Vivitar 283 -- Help, the batteries leaked

Trying to disassemble the lower end to clean any internal connections that may have corroded. Overall it looks pretty good; cleaned the batt holder and compartment, put new batteries but it won't fire up. Switching it on there is no capacitor whine or blinking ready-light. :mad2:

I have a lot of experience rebuilding devices, cars, appliances, etc. I just don't see the order to disassemble the lower end of this unit -- unless it requires taking the top end apart first :idea: ???

Thanks for suggestions,

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DON'T TAKE IT APART!!! According to one of the owner's manual I have, the thyristor stores a HUGE amount of energy - enough to electricute you!!! (even when the batteries are removed and it is switched off.) Let an experienced technician handle it!

Thanks. The thlyristor is a switch/rectifier/transistor type component that controls voltage stored in the capacitors. It's those capacitors that store big voltage even when the batteries or other power source are not present. You have to watch out for them in any device where they're present. OTOH, if you hae lot's of experience building computers, power supplies, replacing mother boards on appliances, etc, and you're not working on BIG caps like in studio lighting, then it becomes a matter of opening the item, draining down the caps if they are in the way, and appraising & possibly fixing the physical damage. Used Vivitar 283's go for up to about $80US. Vivitar service is a joke! And it costs enough to make it better to look for another unit....

Thanks for the warning, tho. I don't recommend anyone learn from what I've said here, except to come away from it with a sense of DANGER, no user serviceable components.

(ps: anyone have a service diagram? tks.)

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Thanks. The thyristor is a switch/rectifier/transistor type component that controls voltage stored in the capacitors. It's those capacitors that store big voltage even when the batteries or other power source are not present. You have to watch out for them in any device where they're present. OTOH, if you hae lot's of experience building computers, power supplies, replacing mother boards on appliances, etc, and you're not working on BIG caps like in studio lighting, then it becomes a matter of opening the item, draining down the caps if they are in the way, and appraising & possibly fixing the physical damage. Used Vivitar 283's go for up to about $80US. Vivitar service is a joke! And it costs enough to make it better to look for another unit....

Thanks for the warning, tho. I don't recommend anyone learn from what I've said here, except to come away from it with a sense of DANGER, no user serviceable components.

(ps: anyone have a service diagram? tks.)

/..