The Black Box, Jacobs Power Packs and the "Fake Batteries" have been around in various incantations and upgrades for the past fourteen years and some of my original packs date back to the sixties with different "chemistries", battery slang for types of batteries. There are several thousand of these packs out there. The pack came about because I had another popular brand drop dead in the middle of a Wedding. After that, I built my own. I put my plans on the web. For every one built, five asked me to build one for them. I said when I retired I would.

With that said:  I have no secrets.  I am a one man company, I believe in simple, affordable, reliable, portable products.  I am semi retired, it keeps me busy, prevents boredom, and I have enough contacts in the electronics fields that allow me to purchase quantity and quality. We have no corporate meetings, no stocks, no options, no employees, no headaches. Just me now since my partner and beloved wife passed on August 30th, 2007.  Since I have the longest warrantee in the business and the best price it behooves me to put quality stuff in. I hate comebacks.

Sometimes I get behind, "buried" as my wife used to say. I'm putting in more hours than before retirement. I build limited numbers, all by my hand and a little help from a CNC machine. I have no advertising, all is word of mouth and people like what I make so they tell their friends. So much for advertising budgets.  I'd rather put it in service. Service is when you need me.

We have no distributors, no large chains of retail stores. No sales teams, rallies, parties, or win a trip for sales excellence. Basically you are dealing direct, no markups, and from a fellow photographer who kind of learned from shooting what works and what's really ridiculous. 

In addition I can be reached by phone most of the time.  I prefer the weekdays allowing some time on the weekends to spend with life doing what photographers like to do....

Covering politics... it's exciting work!  Sort of like the running of the bulls in the

Career wise I shot over 400 weddings working out of a Wedding Mill with bookers, shooters, album sellers, and a boss who studied under the Third Reich.  I then went on my own. I  starved like many to get started and did it part time to keep food on the table.  "I have been around the block", as they say and "I'm one of the few who hit those numbers without being institutionalized".  It was good training as I understand the game and have enough ideas from the past and all the communication I do today to be of help to those starting out.

Today I prefer covering news, PJ, and shooting product, basically picking and choosing. Weddings are a different business today and very competitive. These legs are too tired at almost 65 to run anymore, while warding off the evil doers.  I'm writing a book on the Wedding industry and Wedding Photography. Parts of it, about a quarter of the pages is available on this site.  As I bring the other sections to fruition, they will be added.  Some have told me it's very funny... the horrible truth is most of it is very real and hopefully very funny.

Hope these few points answers your questions...if not I am available. I will call you if you do have questions.  Just send me an email with your number. Real voice, real people talking on a phone. I hate typing long responses, a little arthritis does that to you.

THE AA CELL DESTROYER

I hate AA cells, small chargers, and changing AA batteries.  I don't hide it, please respect me for my opinion and I'll respect yours. If you are a devotee of AA cells, and think the MAHA 204 or the Ray-O-Death or Neveready Charger and AA cells are Ok for a Wedding, this place isn't for you. To me a guy lugging twenty AA batteries going for a shoot makes no sense. If you do use AA cells in NiMH , here are some good tips.

• Don't mix chemistries, types, brands, lots or capacity of the cells.  When you put cells together, you have basically built a pack. It may store in the camera or flash or it may be in a holder but you made a pack generally with very POOR connections.
   

• Cells should be marked and kept in specific sets and kept them together for performance to stabilize. 
   

• NIMH cells do not get better with age, it's the reverse, they actually taper off. Since NiMH tapers and deteriorates as it gets older, the point you have to change batteries increases or changes.
   

• You are kidding yourself if you believe the life expectancy of the NIMH is as promised.  We are smart enough to know not to buy the "Brooklyn Bridge". But, just last week three idiots bought the water rights under the bridge. Paid Cash too!  NiMH do not recharge as many times as professional NiCads. They also have a shelf life no one talks about. NiCads are actually better  in the C and D cell commercial categories. That's why they are preferred in the higher power packs, the Ni-Cads and Sealed Lead Acid batteries are the preferred power source for longer use and less depreciation in professional units.
  So why the popularity of NiMH? Simple. it's the cheapest battery to make, (CHEAP, HIGH PROFIT) least offensive to the environment, lightweight and it works in all the toys like phones, beepers, Walkmans, Boison-berries, and Vibrators.  And we all like our toys!
   

