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[OM] Re: TSA: Safe Travel with Batteries and Devices

Subject: [OM] Re: TSA: Safe Travel with Batteries and Devices
From: Chuck Norcutt <chucknorcutt@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Thu, 03 Jan 2008 07:58:53 -0500
Thanks for the feedback on the 3 vs 4 cells.  But I think I'll still 
continue using 4 cells all the time.  Keeping track of the dummy battery 
and an odd number of partially discharged AA's isn't worth it when I can 
either recharge 4 at a time or replace them with a set of alkalines for 
about a buck.

Chuck Norcutt

Tim Hughes wrote:
> 
> --- Chuck Norcutt <chucknorcutt@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> 
>> I also meant to mention that when you buy a Quantum Turbo "CZ" power 
>> cable for Canyon flash units it comes with a power saver dummy AA 
>> battery.  Apparently the control electronics of the flash must be able 
>> to run on about 3 volts so the 4th battery is not really required when 
>> running with a high voltage supply.  Perhaps the same is true of other 
>> flash units but the best is the T-32 and some Sunpaks which don't need 
>> any AA's when running on high voltage.  It helps same some weight but I 
>> leave all the batteries in anyway just in case the high voltage supply 
>> fails at an inopportune time.
> 
> If you were to leave the 4th cell in the unit, then the turbo and the 4cells 
> charge the hi-v cap
> in parallel (faster), but the 4 cells get depleted at a relatively rapid 
> rate. Dropping the
> voltage by one cell means the 3cells don't contribute much to charging the 
> hiv-v cap and so not
> only do you "save" one cell, the remaining cells stay fresh and last a longer 
> time in supplying
> the control electronics and so keep the unit running longer on the external 
> turbo pack.
> 
>> Chuck Norcutt wrote:
>>> For some reason I thought there was at least one Metz flash that could 
>>> accept either 4 alkaline AA's or 5 NiCad or NiMH such that the flash 
>>> always saw 6 volts.  But if it exists I couldn't find it.  
> 
> I have never heard of that but the Metz T45's have a different holder pack 
> for the NiCd's vs the
> Alkaline (still 6cells) (You are not suposed to use  NiCd's or NiMh's in the 
> Alkaline holder) The
> holders connector attaches at a different point in the circuit, so providing 
> an optimum tap on the
> invertor transformer, to get the best performance from the niCd's.
> 
>>> Some of the 
>>> bigger Metz and Sunpak units take 6 AA's which I think is just for 
>>> additional capacity.
> 
> Actually it is not only capacity it is more of a rate issue, as many of those 
> units (except the
> very largest) have about the same energy as the T32. The 6 cells can charge 
> the capacitor much
> faster and more consistently than the T32 can with 4 alkaline cells, but at a 
> weight cost.  The
> T32 struggles to charge fully in anything like it's specified time because 
> the maximum energy rate
> extractable from the 4 cells is a lot less than 6. If it had been optimised 
> for just NiCd (or
> NiMh,if they had existed then) then they could have more easily achieved the 
> specs. The T32 on
> it's booster handle actually is much,much more consistent than it is on it's 
> own, because like the
> sunpaks it then also has a hi-voltage feedback regulator that the simpler T32 
> on it's own lacks,
> however it was also designed for alkalines and you can't extract energy from 
> 4 alkaline C cells a
> whole lot faster than from 4 AA cells, although it takes much longer before 
> they really start
> wilting as badly!  Unlike Alkalines,most rechargeable's have a rate 
> capability that scales with
> size so it is easier to design for them alone. Of course in an OM when using 
> TTL everything
> usually works fine, even if the flash is not fully charged. It's the manual 
> settings that suffer
> consistency, if the cap is not fully charged.
> 
> Tim Hughes
> 
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