misterstrobe

August 25, 2009

Leon, you are best advised to junk that unit. Don’t throw good money after bad. If the flash tube is still clear and the area around the electrodes has no excessive black deposit you may salvage the flash tube assembly to be used on one of your other flash units.

Forget about the DIY repair of the Monolite. That is too dangerous for inexperienced persons. Even electronics experts require specific training to work on high voltage flash equipment.

The Bowens 400 B is about 30 years old, and, even in working condition next to useless. The voltage on the sync jack is directly derived from the voltage across the flash power capacitors (normally at 650VDC) via a voltage dividing network, and the effective voltage (250VDC) would tax sync circuitry of digital cameras to the limit. Safe sync gadgets on the market make for erratic operation on the 400B due to the stone age design.

There is no operating voltage stabilization, flash output varies as much as a full f-stop, depending on the mains voltage and the length of time you wait between shots. I consider the Bowens Monolite 400B, made in the late ‘70s and early ’80 of the past century for Bogen Photo, New Jersey, USA, unsafe on all counts, and a safety minded technician would not touch such a unit, unless a customer is willing to pay for all the modifications necessary in order to bring the unit to a minimum standard of safety.

This only applies to the Bowens/Bogen Monolite 200B and 400B. This does not apply to the Bowens Monolite 400 CX, imported by TechniGraphics, Canada, in the early ‘80s.

Don't get me wrong. I am not pondering Bowens. They make outstanding equipment, and they are always on top of safety requirements and standards. But I understand why they do not support that old unit anymore, which, by the way, would have been the responsibility of the importer (at that time for the US: Bogen Photo).

Hans

August 23, 2009

Anna, it seems that the excellent review by Garry Edward was on a type Walimex soft box like this:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/walimex-Octagon-Softbox-140cm-for-Elinchrom_W0QQitemZ380151575253QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Photography_StudioEquipment_RL?hash=item5882ccb2d5&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14

I am not sure about the size of the soft box in the review, it could also be the 90 cm version, but I am certain it is not the PRO PLUS you set a link to.

Hans

August 23, 2009

Anna, sorry to get back to you so late. As to the recipie: I certainly had no intension to do so, I merely entered the text as usual, but it appeared as you see it. I had hoped the admin would correct that.

Anna, the first link you provided led to the Walimex PRO soft box, and I commended on that type.

Gary Edward, in his excellent and very useful video, was testing a different model, not the PRO.

Let me know if Walimex changed the design of their PRO model, or if you are satisfied with what you ordered.

Thanks,

Hans

August 15, 2009

What am I doing wrong?

Admin, please modify my post.

Hans

August 15, 2009

Anna, I bought the Walimex PRO 95, which is of the same construction as the 150, and I found out the hard way. For me it turned out to be useless, and I paid 90 EUROs (130 US $) to learn that lesson.

It is made of a thin black/white textile fabric as base to which silver or gold colored trapezoidal reflector sections can be attached to via Velcro strips. The base material is not light tight, and when viewed from the rear in operation the small punctures along the seams of the soft box appear like the milky way on a dark night. I never could get the reflector panels to geometrically match the velcro strip pattern, and the angle of reflectance of the various crumbled refector sections makes for an uneven light pattern. Taking -off the double diffusers makes the problem worse. The overall built of the soft box is shoddy, and it is certainly not worth the money.

Hope this helps

Hans

June 8, 2009

Arjen, I don't think your questions have been answered to the extend that you can arrive at a practical solution to your problem. If you think there is a need for more precise info tell us which models of Bowens+Multiblitz and the type light formers you use.