• Li-ion and Li-ion Polymers are popular now but have problems. Severe threatening problems. Just ask SONY, DELL, APPLE. IBM, Toshiba, Panasonic and a few others in the laptop business.  Common denominator SONY batteries and Toshiba batteries under license. from China, just like Pet Food, kids toys, car tires, etc.   Also note several fires with Li-ion involving those used in model airplanes (yes, they are used in  model airplanes) and cell phones. Also when they blow in cell phones, they can kill you as happened in Korea recently.  They cannot come in contact with air. Never open the case. the cost so far is over 470 million dollars.  The main source for Li-ion batteries is China.  (As if you didn't know!)
   

• This is reality in the battery business. If you are not in the battery business, like anything else in life, like buying a car, it's not what they tell you more often it's what they DON'T tell you.  I will tell you.
   

• FAST and Faster: Definitely stay away from chargers that promise faster, faster, faster.  Being fast or "being one with speed" is OK in NASCAR, the Olympics, serving tables, drag racing and working in a brothel. 

I DON'T GEAR FOR THE FAINT AT HEART
I gear more toward PJ, Event, Model and Wedding shooters who need lots of shots and more convenient flash usage then with AA cells.  My units average over 1000 shots. A lot depends on the flash, and that’s more than I or any other shooter will use  in any wedding. If you are one of those who shoots more, get the 2nd Black Box back up pack for 119.00 dollars more or at least a Tuxedo for 79.00. That's 1600-2000 shots on hand with a two second swap. 

The Black Box is just that, a stealthy black box filled with more power than the average shooter can shoot in a long session. And it only comes in black, black and black.

• No difficult color decisions here. It comes in Black, Black, or Black.

• No battery or financially draining complex electronics or extras.

• We use one really big reliable quality brand heavy duty battery.

• While the other guy is carefully scrutinizing his fuel gauge waiting for all the lights to work and scared to death they won't come on, you are capturing images. 

• Speed kills. I do not gear toward those who are impressed with speed. The measurements, thus actual counts are misleading. On a FULL dump, you can do this, set your flash to manual and aim it at a foreign country, that's a full dump.  We average three seconds or less, and 800-1000 shots. In auto mode and closer distances, like wedding shooters who do forty-five shots of the Brides shoes, twenty-two ring shots and at least fifty-six at the thigh high garter grab you will use less juice, as less power is is drained from the capacitors squelch circuit at these close distances.

• My pack will keep up with the others. Full pops slow any strobe down. The accelerated pack will recycle faster but will give you far less shots.

• A flash can only operate at max for a while before there is trade off. You trade your money for a new one.  With the rash of burnt units out there from too frequent a shooting and finally the unit overheats, you pay for the speed twice.

NATURAL SELECTION of POWER

SPEED KILLS, AC PORTS and LOSSES

The biggest question we get is how fast. Speed is pushed by many battery manufacturers because they feel it's the selling edge.  "More speed is better".  In reality speed has a price. You are pushing limitations whether behind the wheel or with over-clocking a computer which is altering the current to the CPU. Usually a reduction in life cycles, higher costs, maintenance and battery life. Plus you are using a port on the strobe not designed for what it is about to receive. 

• We do not use the AC port on the strobe. The Quantum Turbo, Lumedyne Cyclers, Digital Camera Battery and the Jack Rabbit all are good units, basically offering speed and better capacity than AA cells. They cost more because of the electronics. The more the electronics the more the failures the more the warrantee work, the more the losses. So you charge more to pay for more.
   

