Dropped my FL-36

Kurt Petersen · Dec 16, 2008

Yesterday I dropped my FL-36 about a metre onto concrete. @#$%@#! I said and brushed it of to find only a few tiny marks on the plastic and fitted it to the camera. Still works - phew...

Until, I used it in swivel mode to bounce of the ceiling, then turned it back to direct flash. The zoom indicator remains at -- Manual zoom, yep works, but auto zoom, no go. Switch of camera, flash. Still nothing. A little tap on the top, aha, there is the zoom!

A little further experimentation has proved that the tilt sensor is ok, but the swivel sensor has something broken or loose and after using it in swivel mode I have to give the flash a tap to get the auto-zoom working again.

The flash is well out of warranty and I am willing to have a poke around inside but before I do I have a couple of questions for the forum.

1) I remember seeing once pictures of a dissasembled FL-36, either on this forum or perhaps Fourthirdsphoto. I would like to look at this before I start surgery. Does anyone remember the post and can possibly link me to it? I tried searching here with no success and FTF doesn't appear to have a search function.

2) Does anyone in Australia know where I would get the tiny (4mm?) torx-head screwdriver needed to open the flash up?

peterpumpkin46 · Dec 16, 2008

Kurt

Try **** Smith - They have a torx mini screwdriver set that goes down to T6 size. Just searching on their site, they even have one that has a T4. See http://search.dse.com.au/electronics/Torx%20Screwdriver .

Tarun

Kurt Petersen · Dec 17, 2008

Thanks Peter, I though **** Smith, Tandy or Jaycar may be the place to get those.

So, does anyone remember the photos pf the disassembled FL-36 and is able to point me to it?

Stainedsilver · Dec 17, 2008

Don't forget to discharge the capacitor thru a 1 megohm resister first thing! It can make you TINGLE!
--
There is light at the end of the tunnel, but it's broken.

Diagnose the problem and Fix It. Find the next problem and Fix It. Just FIX IT! FIIIXXXXX ITTTTTT! FIX IT! PPPHHHYYYYXXXXXX EEEEHHHHHHTTTTTT!!!!!!!! (SNL)

Kurt Petersen · Dec 17, 2008

Thanks for the warning. I was planning to do a TEST discharge then immediately remove the batteries, then let it sit for a day before opening up.

Stainedsilver said:
Don't forget to discharge the capacitor thru a 1 megohm resister
first thing! It can make you TINGLE!
--
There is light at the end of the tunnel, but it's broken.
Diagnose the problem and Fix It. Find the next problem and Fix It.
Just FIX IT! FIIIXXXXX ITTTTTT! FIX IT! PPPHHHYYYYXXXXXX
EEEEHHHHHHTTTTTT!!!!!!!! (SNL)

John King · Dec 17, 2008

Gidday Kurt

What rotten bad luck, mate.

Kurt Petersen said:
Stainedsilver said:

Don't forget to discharge the capacitor thru a 1 megohm resister
first thing! It can make you TINGLE!

Click to expand...

Actually some of these capacitors can do much more than give you a tingle ... the ones in a computer power supply can kill; as can the ones in stereo amplifiers; electronic ignition systems ...

Maybe charge it up; remove the batteries; and then discharge the flash completely ...

I cannot remember ever seeing the piccies of the guts of an FL-36 here at all, Kurt. Maybe disappeared into the Jan '08 black hole ... ? Tried the search engine?

Probably one of the other sites ...
--
Regards, john from Melbourne, Australia.
-- -- --

The Camera doth not make the Man (or Woman) ...
Perhaps being kind to cats, dogs & children does ...

Gallery: http://canopuscomputing.com.au/gallery2/main.php

Hints & Tips (temporary link, as under construction): http://canopuscomputing.com.au/index.php?p=1_9

Bird Control Officers on active service.

Member of UK (and abroad) Photo Safari Group

Kurt Petersen · Dec 17, 2008

Hi John,

The flash needs to be powered on (batteries in) in order to fire the test discharge. Experimentation has shown that I can slide the battery door to the unlocked position and the flash will remain powered up, so I can press TEST then immediately release the door so recharging cannot occur.

My father was an industrial electrician and I was an electronic hobbyist in my youth so I am well aware of the dangers of elctricity and how even a battery powered capacitor can give you a nasty jolt. As dad warned me repeatedly "One flash and you're ash!" Thanks everyone for your warnings nonetheless.