Hans

December 8, 2008

Lars, the Bowens Monolite 400 you own is of the very first series of mono bloc flash units ever made by Bowens of London, matter of fact, they claim they are the very first ones to put a compact flash unit on the market in 1968. The Daly capacitors DALY PSFT X34 63/10/6CW you show are probably at least 31years old and the electrolyte may have dried up to an extent and the oxide film on the anode aluminium foil may have deteriorated very much, decreasing capacity and increasing the leakage current. However, you can not necessarily deduct from the fact that the pre-charge neon on the Monolite 400 stays on that the capacitors are bad. That symptom is also present in numerous other faults in the control circuitry; replacing the flash capacitors without knowing the true fault may be throwing money out of the window. Therefore, you should have a technician with experience in the repair of flash units take a look at the Monolite to find out what is really wrong. Perhaps it is just the transistor that is sitting next to relay 2 or3? That's a 25 Cent part!

If there is the need to replace capacitors you may have a problem to accommodate them physically. The old ones are 50 mm in diameter and are mounted by a stud, and new ones in capacitances around 1000 µF will be 38 mm in diameter, and without stud. This calls for adapter plates and spacers to keep them in place securely.

"Can I still use the 330V 1000 µF from epcos.de"

I'm afraid not. You need the 350V types at least, or better yet, the 360 V ones. The working voltage of the old Monolite 400 is 640 VDC unregulated, therefore the flash capacitor pack is made up of 2 banks in series connection to be able to operate at that voltage. If capacitors connected in series change their electric properties, especially their capacitance, the imbalance in the set up may drive one or more capacitors into over voltage condition. Using 330 V capacitors in a 640 V series connection set up in an unregulated charging circuit as found in the old Monolites is literally asking for trouble. When the voltage applied exceeds the insulation capability of the anode foil, liquid electrolyte and the separating paper layer the capacitor will react violently and may explode with a loud bang.

Hope this helps

Hans

One last note:

How about closing this thread and opening new ones with more specific titles. Would make manoeuvring easier. Thanks

Hans

November 27, 2008

Sorry, email address should be completed with [dot]com

Hans

November 27, 2008

OK, let's rumble. Schematic's no problem. info[at]misterstrobe.

Hans

November 27, 2008

"Someone mention the flash tube could be bad, but even if that was the case I should have a the modeling lamp turn on, correct?"

David, that's correct. Even with bad flash tube on your Mono 15000 the modeling lamp and also the READY indicator light would still come on, provided that everything else is OK.

"Anyway I know these are old, is it worth repairing?"

That depends on the fault of the unit, however, there is a good chance it is minor. Before you send the unit off to a professional repair shop find out what is really wrong with your Mono 15000 by going thru the routine below. Keep in mind that this must not be understood as a Do-it-Yourself Guide for repairing flash equipment. The voltages there are potentially lethal. Do not open the unit. The operating voltage of the Mono 15000 is 360 V DC. Although a 39K, 9 watt resistor is connected across the terminals of the capacitor pack for the purpose of bleeding their charge continuously, I would not trust that.

Test Routine:

1.You say the green indicator neon of the On/Off switch comes on and charging READY Led (green also) and modeling lamp do not . Check the fuse. You will have to employ a Multimeter, an Ohmmeter or a Continuity Checker for that. The fuse holder is in the rear disk panel. Make sure to have the mains plug pulled from the wall outlet when you do that.

2.If the fuse is OK the electric/electronic circuitry of the unit is faulty. Turn it in to a professional technician specialized in the repair of studio flash equipment. Get an estimate.

3.If the fuse is NOT OK (open) you may continue: check the modeling lamp. Unscrew it and test for continuity. If the the lamp is a halogen type (bare bulb, Halogena, etc.) and the filament is found to be "open" you may have found the cause for the fuse to blow.

Here is a detailed explanation (also valid for hot light users):

When the filament a halogen bulb opens up there is a strong arc-flash and a plasma of ionized gases may be generated, drawing a heavy current fed from the mains supply. If this condition persists for some time the excess heat thus generated may bring the already red hot quartz glass envelope to explosion. The bits of hot glass could set fabrics and paper on fire, and a lot worse, harm people. This behaviour is typical for the bare bulb halogen and, though to a lesser degree, to the Halogena type also. The latter has its hot bulb contained within a protective glass envelope for reasons of safety and handling, but there is still a risk. Manufacturers of flash equipment explicitly specify a certain type of fuse to warrant that the supply circuit is interrupted fast enough before any damage or harm is done. If the fuse is of the correct value and characteristics it should blow every time the halogen pops. If you are using a standard photo flood bulb for a modeling lamp in most cases the fuse will not react when the modeling lamp burns out. This is OK, but for halogen the rule applies:if the bulb goes the fuse must go too.