• Speed is attained by accelerating the 8 volt to 12 volt battery clusters in their pack and using a fly back transformer or use another capacitor larger than yours externally. They then reroute and use the AC port direct to the capacitor.
   

• This results in faster shooting and two anomalies.  In Canon usually a toasted strobe, those nasty trace burn really become apparent to the repair guy,  and in Nikon the yellowing of the flashtube and in some cases melting the plastic. the small but powerful strobes such as the SB-800 and the Canon 580EX and EXII are basically pushing the electronics to the hilt and the accelerated packs push them over the cliff.
   

• But the strobe still needs to be powered for the LCD screen or power to the camera for messaging.  These units still require the use of four AA cells to make the unit work, so now you have two battery sources to consider.  A pack and AA cells.
   

• With accelerated packs you have bypassed some of the mechanisms. I truly believe based on size measurements and a little research both Nikon and Canon have pushed their best selling units to the end of the power curve.  "Sort of tweaked to the nines".  The max amount of power attainable from four AA cells in a standard flash. I am very reluctant as stated to try to push it further with acceleration.  Warrantee wise the way Nikon and Canon look at it, anything else plugged into this external port voids their responsibility if you make a volcano out of your strobe.  The use of anything other than their specific brand especially through the AC input on the Nikon SB-800, the Canon 550-580 series and the METZ 54 series is easily detected on a repair bench. Just look for burn "traces" at the in port.  The manufacturers own brand won't effect their strobes, the voltage is too low.
   

• Everybody who makes battery packs would love to use this port, me included, it's neater, but remember I said it comes at a price.  Again that's a direct AC input. If it does blow or spark they know where to look. That's why the warning about any product other than theirs. So if you happen to torch your strobe by an accelerated speed product, with an accelerated trigger finger, overheat the strobe... this happens every day, the manufacturers can tell in a heartbeat what zonked the strobe.  You can't hide burn traces in a specific location.  As one person stated; "the fastest strobes can recycle in 0.8 and other promises 1.3 seconds". That's fast, very fast. BUT. If they blow, that speed is reduced to slow, very slow, like eternity...
  
   

ADDED VALUE
We do not use cardboard covered vinyl in our cases because they absorb moisture. Nor do we use cheap findings like metal belt clips and miniscule shoulder strap assemblies. Nor stitches that come loose, nor painted on logos, nor barrel connectors. We stuffed it into a box, a BLACK BOX, and after many meetings with the marketing people and a few beers we called it "The BLACK BOX".  

Two minutes later I threw the marketing guys out. They thought I was paying for the beer.  We did add racing stripes in either red or gray to the left side. That was in response to the critics at the PMA who thought it was too plain, too retro, too simple.  When we explained the power reserve, the redundancy, high tech charger, and low-cost they thought I was under pricing the other guys.

No days off. My packs stay on the charger indefinitely. My chargers are intelligent and do the thinking for me and make my batteries last. Up to seven years. And are always at the same temperature, same 100% and peaked ready to go to work in a moment as long as you follow instructions.

BLINKING LIGHTS ARE FOR THE HOLIDAYS
Two things make no sense to me. Man's fascination with blinking lights and now lower powered blinking LEDS. They add sophistication, cost justification and interest to a normally dull and dry product. You are buying a storage device not the controls to a nuclear power plant.  Just another distraction.

I don't use BLINKING lights to indicate when the unit is running low. Why, because they don't really work, that's why. In a nutshell, they draw power, they require a lot of electronics that can fail, they raise the price, take up room, have to be calibrated to the battery and retain heat in the battery pack causing corrosion 

Do you remember when cars in the late sixties to seventies had nice gauges on them replaced with IDIOT LIGHTS. It was a lot CHEAPER to manufacture and install idiot lights than gauges and most folks couldn't interpret the gauges anyway. The idiot light came on after the car dropped dead. Same with the flash units. Just before it drops dead. So you really need two units not one.  Nice subliminal sales approach.

