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View Full Version : Ektar 203mm Flash Supermatic - intermittent flash



bigeye
1-Dec-2010, 09:56
First post here. I enjoy reading through all the info here. Thanks to all.

I have a problem (I think) with my Flash Supermatic. I spent an hour setting up a room with a couple of viv 285s w/ some pocket wizard clones (jet engines on a 50's View II!) for some kid shots. The practice shots all went off great. Then I loaded film and they didn't... I ohmeter'd the Bipost line and it's good and traced back to the shutter - no joy.

It now goes off ~3 out of 5 times. Playing with the flash sync lever sets it off more frequently; ~9 out of 10.

I'm about to send it off to Grimes, but I'm wondering if I'm doing something dumb and have the settings wrong for modern X flash? My version only has the slider for M -- F and I've tried it both ways with little difference. I had been setting it to "F" (without setting the flash sync lever). Any recommendations?

- Charlie

John Koehrer
1-Dec-2010, 11:02
Could be carbon on the valves, like Ferrari.

Or.........
The flash contacts in the shutter are weak, tarnished or burned.
You have 300V going through the switch & if they're not making a solid connection, there's arcing.
If you're good with stuff like this, the flash contact is directly connected to the bi-post
the front plate should be held on by a couple of screws if you're that curious.
There is also a plate with a cam or two in it that will be uncovered with the front plate removed. On reassembly the cam followers have to go in the proper slot. I usually mark the cam with an arrow indicating "up"

domaz
1-Dec-2010, 11:04
Are the contacts dirty? Try cleaning them with a pencil eraser. How about your cable? Perhaps it's old and isn't actually making contact with the contacts.

Dave Loftus
1-Dec-2010, 11:44
If you don't have X-synch on your shutter, then your shutter will lag the strobe. What I did was short-circuit one of the bi-posts to the little screw next to it with a bit of very thin copper wire. That would be the LEFT post as you're looking at the front of the lens. Now the shutter is in synch with electronic flash.

Jim Noel
1-Dec-2010, 14:22
If you don't have X-synch on your shutter, then your shutter will lag the strobe. What I did was short-circuit one of the bi-posts to the little screw next to it with a bit of very thin copper wire. That would be the LEFT post as you're looking at the front of the lens. Now the shutter is in synch with electronic flash.
A very innovative and interesting approach to the use of a shutter w/o X synch.Thanks for the idea.

bigeye
1-Dec-2010, 14:25
Thanks for the suggestions.

I only have a couple volts going through to the radio transmitter - the 285s are not involved (directly), so I don't think it's fried, by me anyway. Cable is new and I metered it to be sure.

Not to the point of timing, yet - need to get the flash regular. I like the idea of bypassing the sync mechanism, though. May need that.

It should be a 'contacts' type thing going on. I may open it up and have a look. - C

Dan Fromm
1-Dec-2010, 15:25
Um, er, ah, if a Flash Supermatic is fired with the sync delay uncocked it will give X-class sync.

bigeye
1-Dec-2010, 17:28
Well, I did take it off the board and simply cleaned the posts good and it works now. A little bit of tarnish was enough to make the flash intermittent.

Set it to F and it seems to be timed right, looking through the lens, anyway... We'll see how it develops.

Had a chance to admire it a bit while off the board; a nice little piece of machinery.

Besto,
- Charlie

al olson
1-Dec-2010, 20:34
The M and F flash sync are for the old style flash bulbs. There is a delay in the opening of the shutter to give the bulbs time to ignite.

With a strobe at these sync settings, the shutter will open after the strobe fires. Your shutter apparently does not have an X sync for strobe. Note the post from Dave Loftus, #4, for a fix to this problem.

Jim Jones
2-Dec-2010, 06:57
A previous owner internally modified my early Flash Supermatic for X sync. It appears to be a very easy modification.