So, if you find the fuse open and the modelling lamp burned-out it should be safe to replace them. Note: The Mono 15000 requires a 1.25 inch HRC fuse with a 7 A maximum current rating.

4. If the fuse is NOT OK and the filament of the modeling lamp has been tested to be OK the fault is in the circuitry within the unit, which means that you have to bring it to a professional repair service.

5. Do this also if the fuse is OK and the READY Led does not turn on. Repair of the charge circuitry calls for professionals.

Hope this helps. Sorry, this comes a little late. I just signed up again.

Hans P. Strobl,

Germany

October 17, 2007

Hello winddancing, I owe an apology to you. I see more clearly now. Lets see what I can for you.

You are mentioning a source on eBay selling user instructions for 10$. I think you can save that money. Although I do not have a copy of the original, from memory I reconstruct that it was not very informative. You can get better info tailored to your needs on the forum.

One thing I have to point out urgently to you: the Bowens Monolite 200B/400B has a very high sync voltage of 200-250 V. This may damage the sync circuitry of digital cameras if connected directly via sync cable. There are so-called "safe sync" devices made by WEIN which help to avoid damages. There is very much on this on the forum.

"In the box of goodies were two disc about the size of 3 quarters. There is soldering on one side as if they were to be inserted in a lamp base recepticle. "

I can't make out what they could be or what they are used for. All I know is that there should be nothing but a light bulb in that socket. Perhaps you shoot a picture and upload it so we can see what is looks like.

Hans

Wuerzburg, Germany

October 16, 2007

Hello "winddancing", don't expect too many answers to your questions. I myself had to overcome my initial hesitation as to answering to an anonymous person. Perhaps you failed to see that people in this community show their full names, and even letting others know where they are from. This way answers can be tailored to suit better. It's etiquette here, if I'm not mistaken.

Now to your problems:

The screw base socket for the modelling lamp of the Bowens 200B and 400B models is a standard Edison (ES) E27 type which will accept both E26 and E27 screw base bulbs/lamps/globes. Sometimes the size E26/E27 is referred to as "medium " screw base, E14 as "small", and E 40 as "large". In the 200B/400B you may use standard household bulbs, photo floods, enlarger bulbs, or halogena type, as long as they are size E26/E27. Maximum wattage for the Monolite 200B is 100W, and 250/275 W for the 400B.

Here is a specific procedure that works well for the forming of capacitors for Bowens/Bogen 117 VAC models Monolite 200 B, 400 B and 800 B in case they have partially degraded due to non-use for a very long time. Its also good practice if one has bought pre-owned units and the condition the capacitors are in is unknown. The units mentioned do not have the slow charging feature found on some of the other Monolites like the 220 VAC model 400E, 400D and 800 E. Therefore the brute force charging cycle must be interrupted manually to limit the voltage on the capacitors to a safe level in case the aluminium oxide film used as a dielectric has degraded.

The following procedure will work for both your Bogen 200B and 400B:

1. Do not connect the unit to the mains as yet.

2. Make sure that the power switch is in the OFF position. The switch for the modelling lamp should be OFF also during the following sequences.

3. Connect the unit to the mains supply. Do not turn it on as yet.

4. Next, turn the unit on for the duration of ONE HALF SECOND only. So, throw that switch ON and OFF real quick, and leave it OFF!

