580EX

Have not used in some time and can't remember what the low beep every couple of seconds is suppose to be telling me

The only thing I can think of is that older flashes whine when the capacitor is being charged. I had a flash that would "beep" every few seconds as it tried to keep the capacitor at full capacity.

Since the flash has not been used 'in some time', perhaps the power capacitor is not holding charge and the charge needs to be refreshed from battery power every few seconds?! You should follow the instructions for forming the capacitor.

I knew I'd read this somewhere.

http://strobist.blogsp​ot.com …-your-old-flash-from.html

" So flashes which have been stored for long periods of time in hot, humid environments will take more time to re-form the oxide layer in the caps."

I suppose we'll need to store our flashes in a cold, dry environment. Does this mean storing in the fridge in a sealed container with silica gel is a good idea?

There are a lot of reasons that a tantalum or electrolytic cap can fail. The reason at the top of MY Experience list, is running the device at or near its maximum voltage spec. Manufacturers will generally select the lowest cost device that meets the requirements when faced with this option. If you run a device considerably below the maximum specs, it will generally last a long time. Pick your poison....Select the more expensive cap with higher Voltage specs, or select a lower cost component that meets the requirements with little or slim safety margin.

110yd