TUXEDO INSTRUCTIONS
IMPORTANT NOTES
The 2011 TUXEDO is a higher capacity battery, not higher voltage, with more reserve power than multiple sets of AA cells and a lot less complicated than battery changing during fast shoots and stressful situations. E.g. Weddings, Divorce Court Rooms, and Town Hall Meetings and other shouting matches.
This is the prime reason
for this hand-built, made in the USA product, simple, fast, compact and
designed for long life. It was
designed by a photographer for photographers. It is a common sense application of
stable extra power, while eliminating useless power robbing electronics.
But like most things it has it limitations. It is 3/8 the power of the Black Box and only has one port. I designed it for the lighter shoots, the ladies, a nice backup to the Black Box, or as a kicker power supply for multiple light setups.
INSTRUCTION HATERS:
Most folks hate instructions:
Failure to follow these instructions is fairly common. Since I do all
the repairs, I will tell you 90% of all of our free repairs relate to “not
following instructions”. The other 10% have to do with barstools and
gravity. Falling off barstools is
a national sport in some areas.
2011 EURO CHARGER Model: 6300 A-C, 6500 A-C
DEFINITIONS:
The new “A-C” series chargers are new “switching” type devices which operate without the use of transformers. They use IC’s to control and regulate current and voltage. They automatically switch from the higher fast charge voltage to the lower float voltage when batteries are very close to being fully charged.
At the float voltage it is safe to leave the battery connected to the charger indefinitely, making charging pretty much fool-proof.
ALSO, USE IT OVERSEAS
This makes the perfect overseas companion when traveling lighter on holiday since the unit comes with the EURO international charger with 110VAC-60Hz to 240 VAC - 50 Hz input voltages and offers worldwide capability. It offers faster charging and the indicator is located on the charger. Our charger is 300-500 milliamps, and designed for the battery in the Tuxedo. It charges the 1.4 Amp hour battery in the Tuxedo in a respectable time.
All you need to purchase is a simple plug adapter; you do not need an inverter for the country you are visiting. Most adapter kits are available on line in Radio Shack, and similar travel stores.
Overseas when you first plug it in look for the green light. This tells you the wall socket you selected is correctly wired. This is a high level self-analyzing charger it will compute the voltage but be aware anything can happen overseas. Many countries do not have sophisticated electrical grids.
The cable connects and fits DIN ports only one way. That is look for the bump or key to align the cable and port properly.Do not expose unit to rain or moisture, use indoors only. It is not waterproof. No charger is. Do not remove cover. There are no user serviceable parts inside. Refer service to qualified service personnel.
The plug must be plugged into an outlet that has been properly installed and grounded in accordance with all local and national codes and ordinances. Good luck in third world countries. Look for places that have things plugged in and no apparent charred remains or fires.
Do not attempt to recharge non-rechargeable batteries or use this charger on any other device. Do not leave chargers plugged in when they are not connected to a battery. We have no control over the voltage or amperage coming into your home or hotel room from spikes and brownouts originated by your power company.
The safest way to protect the charger is when you unplug the battery, take the charger out of the wall. The battery when connected actually helps protect the charger by allowing excess power to ground to dump.
Never make alterations to the charging unit provided and make sure any cords are located so that they will not be stepped on, tripped over, or otherwise subjected to damage or stress.
Do not operate charger if it has received a sharp blow, been dropped, or otherwise damaged in any way and make sure you re-charge batteries in well ventilated areas to prevent build-up of explosive gases. Allow space around the charger and adequate air circulation to reduce internal heat buildup.
INSTRUCTIONS FOR CHARGING
1 - PLUG CHARGER IN WALL.
2 - LOOK FOR GREEN LIGHT: There
should be a green light indicating the charger is activated.
3 -
CONNECT BOX: Connect the box, charger cable fits DIN port only one way, look
for the bump or key to align.
4 - TURN BOX ON: It will not charge
unless the switch is on. THIS IS CRUCIAL!
5 - Indicator Light will switch to RED and after charging a few hours will turn
GREEN. It is now in the trickle, maintenance mode. If you do not see red, make sure it is turned on, or you did not use it enough to bring it down below 80% and in that case just leave it on green
THE MODULES THAT CONNECT THE PACK TO FLASH
Check the small screws to see if they are tight and if loose, you may use clear teflon nail polish available in any drug store, I took mine from my wife. Cost me dinner and more shopping, or you may use blue lock tite. and avoid the dinner.
I can, if I have to rebuild the connector use acetone to release the fingernail polish or a heat gun to release the blue locktite. Do not use superglue, it eats more than it glues and no Red locktite.
Use the isopropyl alcohol of 93% or better to clean flash internal contacts (the module) and be sure to also clean the hotshoe and foot, where it makes contact on the prism. Do not use rubbing alcohol as it contains oils and water which you are trying to get rid of.
Clean both ends of AA batteries if you are still using them and do not touch any button or flat ( coin style) battery with greasy hands, clean with the isopropyl alcohol.
