Help!- -Norman 200B

[robert_ley1]

I recently picked up a used Norman 200B on the Bay and received it w/o an

instruction manual. It is an older unit that the seller swore had a "very

strong battery" I received it and it was completely dead. It has the older

gray square charger, so I plugged it into the charger and pressed the red

button. The red light came on and charged the battery for maybe 10-15 minutes.

I then plgged in the head and turned it on. The ready-light on the head came

on and I got a couple of flashes, maybe 8-10 and then it was dead again, no

flash. I tried charging it again, this time pressing the red button and

repeating several times. This time I got a few more flashes(full power, 200WS),

maybe 15. My question to you experienced 200B users is: Is this a battery

problem or a charger problem, or both? The seller of course is claiming it was

fine when he shipped it, but I frankly don't know what to think as I have never

used one of these fine portable flashes.

[picturesque]

The battery is tired. You will have to replace it, which, actually, is what I would expect when buying a used flash unit. Pushing the button starts a rapid charge mode. When the red light goes out, the battery is supposed to be fully charged, but the cycle should take about 90 minutes. If the red light is going out after 10-15 minutes, the battery is tired and won't hold a charge.

[robert_ley1]

Anyone know how many full power flashes I can expect from a fresh battery? I had heard that I can only expect about 150 200WS flashes from the standard NiCad battery if it is in good condition.

[christiaan_phleger___honol]

Get a new battery AND the automatic charger from www.dasaga.com/200b.htm. Best thing

for a 200b, and don't use the gray charger, more pain than its worth. You may also

consider getting a tune up on the flash unit, then it will last another 20 years, seriously

tough units.

[picturesque]

I have a copy of the original manual. It says 200 full power flashes per charge.

[jordanzuniga]

Hey Robert,

 

I am actually the guy that sold you the Norman 200B unit, and I am an extremely honest guy. The flash unit WAS working perfectly before I sent it to you. When I charged it, the unit charged for about an hour, and then test fired off about 200 full power(200) shots one after the other.

 

You said that you were charging the battery pack for 15 mins or so. That is not enough time to charge the battery at all. I am not sure what happened, but I assure you again that all was fine when it was sent.

 

Once, I used the unit, and charged it to find that the red charger light went out pretty fast. Another press of the button began the charge cycle again. Have you tried charging the battery with the rocker switch (power switch) off? Press the red button, and let it sit for a long while.

 

It has been some time since I sold the unit to you, and you never can tell when a battery will go out if indeed it did. All I know, is that I tested it well before sending it, and it was working flawlessly. Its a pretty clean unit. You might just try replacing the battery at a very low cost.

 

At this point, this is the best I can tell you.

 

You can replace the old battery with the Delta V, for $130 or so, and buy the Delta V charger for $300+ or so. BUT, there is a better solution.

 

Most companies don't make their own batteries, they just configure a system around an existing battery. The link below takes you to a company which makes a replacement battery for the Norman 200B, for $75. It is Lead Acid, which means it does not develop memory, and will hold a charge longer. The company says they get 125-250 pops per charge. There is also an attachment which lets you charge the battery outside of the case.

 

http://www.powersource.org/powersource/files/psnorman.html

 

It would seem an ideal situation would be to have and charge several batteries. At $75 this is quite doable, and you could have enough to get you through a wedding or location shoot.

 

I hope this helps.