Original Argus Flash Misfires?

[charles_miller5]

Finally picked up an original Argus hotshue flash to try on my Argus C-Four.

 

The flash is in mint condition, but it's a bit perplexing. Inside the battery case, I see two

beds for what I would THINK were AA batteries. The designation inside the battery case,

however, reads "B.BATTERY 22.5v" in one bed and "CAPACITOR" in the other bed.

 

I experimentally plugged in a couple of fresh AA batteries (both + poles pointing up, as

indicated inside the battery case), and tried a #5 bulb, mounting the thing on an Argus C-

Four... Nada, zilch, no fire at all. The test light wouldn't come on, either, but that didn't

surprise me, and I was starting to wonder if the bulb was bad.

 

Started to remove the flash from the hotshue, and BAP! the flash went off right in my eyes.

Saw blue dots for 5 minutes. Once recovered, I mounted the flash on my OTHER Argus C-

Four and went through the whole routine again---nothing happened when I depressed the

shutter release. Tried a remote release, still nothing. Then jiggled the unit a little and

BAP! the thing flashed again (not in my eyes this time).

 

Okay, that's $2 worth of #5 bulbs I've wasted, and I'm not any smarter. At this point I

decided to look for help, which is why I'm here. I assume the flash circuitry is intact, as

the bulbs keep flashing (just at the wrong time). What, then, is the secret to making this

thing work properly, and why is it not firing in synch with my shutter release on two

separate cameras?

 

Thanks in advance for your reply and assistance. :)

 

CM

[coalburner_01]

Don't know how much help this will be. I've got a Honeywell tilt-a-mite flash that I brought back using a everyready 504 and several capicitors strung together. The battery is an easy find as any battery store should carry and the capacitor was salvaged from old radios and wired together. I think a better and safer way would be to watch ebay for the tilt-a-mite flash, they go for $3-5 and use the cap from that or just use that flash as it will probably work. If you go the home way, I wired 2 10uf 50v capacitors and inserted in the space (todays caps are much smaller than 40yrs ago. Just be careful as capacitors can pack a powerful kick. The 22v battery will run you about $15.00

[Ian Rance]

Hi Charles,

 

Just to add to what chris said I have the following thoughts.

 

Firstly, you are missing the capacitor (fits in the slot called capacitor). These were shaped like a battery and were used to hold a small charge to prevent the battery being drained and also give reliable flashes (as the battery voltage dropped). Putting a battery in here will not work - you need a capacitor.

 

Secondly, you need the proper 22.5 volt battery. As Chris said, they are not that difficult to get, but I advise against alkaline types as they don't sit unused very well - they tend to swell and leak. Use the zinc-carbon type.

 

Lastly, instead of wasting bulbs, you can buy a tester - looks like a flashbulb, but has a 6v low wattage lamp inside. This will 'wink' if the gun is working correctly and saves those valuable 5b's. Alternatively you can make your own with a 6v 0.06 Ampere bulb.

 

If you need any further help - just ask. I have rebuilt many guns and now use special 'long-life' capacitors from RS that are VERY reliable (they are bigger than regular caps).

 

Ian, UK

[john_shriver]

You need a 200 microfarad 30 volt capacitor where it says capacitor. Get the polarity right.

 

Buying a Tilt-A-Mite on eBay probably won't help. The one my mother bought new in the 1960's had a dead capacitor when I went to get it working recently. Maybe the one you buy will be newer, but maybe not...

[charles_miller5]

RE: "200 microfarad 30 volt capacitor"

 

Well, this isn't an easy find on eBay. Is there a classic camera supply online that carries

this capacitor?

 

Again, thanks for your help!

 

CM

[frank.schifano]

Is eBay the only merchant on the planet? Seriously though, you can find this sort of stuff at an electronics supply house. In the US, Radio Shack might have it.

[charles_miller5]

No, I don't turn to eBay for every trifling purchase. It is a good gauge of what's available,

however. I would prefer to purchase online, as I live out in the foothills of the Smoky

Mountains, with no easy access to retail outlets.

 

Google returned about a half-million hits for 200mfd 30v capacitors, associated with

scores of applications, but I'm not on an Easter egg hunt. I've inquired directly to Radio

Shack---their online product listings are rather limited.

 

CM