5. Wait for approx. 5 minutes.

6. Now repeat step 4. But this time, leave the unit on for ONE SECOND, then turn OFF.

7. After 5 minutes, turn the unit ON. The READY light should come on after 2 seconds. Leave the unit ON. Do not trigger the flash before at least half an hour has gone by. Triggering flashes to "bring the unit back to life" as some people proclaim is having an adverse effect, because it does put additional strain on the capacitor in a critical phase.

To be on the safe side, and time permitting, you may leave the unit on for several hours.

Hope this helps

Hans Strobl

October 16, 2007

Hello Robin, please don't take it personal, but I definitely do not encourage persons without specific training on high voltage equipment to do repairs on hazardous equipment such as flash units, and I hope that equipment in need of repair is given into the hands of professional repair men specialised in such work. My answer to your question should not be interpreted by anyone as an invitation and guide for action of repair.

First off, it is not worthwhile to get the old Bowens Monolite 400 (with grey wrapper) repaired. These first generation compact studio flash units were built as early as 1968, and I personally think they should not be used any more because IMHO they constitute a threat to an operator's life and to our environment. Let me explain:

1. The dimmer circuitry of the modelling light has a not too effective filtering system, just a simple choke, and when a Monolite 400 is in operation it is feeding so much interference back down the mains supply line that I could wager a bet that listeners on the radio down the block can tell; or your neighbor may wonder why the door to his garage is opening and closing once and a while without him having pushed any buttons on the remote control.

2. Whereas there are laws against polluting the environment with radio interference, there are none to keep you from ruining the flash sync circuitry of a modern camera or wireless trigger unit with the sync voltage of 200-250 V as found on a Monolite 400.

3.The flash power section is made up of 2 pairs of 350 V capacitors connected in series to each other to enable operation on 640 V. Because of ageing the individual capacitors may have experienced a degrading of the aluminium anode oxide film used as a dielectric, liquid electrolyte and separating paper layer. This may upset the balance of capacitances in the system, and unless special action is taken to restore this balance, capacitors may be driven into an over voltage condition, resulting in excessive heating of capacitors and the chance of activating the safety valves to relieve the pressure produced by hydrogen gas.

4. I am questioning the electrical safety of the old Bowens Monolite 400, and saying the least, it is definitely not to standards applicable to equipment nowadays. Later models like the 400 E had a separate ground wire from each of the metal sections of the body, including wrapper and flash tube assembly, running to a common solder lug connection on the back of the unit. The original Bowens Monolite 400 had not. Some importers of those units had to modify them to obtain national electrical safety certification requirements of their countries.

5.The funny non-standard 3-prong Bowens plug and socket system for the mains supply is made from a plastic material that can't take much abuse and it can easily be broken when dropped or stepped-on. Replacements are not available any more, and users are most inventive in finding methods for repair of broken plugs and sockets, sometimes creating hazardous conditions.

6.The capacitors of the Monolite 400 are probably using an electrolyte which contains PCB (Polychlorinated Biphenyls). To my information, one should assume that any capacitor or transformer manufactured before 1976 may contains PCBs, and manufactures of flash capacitors made extensive use of PCBs well into the '80s of the last century. These chemicals are listed as a carcinogenic substance. Body contamination can cause long term health problems with the skin, eyes, hair and liver.

Though a capacitor is normally sealed, when it goes bad it may heat-up or even explode emitting gases and vapours which are extremely dangerous when inhaled. Old capacitors are first rate canditates for that.

----- Often a beginner in studio photography will want to start out with second-hand equipment. If she or he is on a low budget even equipment of the very old types may look attractive because of the price. However, because it is really easy to fall prey to a seller peddling his/her "oldies", hiding the truth about the real age of equipment, condition, properties and performance, a person interested in buying older units had better get as much information as possible before making a decision in order to avoid paying too much or getting stuck with a piece of useless junk.

Some time ago I observed an internet auction for a Bowens Monolite 400 of vintage 1968-1976 which was won by a poor sucker with a highest bid of EURO 175 (that's BP 115 or US$ 210)!

