Broncolor Flash Pack Bonanza

[Andreas]

I have a couple of Elinchrom X8000 (with 4 generators). They actually only bring half a stop more than the T4 (4000 W/s) heads. Cost an arm and a leg back in the 80's. They were used to photograph furniture (and cars) on 8x10 . Today those 16 KW/s are nice to make a group photograph on wet plate. If we had uv-flashtubes, we only would need a fraction of that power.
Andreas

[Bernice Loui]

Those X8000 flash tubes are tired.. or the 404 pack flash capacitors no longer hold full charge.
Should get one f-stop more than a 4KW flash head.

Bernice

I have a couple of Elinchrom X8000 (with 4 generators). They actually only bring half a stop more than the T4 (4000 W/s) heads. Cost an arm and a leg back in the 80's. They were used to photograph furniture (and cars) on 8x10 . Today those 16 KW/s are nice to make a group photograph on wet plate. If we had uv-flashtubes, we only would need a fraction of that power.
Andreas

[Daniel Unkefer]

Two Rebuilt Broncolor Primo 2 Heads Working Fully by Nokton48, on Flickr

These two strobe heads are Broncolor Primo 2 1600 watt/seconds fan cooled Pulso compatible. Perfect to use on the four new Primo 2 and Primo 4 Packs I just reformed and good to go back to life. Plenty of power, light weight packs, desirable as pro units. To finish them I have ordered two Glass UV coated covers. Kevin at KHB told me if you have fan cooled, you need covers for safety. Peartree Photo in London UK has a great deal on new deluxe covers at a great price, and more durable than Broncolor, an upgrade really. I've been buying cheaply Pulso original Heads, these are the model P70 which are the standard reflector, and they take all kinds of extra accessories. Broncolor does have a great line of light modifiers, and great product support. So now I am in business with the four new to me Broncolor packs that I have just received and tested and ready to go now. And the new Pulso 2 pack works remotely with my Broncolor FM2 Infared unit, so things are good. This set was lit with Octobox 150 and medium sized foamcore fill panel on opposite side. The unit on the left is from Adorama, it needed some repair, I replaced the outer plug cover, it was broken and potentially dangerous as a plug in. Fixed all good now, also repaired the rubber outer cover that goes into the strobe head with a good amount of military grade electrical tape. So also good as now, both units work full power ready to use


https://peartreephoto.com/broncolor-...95-165-pulso-g

[williaty]

Amazing deals are out there on Olde Broncolor stuff. I wanted some newer packs for the studio, started looking around, I have a lot of Universal Blue Heads of all sorts, they are compatible with more modern Broncolor, but are not fan cooled. This PULSO 2 was their -top of the line- 1600WS pack, has every bell and whistle available. New cost $4,300 I paid $150 on Ebay. Then I walk into "World of Used Photography", and back in their clearance room, are two PRIMO A 1600WS packs ($2,595 each new), and two PRIMO A4 3200WS packs ($2,995 each new). So I buy the packs from Gary for $50 each. Also in the clearance room, I pick up another complete Broncolor Impact 21 300WS Monolight for $12. So now I need some PRIMO A4 heads (rated for 3200WS) to work with the A4 packs, but my old heads fit the PRIMO A 1600WS packs, as well as my new to me Pulso 2. So the point here is that there are some uber good deals to be had out there.

Hello fellow Columbusian! I saw some of that Broncolor gear at Gary's too and was crazy tempted to buy it. However, at the time I looked, he only had packs and no heads. I was concerned that the price of the heads on ebay would be out of my ability to buy so I left the packs there, much to my sadness. I actually got a similarly good deal on some Norman stuff from him about 6 years ago. I ended up walking out with ~10kWs of packs, a half dozen heads, a TriLite, and about 2 dozen modifiers for under $300. That got me started shooting wetplate by strobe. Then a year later, he had a Zeus 2500 pack and head for $200, so I switched to that, sold off the Norman stuff, and used that money to buy some X3200s for wet plate. I gained a stop and a half of exposure (always a massive win in wet plate) and they are compatible with all the modifiers I have for my Einstein stuff. Heck, I bought the Eastman 2D 8x10 and the giant camera stand I have from him as well because I asked if he'd be willing to sell anything he had in the side room that always has the door shut/locked.

It's a fantastic store!

