Al Jacob's Black Box substitute for Quantum

[Rick Waller]

Anyone have any experience with this product. Sounds awfully good to me.

 

http://www.aljacobs.com/THE%20BLACK%20BOX.htm

[steve skibbie central ca]

I haven't heard of this set up, yet. I'm not surprised, though, that someone was able to make a simplified Quantum. I have been using Quantum Turbo Z's for years and even found a company in San Diego that sells replacement batteries for the inside without going through Quantum.

 

As much as this guy makes fun of the battery level lights-- I like knowing how much I've got left in my pack, instead of having to guess how many shots I've taken.

 

Al Jacob spends so much time/space on his poorly designed website explaining HOW and WHY, I hardly was interested buying one-- let alone finding the price was difficult as well.

[mikestryinagain]

I havent used them, but typically they get good reviews on other forums.

[ben_rubinstein___mancheste]

Before he started selling them he had instructions up on his site about how to make them. I made one and used it for a while but neither it or any quantam is any substitute for the excellent canon CP-E3 (you have to be shooting canon of course!), a fraction of the price, uses cheap nimh cells, attaches and disconnects easily and fast without disabling the flash and I've shot over 1000 frames with it during a wedding, the vast majority hi sync fill flash or bounced in a large hall and the power never faltered. Recycle time is just under 1 sec for full discharge with the 580ex. To be honest I couldn't use the power hungry LSPJ without it on digital. Inconsistent exposures when shooting fast due to flash recycling levels means extra work at the post processing stage that I don't like to have to do!

 

Oh, and if you use this kind of pack (not the canon) be warned that putting in the battery module the wrong way round will fry your flash! I killed a sunpak and my 580ex this way and to be honest, when I've disconnected my flash from the pack to go to the bathroom, get back and see a moment happening in front of me, I don't have time to look carefully as to the orientation of the module, and I can't fire without it! Give me the light and cheap canon any time!

 

Of course if you don't shoot canon or don't use their flashes then this is all a bit of a waste of time isn't it? ;-)

[Gary Naka]

It all depends on the flash and what you want to do. The Black Box and some of the Quantums are low voltage packs. This means you can shoot longer w/o the hassle of changing AA batteries, but you likely won't get a reduction in recycle time. And if you do, you need to be careful not to shoot too fast and overheat the flash and burn it out. To get a decent reduction in recycle time, you need to use a High Voltage pack like the Quantum Turbo series, and only if your flash will take a HV pack.

 

BTW, for the price of a Black Box or low voltage Quantum you can get MANY MANY sets of NiMHd batteries. The advantage for those packs is you don't have to stop to change AA batteries in the flash. But in most events, there are breaks in the action where you can stop to change batteries. Example, at a wedding, change batteries between the church and the reception.

 

These low voltage packs was much more important back in the old days of 500ma AA cells. Todays NiMHd AA cells have over 4x the capacity of the NiCd cells I used back then.

 

gud luk

Gary

[bdp]

I don't have one for Quantum, but if it's anything like the ones for the 550ex/Metz flashes, they are solid units. I have one and have yet to run out of battery power.

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Al's a good guy (originally from NY) and can talk when he calls you to verify your order. Plus, he stands by EVERYTHING he makes.. it's broke due to his manufacturing, which he is the only one employed, he will repair it free.

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I am not associated with Al in anyway, but I do respect a guy that calls everyone that orders to make sure you're getting the right product, and stands behind his product.

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Bob

[bdp]

I need to clarify something in my above comment:

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Plus, he stands by EVERYTHING he makes.. it's broke due to his manufacturing, which he is the only one employed, he will repair it free.

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That should read:<BR>

Plus, he stand by everything he makes, and if it breaks due to his manufacturing process, in which he is the only one employed, he will repair if free.

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I don't remember which person replied indicating they fried their flash by installing the battery module incorrectly (in the Canon stuff), but I'm not sure how you did that, considering there is a cord on one side that needs to hang out of the Flash unit.

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Bob

[EricM]

we just made up three sets of identical batteries for a Quantum last month costing $12CND each. a little bit of soldiering, an rca cable, and some electricians tape and we now have four batteries for dirt cheap that slip inside the quantum case. i'm working on a newer battery that has 4500mA and half the weight, but three times the cost.