Vivitar 285HV Problem

[brofkand]

I just bought a vivitar 285 hv used from a local camera shop. It worked perfectly in the store, but when I took it home all of a sudden it wouldn't pop. The test button would work maybe once out of 20, and the same thing with the hotshoe. I drove right back to the store, and they couldn't figure out what was going on either.

They gave me another 285hv with a broken foot and in rougher shape but worked perfectly, and I kept the broken flash. My reasoning behind this versus getting a refund was I could certainly make one working flash (maybe two) from them. I've ordered a metal shoe from eBay to replace the plastic ones with once it comes in.

At first I thought the foot on the original 285hv was bad, so I desoldered it and tried just tapping the leads together. That works but not consistently. Any ideas?

Thanks

 

[mgb74]

I assume you were getting a ready light so we can assume it's not a battery issue. If you unscrew the flash foot, you'll see 2 wires soldered to the foot. My guess is that you have a bad contact there.

 

[brofkand]

Yes, I was getting a ready light.

That's my thinking too. When I get the new foot we'll see how it works. Which wires control the sync; the green, white, black, or red (do I have those colors right?).

 

[Bob-D659]

Here you go. http://strobist.blogspot.com/2007/11/hack-your-vivitar-285hvs-proprietary.html

 

[johnielvis]

on the mis-firing one--I have a 283 with the same problem....it is old and I guess the tube is shot....I bought it new and popped the hell out of it for....15? years....20 years...anyways....it started getting erratic .... now it will fire like ONCE when it's cold...after that, it'll never fire again till I put it away for a long time....I thought it was the trigger but now I'm pretty sure that something happens to the flash tubes where they never work right after a while...I didn't think you could wear out a gas, but, apparently you can....

 

[brofkand]

That's exactly what this one is doing John. I wonder if it's possible to replace the tube easily?

 

[Steve Smith]

now it will fire like ONCE

How often is like once? Is it once?


Steve.

 

[brofkand]

Mine will fire once out of 20 "clicks," either with the test button or mounted on my holga. Even when I had the shoe desoldered and tapped the leads together, I got a few pops but not very consistently.

 

[johnielvis]

yeah...usually first pop works then the rest...good luck...click click click....then once, just about when you're about to give up...POP....I think it needs to cool down or something when it gets old