The person who put this item on auction was using sweet words about how good and reliable flash equipment made by Bowens is. He (or she) failed to mention the true age of the unit on auction, covering-up with words like "I bought the unit 6 years ago". Sure, but this didn't mean the unit was merely 6 years old. There was no information saying that the Monolite was probably already 30 years old when she/he bought it, and that it sported a sync voltage of 200-220 V! I knew, and now you will also, but evidently the highest bidder didn't.

My entry to this forum may help to avoid a rip-off when this

junk appears on the market.

Robin, please excuse what may appear like a crusade against the old Bowens Monolites 400. I am most willing to help others, but I think that I owe it to the community to write these words. I am aware of the fact that these words are very well suited to spoil the trade for some in the future.

Now to your technical questions: The symptoms you describe are typical for faulty capacitors. If the unit was not used for a long time, the capacitors may have degraded partially, and should have been reformed before turning-on the unit in order to avoid dielectric breakdown.

The F&T "GH" caps which you have are electrically top of the line, but they are probably the 50x100mm type and won't fit physically. The Monolite 400 can only accommodate caps 85 mm high.

If you want to have more information about your flash units, you can contact me by email. You can get the address through photo.net.

Hans

September 25, 2007

Hello James, the Bogen 400B was built by Bowens of London as early as 1978. It is a low cost version of the Bowens Monolite, made especially for Bogen Photo Corp, N.J.

It's output is a true 280 Joule, and you can use all Bowens reflectors/light formers with the "L" (6") collar on it. Modelling lamp is 150 W max. A replacement flash tube assembly is available at CALUMET.

The Bogen 400 B has a very high sync voltage of 220 VDC. This voltage is derived from the 640 VDC across the flash power capacitors by means of a high resistance voltage dividing network. Using Ralph Nader's words: "unsafe at any speed".

The dimmer circuitry of the modelling light is feeding so much interference back down the mains supply line that I could wager a bet that listeners on the radio down the block can tell when you turn on that flash unit.

Whereas there are laws against polluting the environment with radio interference, there are none to keep you from ruining the sync trigger circuitry of modern cameras with sync voltages as found on your Bogen 400B. The people at WEIN may help you out on the sync voltage issue.

On the radio interference issue there is not much you can do. At least you will know who is the villain if the garage door at your neighbor's develops a life of its own every time you are using that 400B.

If you have any other questions, let me know.

Hans

September 12, 2007

Hope I am not getting to technical to answer your question. I'll keep it as simple as I can.

Following a flash discharge the charging circuit of the flash unit must be disconnected from the mains supply by the electronic circuitry in a flash unit and the charging cycle must be delayed for a very short moment to prevent after-glow of the flash tube. Otherwise the tube may not extinguish and it would go on glowing, being fed from the mains supply. The hot plasma in the flash tube provides a low resistance path to the charging circuit with a high current being drawn as long as this condition exists. This would go on indefinetely, and if not noticed in time, the components in the charging circuit of the flash unit would overheat and break down. To prevent this, some manufacturers include safety circuits in their equipment to detect an after-glow condition the moment it occurs, others are using a longer time delay factor in the recharge blocking circuit and are relying otherwise on the thermal cut-out system mounted on the heat sink on which they mount the semiconductors of the charging circuit.

"a loose flash tube" will not create an after-glow condition. It is mainly due to one or more of the following factors:

1.an inadequate time delay in the recharge blocking circuit of the flash unit/power pack

2.to a thermally overloaded flash tube, which happens either by:

a.) exceeding the load capability (e.g. 1500 J flash tube on a 3000 J power pack)

b.) by exceeding the maximum number of flashes per minute ( for ring flash heads typically 8-10.000 J/minute for a 1200J borosilicate flash tube, and 10-15.000 J/minute for a 3000 J quartz flash tube). Heads with a modelling light on must be down rated!

3. by using a head /ring flash and power pack of different brands.

Hope this helps a little.