In most cases idiot lights on Sealed Lead Acid batteries and others are not even a true idiot light. They are LEDS reading from comparators. The Sealed Lead Acid battery has a flat power curve , basically they remain the same till exhausted. They run straight and then they nose dive.  To you this means more consistent time between flashes. The comparators "compare VOLTAGE" guessing how much is left. So if the voltage stays the same for 3/4 of the life of the battery what is the use of having an inaccurate gauge. Thus we  power the flash tube through the battery door with fake batteries using simple Quantum "M" cables.  They almost got the cables right. Read on.


QUANTUM T2, T4, T5 FLASHES
Sorry, you have to buy Quantum or Lumedyne or Digital Camera Battery.  We do not build Turbo or Super Speed direct 325 volt connections. WE DO NOT USE the little port that is built into the flash for the AC pack or direct connections. The risk of replacing equipment it just isn't worth it to me.

FOR SOME A BETTER IDEA
We use  SEALED LEAD ACID batteries and a much improved, actually a full one amp variable rate charger with safety controls built in.  It lasts longer, no maintenance, no calibration, sit at 100% indefinitely.
It's less expensive per amp hour, bigger capacities, less chance of leaking and the charging circuit is not located in the battery.  No heat transfer or buildup.

• Basic lead acid battery technology has been around the longest of the chemistries.

• Many different charge methods have been used. We use the best. OUR CHARGER is a regulated two stage charger.  These don't let the voltage climb higher than the trickle charge voltage, so they can be also be used to maintain a battery. This is the newest technology that brought the SLA back. We use a very sophisticated charger that high speeds the charging rapidly about 50 min per amp hour thus a 5 Amp hour battery is about 250 minutes or about four hours.

• Our Chargers have circuitry that is set for the maximum allowable charge voltage, but has a current limit to control the initial absorption current and produce's a very nice charge.  The upside is, this type of charger can both charge at a reasonable rate and maintain the battery at full charge without damage. Indefinitely. 

• We need that to cover the five to seven year lifespan of the battery. You take care of it, it takes care of you.  Because our battery is larger it weighs more. Would you rather carry twenty five AA cells, four Bantams, four of the Dogs or two Quantum ones instead.  It weighs slightly under 8 OZ heavier than a Turbo.

TO TELL THE TRUTH - The Beer Comparison.
Some of you won't like this...Batteries come in different price ranges, qualities and integrities. In batteries simply saying "you get what you pay for" means nothing. You get what was put inside and NO MORE THAN what you paid for. It's not like buying milk, your milk vendor sees you once or twice a week. Your battery guy sees you when you need him. By the way, I lost a friend to drinking milk a few years ago.  Unfortunately the cow fell on him.

Perhaps beer is a better example. Most have more concerns about what they stick in their gut than the brand of battery they stick in their 400-500 dollar strobe. It depends on the integrity of the builder and then the integrity of his vendors. Whether you know it or not, the manufacturer can print anything they want on the outside. That's the part you get to see. The testing standards used to achieve "incredible results" are usually about as accurate as the testing individual who works for the guy selling the batteries. Sorry, that's the game in a totally unregulated business.

Example: Those 2500 - 2700 AA MAH batteries attained their numbers from a three or ten amp hour draw. Think of it as a large bottle of beer. A quart  bottle. You have two drinkers. One guy gulps it down in a 1/2 hour.  They rate him as a 1/2 GAH ( Gulps an hour). Drinker number two sips his beer and takes two hours. (2/2 GAH)  Sounds more impressive.  It's not. The sipper has a lower draw or drinking speed but the capacity is the same. Remember a business with no regulations. A 2100 mah battery at a three amp drawer can be the same thing as a 2700 mah battery at a six amp drawer. Numbers mean little in milli-amps. It's the drawer that tells the truth.

Today, you build to the profit margin, just as Wal-Mart goes to it's vendors and says "that's all we'll pay", you figure out how to make it cheaper. They, the vendors go to China or elsewhere where cheap labor is available and the vendors say this is all we'll pay. 

