Duracap Photoflash Tech Page

Good tech pagee on photoflash capacitors.

http://www.duracap.com/electrolytic_capacitors/flash.htm

Cornell Dublier has two series of ultra high voltage film capacitors with high enough ratings that they could be used for Photoflash. But they are EXPENSIVE.

www.cde.com series UNL and UPP have up to 300 mf and 1200 volt ratings with extremely low ESR.

Wild hare... Dubilier Duconol 50uF 2500v Photoflash

Low cost source...
http://www.capacitorindustries.com/SEI/CD17S.htm

This "amazing" site has some super capacitors, including photoflash and some amazing Maxwells.

http://www.amazing1.com/capacitors.htm 2000 Joules is aLOT of joules.

Photoflash power IC -- capacitor charging

This is a chip -- Linear LT3468 -- for charging photoflash capacitors. Good for small devices (up to 350 volts or so.

http://www.electronicsnews.com.au/articles/fd/0c01befd.asp

Relationship between capacitance and watt-second output

A table shows:

At 450 volts -- 1200 mf = 160 watt seconds.

At 900 volts -- 1200 mf = 320 watt seconds.

So how do the mongo power supples get up to 3200 Watt seconds -- not with 10 of the Mallory capacitors!

Photoflash driver circuit.

Here is a commercial part for a photoflash with application notes.

http://www.linear.com/prod/datasheet.html?datasheet=867

Flash tube for OLD (ancient) Ascorlights is GE FT-506. A good approximation is FT/86. It needs to have the base fiddled with, but the specs are the same (900 volt, 1000 watt).

Here is a URL to a picture of the Speedotron MW3QVC which is their FT/86-UV. Also in the catalog as Speedotron 24570. http://www.bulbman.com/browseproducts/FT86-UV.HTML Bulbman stocks them at about $87.

Here is a URL to a picture of the GE FT-506 used in the ancient Ascor...
http://donsbulbs.com/cgi-bin/r/b.pl/wk-506.html This is from Don's Bulbs.

The two major differences are that the FT/86 is shorter and the FT-506 has a center post (true octal socket). There are two possibilities... Either use the FT/86 without the key (very risky), or make an adapter out of an octal plug and an octal socket. Done right this can put the length back.