N O N - D I G I T A LS U B S T R O B E S Frequently Asked Questions NOTE: The following information pertains to the discontinued Substrobe Ai, Substrobe 100A, and SubStrobe 150-225-300-400 models for film cameras. This page is for references purposes ONLY. See: possible problems with current DS model digital SubStrobes.

As technology has changed dramatically through the years, we are no longer able to obtain the parts required to repair or service these non-digital Substrobes. Can I return my strobe to Ikelite for testing only? Unfortunatley, due to liability reasons, we are no longer able to offer testing or service of these Substrobes. Can I verify that my strobe TTL is working? The camera must be loaded with film, or a strip of film placed over the pressure plate. Set the camera at its widest aperture (like f/2.8) and trip the shutter while the camera and strobe are aimed at a very close subject. The strobe should produce only a small blip of light. Repeat this with the lens covered and the strobe should produce a full power flash. TTL failure is frequently caused by low batteries in the camera. This is true for both SLR and Nikonos cameras. Low batteries can even cause the shutter to lock in some SLR cameras. Batteries are one of the first things to check if a problem occurs. Can I replace the Ni-Cad battery pack for my Substrobe 150-225-300-400? The new Ni-Cad batteries are much more powerful and have been known to cause irreparable damage to the oscillator circuits in these strobes. The #4051 Ni-Cad module is no longer available.

My 150-400 ni-cads are charged, but strobe does not get power? The receptacles in the bottom of the pack can get pushed up into the pack preventing contact with the pins in the strobe body. The ring to open the pack has a pin (that prevents it from moving) that must be removed. Be careful that the thermostat does not "short" on the top of the batteries when lifting off the top. The receptacles can then be pushed back into place and secured with a small amount of an epoxy type glue. You might be more gentle when inserting packs....? My strobe does not flash - and I get NO under exposure signal. If there is no TTL signal indicating under exposure, the strobe and camera are NOT communicating. This indicates the problem may be in the sync cord, the camera, or the connector inside of the housing. The strobe may be fine. Sync cords do fail, and the camera connector inside of some housings can be a problem. Some housings utilize very delicate wire between the camera and the housing; or the shoe that attaches to the camera may not provide good contact. My strobe does not flash - and I DO get under exposure signal. If the strobe does not flash and the TTL signal does indicates under exposure, then the strobe and camera ARE communicating. This will indicate the problem is probably in the strobe. Can I test the sync cords? Yes. Click here for information

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