Flooded strobe

[KeithG]

Oh, it's toast. I tossed it and received a new one today. Backscatter (or maybe some other site, I forget which) said they can't be reused once the battery case has been flooded.

Not true...

The bottom of your battery compartment is "dirty" but the contacts and spring contact appear okay. I have a stobe where the spring contact was half eaten away (previous owners fault ). I replaced it with a part from an old ys50.

The battery cap is toast if the contacts (or the over pressure valve) get eaten away. Otherwise they are pretty hardy. I have some fully functional used strobes with clear signs of flooding and I have flooded one myself. No new parts required...

 

[MMM]

Oh well, the cap is gone and I have a new one. If you think that the strobe itself can be salvaged, but it isn't working, should I send it to a company to see if they can clean it up better and make it work? I was hoping that someone from Sea and Sea would chime in here...or is that you?

Not true...

The bottom of your battery compartment is "dirty" but the contacts and spring contact appear okay. I have a stobe where the spring contact was half eaten away (previous owners fault ). I replaced it with a part from an old ys50.

The battery cap is toast if the contacts (or the over pressure valve) get eaten away. Otherwise they are pretty hardy. I have some fully functional used strobes with clear signs of flooding and I have flooded one myself. No new parts required...

 

[deeper thoughts]

Same happened to me. Sorry but it is probably garbage. I couldn't save mine

 

[KeithG]

Oh well, the cap is gone and I have a new one. If you think that the strobe itself can be salvaged, but it isn't working, should I send it to a company to see if they can clean it up better and make it work? I was hoping that someone from Sea and Sea would chime in here...or is that you?

i do not think Sea & Sea monitor this forum...iam not them.

what does "not work" mean?
does it whine for a few seconds when you first turn it on?
does the ready lamp turn on?
does the target lamp work?

if nothing works, then your problem could be as simple as a dirty contact post in the battery compartment. the 2 "stubs" at the bottom carry power through the housing wall into the strobe interior. try scraping the posts a bit to get down to clean metal.

you could always pop the strobe open and look for internal damage. both of the contact posts in the battery compartment appear intact so not much chance of damage to the guts of the strobe.

 

[MMM]

It does not whine. It does not blink. It does not think. (I feel like Dr. Seuss) Nothing comes on...not the ready lamp, not the target light. Nada. Will try scraping. I've put enough rubbing alcohol in there to float a boat.

 

[Hawkwood]

If you can find a pencil with a dried out eraser tip, that is the best for polishing contacts. Abrasive and you can reach with them.

A trick I learned a lifetime ago when I worked in a camera shop. Remember the old ball point pens that had erasers? Those were really the best.

 

[MMM]

TA DA!!!!

It's working! Seems to be kind of hit and miss..sometimes it comes on and sometimes it doesn't, but at least it isn't a total paperweight. I scraped the all the contact points with both a sharp knife tip and an eraser. Thanks for your help everyone!

 

[KeithG]

intermittent? the contacts need more cleaning. also make sure you clean the spring clip contact areas as well.

glad this is working for you.

 

[SEA&SEA]

Hi Marg, Please contact Pacific Housing Repair:
820 Park Row #600
Salinas, CA 93901
T: 831.751.3885
E: service@pacifichousingrepair.com