Paul C. Buff, Inc. Technical Forum

I hope this doesn't sound stupid and I'm hoping to get some much needed advice.

My strobes only fire approximately every other fire...do I need to replace the flashtube? I've had them around 7 years and never replaced them.

Thx!

How are you triggering the lights? To best start determining the problem, use the red test button on the back of the light itself. Also, make sure the green ready light is coming on. If you are not getting a green ready light, there is an issue in the flash head.

If the problem persists, unplug the light and let it sit for 5 minutes or so. Now remove the tube. The tube comes straight out, but you may need to gently rock it back and forth. Inspect the tube and legs. Make sure there are no visible breakages and also look at the outside portion of the legs, particularly the banana plugs. Make sure there is no charring of the exposed metal pieces. If there is charring, then there is matching damage to the light, and a replacement tube will then also be damaged. The light should be sent in for repair. Also note, just inside the tube where the legs are, you will likely see some marks that appear burnt. This is normal and does not indicate a bad tube.

A tube can look OK and still be bad. This is generally from very small cracks or breaks in the wiring or glass. Swapping tubes with a known good one will verify if it is a head or tube issue. If there are visible breaks or crazing (yellowish fog) on the tube (usually the inside diameter), this is indicative of an aged tube that will need to be replaced.