Kurt

P.S. I definately saw photos of a FL-36s guts, I think it must have been 'the other place'

Michael Meissner · Dec 18, 2008

Kurt Petersen said:
Yesterday I dropped my FL-36 about a metre onto concrete. @#$%@#! I
said and brushed it of to find only a few tiny marks on the plastic
and fitted it to the camera. Still works - phew...
Until, I used it in swivel mode to bounce of the ceiling, then turned
it back to direct flash. The zoom indicator remains at -- Manual
zoom, yep works, but auto zoom, no go. Switch of camera, flash. Still
nothing. A little tap on the top, aha, there is the zoom!
A little further experimentation has proved that the tilt sensor is
ok, but the swivel sensor has something broken or loose and after
using it in swivel mode I have to give the flash a tap to get the
auto-zoom working again.
The flash is well out of warranty and I am willing to have a poke
around inside but before I do I have a couple of questions for the
forum.

I found this on the net some time ago, and maybe it would be helpful to you. It gives general directions for troubling shooting and repairing flashes:
http://www.repairfaq.org/sam/strbfaq.htm

Stainedsilver · Dec 18, 2008

Kurt Petersen said:
P.S. I definately saw photos of a FL-36s guts, I think it must have
been 'the other place'

What? You mean there is some other site that has info about Olympus cameras? lol

--
There is light at the end of the tunnel, but it's broken.

Diagnose the problem and Fix It. Find the next problem and Fix It. Just FIX IT! FIIIXXXXX ITTTTTT! FIX IT! PPPHHHYYYYXXXXXX EEEEHHHHHHTTTTTT!!!!!!!! (SNL)

Gottschalk · Dec 18, 2008

Kurt, still, it doesn't mean the cap has been fully discharged if you triggered the flash...not advised, but bridge it at the very least (after you did the trigger)...
--

The grass is always greener on the other side because there's more cr@p over there...

Kurt Petersen · Dec 18, 2008

Thanks Michael, bookmarked.

Michael Meissner said:
I found this on the net some time ago, and maybe it would be helpful
to you. It gives general directions for troubling shooting and
repairing flashes:
http://www.repairfaq.org/sam/strbfaq.htm

Kurt Petersen · Dec 18, 2008

Thanks Gottschalk. I have a friend who has is a electrical/computer engineer who I'm sure will have a good collection of resistors lying around. I'll follow the instructions in the link Michael provided.

I'll be staying as far away from the main board as possible anyway. Hopefully the problem is up at the tilt/swivel junction.

Gottschalk said:
Kurt, still, it doesn't mean the cap has been fully discharged if you
triggered the flash...not advised, but bridge it at the very least
(after you did the trigger)...
--
The grass is always greener on the other side because there's more
cr@p over there...

Gottschalk · Dec 18, 2008

Let us know how it goes though...
--

The grass is always greener on the other side because there's more cr@p over there...

plevyadophy · Dec 20, 2008

Kurt Petersen said:
Kurt Petersen wrote:
Yesterday I dropped my FL-36 about a metre onto concrete. @#$%@#! I
said and brushed it of to find only a few tiny marks on the plastic
and fitted it to the camera. Still works - phew...
Until, I used it in swivel mode to bounce of the ceiling, then turned
it back to direct flash. The zoom indicator remains at -- Manual
zoom, yep works, but auto zoom, no go. Switch of camera, flash. Still
nothing. A little tap on the top, aha, there is the zoom!
A little further experimentation has proved that the tilt sensor is
ok, but the swivel sensor has something broken or loose and after
using it in swivel mode I have to give the flash a tap to get the
auto-zoom working again.
The flash is well out of warranty and I am willing to have a poke
around inside but before I do I have a couple of questions for the
forum.
1) I remember seeing once pictures of a dissasembled FL-36, either on
this forum or perhaps Fourthirdsphoto. I would like to look at this
before I start surgery. Does anyone remember the post and can
possibly link me to it? I tried searching here with no success and
FTF doesn't appear to have a search function.
2) Does anyone in Australia know where I would get the tiny (4mm?)
torx-head screwdriver needed to open the flash up?

Got nothing to add except to say thanks for posting this; I now know what to expect if I drop my flash (I don't have much luck with flashguns, I recently had three in "hospital" at the same time).

Regards

Search

Dropped my FL-36

Kurt Petersen

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peterpumpkin46

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Stainedsilver

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