HELP!!!!!! STRUGGLING WITH PROFOTO LIGHTS IN A FOREIGN COUNTRY AND NEED THEM TO SHOOT IN 24 HRS!

[jess_herman1]

im in desperate need of some speedy help here guys...

 

i have profoto compact r's ( a 300r and a 600r )...

 

i bought them in the states but only tested them out once before moving to australia 2 weeks ago (they worked fine in the states).. and

now im testing them and when i plug either one of them in and hit power they start flashing like crazy...

 

im still new to studio lighting and have only used alian bees and white lightening before and i could fix the little problems with those...but im

kinda lost on my profotos...

 

im thinking it could be something to do with the voltage here..?.... but i have a converter so im not sure what else i can do...

im brand new to sydney so i dont know where to go to get them looked at...and i cant seem to find anything online that will help me out..

 

and i have a shoot for work in less than 2 days and i need these to work!!

 

please please tell me anything that might be the problem or anything you can think of that would fix it...

 

thanks so much

[Hector Javkin]

Aren't those lights voltage adjustable? What kind of converter do you have? Is it simply converting the plug? Or

is it one of those cheapie clipping converters? AFAIK, the lights have an adjustment for different voltages.

Check your

manual. It sounds like it's the power, but that can be solved, if nothing got blown.

[bob_sunley]

Well AU is 220 volt, so if your converter isn't a nice heavy 15 lb transformer, it isn't going to work. There are cheapy $20 ones that just switch the power at 50% off/on that will work with a hair dryer, that will not work with your power pack.

 

Check the name plate for the voltage rating and is there a small switch beside the power in socket for 110/220 volts?

[ellis_vener_photography]

Is Australia a 220 volt country? As I recall the Profoto compacts are dual voltage: you need to flip a voltage

regulator circuit board and you need to change the modeling lights to 220 volt models.

 

here is the URL for Profoto's list of user manuals: http://www.profoto-usa.com/customerservice/manuals/

[Hector Javkin]

An additional note: There was a type of transformer/converter sold a few years ago that would allow you to go in

either direction, from 120 to 240 or from 240 to 120. You just had to get the plugs right. If you did it the

wrong way in a country with 240, you could be transforming to 480. Even worse, if that's possible, the power

cables had two males, one to go into the wall and one to go into the transformer. Consequently, if you first

plugged it into the wall, you'd have a live male plug, which could shock anyone who touched the pins.

[ellis_vener_photography]

You don't need a converter. You need to RTFM.

[Hector Javkin]

"You don't need a converter. You need to RTFM."

 

But he may have used a converter, so he might need to deal with what he's done until now. And, yes he needs to RTFM!

[frank_skomial]

"but i have a converter" - it is only attempt to guess, since we know nothing about your converter.

 

Possible cases:

 

CASE 1. - Your converter is a power converter and NOT a voltage converter.

 

Your voltage converter is of type that is specifically dedicated to power heaters, lights, and possibly motor powered

electric tools, BUT is not designed for powering electronics equipment.

You will recognize this type of voltage converter that is very light weight, since it does not have magnetic core, and

only has a diode cutting off half of sine wave - half of applied power..

 

Alternate current is cut off during one half of the AC cycle by the diode, and allowed to flow during second half of the

sine wave. This reduces power to one half that can be applied to non-electronics equipment, but it really is not a

voltage converter but rather power converter.

 

Perhaps is says: "NOT FOR USE WITH ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT!"

 

CASE 2. Your converted is an universal voltage converter and power converter.

 

Up to perhaps 50 Watts it uses transformer, and the diode type power converter up to e.g. 1600 Watts. It has inside

a small magnetic core transformer for use of electronics equipment up to e.g. 50 Watts, and also has a diode that

allows use of non-electronics equipment up to 1600 Watts (uses only half of sine wave, but produces 230 voltage -

that loads peak 230 x 1.4 DC volts into your flash capacitor, possibly destroying your flash.)

 

This type of dual type dual purpose converters are most confusing and easily abused and dangerous. They usually

have some inner protection, if of good quality.

.

Perhaps it says: "FOR ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT less than 50 Watts", and "FOR USE of non electronic

equipment up to 1600 Watts."

 

CASE 3. You have proper voltage converter but of insufficient power.

 

When converter overloaded momentarily with huge current demand rush needed initially to load flash capacitor, it

distorts the sine wave into a trapezoid or other non-sine shape, and spikes or harmonics load the flash capacitor to

much higher voltage than nominal. This could possibly destroy your USA flash that normally operates on 110 AC

pure sine wave.

 

CASE 4. There are other possibilities, but we do not know what converter you have...

[tony_clark]

Without looking at my manual, I will suggest flipping the voltage card on the back of the units. As stated before RTFM.

[pujo]

Switching of the voltage board on the back of the compact R to the correct voltage which is 180-260V should do the job. Make sure you turn off and unplug the head before switching

[pujo]

additionally read the manual here http://www.profoto.com/downloads/media/downloads/users_guides/UsersGuide_ComPact.pdf page 10. it has the picture of the switch. hope thats help.

[frank_skomial]

Pujo's link explained that you do not need any converter at all for flash models described there, just proper voltage

selection.

 

As Ellis adviced, some universal voltage flashes required change of modelling bulb to appropriate voltage, in addition

to selecting proper voltage for the flash electronics. Read the manual if you need to change the modelling

continuous light bulb in your Profoto or not ? Some modelling bulbs rated at 110 V will operate on 230 V for very

short period of time, like for a minute or less, producing 4 times more power than nominal, but most would just

blow up. Best flashes modelling bulbs have proportional output setting and if the flash output was set to fractional

value, the modeling light may get dimmed proportionally, and even if the bulb is for 110 VAC could operate longer at

230 VAC applied. If you worked with the flash in the USA, you will certainly notice the difference in the brightness

of the modelling lamp in Australia, if the bulb was not replaced, or not taken care of by the voltage selector switch.

 

Chances are that the voltage selector switch also takes care of adjusting voltage applied to modelling lamp, and

posisbly there is no need to replace the bulb. You just must know that.

 

However, since you already tried Profoto with a converter that apparently was not appropriate?, possibly your

flashes could be damaged now, and even if you do things right this time, you may still be in trouble. See if any

fuses were blown? This unfortunately was a good test for the Profoto flash self protection masures, if there were any

built-in. This is something that end users do not want to mess up with.

[jess_herman1]

thanks for all the quick responses..really appreciate the help :)