Check your Firehouse Strobe

[Phoenix Drone]

On your Firehouse ARC V white strobe, press the button momentarily, it will blink twice (you hold it to enter the modes, this is just a momentary press).

Does your strobe flash twice full power or dim.

 

[karlblessing]

When you're not turning it on, the 'check' light on all three of mine are dimmer than when you turn them on. That's normal.

Edit: two of mine are the 'multi-color' ones and one is the standard white only. And by Multi-color you basically press to cycle thru your 4 modes, then the 5th time it's red, cycle 4 modes there, then it's red, cycle thru, then it's green, cycle thru, then it's blue, cycle, then it's white again. And it remembers the last mode/color you were on when you turned it off.

 

[MA2 317]

Had me worried for a moment. Love my Arc V's.

As mentioned above, normal operation when momentarily pressed.

.

 

[vindibona1]

Arc V's are interesting. I find that when strobing some are brighter than others. I would have expected more consistency from strobe to strobe. The brightness differential can be measured when it is in the continuous mode with a standards, calibrated light meter. One day I'll come up with a method to measure the strobe output with a flash meter, but the flashes come too quickly to isolate a single flash. I can say though, that one of my ArcV's is no brighter than my Arc II.

 

[karlblessing]

Arc V's are interesting. I find that when strobing some are brighter than others. I would have expected more consistency from strobe to strobe. The brightness differential can be measured when it is in the continuous mode with a standards, calibrated light meter. One day I'll come up with a method to measure the strobe output with a flash meter, but the flashes come too quickly to isolate a single flash. I can say though, that one of my ArcV's is no brighter than my Arc II.

The non flashes dim quicker as the battery gets lower. (The flashes themselves are dim too but closer to empty battery), it doesn't keep it the same all the way to empty but for a vast majority of the run it still maintains 3SM visibility as it's normal brightness is closer to 5.

 

[Phoenix Drone]

I contacted Firehouse and they said there was a design change,
The older models are bright when it blinks twice after you press the button momentarily to check the strobe.
The newer models are dim when it blinks twice after you press the button momentarily to check the strobe.

Anyone else have the older model?

 

[MA2 317]

I contacted Firehouse and they said there was a design change,
The older models are bright when it blinks twice after you press the button momentarily to check the strobe.
The newer models are dim when it blinks twice after you press the button momentarily to check the strobe.

Anyone else have the older model?

Well, apparently I have the newer ones.

I checked the white ones that I have for a comparison.

Had one strobing while checking the other and the battery check is dim compared to the strobe.

Now I'm seeing spots everywhere due to the test.

 

[Mark_Y]

I have the older ones and you have to look away or see spots.

 

[vindibona1]

The non flashes dim quicker as the battery gets lower. (The flashes themselves are dim too but closer to empty battery), it doesn't keep it the same all the way to empty but for a vast majority of the run it still maintains 3SM visibility as it's normal brightness is closer to 5.

Mine were tested fully charged right off the chargers. Can't blame it on partial charge.

 

[karlblessing]

Mine were tested fully charged right off the chargers. Can't blame it on partial charge.

Then reach out to them. Might not be to spec.

 

[vindibona1]

Then reach out to them. Might not be to spec.

I've had prevous communications with the Firehouse guy who seems to run the business out of his garage. I've had one or two defective strobes along the way and he runs hot and cold as to how he responds to issues. I discovered the light output discrepancies long after I've owned the strobes and I am 99% certain his response would be ce la vie. I don't think I'd blame him. He doesn't make the strobes himself, I'm sure and the one strobe that is least considerably dimmer might just be from one batch.

I have several Arc V's and if I get a chance I'm going to try to test them again. At one point I think I made a chart, but that was some time ago and I have no idea where I might find it.

As far as the original post in this thread goes, I don't think it matters if the brightness of the test blink is the same or different than continuous strobing. It would stand to reason that the capacitor charge would be different during a test than during actual use. If I can relate to experience years ago with hand held camera strobes, it was common belief that a strobe that had been stored for awhile needed to be flashed a few times to dump the stored capacitor charge and allow it to fully recharge. I dunno. What's important is how bright it is when up in the air on your drone.