Hans Strobl

June 17, 2007

Hello Ralf, just to let you know that the camera manufacturer Carl Braun, Nuremberg, Germany, is not identical to Braun, the makers of electric razors etc., now a subsidiary of Gillette, USA.

I included an image from an old catalog showing lenses and accessories for your old Paxette.

Enjoy<div></div>

April 15, 2007

Just to point you in the right direction: calculate 120 J(oule) "true" electric power, about 160-180 J "effective" power with a 3 ft. square softbox, silver coloured reflecting surfaces, double diffusers, distance 3 feet measured from front diffuser to object.

Doubling the Joules will get you to an increase of 1 f-stop at that distance.

Hans

April 11, 2007

If I remember correctly, the Balcar Nexus appeared in the year 2000. Last year its successor with the rectangular 16-pin connectors showed up, or should I better say, that was the first time I saw them. I have not paid very much attention to Balcar products lately because I am very happy with my Hensel packs and heads. Sort of puts me on ease to know I am dumping 3200 J into a quartz glass flash tube rated at 3500 J.

As to the current market value of your unit: A few days ago a Nexus A3200 in good used condition was on an eBay auction. There were 3 bids, the highest being CDN$ 2700. A Nexus S3200 in new condition, starting off at CDN$ 1.999 did not receive any bids at all.

"I suppose there is no risk in buying profoto heads if Profoto does not change the head connectors, as Balcar has done."

Who knows what they are up to in the future? Balcar seemed to have recognized that their old 14-pin round AMP connectors would not perform as well as the rectangular connectors.

Quoting Balcar in one of their new manuals: " Binder plugs for safe plug/unplug".

This tells all!

They are quicker to change because the binder plug simply snaps-in, 1- 2 - click. They are guiding themselves to seat the contact blades properly, no pushing-in or bending contact pins any more. They have more space between their contacts, are easier to solder, to modify, to insulate, and they last longer. For this reason manufacturers like Broncolor, Bowens, Hensel, Elinchrome, etc. have been using the rectangular connectors from the very beginning, or changed to them some time ago.

If Profoto ever follows suit, I don't know. Would be interesting to hear their arguments. But that should not keep you from buying their excellent product now. If you get a running system together now, it should do for years to come, regardless of whether Profoto changes connectors or not.

By the way, I was told that Calumet (UK) had a special sale on those Balcar/Profoto head adapters. I have no info about the price. They seem to be sold out in the mean time. Perhaps you contact them to find out if they are still available. If not, you better hurry to order them from Calumet (USA) for that bargain price.

Hans

April 10, 2007

Baard, I don't know whether the Calumet (USA) Profoto P7 head is really identical to the Profoto ProHead with the 3000Joule quartz glass flash tube sold in Europe. Calumet will have to help you out on this. If it is identical, the maximum power rating of the Profoto quartz glass flash tube should be adequate. You will have to watch the temperature of the flash head so its not overheating when it is taxed heavily or used under unfavorable conditions. To be on the safe side, you may have to avoid using the Balcar Nexus A3200 at full power when going the cross-branding way. Other than that I don't see any real disadvantages. I am sure that you know about loosing the Profoto warranty when using their heads with other brand power packs.

"There is nothing more annoying and contra productive for work flow than fiddling around with adapters. Not speaking of what happens if you disconnect an adapter when the PP is charged!"

What happens then?

Answer: Adapters, especially the ones with the round connectors, are a weak link, mechanically and electrically. Make sure the contacts stay clean and the fastening rings on the connectors are always in position. If the rings a not afixed properly the connecting pieces may separate when pulling on the cable, and under certain conditions a flash discharge may be triggered when pins of the connector loose contact. If this should happen while the male and female parts are in the separating process and the contact area is not adequate anymore to carry the large flash current, contact material will be vaporised and an arc will form across the gap. BANG.

For the same reason: never remove an adapter when the power pack is charged up! Never leave an adapter in the flash socket without having a flash head connected, and never make a connection when the power pack is charged up!

Keep an eye on your assistants and helpers stumbling about your studio.

