makar0n

Eneloops Pro are handling low temps pretty well so I do not think 6 degrees would be an issue. Since battery usage will differ between different devices, and yes, one failing battery can result in strobe complaining about not having juice (gets uneven so to speak). I would suggest a few more tests that will hopefully help you determine where the issue might be: 1) Confirm issue happens again i.e. this was just not a fluke dive (unless done multiple dives already that is with issue persisting) 2) Swap batteries around - is the issue staying with the same strobe or moving with the batteries? (though you do mention "second Retra Pro Max started showing signs..." 3) Try other/completely new batteries - yeah no ideal to having to buy new ones but that way you can see if that makes difference. Hopefully you will then at least have a better idea whether issue is battery or strobe related. Another angle is the internal battery resistance - the 015 reading does seem a bit low (vs others). You could try to mix and match the sets i.e. find ones that are reading high and try only those. Could be also charger though - a lot of them are simply inaccurate as well as slot dependant (i.e. battery will read differently on different slots) As I had some time on my hands, I took out Xtar VC4S and measured resistance. Note that I am not sure as to how accurate this is - for example one battery showed about 121 mΩ (once), I then swapped it to another slot and now it shows 38 mΩ (or thereabout after swapping few more times)...To counter this, I have read each set twice - 2nd time just randomly swapping batteries between slots to see if readings will change (so readings in second column do not belong to the same line as first column technically) - and yes they did, so I suspect my charger is not that accurate neither. 3 sets of Eneloop Pros, all produced between 09-11/2011, all 3 work fine in all my devices including Z240s. Have not been charged or used for a few months so voltage on all is just under 1.3V. Set #1 mΩ #1 mΩ #2 23 28 38 18 27 31 32 27 Set #2 mΩ #1 mΩ #2 31 21 21 23 23 18 47 31 Set #3 mΩ #1 mΩ #2 43 20 54 18 23 20 72 30

I always wondered - do people still use the 5 pin ? Fiber sounds like so much easier/simpler solution really. Personally I think i've opened that 5 pin cap on Z-240 once...for greasing xD

Waiting for the Pro Max Retina XDR Thunderbolt Liquid model. And 1k stand as an accessory 🤣

Let's add "travel and tight spaces friendly". Could also go with "power efficient". And this wannabe Apple Pro Max naming....yikes xD

The very exact thing. Not bothered about GN gazillion at all - would love a travel and tight places friendly strobe (and not the current crop of bricks) with modern features like HSS, maybe even a circular tube for a nice beam. Support for Li-Ion batteries (maybe even interchangeable with AA) purely for a faster recycle rate. Absolutely no battery packs. Well made, with a minimum 100m depth rating and reasonably priced as well. But a man can dream...

We had Z-240, then Z-330...Time for a Z-420 xD

Ach there is my favorite Retra fanboy! I really wish I had access to IP addresses of the users, wonder if yours wouldn't perhaps turn in to be Slovenian, that of a VPN, or traced to somebody business related. It's really cringy to watch those "praise Retra/Li-Ion (only when Retra announces battery pack), slam competitors/Li-Ion (before Retra announces battery pack)" posts with virtually nothing else. And I won't even say which industry person present on this website your writing style looks like. But I digress, manufacturer specs can be anything they post on the website. Especially if one is very conservative and the other very optimistic. I will let you guess which one is which. Meanwhile real-life feedback is people have to buy the 8 battery extension for Retra as near mandatory, and even then complain about having to constantly charge the batteries and travel with a stack of them ;] Also, you are comparing quite an older strobe with latest model. Why not go against Z-220 if you are at it? And the battery indicator changes everything of course. How could I possibly have done all those years diving without one, silly me. Yet never ran out of the battery juice. Must be nothing short of a miracle. After all, having to change batteries once every 2 days (and they usually won't be nowhere near empty by then neither ) its such an impossible task. Its not like this gives me 100% confidence I have juice vs looking at some imprecise (as I do not see any actual capacity) indicator that might change 5 minutes after I go under.

Retra seems to have always had a notorious rep when it comes to battery life. Inon is the exact opposite - while I do not have Z330s, my Z240's last hundreds of photos easily. In fact I no longer bother changing batteries (Eneloop Pro) every day, its usually every 2, sometimes even 3 days with an average of 2-3h in the water per day. So I wouldn't worry there too much 😉 That said a Li-Ion option would certainly be a nice upgrade...

Specs certainly do look very interesting! Would there be any chance for a model without the video light to appear one day? Basically fixated on the weight - at 1.2 kg per strobe it is not very travel friendly for those of us without business class tickets xD Also, as this sounds like a battery pack device - does it use a proprietary charger? Can the batteries be assembled DYI route?

It's not that bad in my opinion, personally I avoid the flight route though. Last time I've checked, flights were at ridiculous morning times and then you land at Tablas, completely different island. Getting over to Romblon then takes quite a while, and involves a car and a boat usually. Much better route was always the ferry - take one in the afternoon, have a good night sleep on the ferry (and get over the jetlag) and arrive right in the actual Romblon in the morning - have breakfast and jump straight into the water. Well, ferry times have changed a bit now, so it starts in Batangas earlier and gets to Romblon earlier, but still preferred that than the flight. And no need to worry about baggage allowance for once.

While holding vodka martini in your hand I suspect. Shaken, not stirred.

@TimG BOOT mission goal is clear - sneak in, infiltrate, report 🤣

Wooohoo, finally! Still waiting patiently 🙂

This and the shoddy quality of their circuit boards...it was not a matter of if, but when the light will fail. When they worked, indeed were quite nice, definitely liked the switch as could change the power level even with my nose should hands be full 😉 But inevitably one by one they would break and the issue was usually the circuit board. What was worse, the company was not exactly helping past the warranty period - absolute refusal for sending any spare parts, demanding that light be always sent to their authorized service center and of course bill from those being as high as a cost of a new light. And not sure they could be called US manufacturer neither - I think all the parts were made in China and merely assembled in US.

Personally I am always removing the handles - apart from cleaning, housing wouldn't fit into the backpack otherwise ;] Screws are going into a small zip-lock style bag, so no issue losing those. Also greased with lovely Lanocote (marine grade grease) from time to time - also useful for any other metal screwy parts like clamps etc.