YS110 not alpha

I have a YS110 that I have some issues with as optical slave. Even in manual mode, it will occasionally fail to trigger. TTL works, but also misses at times.

Unfortunately I got the flash second hand directly from Japan, so I could not claim a warranty.

However, does anyone have an insight to what the actual technical problem was? To me it seems like there are more misses UW that if I run it dry. And also more failures later into the dive (maybe when the batteries are not fresh anymore or when they start getting cold)

Were there a technical bulletin to repair shops on a fix, or was it a complete replacement?

Cheers

/O

I have had a brand new YS250 with the same problem. In the beginning it fails sometimes and after a few times trying and testing its has stopped working.

It is for sure the electronics. When you fire the strobe with the pilot light on, and it go's out and the strobe fires not, you have a problem with the electronics.

I have looked at the electronics but all the components have Japanese numbers, so you can't find them over here.

Just return it.

I have a YS110 that I have some issues with as optical slave. Even in manual mode, it will occasionally fail to trigger. TTL works, but also misses at times.

 

Unfortunately I got the flash second hand directly from Japan, so I could not claim a warranty.

 

However, does anyone have an insight to what the actual technical problem was? To me it seems like there are more misses UW that if I run it dry. And also more failures later into the dive (maybe when the batteries are not fresh anymore or when they start getting cold)

 

Were there a technical bulletin to repair shops on a fix, or was it a complete replacement?

 

Cheers

/O

I would check two things: what is your flash setting (make sure its not 1/64th or something very light, check that your fiber optic cable is not broken ( the ends sometimes need to be trimmed or clipped off if they are broken inside they will not fire consistently.

Brian

I would check two things: what is your flash setting (make sure its not 1/64th or something very light, check that your fiber optic cable is not broken ( the ends sometimes need to be trimmed or clipped off if they are broken inside they will not fire consistently.

 

Brian

Thanks, the behaviour has been the same since the fibre was new, but I suppose that does not rule it out...

Is it possible to get hold of the YS110 schematics somewhere though?

I have seriously thought about putting a phototransistor in the end-cap of the electrical connection and by that bypass Sea&Seas trigger circuit. Anyone know if you buy get those endcaps somwhere? However, it may even be that its the high voltage part of the trigger that is the faulty part, then it woouldnt matter whter trying to trig optically or electrically.

Cheers

/O

Is it possible to get hold of the YS110 schematics somewhere though?

Does anyone have either the offichial schmatics of the YS110 or have you made any DIY repair on this unit?

Cheers

Is it possible to get hold of the YS110 schematics somewhere though?

 

I have seriously thought about putting a phototransistor in the end-cap of the electrical connection and by that bypass Sea&Seas trigger circuit. Anyone know if you buy get those endcaps somwhere? However, it may even be that its the high voltage part of the trigger that is the faulty part, then it woouldnt matter whter trying to trig optically or electrically.

I would also be happy with the schematics as my YS-110 does not fire anymore. I want to try to repair it myself.

Focus LED is working and it gets the green light for TTL when the flash is triggered (electronic cable connection). I can also hear the capacitors charge and ready sign is on then, but no flash. It doesn't respond to optical triggering as well.

Has been sent to Sea&Sea distributor who said it was a defect in the circuit board and too expensive to repair (they probably only do complete circuit board replacements, no soldering of components).

Update: having opened the strobe, I can see how everything is connected. Because the storage capacitors seem to be charged (wining noise, ready light working), I suspect the trigger capacitor. Does anybody know which replacement part to order for this?

Any ideas welcome....

I would also be happy with the schematics as my YS-110 does not fire anymore. I want to try to repair it myself.

Focus LED is working and it gets the green light for TTL when the flash is triggered (electronic cable connection). I can also hear the capacitors charge and ready sign is on then, but no flash. It doesn't respond to optical triggering as well.

Has been sent to Sea&Sea distributor who said it was a defect in the circuit board and too expensive to repair (they probably only do complete circuit board replacements, no soldering of components).

 

Update: having opened the strobe, I can see how everything is connected. Because the storage capacitors seem to be charged (wining noise, ready light working), I suspect the trigger capacitor. Does anybody know which replacement part to order for this?

 

Any ideas welcome....

Hey, how did you go with the repair? It would be great if you could post some pics.

Cheers

/O

I would also be happy with the schematics as my YS-110 does not fire anymore. I want to try to repair it myself.