The internal boards and workings, of most battery operated products, the batteries themselves, even cases are made all over the world, China in particular. Mine come from Denmark.  They were stronger than the Chinese ones.  And now the game is taking Chinese stuff and assemble it in Mexico so that no tariffs are paid. So it might mean made in Mexico by way of China or is it the other way around?

The only thing I can control is to buy the best reputable components I can find and it's getting harder. I am willing to buy better supplies and I have held pricing though my costs have gone up.  In the beginning one vendor sold me a bunch of RCA jacks that were supposed to fit a .240 (24/100 hole or slightly under 1/4 of an inch).  The first batch came in .218 to .245. Some too big, some too small and they broke. I had to replace several units when they snapped in the field.  I use the strongest RCA plug made now. I'm paying four times as much to get quality parts now and learned a valuable lesson. I do not listen to vendors anymore. And I overbuild.
 

MY PACKS ARE MADE TO POWER

• Regular on-camera flashes like a most Canons or Nikons

• Really outstanding with the Vivitar 283/285/285HV whether on camera, bracket, or in a dual setup for a light stand.

• We have pros in the field who have captured 1500 images doing variable flash fill for outdoors sports. 

• They are perfect for the remote Canon and Nikon strobes where you want your recycle times as fast as the mains.

• Dennis Reggie is mounting multiple Canon strobes on a light stand with wireless at Weddings.

• You can use two Vivitar 283/285's with a Wein slave or peanut in an umbrella. And build the whole thing for a fraction of the Canon cost.

• Each pack can power two strobes with the optional second port into an umbrella or softbox or two strobes floor mounted for backgrounds illumination of large churches or areas displaced at 10 degree angles.

• Or two FONG Tupperware's, side by side, someone suggested this.   I have no clue what that would do.

• You can also tape it, glue it, Velcro it into position, who cares. Its' affordable. Use it on remote powered setups. The battery has 90 days in range at about 90+% off the charger. Try that with NIMH. With real HD components, Fused breakers and switches.  No idiot lights, no power robbing circuitry.

THE SMALL PARTS - CLIP JOINT

I use the Super Heavy Duty BELT Clip.  I have had competitive packs just slip off my belt because they lie flat on your waistline when you sit down.  Cheap clips bend and lose shape. and one will finally realize what holds their 200-600 dollar device in place. And we all know St. Murphy-Lawes, the Patron Saint of Photographers. If it can fall, it will, and usually during the Wedding and cease to function.

So I contacted Beau Bennett of the www.theclip.com . He knows the CLIP business. We tested it and it was the only product that worked.  All of my gear will be made using his products.   The "Ultra Clip" is designed to help protect high-end, electronic devices from loss or breakage.   It is a Locking Belt clip, that means when you unlock the safety it will only come off if rotated to a certain angle.
This two step prevents fall off. So it takes two motions to remove the pack.
It also allows the pack to rotate while on so if you sit down, the pack gets out of the way, but doesn't head off on a trip of it's own.
It fits snugly on most 2" Belts.  We recommend you use a separate black 2" belt so that the weight of any pack will not lower or drop your pants thus preventing "photographers crack, a socially debilitating scene similar to plumbers crack".

SPECIFICATIONS

POWER:   Sealed lead Acids. Batteries are rated five years. Batteries are covered under the warrantee for one year and pro-rated for five years if kept on the charger. 6.4 Volts at peak.  We use the top rated brands in capacity and comparative testing. Brands can vary based on availability and quality.
WEIGHT: Box and battery about 2.7 LBS
SIZE:  4" x 6" x 2"STANDARD:  
Shoulder Rings: Dual  Zytel 3/16 "D"rings with HD 3/16" Clamps and Heavy Duty 1/8 rivets.
Belt Attachment: Industry Recognized HD Ultra Clip by THE CLIP.COM Brand.
Ports: One DIN TYPE Heavy Duty Port and One Hex HD RCA "Q" Jack
Charger: Heavy Duty INTERNATIONAL Dual Stage charger allows maximum five hour charge and second stage in standby mode keeps battery at 100% capacity at 100% of the time. 
Cables: You can use most "M" Quantum cables: You can make all of your cables but I caution against it.  Read the Cables section under Make your own Cables

