Paul C. Buff, Inc. Technical Forum

I have had my AB's for well over 2 years now and have never had a single issue with any of them. Yesterday one of my B800's stopped firing. It has power but when triggering either via cyber sync or the test button on the unit itself it will not fire. You can hear a slight click in the unit but nothing else. No smoke, no sparks just not firing. Any suggestions?


Ernest

Probably a bad tube. Unplug two of them and wait a few minutes, then remove the model lamps by unscrewing them like a normal bulb. Then, using a glove or towel, remove the flash tube of the bad flash. The tube pulls straight out, though gently rocking it will make it a little easier.

Inspect the tube, especially the legs, looking for breakage, or charring on the external metal part of the legs (blackening inside the glass near the legs is fine). If there is charring on the metal part of the legs, this means the tube has loosened and the energy has arced and damaged the tube. Note, if it damaged the tube, it damaged the light, and the light will need to come in for repair.

Also look for crazing inside the tube. This looks yellowish and....crackled, and means the flash has reached the end of its serviceable life.

If there is no visible damage, especially charring, you can try re-installing the tube and see if it works. If so, it may have just loosened prior to this past use. If it still does not work, then you can swap the tube with another light. Then note if the problem follows the light or the tube.

If there is charring, do not use that tube in a different head, or put a different tube that head. Charred contacts can "infect" clean contacts if swapped.