THE TUXEDO - TEN STEPS
1 - Charger care - When on the job, remove the charger from the wall. If you have a brownout or surge, the charger is protected. Chargers not connected to a battery are not!
2 - Put it back on the charger - As soon as you shoot a job, put it back on the charger. In some cases when the battery is brand new, it sometimes has to adjust to the charger and may sit for as long as a day before the initial charge takes hold.
3 - Do not fully discharge the battery, prior to charging. In fact, that is damaging to the battery. Just plug it in and the brain will adjust to its needs.
4 - Do not try to impress your friends with the speed and power of the battery strobe combination. You’ll blow the strobe. Realize the Black Box battery has more unlimited power than the flash requires.
5 - The pack comes with THE CLIP, suitable for belt use. And a lightstand clip is available.
6 - Be a good environmentalist: The sealed lead acid batteries must be disposed or recycled properly and please do not throw them in the trash. Pack over three years old? Send the pack to us, we'll overhaul it completely, install a new battery, new wiring system, any parts needed, dispose of the old one and the average cost for all this, two day service and Priority Mail is $30.00-50.00. CONUS depending on the age of the unit, and we’ll get rid of the old battery.
7 - The Tuxedo only has one DIN plug. We will provide Jacobs Photo/Graphics DIN style plugs for your extra Quantum cables at slight additional cost.
8 - The averageTUXEDO with a SB-800 or a Canon 580 EX II will achieve somewhere around 250-300 full power shots, this is higher on auto or partial power, almost 60% more and then start to bleed off rapidly.
9 - Do not run the battery to dead. When you over exhaust the battery below say 5.8 volts, a safety device we built in the charger might refuse to charge the battery. And do not store or leave the battery off the working charger. This causes sulphation.
10 - STORAGE - Store and charge battery vertically, the RED CAPS are for airline travel and security checks. Do not throw them away. SLA Batteries are legal on any airline.
11 - Be a good environmentalist: The sealed lead acid batteries must be disposed or recycled properly and please do not throw them in the trash. Send the pack to us, we'll overhaul it completely, even replacing parts and worn items and re-battery it for $45.00 – 55.00 plus freight charges and be more than happy to dispose of the old battery. Other brands charge from 100 to 200 dollars for this.
12 - 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.
Thank you for your business and
if you need anything just Email me with your phone number. I'm more than happy
to call you and you will hear a live voice!
CLIP JOINT - THE CLIP LOCKS ON IN PLACE AND ROTATES
This is so it will not fall off your belt. To remove the clip rotate the clip to horizontal and press lever at top. The clip will break the stud if you try force, its designed to. Clips and studs are replaceable for 15.00 parts and labor to reinstall, glue, rivets and backing plates on the black box.
OFFICIAL STUPID DISCLAIMER AND LANDFILL PERMIT
There are no stupid questions. Questions are because of indecision, something is not clear, I may not have explained it right, you have cause or they wouldn’t be asked.
There are however a separate categories for those who forge ahead and make stupid mistakes by those who were too embarrassed to ask a question. This is why we build landfills. Don’t be a Mister Stupid; I won’t embarrass you with a stupid or smart answer. To me questions are a sign of intelligence.
The landfill is loaded with ideas, thoughts and questions that never were asked resulting in the incredible amount of junk created by those who failed to ask the right question at the right time.
Landfills, are similar to cemeteries, they too fill up with the occasional mistakes folks make like drinking and driving, driving in the weather, just driving too fast or stupidly. Mister stupid does get around….He seems to travel with St. Murphey-Lawes, the patron saint of things that go bad. At times he's just an equal opportunity trouble maker.
REMEMBER
It
is not necessary to discharge fully prior to charging. In fact, that is
damaging to the battery and there are NO memory problems with the Sealed Lead
Acid Battery. Actually charging it makes it better.
After usage immediately place the battery back on the charger regardless of whether you shot 100 or 500 shots and forget about it. If you are taking a break during a Wedding or Shoot, it is prudent to save energy and shut the unit down. Not that it matters, but it saves your strobe, the battery couldn't care less. A good rule is shut the flash first then flip the off switch on the pack.
We guarantee the battery, but note, all rechargeable cells have a limited lifetime, usually about 500 - 700 recharges. This amount can vary depending upon how the battery was used. However our rates for re-building and upgrading are the lowest in the industry.
Don't run the battery to Zero: Under NO circumstances leave the depleted battery in that state. Or, you will wind up sending it to me to re-power it. I can save the battery, but the cost is shipping. It's about $6.00 - 13.00 to return it to you.
THE PRIME DIRECTIVE: If it's not busy shooting and making you money, 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. With no electronics on the battery you are not cooking the unit.
Questions? Contact AL JACOBSON
EMAIL: ajacobs2@tampabay.rr.com
WEBSITE: www.aljacobs.com
SNAIL MAIL: 1200
Country Club Drive, Suite 3504, Largo, FL 33771
PHONE: 727-812-8101