WARRANTY
If we built something wrong we'll make it right even after the one year total warrantee, (as long as I am alive and kicking, and nimble enough to do the work).   If the unit ever breaks or fails due to our fault in construction after the total one year coverage, send it to me with $25.00 and we'll repair what it needs and ship it back to you within 24 hours.  If you took it apart, smashed it or went where you shouldn't, send it to me with $35.00 and we'll repair what it needs and ship it back to you within 24 hours saying your action was "hilarious".  And if you really did a number on it and lost it we'll ship you a brand new one for 139.00 plus shipping.  We'll include a stern note saying "bad, bad, bad"!

PRIVACY
We have a firm commitment to privacy. Whether you are a recent graduate of the Raeford State Prison System or never told your wife about those nude pictures of your ex you kept, what gets said here, stays here, just like in Vegas.

Cookies are not used, we eat cookies. NO pop-ups, no ads, no spy wear, no ladies wear.  We just make Gearhead stuff.  We do not sell lease or transfer any information that comes to us like your name, arrest record, IRS info, email, or address.  We do not solicit any demographic information other than the occasional request for a good restaurant or shooting location (photographic) in your area. We travel a lot and once asked a fellow for a good shooting location in his area and he recommended "the projects". 

It's simple, the data you submit about what you shoot with and specific equipment tells me what to design around. For example many are using the Vivitars in 283/285 as backups and fill lights on light stands with umbrellas.  So many, it is the number one selling strobe of all time.

We will send you updates and emails pertaining to our products, unless you choose not to get them which is really stupid since lots of tips will be included.  Your IP address is safe with us.  We don't ask for it. This site may contain links to other sites.  Jacobs Photo/Graphics, Gearheads, Al Jacobson is not responsible for the privacy practices or the content of those Web sites.

We use Paypal as we never wish to know your credit card numbers and we do take checks, M.O. and firstborns. Firstborns are subject to inspection and leak tests.

Jacobs Photo/Graphics, Gearheads, Al Jacobson is committed to a continuing program of product improvement. Thus, please be advised that specifications, performance, parameters, appearance, and dimensions of our products are subject to change without notice.

Since we have a liberal upgrade program, you may request assistance at any time.  For more up-to-date information about Jacobs Photo/Graphics, Gearheads, Al Jacobson contact me at ajacobs2@tampabay.rr.com


BEST OF THE OTHER QUESTIONS

I understand that the Metz batteries are 8-9 volts (approx.) and the normal batteries are 6 volts (approx.).
ANS: Both batteries are normal, it's just the manufacturer made them on either a 6 or a nine volt platform or setup depending on how many AA cells went on board. If it takes four AA cells to run it it's a 6 volt platform and if it takes 6 AA cells to run it it's a nine volt platform.  I make chargers and intelligent battery packs for both.

If I get a higher powered battery for the Metz with the optional additional outlet, what could I expect that to do to the recycle times?
ANS:  The pack I build has had good recycle times (Full dump-3-3.5 sec) A lot depends on the age of the capacitor and condition of the strobe. In addition "faster" reaches a peak based on the fact that though a capacitor is like a black hole and takes it all in, it to has capacities and things like 22-24 gauge wiring in some of these strobes just don't handle overloads well.  Years ago we ran higher clock speeds in computers and while the results were minimally greater the blow-ups exceeded the expectations. I wish everyone would take apart their METZ, NIKON  and CANON products and saw how much is crammed into the space and how weak the wiring really is in these things before they overloaded them.

