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Thank you, Dave. We’ve fixed the legends and improved readability on mobile devices. If anyone else has any suggestions, please let us know. We’re planning to publish the article next week. https://www.retra-uwt.com/pages/a-closer-look-at-backscatters-strobe-test-retra-uwt
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Our commentary of the test will be published soon, here is a preview: https://www.retra-uwt.com/pages/a-closer-look-at-backscatters-strobe-test-retra-uwt
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Quick heads-up for anyone who has been on the fence about the new Retra Maxi strobes: Launch pricing for both versions (with and without the video light) ends on September 1st. After that, prices will increase, so this is the last chance to order at the current launch price: https://www.retra-uwt.com/products/retra-maxi
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Europe and Australia recently struck a trade deal making almost all import/export tarrif free. Especially strobes and accessories (tarrif codes 9006.61 and 9006.99) are now free of any tarrif charges except local GST which currently sits at 10% making the final price even more affordable than in Europe where average VAT rate is around 22%. Shipping is fast too, 2-3 working days to most locations from EU to AU. Repairs are rarely required but in case something brakes the turnaround would be 2 weeks from pickup to delivery. The same team that designs and produces the strobe will also service/repair it to guarantee the highest quality.
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Hi, please copy/paste your issue to our email: help@retra-uwt.com This is by far the fastest and the most reliable way of getting any issue resolved with any Retra product. P.S.: sounds like a sensor malfunction, there are potential temporary workarounds.
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Note for potential buyers: These strobes remain covered under our factory warranty until May 2026. The warranty can also be extended by an additional 2.5 years, until November 2028, through our RetraCare+ program: https://www.retra-uwt.com/pages/retracare-warranty This ensures continued coverage and peace of mind for the next owner.
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I think this is a good question for Dave who is reviewing the strobes. Drop a comment here: https://waterpixels.net/forums/topic/3192-preview-of-the-retra-maxi-strobe
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@Dave_Hicks is testing the new Maxi strobes quite intensively and is sharing his first impressions here: https://waterpixels.net/forums/topic/3192-preview-of-the-retra-maxi-strobe If you would like to see him test anything specific you can ask in the comments.
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The battery contacts in the Maxi have multiple layers of anti corrosive coating with a silver coloured finish, designed specifically to protect the connection points. Historically we have not encountered issues with this coating unless there was water ingress or a short circuit caused by a damaged battery or incorrect battery orientation. Incorrect orientation is not possible in the Maxi battery compartment and the new li ion batteries typically include short circuit protection. If water enters the compartment the contacts can get damaged, although in all past cases users were able to clean them well enough for the strobe to power on and remain usable. Any replacements (if necessary) were carried out only after they had successfully completed their diving trip.
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Hi! The battery contacts have multiple layers of anti corrosive coating with a silver coloured finish, designed specifically to protect the connection points. We have not encountered issues with this coating unless there was water ingress or a short circuit caused by a damaged battery or incorrect battery orientation. Incorrect orientation is not possible in the Maxi battery compartment and the new li ion batteries typically include short circuit protection. If water enters the compartment the contacts can get damaged, although in all past cases users were able to clean them well enough for the strobe to power on and remain usable. Any replacements (if necessary) were carried out only after they had successfully completed their diving trip.
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We recommend the Wide angle diffusers for the Maxi, primarily because the Maxi has cooler light output by default and those diffusers help warm it up. Quality of light is coverage, color temperature and distribution.
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Hi Dave, would you be interested in doing an independent review? I think Matt can send you his pair when he is not using them. Please send me a message and we will work out the details. The Maxi strobe is optimized for high GN and lithium performance instead of the refined light quality and compact size of our Pro series strobes. There are obvious differences in the light they produce, comparison below. The Maxi reaches about 80% of the light quality that our Pro series strobes offer.
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All Retra Flashes from the very first version stay powered on until they are switched off. This design comes from real use in the field, where a photographer may wait for hours for a single shot and prefers not to touch the strobe so the animal is not disturbed. Once the strobe is on, it continually tops up the capacitors so it is always ready to fire, and this naturally uses some battery power. With the 8xAA battery pack, the stand by time is around 24 hours, which is also stated in the data sheet. The trade off is that if you forget to switch the strobe off, it will eventually run the batteries down. We are considering adding a timer option for users who would like the strobe to switch itself off automatically. Thank you for your feedback.
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By the way, we have 4 units of the previous-generation Pro Max strobes left. Please write to our email if you’re interested.
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Thank you for the suggestion. The firmware is designed to keep the strobes on continuously for off-camera use, where you might leave them in place while debris settles and return later to take the shot. In that case, you wouldn’t want to touch them until the image is done which could take hours or more. That said, I understand they can be left on unintentionally during normal use. We’ll look into possible improvements.