[Andreas]

Thanks for your reply Bernice. Each of the 404 packs seem to deliver the right power into any T4 head. The X8 /X8000 come from two different sources, one has quite dark tubes, the other pretty clear. Output is never at the level of the T4 heads. Elinchrom later replaced these twin heads with versions rated at 6000W/s, which is what I get from mine. I wonder if there is some connection there.
I will investigate your suggestion and keep an eye open for new tubes for the X8/x8000 (though the OEM price for one is more than I paid for the whole rig !).

Andreas

Those X8000 flash tubes are tired.. or the 404 pack flash capacitors no longer hold full charge.
Should get one f-stop more than a 4KW flash head.

Bernice

[Daniel Unkefer]

SONY DSC by Nokton48, on Flickr

Battle of the Beautylights. On the right, is the Olde Broncolor C171 takes Universal attachments. Great strobe 375 Joules plenty of light, with the Universal Beautylight. I also have a black Grid that fits this Beautylight. Bought cheaply when MPEX was on High Street. On the left, $12 Broncolor Impact Monolight, 250 Joules with Impact Beautylight and original Diffuser. Head is light as a feather, I have standardized on these Impacts, have many 375 Joule units (Impact 41) that are power equivalent to the Olde C171 right. I have made adapters to go Universal to Impact. Easy to do and useful. The strobe on the right I paid $50 in the basement of Midwest, twenty five years ago and it just keeps going and going and going. The Impact on the left was $12 complete recently from World of Used Photography. Worth every penny.

The electrical design of the Impacts is such that all the components are over designed, and extremely simply reliable circuit, so usually after reforming these just fire up and go and go and go. I have used to use them weddings at times and always reliable. I did get one on Ebay I had to toss (making some bad smell) but I saved the extra parts which I do use sometimes. On the C171 the wires were hanging out the back, so I removed the rear cover, and rewired the sync connection. The Golden female sync connection (phono plug) came from Radio Shack. It's worked fine for the last twenty years.

[Bernice Loui]

Easy enough to test..

The x8/x8000 head has two cables, one to each 4000watt/second flash tube. Test fire each flash tube individually with an accurate flash meter for light output. Both flash tubes should have identical light output. If not, there is a problem.

New flash tubes for the x8/x8000 head are still available as special order from elinchrom or from (about 400U$D):
Phoxene
7 Chemin des hirondelles
69570 Dardilly - France
Tel. +33 (0)4 37 90 02 46

Bernice

Thanks for your reply Bernice. Each of the 404 packs seem to deliver the right power into any T4 head. The X8 /X8000 come from two different sources, one has quite dark tubes, the other pretty clear. Output is never at the level of the T4 heads. Elinchrom later replaced these twin heads with versions rated at 6000W/s, which is what I get from mine. I wonder if there is some connection there.
I will investigate your suggestion and keep an eye open for new tubes for the X8/x8000 (though the OEM price for one is more than I paid for the whole rig !).

Andreas

[brighamr]

Hi Daniel

re.

"I'm using Kevin from KHB's procedures to bring these packs out of coma."

Are you able to share the procedure to revive old flash pack caps please ?

[Daniel Unkefer]

Hi Daniel

re.

"I'm using Kevin from KHB's procedures to bring these packs out of coma."

Are you able to share the procedure to revive old flash pack caps please ?

I would suggest contacting KHB and go over with Kevin what you have.

[Daniel Unkefer]

Hello fellow Columbusian! I saw some of that Broncolor gear at Gary's too and was crazy tempted to buy it. However, at the time I looked, he only had packs and no heads. I was concerned that the price of the heads on ebay would be out of my ability to buy so I left the packs there, much to my sadness. I actually got a similarly good deal on some Norman stuff from him about 6 years ago. I ended up walking out with ~10kWs of packs, a half dozen heads, a TriLite, and about 2 dozen modifiers for under $300. That got me started shooting wetplate by strobe. Then a year later, he had a Zeus 2500 pack and head for $200, so I switched to that, sold off the Norman stuff, and used that money to buy some X3200s for wet plate. I gained a stop and a half of exposure (always a massive win in wet plate) and they are compatible with all the modifiers I have for my Einstein stuff. Heck, I bought the Eastman 2D 8x10 and the giant camera stand I have from him as well because I asked if he'd be willing to sell anything he had in the side room that always has the door shut/locked.

It's a fantastic store!

Yes I like dealing with Gary, he's a good Guy. Went back last week and the strobes back in the clearance room are GONE; the room is nearly empty. Gary told me earlier on that he thought he had Primo heads around, but no such luck. But now bought two more complete 1600J Primo heads on Ebay, so now I will have four GOOD fan cooled. Lots to work on during the cold weather here.