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[parapraxis]

I just recently acquired a flash kit. I'm not sure what type of flash it is. It's not like any of the pictures that I've seen of Graflex flashes. It doesn't use incandescent bulbs, it appears to be a halogen bulb. I don't have any sync cords either, so any help would be greatly appreciated.

[Graflite]

I don't know what your knowledge level is, so I don't want to insult you by asking some common questions, but could this perhaps be a spiral type glass tube (bulb) that reminds you of a fluorescent (or perhaps halogen) type consumer bulb?

What you have could be an electronic flash apparatus with a xenon strobe glass tube in it, does this flash have any brand or model nomenclature on it?

If it is not a self contained unit with internal batteries, then it should have a socket for accepting a power cord that goes to an external battery pack (usually high voltage).

"graflite"

[parapraxis]

I'm new to the whole Graflex scene, but not photography. I have a 4x5 Sinar. Anyway, what you described is dead on, unfortunatly, the flash does not have any nomenclature on it. I do have a battery booster, as it says, but am still clueless to the way the cords are attached and how the battery booster is charged, if even charged.

[Graflite]

parapraxis

OK on the Sinar 4 x 5, nice view it is, and welcome also to the Graflex world, with all of the different pieces and parts that Graflex sold over the years, it is sometimes hard to find information about these items, which is why this forum (and it's many valuable members) is such a good resource in keeping these fine camera's alive, in the public eye, and still in use around the world, even today.

The battery booster you speak of rather sounds like the Graflex Model 2095 Booster that was used to boost (and extend the useful life) of the dry cell high voltage batteries that were used in the Graflex HV power packs (not the RG Ni-Cad battery packs) that powered the electronic flash lamp heads.

This Model 2095 Booster was used in conjunction with the Model 2096 Analyzer to test and analyze these dry cell high voltage batteries, these two instruments were in later years combined to form the Graflex Model 2294 Strob Booster/Analyzer for the same purpose.

Your flash is starting to sound like a Heiland (AKA James Millen) strob flashgun, so if you are interested I can send you several JPG/JPEG images of this flashgun.

graflite

[parapraxis]

Ok, so upon further examination of the flash head it says KEMLITE CHGO. underneath the actual bulb. I still am not certain as to how it is powered. Is it powered on DC or AC?

[Graflite]

"KEMLITE CHGO" is the Kemlite Laboratories of Chicago, Illinois which made flash tubes for various electronic strobe flashes back in the 50's and 60's, including the Singer-Graflex 250 & 500 Globe Strob bare bulb flashes, this similar bulb can also be seen today on the Sunpak Auto 120J and the Hasselblad D-Flash 40 bare bulb (with reflector also) flashes.

Other companies that made (and may still make) similar flash tubes were GE (FT-120GC), Sylvania (R5 120 LV 049), Hershey (Sun Light 2T3) and of course Kemlite (772 DX).

It's been so long ago since I worked photo retail that I don't remember if Kemlite Laboratories made a strobe flashgun to go with the flash tubes that they made or not.

I'm almost certain that if this is the flash that I am thinking of, is that you are missing the battery pack and the power cords that connect from the flash to the battery pack, which is almost certainly a dry cell type (could possibly be Ni-Cads) of a design that would generate at least 300 VDC to charge up an Electrolytic Capacitor that would generate roughly 4,000 VDC to ionize the xenon gas inside the flash tube.

The most likely component to fail in a strobe flashgun is the energy storage capacitor (the Electrolytic Capacitor), and as it ages it becomes dried out and "leaks" power or may even short out resulting in a crackling noise heard by some people, sadly if the Electrolytic Capacitor cannot be "reformed" to a usable state then it needs to be replaced to be on the safe side.

graflite




[ This Message was edited by: Graflite on 2005-02-07 20:28 ]