Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Strong Switcher supplies age/improvements

This is topic Strong Switcher supplies age/improvements in forum Film Handlers' Forum at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

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Posted by Justin West (Member # 920) on 09-10-2004, 07:59 AM:

I am looking at buying a few Strong switching single-phase xenon power supplies (1-3kW output) and am told by the seller that they are of approx. 1995 vintage, with a model number 628005. Can anyone tell me if this model/year had a number of defects/problems, i.e. should I avoid these? [Confused]

Posted by Richard Fowler (Member # 893) on 09-10-2004, 08:44 AM:

Warning Will Robertson, warning, warning [Big Grin]

Posted by Ken Layton (Member # 133) on 09-10-2004, 11:39 AM:

The early Strong switchers would literally burn giant holes thru the circuit boards. Repair parts for them are not available anymore and Strong has a replacement/upgrade program detailed on their website.

Posted by Tim Reed (Member # 137) on 09-10-2004, 01:59 PM:

FYI, just found out that model # is the first-version of the switcher. Major parts no longer available, and Strong doesn't offer repair/exchange on it -- only upgrades to newer units.

[edit] Sorry, Ken... that's pretty much what you just said! [Smile]

Posted by Justin West (Member # 920) on 09-10-2004, 02:51 PM:

OK, thanks all for the info...I did check out Strong's product bulletin # PB-041, dated 8/4/03...YIKES!!!! [Eek!]

They are known as "version 0" and if something goes wrong, Strong will not exchange it for another version-0...they may repair it and return it (for a fee) if they still have the parts in question...an upgrade to a version-1 replacement would be $1200 direct to a retail customer like me, a little less if thru a dealer.

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 09-10-2004, 06:01 PM:

The power MOSFETS used in the VER 0 are long obsolete devices.
That is whay they can't be repaired any longer.

Mark @ CLACO

Posted by Justin West (Member # 920) on 09-11-2004, 03:28 AM:

Thanks, all...I will likely go with a new current version-2 model.

Posted by Stephen Furley (Member # 1277) on 09-11-2004, 04:02 AM:

Parts for something nine years old are 'long obsolete' [Confused]

Or has the seller gote the date wrong?

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 09-11-2004, 07:20 PM:

Justin,
We have a ton of the new Strong switchers out there, some operating in pretty hostile power areas and we have had zero failures. What we do and what I can attribute to this is both the fact that they are VERY good supplies and that we install surge superssion devices in all the locations that have them. I would think that even for portable use these would be possible to have in the power line some place..... I highly reccomend them.

Stephen, Even the obsolete semi houses in Asia dont have them any longer.... I've tried!

Mark @ CLACO

Posted by Tim Reed (Member # 137) on 09-11-2004, 09:16 PM:

Has anyone used a switcher on a regular ol' Lumex? Does the no-load voltage get high enough to fire the igniter?

Or, are there modifications that need to be made, so they will work together?

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 09-11-2004, 09:48 PM:

Good point! Yes you might need to change the zener in there.... but there are thousands of Lum-Exs working on switchers both old and new in the form of the Strong Super Trooper. BUT... Strong has switched even the spotlights over to the newer DC ignitor in those and the ignition is still touch and go.... sometimes the HV arcs over to anything else but through the lamp itself and that anything else could be any number of other metal objects inside the lamphouse. Insulating the ignitor casing on the bottom with a thick piece of delrin helped alot of the rental spotlights at GTS as the HV also arced right through thhe casing and down the nylon mounting screws to the metal angle mounts which were bolted to the chassis. Hope I haven't confused you...

Mark

Posted by Tim Reed (Member # 137) on 09-12-2004, 12:04 AM:

Will the switchers work with AC igniters (talking about the Lumex, with the neon tube PCB firing circuit), or are they designed exclusively for DC units?

Is that Lumex igniter board even still supported, or was there an upgrade for that? Gettin' to be a long time being away from all this... I've forgotten a lot.

Posted by Ken Layton (Member # 133) on 09-12-2004, 12:13 AM:

Hey Tim,

They ought to work on the plain Lume-x lamphouses. The old High Recactance supplies Strong made for the Lume-x and Super Lume-x had 100 volt no load. The Switchers typically have 150 volts no load. That ought to fire just about any igniter.

