Novatron Louder Than Normal Pop?

[Daniel W.]

Hey all you light-headed () folks out there, I've got a question.

I've been shooting with a Novatron 400w/s Plus pack (older than current model, but new enough to have the polarized HH female sync input, one of the older ones I've worked with didn't have a polarized plug socket making it very difficult to use.) For the most part, it's great - I love that the muscle tone it has given my arm muscles from carrying it!

At my last gig (luckily as we were wrapping up) the pop that comes with firing the unit is much much louder than normal discharge. I usually expect the soft pop and click but this sounds like balloons popping. Earlier during setup, my assistant got a little trigger happy with the 30D and tried doing it at 180w/s with the 6FPS, which I quickly told her to stop and the pack held through the entire evening (about four hours and 300 images). I tried plugging it in when I got home, and the pop is just as loud at all power settings, and after turning it off on the power button, it continued to make pops of decreasing volume. Since then I have unplugged it and placed it in an area unlikely to combust but I'm wondering what's up.

I remember some of my older flashes being loud when they were first fired for a long time (something about capacitors forming) but this just frightens me... any ideas?

Thanks in advance folks, much appreciated!

[The Philos]

No idea Dan, my (your old) Speedo pack is louder than I thought it would be all the time - especially at full power.

[bondarnes]

Probably time to send it to the Dallas repair facility. It might be a capacitor or it could be a power supply. I can send you a loaner if you will pay shipping both ways.

[The Loft Studios]

Trust me, if you continue to use this pack as is, IT WILL BLOW!!!
We had 2 of these dinosaurs blow on us last year during Prom Season, a 440 Plus and a 500, and they were doing the exact same thing as you described. We finally decided to get rid of the whole batch of lighting systems..... 6 in all. I remember back in school, we use to call Novatrons - Novabombs, LOL!

[Daniel W.]

David, is it holding up well? I remember that thing being especially loud compared to these Novatrons (and even more so to monolights). I was shooting a group of elec. engineers at the church earlier in the summer with the Novas, every time I clicked you could see a nervous flinch with the loud pop haha.

Thanks guys, Mark and Don, I'll wait until school starts again so I can check it back in and have it shipped off.

Don, if a job comes up in the near future (not that I can forsee) that I'll need the power for I'll definitely take you up on the offer but I'd imagine shipping for a pack would be pretty hefty. I see some monolights in my future.

[The Philos]

It's doing tremendously well now that I don't take it on location shoots anymore - it likes sitting in my home studio just as much or moreso than my back does.

[Daniel W.]

I bet it does, did you ever find a use for those giant honking heads?

[The Philos]

Put a diffusion sock on them and use them for fill or to light up my 84" umbrella. I used one until the flash tube burnt out and I couldn't find a replacement. The other is still kicking.

[Daniel W.]

If you take the broken one and put a metal dish onto it (weld) it should make a pretty good wok (if you're into stir-fry). Holy cow! 84"?!!?