Hans

April 10, 2007

Sorry, here comes the image sized to fit<div>

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</div>

April 10, 2007

Baard, the adapter cable you found looks like the original Balcar adapter for Profoto. At a price of US$ 49.99 it is a give-away, and there can be no cheaper way. A technician couldn't possibly build something like this for that price. The parts alone would cost you that much, not talking about the cost for labor. Calumet says something about a "US$135 saving". Therefore the normal price would be US$ 184.99? It is for you to question why this is so. Seemingly Calumet USA must have several of these adapters in stock, judging by their immediate delivery possibility (other cables have delivery times of up to 10 weeks.

It is relatively easy to adapt Profoto heads to the Balcar Nexus. A piece of flash power cable with the proper plug on each end will do. Broncolor likewise.

It is somewhat more difficult (though not impossible) to adapt the Hensel heads (Bowens heads also), to the Balcar Nexus because each head has the trigger capacitor located directly in the head. Below you will find an image showing the Hensel adapter box open to show the efforts of adapting. Surely something you can't get for US$ 49.99!

Check the possibility of having the adapters shipped to your country (Sweden?) before you buy any heads, if you want to go this route. IMHO, stick with the original Balcar heads if you want to utilise the advantages of the Nexus. If you want Profoto or Hensel heads, buy their power packs. There is nothing more annoying and contra productive for work flow than fiddling around with adapters. Not speaking of what happens if you disconnect an adapter when the PP is charged!

One other thought comes to my mind ---- you say that there is no distributor for Balcar in your country? What will you do if something goes wrong with your Nexus? Usually a distributor is responsible for warranty and customer services.

Hans

April 9, 2007

Sorry, the caption should read: Balcar to Hensel Adapter.

Hans

April 9, 2007

Hello Baard, although the Balcar user manual does say that the Hensel EHT 3000/6000 or Profoto Pro-7 or Pro-6 heads are compatibel to their Nexus A3200, they are also saying that you should check for the list of available head adapters.

The Nexus power pack has round flash power sockets accepting the Balcar 14-pin plug. Because the Profoto heads have the 12-pin plug, and the Hensel EHT heads the 20-pin plug you will have to get an adapter for each head. This should run you about US$ 250 or EUR 200 for each head. Prices may vary between brands, depending on the location of the trigger capacitors. The Balcar power packs have the trigger capacitors in the pack, and it is somewhat more expensive to adapt a head with its own trigger capacitor (e.g. Hensel)to the Balcar PP.

The image below is showing a Hensel to Balcar adapter (discontinued) made by Hensel. The box is housing the PCB with the trigger electronics neccessary to adapt an EHT head to the Balcar PP .

Similiar adapters can be purchased from Balcar dealers.

Balcar ordering info:

Profoto 120/230 V requires the # 30530 adapter;

Hensel 230 V # 30534;

Broncolor 120 V or 230 V # 30531;

Bowens Quad 120 V or 230 V #30533.

Hope this helps

Hans<div></div>

March 6, 2007

Here comes the image<div>

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March 6, 2007

Hello Janet. The Bowens/Bogen Mono 9000 is a workshorse, and IMO, it is certainly worthwhile to have a unit repaired should something go wrong. No, they are not to old, and they are fine and good tools. You say that one of the on-off switches needs to be tweaked. I doubt very much that it is "just loose wiring" because the wires are usually firmly soldered , and I would wager a bet that they have not come loose. What are the symptoms leading you to that assumption? Any way, if the switch has to be replaced, its the Bowens Part Nr. 6654, DP ON/OFF Green Indicator 10 Amp 117V. A competent service technician should have no problem in getting a suitable replacement.

As to the value of the Mono 9000, its hard to say, because it will probably have a greater value to you than you would be able to obtain on the used equipment market. Thru eBay you may get US$140 for each unit in good condition. I would just keep them to the very end if they are still serving the purpose.

Below you find an image of the back panel of a Mono 9000 to demonstrate the solid built of the unit.

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