works perfectly and the other one thinks it does. It does everything except recycle and fire the flash heads. I'm thinking the caps are probably shot, but I can't find a source anywhere for exact replacements. I hit a local electronics shop and they had some with the same value, but not even remotely the same dimensions. It was like trying to fit a jug of milk into a six-pack compartment. Where does one find exact replacements? And am I shooting in the right direction?

[Greg Lockrey]

Try these guys: http://www.duracap.com/photoflash_service_capacitors/

[Gordon Moat]

I worked on a Norman powerpack (400 series I think) several months ago. The local pro repair shop couldn't get it to work, so the friend of mine with the pack asked me about it. I did a quick check, and both caps tested bad. So with some luck and digging, I found a good deal on two caps. Unfortunately, once they were installed the pack still did not work.

So my friend took the pack back to the pro repair shop, and since at least he knew the caps were good, they discounted their usual diagnostic fee. Unfortunately, after having the pack a couple weeks, they too could not get it to work. Best answer they could give him was that the main board was shot. Worse was that his pack was so old that a replacement board could not be found.

I guess the points in all this, at least what I found, are that the capacitors are not cheap, and that might not be the only problem. After reading a thread on PDN Forums several weeks ago about old Norman packs exploding, I have decided never to try working on one again. Good luck with your pack.

Ciao!

Gordon Moat
A G Studio (http://www.allgstudio.com)

[Bob Salomon]

http://www.photo-control.com/

They are the manufacturer of Norman flash equipment. Have you asked them?

[Gordon Moat]

Bob's suggestion is not bad, though check out the link he sent by looking at the Support section, and authorized repair places. The pack I worked on was at one of the manufacturer's authorized repair places. Anyway, if one of those places is near you, contacting them might not be a bad idea, at least to ask about parts.

My experience on the pricing of the capacitors was that direct from Norman was the highest price. Then the capacitor manufacturers were the next highest. Finally I found a place that had these in stock on the shelf, and the price for two was less than the price for one from Norman, including shipping.

The caps I found in the Norman pack I was working on were Mallory. This company went through two buyouts, one very recently. After finding nearly four different capacitor part numbers, I finally figured out that after each buyout certain part numbers changed. You have to look at the specification, the dimensions, and the connector type. The old part number might not mean anything in comparison to the newer numbers.

If you can afford to have an authorized repair place fix the pack for you, then that is the best bet. If these are getting old, and you are trying to save on repairs, then some searching might ensue prior to finding good deals on parts. Once you figure out a part number, you might even try to find NOS parts off EBAY, if you go the discount route. There is some danger aspect to trying to fix these, since the caps store lots of energy; be very careful.

Ciao!

Gordon Moat
A G Studio (http://www.allgstudio.com)

[Bob Salomon]

It should be pointed out that playing around with caps for electronic flash, and especially studio units, can be lethal. If you don't know what you are doing with a flash power supply leave it alone.

[Greg Lockrey]

It should be pointed out that playing around with caps for electronic flash, and especially studio units, can be lethal. If you don't know what you are doing with a flash power supply leave it alone.

Yes, many a "twidget" has met his maker under estimating the power of these caps.

[Jim Rice]

The dangers aside, I would avoid NOS capacitors as electrolytics can dry out with age, whether used or not.

[Michael Graves]

It should be pointed out that playing around with caps for electronic flash, and especially studio units, can be lethal. If you don't know what you are doing with a flash power supply leave it alone.

I'm aware of that. I've worked on CRT monitors and they're the same. I have a discharge wand and there ain't s**t left in those caps. But after reading about the control board it occurs to me that maybe I can live with just one power pack. I don't use strobes that much. In truth, I really just wanted to see if I could fix it. But after poking around inside, I realize it's not a computer.

[Bob Salomon]

I'm aware of that. I've worked on CRT monitors and they're the same. I have a discharge wand and there ain't s**t left in those caps. But after reading about the control board it occurs to me that maybe I can live with just one power pack. I don't use strobes that much. In truth, I really just wanted to see if I could fix it. But after poking around inside, I realize it's not a computer.

Michael,

A friend of mine was an electronic technician. One of his first jobs in LA was as Bill Norman;s bench tech for the strobes. He then became the Product Manager for Norman strobes (this was before they became part of Photo Control).

One day while working with a cap in a Norman power pack he got a bit too close to a terminal. The resulting discharge when straight through his finger and left a depression on the entrance and departure points where the current went through the filter.

It can't be emphasized enough. These things can easily be deadly.

[Bob Salomon]

I'm aware of that. I've worked on CRT monitors and they're the same. I have a discharge wand and there ain't s**t left in those caps. But after reading about the control board it occurs to me that maybe I can live with just one power pack. I don't use strobes that much. In truth, I really just wanted to see if I could fix it. But after poking around inside, I realize it's not a computer.

Michael,

A friend of mine was an electronic technician. One of his first jobs in LA was as Bill Norman;s bench tech for the strobes. He then became the Product Manager for Norman strobes (this was before they became part of Photo Control).

One day while working with a cap in a Norman power pack he got a bit too close to a terminal. The resulting discharge when straight through his finger and left a depression on the entrance and departure points where the current went through the finger.

It can't be emphasized enough. These things can easily be deadly.

[rhbourbonnais]

Another thing worth noting is that large caps can develope a memory, so even though you may discharge them once, they may come back up to power on their own. What this means is that the grounding rod needs to stay connected.
For this and other reasons, we recommend not working on High Voltage on your own, but taking it to a repair facility, where the technicians have the proper training, equipment, and protective gear for dealing with High Voltage.
Also: If it is an older Norman pack, you may want to look on EBay. You can often buy an older pack for less money then to replace the Caps in one that was smoked.

Robin