Tempermental Salvo problem

[Janos]

The ballast controls the power to the bulb sounds like its going.

Bit like when the starter on a florecent light starts to die

I think you may be right.

Janos

[johnkendall]

Mine is a bit different. Instead of nothing happening, I do get a little flash of light every time. Occasionally this turns into a steady glow.

Janos

Sounds more like a bulb issue to me. How old is it?

[Janos]

Sounds more like a bulb issue to me. How old is it?

Bulb is a few years old. But I can't really remember how many. Three? Four?

Janos

[Demmy]

I have got a 100w greenforce Impact HID which has essentially the same bulb and ballast as a salvo 21w HID (I think...)

I sometimes get the very same thing happening, the bulb tries to light for a few seconds, it glows for 5 seconds or so and then it dies. I usually give it 30 seconds or so and the try again and most times it fires up second time with no problems.

Sometimes it has taken three or four tries, but that is generally after a long period of lay-up between dives so it might be just that the ballast hasn't been used in ages???

It has worked fine most of the time, with this happening every now and then.

[Digger]

Start with the cheap fixes - the connectors from both ends and wiring to battery (check battery with multimeter, I'd be surprised if it's a goosed battery) plus make sure battery is properly charged - don't rely on a green/red light, check it with a meter.

Next swap battery pack with another unit if possible, should tell you if the fault is further up the chain.

If it's not the battery, wires or connectors, worth trying a different bulb if you've got a spare, or can swap with someone else's.

If it's none of those, cuts it down to the ballast or cable.

If it's one of these, it's going to be a professional repair IMO. You could try DIY, but probably not worth it.

Other thing to check, I had a couple of issues a long time ago with a battery that was dying a bit, and the torch wouldn't fire because the battery/ballast had got very cold (sub zero overnight) - after being in the water for a few minutes it wasn't an issue. Not sure where you're checking it and if it was outdoor when you were doing it.

Digs.

[Scuttler]

Janos,

Are both salvos the same power? (ie 21W etc) if they are not then don't swap the ballast or bulb as they are matched. Generally speaking when ballasts fail they tend to fail completely. Your fault sounds more bulb related to me.

If both salvos are the same then you're in luck. Simply swap over the bulbs and see if the problem follows. If it doesn't then it's possible that the ballast has gone.

Finally don't rule out a faulty cell in the battery array preventing the battery pack charging properly. The salvo battery pack has IMHO always been the achilles heel of the unit.

[edward]

Other thing to check, I had a couple of issues a long time ago with a battery that was dying a bit, and the torch wouldn't fire because the battery/ballast had got very cold (sub zero overnight) - after being in the water for a few minutes it wasn't an issue. Not sure where you're checking it and if it was outdoor when you were doing it.

Digs.

My greenforce with the same HID bulb etc is doing just this - I've got a replacement battery pack from strikalight ready to go in when i get round to replacing it. they were miles cheaper than direct from greenforce, and I know they do them for salvos as well. As well as working less well in the cold, it also doesn't work well if it is a long time after it was last charged. I tested mine by bunging the battery pack in the fridge for a few hours.

[stevechesh]

One of my Salvos is playing up. Yesterday when I flicked the switch it flickered briefly, but wouldn't turn on. Tried a few times but no joy. This morning tried it (on land) and it fired up first time. But then the next few times it just flickered.

What's going on?

Janos

It's a salvo and therefore a design feature

[Janos]

Ok. Now I'm really confused.

I have two Salvos and have done some swapping to try and work out where the problem is. To summarise:

I've had an intermittent fault with the 21/4.5Ah Salvo. When I switch it on briefly, the bulb flickers for a microsecond then there's nothing. Each time I switch it on I get the flicker. Occasionally it will strike as normal.

To try and eliminate the problem I swapped batteries (on the workbench - the lids are of course different sizes). Both torches now work fine! I swapped the batteries back, and both torches still work fine! However, if you leave it a day or so the problem with the 21W/4.5Ah remanifests itself.

Janos

[Digger]

Ok. Now I'm really confused.

I have two Salvos and have done some swapping to try and work out where the problem is. To summarise:

I've had an intermittent fault with the 21/4.5Ah Salvo. When I switch it on briefly, the bulb flickers for a microsecond then there's nothing. Each time I switch it on I get the flicker. Occasionally it will strike as normal.

To try and eliminate the problem I swapped batteries (on the workbench - the lids are of course different sizes). Both torches now work fine! I swapped the batteries back, and both torches still work fine! However, if you leave it a day or so the problem with the 21W/4.5Ah remanifests itself.

Janos

Maybe the ballast gets fixed/charged or something. Or you have worked out how to break the rules of physics.

Digs.