At 06:50 PM 6/11/98 -0700, Dan Lau wrote:
[snip]
>Anyway, I only got one answer that it is useful in keeping the cap
>charged with the flash plugged in when not in use (and turned on as
>well, I assume). What do others think about the usefulness of the
>AC adapter? And is there a down side to keeping the flash on and
>charged when not in use.
Dan;
I can't think of any "down side" to keeping the capacitor charged -- on the
other hand, there's a real down side to keeping it discharged. If it's stored
for more than a couple of years, the cap's basically unable to retain a charge
anymore. This is because, in it's discharged state, an electrolytic
capacitor's electrolyte can dry out, becoming chemically inactive. This
doesn't mean the flash is toast, though; I assume you can take it apart and get
a new capacitor put in (a good electronics parts store should be able to
provide a replacement that's a physical and electrical equivalent).
My old Vivitar 283 came with instructions to "form" the capacitor at least once
a month if it was stored for any length of time, to keep the cap in good shape.
I've owned it for fifteen years now, and it's still going strong.
Garth
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