Novatron 240; 2 head kit. Instruction manual?

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Kino

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Anyone have a instruction manual or even just the published specs for this kit?

I would like to know the guide numbers for the heads at full and half power, as well as the sync port voltage.

It has the 2010C and 2000C heads; the older 240, not the V240 "Fun Kit".

Thanks!

IMG_2978.jpg
 

jim10219

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I don't have a manual, but I have owned several Novatron sets, and still own and use one. A couple of warnings:

Make sure to discharge the capacitors before unplugging or plugging in a head. You do that by turning off the power and immediately hitting the test button to activate the flash. Also do this before switching from full to half power.

Some heads will have a half and possibly a quarter power switch on the back of the head (-1 and -2). Never set a single head to anything other than normal (full power). The circuit diverts power through a power resistor to dissipate some energy, and if you try to run too much through them, you can fry it. If you want to run a head at a lower power, you need to make sure to have at least one other head plugged in.

The power pack is designed to balance the power through all of the heads equally, so if you have two heads plugged in at once, each head will receive half the power. In your case, if you have both heads plugged in and the power pack set to half power, each head will get around 60 joules (watt/seconds) of power. If you have one head plugged in at full power, it will receive around 240 joules.

As old as this system is, it's probably a good idea to let it warm up for about 15-30 minutes before using it. Those big, old electrolytic caps like to explode under stress. It's not usually dangerous, as they're contained in a steel box, but they can be very loud when they go. They are replaceable, but not cheap. And if you do one, do them all. Having mismatched caps can be dangerous. And this is probably something you'll want to have a pro do, because those caps can hold around 500 volts a piece! You have to know how to safely discharge them and how to at those voltages, you don't get much room for error.

As for the sync port voltage, assume it's high. Some of the older models ran into the hundreds. Later ones dropped to around forty, and even later ones got into the single digits. It's hard to say what yours is without measuring it, and for that you'd need special equipment. A normal DMM isn't fast enough to read the voltage, since it just hits in an instant, and will report a much lower voltage than actual. If your using a digital camera, or something sensitive to high voltages, use a wireless trigger that's able to handle high voltages. I use a Phottix trigger with mine while using my digital cameras since they can handle up to something like 300 volts.
 
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wiltw

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Anyone have a instruction manual or even just the published specs for this kit?

I would like to know the guide numbers for the heads at full and half power, as well as the sync port voltage.

It has the 2010C and 2000C heads; the older 240, not the V240 "Fun Kit".

Thanks!

View attachment 227519


sync port Voltage has been listed on Botzilla as in the 7.5 - 12V range.

The old Novatrons did not like the flash heads to be plugged in or unplugged with the main Power switch in the ON position. Also, if changing power settings, flash once via Open Flash button, so that capacitors then have to be recycled to the level of setting that is on the switches.
The Novatron power pack operation is simple, the switches pretty much tell the whole story via their settings.
 

John Koehrer

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I'd be cautious of the Botzila synch voltage information.
This unit is far too old for them to have been concerned with digital delicacy.
 
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Kino

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Thank you everyone.

All good information.

@jnantz: thanks, I went to the site earlier today but found nothing online, so a email is in order. Glad to see they were not just abandoned and OmegaBrandess is supporting the line.

@ jim10219: thanks for the detailed cautions. I will type up a "flight-check" list to include with the kit, so I don't have to depend on my memory.

@wiltw and @ John Koehrer: I decided to be cautious and since my last log in, I have ordered a Wein Safe-Sync to use with the set and will await its arrival before using the set.

As to exposure, I'll just use my Vivitar Flash Meter to determine exposure for film shooting.
 
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Kino

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@jim10219 Since you have Novatron experience, I wanted to ask you about a 3rd strobe for this kit. I would like to get a "kicker" strobe to separate the subject(s) from the background, and seeing as how the power supply has a 3rd plug I was wondering if the 2010C or 2000C head would be a good choice OR is there a smaller compatible head I could use?

Is that a good idea, splitting the power even further on this small pack or should I just take a portable flashgun and put a slave on it for the kicker light?
 

jim10219

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@jim10219 Since you have Novatron experience, I wanted to ask you about a 3rd strobe for this kit. I would like to get a "kicker" strobe to separate the subject(s) from the background, and seeing as how the power supply has a 3rd plug I was wondering if the 2010C or 2000C head would be a good choice OR is there a smaller compatible head I could use?

Is that a good idea, splitting the power even further on this small pack or should I just take a portable flashgun and put a slave on it for the kicker light?
In theory, the light will be the same at full power no matter how many flash heads you have hooked up to it. In theory, the whole point of adding flash heads is to get more sources of light, not get more light. I say in theory, because I bet the power to lumens ratio isn't completely linear.

Either a 2010c or 2000c, or even a 2020c would work. I'd go for the 2020c or 2010c, as you get a bit more control with the stop (or two) reduction option on the head. But they all work, and there are always other ways to cut back on light.

If you need more volume of light, and not just more sources of light, then a separate strobe not powered by this pack would be a good idea. However, there are two different bulbs that were made for these systems. One is daylight balanced for color film, and the other isn't. So to avoid weird color casts from a mismatched system, you may want to see which one you have. Usually the bulbs are a bit different color between the two, but unmarked and with so many aftermarket makers, as well as the high possibility that these have been replaced before, the best advice is to just shoot some test photos with a standard flash of a known color temperature to see if they match or don't.

I don't know if there's a smaller, compatible head. I know some of the older Speedotron heads will work with these old Novatrons, but I don't have experience with them and don't know much about them. I will say that you can usually tell if a head will work or won't with your system by looking at the connector that connects into the pack. Pay particular attention to the center pole, or lack there of. If the head has a center pole, but your power pack doesn't, then it obviously won't fit. Since this pack is fairly low powered, power shouldn't be an issue.
 
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Kino

Kino

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@jim10219 ; Thank you for the detailed response! I will do some testing and see what I can determine as to color temperature and possible substitutes.
 

M Carter

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I know some of the older Speedotron heads will work with these old Novatrons

Supposedly Novatron packs will work with Speedo Brown line heads, not the pro Black Line heads. A little google-fu would clarify this.

I owned that exact pack once; it didn't blow, but it did turn into a smoke bomb once - that was pretty horrific. But overall, I had good luck with Nova packs - but I'd avoid the older heads, with the two thumbscrews for attaching reflectors - putting a decent sized softbox on those isn't really workable. If the pack indeed works with Speedo Brown heads, I'd look into those. They're widely available used, the accessory mount is really robust (and the same as Black Line so there's tons of stuff out there) and they have 5/8 stand mounts vs. the crappy 1/4 (or 3/8?) that are on many Nova heads.
 
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