FYI Faulty 56M flash :( beware

[Trigger Happy]

Trigger Happy,

Instead of wood, you can also use paper to roll it to AA size, put the wires in center. Sometime its hard to come by a AA size wood.

wooden dowels from Art Friend. plenty plenty... come in so many diameters, just pick the one closest to AA size (slightly smaller). each stick is a metre long if i recall correctly, and easy to saw. did think of paper originally -- was it you who suggested it? but would have been messy. besides, paper is much more flammable should wires ever cross and cause overheating.. :sweat:

 

[greenieadi]

i think its called cycle rate or something like that. about 4-5 secs, almost comparable to quantum but i believe the latter's a much bigger SLA, so higher ampere resulting in lower cycling time. i'm no electrical engineer so this is what i surmise from what i know. compared to AAs, thats a lot faster, and the rate stays constant, unlike AAs which take longer and longer to recharge the caps with each shot.

normally i shoot at 1/2 power, can get 2 or 3 exposures at a go unless super high ceiling then 3rd shot may be dark.

I like your mod. Found myself a 6v4A SLA. Just need to know what u use to charge this batt.

Thanks.

 

[Trigger Happy]

I like your mod. Found myself a 6v4A SLA. Just need to know what u use to charge this batt.

Thanks.

a SLA charger. can get from SLT basement batt shop.

 

[Agetan]

Just wondering where can you find some of those curly cable?

Regards,

Hart

 

[Trigger Happy]

Just wondering where can you find some of those curly cable?

Regards,

Hart

i bought mine at slt, they are actually connected to a car lighter plug on one end, the other is open-ended for connecting to any device. just make sure you get those rated for 3A, otw the cable will get very warm and might melt. my first attempt almost did :bigeyes:

 

[Agetan]

i bought mine at slt, they are actually connected to a car lighter plug on one end, the other is open-ended for connecting to any device. just make sure you get those rated for 3A, otw the cable will get very warm and might melt. my first attempt almost did :bigeyes:

As I thought...

I went to a heavier gauge cable just to make sure.. Don't looks as great, but since it is black I think it should be fine.

Thanks for your info.

Regards,

Hart

 

[ming9866]

let me take pics of it now.. choto....

wow , it takes more than a technician , electrician , engineer , mechanic all in one to complete this and make it work !!! wonderful ! but not for me , i only know how to do good cooking . cheers for this !:thumbsup:

 

[blueayz]

Power lah this mod! Think there is another version right, but its smaller and attached directly to outside of the flash, much like the Nikon flash with external attachment.

But this one really good mod for long assignments! Ingenious! :cheergal: <applause>

 

[raincool2005]

Its not faulty.. alkaline batteries generally have high internal resistance compared to other types of batteries like NiMH. When you use AA batteries in high drain devices like digital camera.. the batteries get hot and loses power as heat easily.. when you use them with your flash which drinks power like nobody's business, I'm not surprise that it exploded due to heat inside your flash when you fire off continuously.

I shoot continuously with my 56 flash and drained up 3 sets of 2700 mAh NiMH batteries in an hour without any problem so it could be the batteries that you used.

Yes, it is the batteries. Using ordinary batteries can damage your flash's internal circuits becos the heat released is too much when demand is huge.

I recommend Powerex and Sanyo Enelope batteries, very good.

 

[tankm]

It's in the 5600 manual, normal alkaline can be used. :dunno:

From the manual....

The 5600HS (D) may be powered by :
• Four AA-size alkaline batteries
• Four AA-size lithium batteries
• Four AA-size rechargeable nickel-metal hydride (Ni-MH) batteries

Yes, it is the batteries. Using ordinary batteries can damage your flash's internal circuits becos the heat released is too much when demand is huge.

I recommend Powerex and Sanyo Enelope batteries, very good.

 

[heckcare.der]

hey triggerhappy.

nice mod! It will be good if we can enlarge those pics you posted. maybe some of us will be able to make it on our own since we can see it better.

and what is that thing to hold the battries? where to get them?

best if you could like list the places to get the materials for this mod flash. in this case, we can all go hunt for it!

much thanks !

 

[raincool2005]

It's in the 5600 manual, normal alkaline can be used. :dunno:

From the manual....

The 5600HS (D) may be powered by :
• Four AA-size alkaline batteries
• Four AA-size lithium batteries
• Four AA-size rechargeable nickel-metal hydride (Ni-MH) batteries

dun tell me there is a raw materials difference between minolta made flash and sony flash.

 

[ming9866]

Its not faulty.. alkaline batteries generally have high internal resistance compared to other types of batteries like NiMH. When you use AA batteries in high drain devices like digital camera.. the batteries get hot and loses power as heat easily.. when you use them with your flash which drinks power like nobody's business, I'm not surprise that it exploded due to heat inside your flash when you fire off continuously.

I shoot continuously with my 56 flash and drained up 3 sets of 2700 mAh NiMH batteries in an hour without any problem so it could be the batteries that you used.

hi , so what do you suggest the batteries i have to use for my 56 flash ?

 

[Galdor]

Have a few sets of rechargable batteries. I have been using Sanyo & Energizer ones.

 

[yk200]

How about GP Power recchargable batt? They are 2700 mAh NiMH batteries also..so good or not ah?

Thanks!

 

[Galdor]

Should be quite good also. Get the 2500 or 2700mAh ones if you can.

 

[yk200]

cool! Thanks bro Galdor! btw seen alot of neighbourhood shop selling the GP batt ...anyone know is it original one or...

thanks!

 

[Galdor]

No worries bro. Not sure about the GP ones, but I used the Energizer ones as I know that so far there's isn't any fake Energizers in the market. You can try Powerex too. A lot of photographers are using Powerex and the review of it seems pretty good.

 

[godzilla60]

Had a real bad encounter with the 56M flash. I had the unit for less than 6months and it died on me totally!!!!!!!!! It was fried!!! I was using oxyride batts for my shoot and i was doing continuous shooting for about 50 frames when i finished a pack of oxyride batts. Since my office do not have a store selling the oxybatts i got my assistant to run n get me a pack of regular alkaline ones. after 3 frames the flash just died and the batts burst. I rushed down to sony to fix it straight away and they said its not feasable to fix it. WTF 600bucks for something not realiable? im so pissed cuz the service staff were cocky n brash. They said i had left the batteries in the flash and it leak, wow its just like not wearing a condom when u have sex! Of course i would take out the batts after im done with the flash.

When u fix your flash or service them its catagorized as accessories and warranty on them is ...................... for sony to decide if its under warranty. Guess thats y people always say its a sony. i was using my nikon speed light flash and its able to withstand the workrate but my sony flash just gave up? Now i gotta buy another flash for my cam and im gonna get the ext power supply. Wow!!! Fed up with sony crap and gonna get the sigma one. Hopefully it doesnt die on me again. Just beware about the workrate and the type of batteries u use. And of course read the fine lines in you camera warranty card u will be suprised about the stuff you would find.

Well always remember when your equipment pops...............the tag line is......ITS A SONY!

wow...this post looks EVIL :devil: almost like an Anti-Sony campaign going on.. or is it a smear campaign? by the way, anyone face similar problems?

 

[godzilla60]

Think probably A MISCOMMNICATION...dun think lot of people is aware of that sony does not provide warranty for the flash and probably the ts want to claimed for free servicing assuming it free since it abt six months old.

mmm...:think: i believe mine came with a one year warranty....wait...no, it came with fifteen months warranty becos of e-registration.... but dunno if it covers battery leak especially when using with no-brand or fake batteries with no quality control...

that's why i always use branded ones like u guys but...then again, i dun use flash intensively...:embrass: