YS-01 keeps recharging when turned off...

[CheeseAndJamSandwich]

One of my YS-01 strobes keeps recharging when it's switched off...
If you turn the switch to off, the ready light goes out, it doesn't function when triggered by the cameras flash thru the optical fibre... BUT it recharges every 30 minutes or so, you hear the whine of the capacitors charging up...
I notices something was up after going to use the strobes after a couple of days gap, and one wasn't working, it turned out that it was just the batteries being flat... Then that night noticed the recharge whine when i was in bed.
It's all bone dry and never flooded, so it's a bit strange.
Any ideas?

 

[bvanant]

Something is not right. I suspect some water (maybe just a few dozen micro liters) have gotten in somewhere to short out the charging circuit. Send it to get looked at.
Bill

 

[CheeseAndJamSandwich]

GRRRRRRR

Now my other strobe has developed the same fault!

The first one (above), upon closer inspection, did have moisture in the main compartment. The battery compartment was bone dry. So it must have leaked in thru one of the buttons/knobs or the main body/lens seal... Sea & Sea UK sent it to Japan for inspection and they cleared it for me to get a replacement.

Now my other original strobe has developed the same fault: charging when off, as soon as batteries are fitted and it drains them over a short amount of time (1-2 days???) if not used/removed.

When i got the replacement, one thing i did notice is that the main switch was a lot stiffer. So perhaps the o-ring they spec'd in the original production batches wasn't up to it... And there are cosmetic differences, white dots instead of triangles on the battery compartment lock.

Anyone else had this problem?
Anyone know if S&S have acknowledged there's a know fault?
It's a bit spooky i have the same fault, come up twice... Coincidence it could be, but a design/manufacturing fault is more likely.

I'm travelling now, so it's gonna be a pain in the arse to send back :-(
Luckily it still works (at the moment), i just have to take the batteries out and recharge every day now.

---------- Post Merged at 02:07 PM ---------- Previous Post was at 02:00 PM ----------

The serial number for the original failed YS-01 was in the 5300's range... (090005348)
This second one's S/N is in the 6500's range...

The new one that replaced the first is in the 7900's range...

 

[CheeseAndJamSandwich]

The second YS-01 has now failed.

Moisture can now be seen inside the front lens, and it's all brown :-(
(battery compartment remains bone dry)

It has been working for the last few days worth of dives, but i forgot to take the batteries out last night, and now it's dead. (it also totally drains the batteries, so the initially come up with an error on the charger, but eventually come back to life after a while)

When i loaded new batteries just now, the recharge whine was all stuttery before the ready light came on, then there was a click sound and now it doesn't fire.
The ready light now stays on, even when the switch is in the off position.

I'm guessing it's not a happy bunny inside.

This is the second failure in the same way. That's not good :-(

How long before the replacement for my first one dies? Leaving me with no strobes :-(

 

[OldPlop]

I am having the same issue on YS-02. These strobe are utter rubbish.

In three months I already had the second failure. Battery compartment dry and clean, but batteries discharge when off over a day or so. I hear the charging 'buzz' when I put batteries in with switch in the Off position.

Sea and Sea customer service is even more rubbish, first time round it took me 7 weeks to get it sorted, they didn't even reply to emails. Now I just sent an email regarding this second failure, anda reply b bet it will take some sweat to get a reply back.

It is costing me a fortune to send back every time as I live overseas. They do not have the decency to back up their products with good customer service. Will never, ever buy Sea & Sea again. EVER.

 

[cjbikes]

Greetings to all...

peas a matter of fact, I had the same exact problem with one of the two that I use, batteries drain very fast, and if left overnight while off, the next morning they're completely drained, and also even after putting in fresh batteries before a dive...it doesn't give hardly any shots.

The good people at Leisurepro exchanged for me after six months of use and Sea & Sea sent me a new one, however after about 20 dives, the same problem developed on the new replace,mention strobe once again.

I've written to S&S about this problem, but to no avail...now I'm having to go through the warranty process all over again...they sure are have problems with their quality control, to say the least.

CJ

 

[deeper thoughts]

I had to send my stobe back twice. Once was my fault.

 

[muzikbiz22]

Interesting, I have dual YS-01's with hundreds of dives, thousands of miles, with no issues.