Re: Olympus D-460Z Flash repair?

From: WEBPA (webpa_at_aol.com)
Date: 12/14/04 

Date: 14 Dec 2004 00:18:19 GMT

>WEBPA wrote:
>
>
>> My only hint is that the (main) capacitor in a strobe light is quite
>capable of
>> killing you.
>
>Thanks, but may years ago I got a shock from a 400uf capacitor charged
>to 450 volts. From hand to hand. It made me tremble for MANY
>minutes. I've been really careful since then.
>
>
>> It can also irreversably remove a finger or two.
>
>How? There's not that much charge in a 100uf 300V capacitor.
>

Probably not in your specific case...but in a previous life, I was a military
corpsman on an Air Force base (among other places). There I learned that one of
the interesting things radar repaimen sometimes do is stick their fingers
between the leads of rather large capacitors. To make a long story short: In
six months, we had two folks arrive at the emergency room with 10 fingers
attached, 9 working. The 10th was usually removed fairly quickly to prevent
gangrene. Seems even a fairly low energy capacitor, given enough sweat on the
skin, can destroy most of the blood vessels in a finger.
>
>> It is also capable of exploding like a blasting cap or 1/4 stick of
>dynamite and spraying
>> molten aluminum and boiling caustic liquids around the room.
>
>Now come on! Every electrolytic made since 1938 has some overpressure
>release vent in the rubber end plug or score marks on the aluminum
>case. I've blown a few electrolytics in my time and they all just made
>a mild hiss and a bad smell. Nowhere near the pyrotechnics you
>suggest!

Again, didn't know the size of your capacitor, but I've still got a couple of
old Honeywell strobes in my attic that have much bigger caps. And one I saved
for parts after it exploded on my workbench and started a fire across the room
where the molten aluminum hit a pile of plastic boxes. Granted, there are
pressure relief devices built in, and they usually work...but every few million
(what...a week's global production?) or so it ain't going to work.

>
>( except if you insert the cap leads into the AC line plug, then you do
>get a bit more fun ). But we're not doing that.
>

Glad to hear you're not doing that on purpose.

>Regards,
>
>grg
>
>
>I think I'll just closr up the case and be glad I didnt fry anything
>else. C amera works fine when in normal light.
>
>

If the camera has an external flash connection (some do...most don't), you may
still be able to work in the dark.
webpa

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