I feel certain the other one ARMATAR 100-200  altered Vivitar will, could, or may take more than 6 volts as well.
ANS: Possibly, there were many conversions done in those days. At least four guys in NY made the flashtube and capacitor changes and variants. Armatar probably being the most famous and prolific. Unfortunately un-inventing something from years ago has to be done with someone who works on one-offs.  I do when not busy. (REPEAT when not busy and looking for a challenge)

Think of this: The original inventor (ARMATAR in NY) doesn't even fool with them anymore.
Last time I spoke with a few customers, they had trouble with getting parts and the original batteries have undergone changes so the packs don't fit the battery and have to be altered. Makes sense for me to stay clear. Just use the Turbos.

ERRATA
Why USPS instead of UPS or FedEx?
We ship via the United States Postal Service.  We get excellent flat rate rates for two day delivery regardless of weight for the size unit we ship. It is 25% cheaper then UPS and FedEx. The insurance is cheaper and reliability has been 100%. In addition there are other cost savings on boxes and materials down. So by keeping my costs down, it keeps your costs down.  Our standard package weighs almost six pounds, ships in two days and with $200.00 in insurance runs about $12.50 anywhere USA. Add $5.00 for Paypal and 2.50 for shipping supplies, gas, and tape and I’m lucky to break even on shipping.

Sometimes we will ship to you before your drop shipped cable arrives. 
For those drop shipping or sending me their cable for upgrades. This is a logistical situation involving how many units I wish to store before I get them to the post office waiting on cables to be modified. It also means more open boxes waiting to ship and may cause mix-ups so we may ship you in two packages. I will not charge extra for the second package if I choose to do this.

Here are the reasons mostly aimed at keeping costs down. This means lower for you by taking advantage of the pickups and shipping benefits of the United States Postal service.  The Post Office does pick up and I have to make sure they grab the packages on schedule.  Frankly the increase in gas prices means elimination of daily trips to the post office, I save gas whenever I can and so should you. Postal service pickups just like UPS and FedEx are time framed and not specific. I’m semi retired so only working 80 hours a week, I have to watch my time. Also a PJ assignment can slow me down. This allows during the busy season like May June to flow smoother. When the cable arrives for those using the free upgrade, it will be turned around in an hour and shipped First Class to you same day in an envelope suited for mailbox delivery. Those go daily from the drop. 

Very important…these chargers I use, especially the the standard charger, are considered “Intelligent Chargers”.  They are the forty to 100 dollar option charged by the other guys. They differ from simple idiot box “wall warts”  that are usually furnished with most high end packs.  They constantly test the status of the battery.  With that said, when the battery is not in use and we are speaking of the Black Box; it can and should be stored on the CHARGER!  It will not overcharge and will keep the battery topped automatically.  Under NO circumstances leave the depleted battery in that state.  Or, you will wind up sending it to me to re-power it.  Simple rule…If it’s not busy shooting it should be on the charger.  This is what allows the unit to last five to seven years.  It is designed to work this way. the Tuxedo of smaller capacity charges in an hour or so and should be charged after use and then tweaked say once a week.

UPGRADES
Upgrades available:  03/27/06 - New HD RCA jack available.  Send me email, and picture of top of your unit and we'll schedule an upgrade.  No charge for upgrade, shipping is $12.00 Paypal USPS Priority Only

CABLES FOR YOUR BATTERY PACKS
So that you may connect your battery pack to your flash. We do not furnish those but we will assist you if you need help.

ORDER EARLY THE BLACK BOX 
WE ACCEPT CHECKS, (slow), MONEY ORDERS (faster) and Paypal (sometimes shipped in 24 Hours when it's slow and that depends on volume and hangovers, floods, colds, hurricanes, bee stings and haircut appointments and the occasional assignment)  In other words I get them out as I can based on supply and demand. Because you waited for the last minute to order doesn't mean I need a heart attack or stroke on your behalf or to stand on line at the post office for three hours during the Christmas rush just to log an Express order.  When I'm on line, I'm not building someone else's pack.  I will however try to get things out expeditiously. 

Copyrights and patents pending Jacobs Photo/Graphics 2005