At 3:32 AM +0200 6/18/04, Listar wrote:
>
>Date: Thu, 17 Jun 2004 07:43:34 -0400
>Subject: [OM] Re: T20 charges but will not fire..(flash caps)
>From: Andrew Gullen <andrew.gullen@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
>
>on 2004/06/16 10:21 PM, Joe Gwinn at joegwinn@xxxxxxxxxxx wrote:
>
>>> Most small flashes like the T20 have such large native current draw
>>> from the high voltage, this is not strictly necessary. The better
>>> designs switch in the discharge resistor when power switch is
>>> switched off.
>>
>> Yes.
>
>Isn't this a design tradeoff?
>
>If shooting sporadically, to save power I sometimes switch the T Power 1 off
>when I don't think I'll need it for a while, then back on when something is
>coming up. I notice it lights the flash-ready much more quickly after the
>first time, and figured this is because it doesn't discharge the capacitor.
>Anything that saves battery is *good*.
I think your theory is correct. Tim Hughes explained it more fully
in his response.
>This situation comes up more often than opening up the flash. :-) Or does
>discharging the capacitor save wear and tear on it?
A little perhaps, but the real reason is safety. Especially in the
old days, the contacts on the flash shoe had high voltages on them.
Now days, the voltage is low, but the design custom endures.
Actually, electrolytics degrade chemically if not kept charged a
reasonable portion of the time.
Joe Gwinn
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