Posted by Justin West (Member # 920) on 09-12-2004, 01:33 AM:

Hey, guys... I have found a fairly resonable source of new switcher supplies but I thought I would ask if anyone had a suggestion of a good source for used or refurbished newer-version switchers? My budget is so tight, saving some green will help give me some breathing room to get some used lenses for my 2 set-ups. Thanks, again, for all the input...verry interesting question there, Tim, as the Lumex is exactly what I plan to use! [Wink]

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 09-12-2004, 09:26 AM:

Yes according to Jack Schmidt at Strong there can be problems and we did have exactly the problem reliably firing lamps with the older neon boards on Super Trooper ignitors. It has something to do with the voltage going too high too fast. At times it would fire once(and not light the lamp) then not fire again... you'd have to turn off the supply and wait for the supply to recover so you could get the 150 volt start voltage again.... the whole thing acted like a one shot circuit. This got quite annoying on rental units and installing the dc ignitor board and the plexi insulator under the ignitor housing cured all that....
Yes the DC ignitor board is interchangable with the old neon version and the same HV coil and box are used.

Mark

Posted by Tim Reed (Member # 137) on 09-12-2004, 11:21 AM:

Thanks, guys. Yes, Justin, there are a lot of Lumexs still around. [Smile]

You might want to get the DC igniter upgrade, though, to use with the switcher...

Posted by Steve Guttag (Member # 268) on 09-12-2004, 12:38 PM:

Tim,

The Super Lume-X, Super-80 and Ultra-80 all still have AC igniters (though not the old neon tube type of the Lume-X) and the switchers work just fine with them. Strong switchers also fire Kinoton lamphouses just fine too.

Steve

Posted by Tim Reed (Member # 137) on 09-12-2004, 01:24 PM:

Thanks, Steve.

Will one of the AC igniters for a Super Lumex, 80, et.al., fit in a Lumex? I know Mark said the DC igniter would fit, the holes lined up, etc. Although I can't imagine the igniter from a Super Lumex fitting in a Lumex, and I'd really like to get rid of the neon tube igniter, since they were never the most-reliable.

Or, probably the easiest route: was there a replacement board/upgrade for the Lumex igniter that got rid of the neon deal?

Where's Pat Moore on all this?

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 09-12-2004, 06:40 PM:

Tim, The ignitor from the Super will not fit the Lumex....entirely different beast. Your ignitor can be upgraded to dc just by changing the board. Strong still uses the same black box HV coil on the new unit.... which because of HV leaks was actually the culprit of the lamps not reliably striking in the first place. The DC board does make the ignitor work far more reliably overall though.

Mark

Posted by Justin West (Member # 920) on 02-06-2005, 09:52 PM:

Ken, Tim, Mark, et al:

quote: Ken Layton
The old High Recactance supplies Strong made for the Lume-x and Super Lume-x had 100 volt no load. The Switchers typically have 150 volts no load. That ought to fire just about any igniter.

I happen to have one of those old high reactance power supplies (Strong model 61001-4) and I am removing the old capacitors to replace them with fresh ones. there are two (2) 37000MFD, 75VDC caps in parallel (3" diameter x 5 5/8" long) and there is also a smaller single 1100MFD, 150VDC cap as well. When you say, Ken, that there is a 100v no-load in a high reactance model, how did Strong get away with these 75VDC units in parallel? Just trying to learn this tech stuff...one piece of equipment at a time! [Big Grin]

Posted by Ken Layton (Member # 133) on 02-06-2005, 10:33 PM:

Think of it this way, there are two sections in the supply. One section, the "boost" voltage section provides the high 'no load' voltage of 100 volts to trigger the igniter board. The other section is the 'operating' section which provides the low voltage high current (and well filtered) power to operate the bulb. The 1100 uf @ 150 volt capacitor is the boost cap. The 37,000 uf @ 75 volt caps are for the operating section.

Posted by Justin West (Member # 920) on 02-07-2005, 11:36 AM:

Thanks...I see what you mean, Ken! [Smile]

BTW, I would like to find a source of such caps. I found that Mouser offers the 37000uF@75VDC models but they do not have the 1100uF@150VDC models. Also, do I need to make any adjustments (maybe use a different capacitor) if this PS is going to be used with a Lumex lamphouse?

Posted by Gordon McLeod (Member # 33) on 02-07-2005, 02:45 PM:

Try DigiKey or Newark Electronics and check out the mallory line of caps