ikelite MS Strobe Repair

[2Dive4fun]

I acquired a used ikelite substrobe MS and it is in need of repairs. It worked great last week, but now fails to fire in the slave mode. It has a rattle inside, like a loose nut or screw. One of the screws holding the battery leads is loose and not able to tighten. I think the backing nut is off. I was going to see if the stobe light unscrews from the housing. I only get about a 10 deg. turn and it stops when trying to unscrew the housing from the strobe light. Has anyone serviced their own ikelite strobe?

 

[f3nikon]

I acquired a used ikelite substrobe MS and it is in need of repairs. It worked great last week, but now fails to fire in the slave mode. It has a rattle inside, like a loose nut or screw. One of the screws holding the battery leads is loose and not able to tighten. I think the backing nut is off. I was going to see if the stobe light unscrews from the housing. I only get about a 10 deg. turn and it stops when trying to unscrew the housing from the strobe light. Has anyone serviced their own ikelite strobe?

After the 10 deg. clockwise turn, you can now pull the front face out. Make sure you clean and grease the oring and sealing surface before you reassemble. Note, I removed the oring in this picture which should be on the front strobe face.

Could also be that the battery contacts need cleaning, this is the problem I see most. These strobes were some of the best strobes ever built.

 

[2Dive4fun]

Thanks for the responce. I will go get started on my service repair. Do you know the size of the O ring in case I need to replace it? Where is a good source for this?

 

[2Dive4fun]

I opened up the strobe and found the rattleing source. It was a split pin about 1/2" long and the width of a pencel lead. I do not know where it goes. I reassembled the strobe, but there is no indication of power. Everything looks clean and sound on the interior. The battery contacts are crusty and tarnished. I will atempt to clean them and see if that solves the problem. I'm concerned that the metal pin might have shorted out the circut board.

 

[f3nikon]

I opened up the strobe and found the rattleing source. It was a split pin about 1/2" long and the width of a pencel lead. I do not know where it goes. I reassembled the strobe, but there is no indication of power. Everything looks clean and sound on the interior. The battery contacts are crusty and tarnished. I will atempt to clean them and see if that solves the problem. I'm concerned that the metal pin might have shorted out the circut board.

The springs in the battery compartment helps connect the four batteries in series to make about 6 volts to the circuit board. You can measure this by opening the front face again and, very carefully, install the batteries and measure about 6 volts on the two screws coming from the battery compartment. If not, I have found that the springs desolder from the metal contacts, so I end up removing the spring and place a small ball of foil in its place, just to push on the battery. I have yet to see that circuit board go bad. Good Luck

Oh and the oring I would get from Ikelite, thats like a custom made softer oring.

 

[2Dive4fun]

Tracked down the problem. Remember the Split Pin that was loose in the strobe!
That split pin is part of the switch mec. to turn the unit on. Simple fix after tinkering for several hours.