Focus LED is working and it gets the green light for TTL when the flash is triggered (electronic cable connection). I can also hear the capacitors charge and ready sign is on then, but no flash. It doesn't respond to optical triggering as well.

Has been sent to Sea&Sea distributor who said it was a defect in the circuit board and too expensive to repair (they probably only do complete circuit board replacements, no soldering of components).

 

Update: having opened the strobe, I can see how everything is connected. Because the storage capacitors seem to be charged (wining noise, ready light working), I suspect the trigger capacitor. Does anybody know which replacement part to order for this?

 

Any ideas welcome....

Disclaimer: I am an aerospace engineer not an electrical engineer so my electrical training is not expert. Given that....

Are there markings on the relevant components (even in japanese)? Post photos and likely they can be decoded. In turn if they are standard parts or parts with equivalents, you can go from there.

But it occurs to me that if the main capacitors are charging, and after the strobe "fires" you have the green light for TTL, then the circuit believes that the strobe did in fact fire. So maybe the problem is simply the tube? Either tube is bad or connection is bad? Otherwise if the trigger circuit was not functional, the capacitor would not discharge and hence it would not recharge/recycle. Is the problem intermittent temperature related (occurs more frequently when the unit is cold)? Could indicate intermittent solder failure of the tube connection.

PS it should go without saying but I will say it anyway: capacitors and flash tubes are extremely high voltage. Do not screw with charged capacitors if you do not have the training, it is dangerous (despite 2 engineering degrees I would not).

Good luck

The shop where I bought it also thought it could be the tubes before they sent it in to Sea&Sea. If only one of the 3 is defect, it will not fire a flash at all.

But according to Sea&Sea (based on what the shop told me) it was the circuit board. I measured the trigger transformer and it measured 100 Ohm, so not broken it seems. When the ready light becomes green, the storage capacitors are not discharged (at least not audible). So they are charged only the first time after starting up it seems. It does not fire at all, cold or hot.

All tube connections seem okay. But there are 2 small SMD capacitors on the circuit board. Maybe I have to replace these?

Here is a picture from the inside:

The shop where I bought it also thought it could be the tubes before they sent it in to Sea&Sea. If only one of the 3 is defect, it will not fire a flash at all.

But according to Sea&Sea (based on what the shop told me) it was the circuit board. I measured the trigger transformer and it measured 100 Ohm, so not broken it seems. When the ready light becomes green, the storage capacitors are not discharged (at least not audible). So they are charged only the first time after starting up it seems. It does not fire at all, cold or hot.

All tube connections seem okay. But there are 2 small SMD capacitors on the circuit board. Maybe I have to replace these?

 

Here is a picture from the inside:

 

Cool, how does it open? Is it easy to reaseal properly?

Did you measure both sides of the trigger transformer (same function as a ignition coil on a car)? And then possibly the capacitors that are supposed to discharge through it? Once you identified the transistor triggering the primary on that transformer, you should be able to trip it manually and see if the fault is before or after that point, right?

Cheers

/O

Cool, how does it open? Is it easy to reaseal properly?

 

Did you measure both sides of the trigger transformer (same function as a ignition coil on a car)? And then possibly the capacitors that are supposed to discharge through it? Once you identified the transistor triggering the primary on that transformer, you should be able to trip it manually and see if the fault is before or after that point, right?

 

Cheers

/O

To be honest: I have no electrical engineering education at all, just some basic understanding (and further from what I find on the internet ).

The strobe is quite easy to open: pull away the stickers that cover the tiny Phillips screws. When unscrewed, you can easily pull off the top cap.

Inside is an O-ring (shown on the picture, blue). It will fit pretty tight, so I think resealing is not an issue.

I have got a strobe that is missing the nuts for the battery screws.

The question is, does anyone know what thread it is. It does not seem to be M3, so it is probably some kind of inch stuff. Ideas?

See this image with missing nuts and compare with the image earlier in this thread:

Many thanks!

/O

To close the issue:

Well, after further dissasembly it turns out to be M3 after all. False alarm and easy fix. Strobe is working without issues.

Cheers

/O

I have got a strobe that is missing the nuts for the battery screws.

 

The question is, does anyone know what thread it is. It does not seem to be M3, so it is probably some kind of inch stuff. Ideas?

 

See this image with missing nuts and compare with the image earlier in this thread: