Speedotron users, untie!

I bought a Photoflex Medium Half Dome strip box. It works great. I'm going to be purchasing another one. I need some booms too. The Cheetah C-stand booms look appealing for the price.

A composite with the strip box:

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VI, how do you like using the Elinchrom modifiers with the Speedo heads? The Kasey ring a slick solution?

It looks like I'll be picking up some 202VF heads, and I was hoping to use some Elinchrom DOs with them. Just wondering how it's working out for you.

Going Baroque wrote in post #12539463
VI, how do you like using the Elinchrom modifiers with the Speedo heads? The Kasey ring a slick solution?

It looks like I'll be picking up some 202VF heads, and I was hoping to use some Elinchrom DOs with them. Just wondering how it's working out for you.

I've not officially shot with it, but in testing, it works well. The kacey ring is a little tight, but that's security. The rotalux design is awesome. I don't even have to take the box apart.

I'm still debating on keeping everything or at least going with the smaller 103 heads. My case weighs something like 125lbs. I like what I've seen of the dynalites except for what I hear about the mounting point for larger modifiers and the fact that the reflector is built in. I think profoto would be my ideal system, but the price sucks. My biggest issue with the Speedotron stuff is the weight and all of my work is on location, so carrying the Pelican case with the tronix battery, my modifiers, stands, camera, and other crap can be chore. A smaller/lighter setup would be easier to carry and let me fit more junk in my case.

I have the 405 pack and a 501 head with a 202vf head and a 36" softbox, two 11" reflectors, one or two 7" reflectors, barn doors, grids for the later. I used them when I first got them then went in to the strobist area of photography. Now I use the Barndoors and grids with my 7" Strobies reflector on my Canon Speedlites. The problem with th ebig strobes is you need room to setup everything or you can't turn the amount of light down enough is small areas or I wasn't able to. My largest room is maybe 10x10 so you can see how that limits me in what I can shoot.

Blackey Cole wrote in post #12541081
I have the 405 pack and a 501 head with a 202vf head and a 36" softbox, two 11" reflectors, one or two 7" reflectors, barn doors, grids for the later. I used them when I first got them then went in to the strobist area of photography. Now I use the Barndoors and grids with my 7" Strobies reflector on my Canon Speedlites. The problem with th ebig strobes is you need room to setup everything or you can't turn the amount of light down enough is small areas or I wasn't able to. My largest room is maybe 10x10 so you can see how that limits me in what I can shoot.

Auto photography here. That and outdoor portraits. I need th ability to overpower the sun, that's why I wanted at least a 1200w/s pack. I still have. A 580EX II and two 40EX II lights when I need less power or ultra portability.

The trick is to load the pack down and dump them in another room. I use a gridded snoot on 2 202 head's and I can dial the main light down 2 stops at the pack and get to around 50 ws on the 805 this and diffusion material cuts a little more power. I have 2 805's a 1204 and on the look out for the 405. I hardly us my speed lights for anything, The 805 is so light and a sine inverter made it very portable.

Blackey Cole wrote in post #12541081
I have the 405 pack and a 501 head with a 202vf head and a 36" softbox, two 11" reflectors, one or two 7" reflectors, barn doors, grids for the later. I used them when I first got them then went in to the strobist area of photography. Now I use the Barndoors and grids with my 7" Strobies reflector on my Canon Speedlites. The problem with th ebig strobes is you need room to setup everything or you can't turn the amount of light down enough is small areas or I wasn't able to. My largest room is maybe 10x10 so you can see how that limits me in what I can shoot.

akfreak wrote in post #12570678
The trick is to load the pack down and dump them in another room. I use a gridded snoot on 2 202 head's and I can dial the main light down 2 stops at the pack and get to around 50 ws on the 805 this and diffusion material cuts a little more power. I have 2 805's a 1204 and on the look out for the 405. I hardly us my speed lights for anything, The 805 is so light and a sine inverter made it very portable.

I hardly use my Speedotron lights maybe we can work something out that will benefit both of us. I hadn't thought of parting with them but since I got my Canon Speedlites I haven't use the big lights. What Canon Speedlites do you have?

Blackey Cole wrote in post #12571600
I hardly use my Speedotron lights maybe we can work something out that will benefit both of us. I hadn't thought of parting with them but since I got my Canon Speedlites I haven't use the big lights. What Canon Speedlites do you have?

430exII, 220 ex, 3- 285hv's, Nikon sb28, Nikon sb-600, Nikon SB-80dx and a bunch of 283's and various others Quantums

Well I just got another 805 pack this time for $100. It seems he smoked the pins on 3 sockets. I took it all a part to make sure there was no damage to the back, Now I am good to go. The latest pack id my best one yet.

Before look at the burnt blue plug faces

to remove the sockets the top half of the pack has a couple of connectors to plug and unplug different modules.

Here the plugs are removed from the top cover to work on.

I checked for pricing on the metal cylinders that the handles thread into to hold the heads up on the 202VF heads and the guy from Speedo told me that they were out of those parts and they wouldn't be back in for another several months. He said I could order the whole assembly for $50 each. That sucks.

I have several that are cross threaded or something. I don't think all the handles matched so I wanted to buy all hew handles and cylinders for my 5 heads without spending over $250.

Why not go to Lowes or Home Depot and buy a long bolt that fits the thread and make a handle from some dowel rod and gaff tape until they come in.

Those handles are simple, its a threaded bolt with a plastic handle! It seems everything is $50 at speedo. Good thing too, at Profoto everything is $100 at Broncolor everything is $500.

I need a new CC globe for for a working 202 Flashtube, they want 50 Bucks just for the globe. The people who make them charge $15 for the globes, CC or not.

Speedo has a deal so the actual manufacturer wont sell any Speedo branded items unless it goes thru speedo.

I asked them to not brand it and sell it to me, they said Nope! I know who makes the bulbs for Speedo, a complete 202 and 206 CC or Un CC is $35 USD.

We pay $169 for the Speedotron MW40Qc (206 head). And the (202 Head) MW20QVC 5500°K color-corrected $168. That is a ton of markup. If they charge only $300 for the 22" Mola looking dish it, must only cost $25-30 to make! It's so sick the margins in this gear. I love it the best. this stuff is built like a tank and makes wonderful Pictures!

My next gear from Speedo is the 22" gridded dish from Speedo. I wonder in the Brownline one will fit my 202 and 206 heads. I can paint it black! it is less money than the blackline one.

akfreak wrote in post #12687011
Why not go to Lowes or Home Depot and buy a long bolt that fits the thread and make a handle from some dowel rod and gaff tape until they come in.

Those handles are simple, its a threaded bolt with a plastic handle! It seems everything is $50 at speedo. Good thing too, at Profoto everything is $100 at Broncolor everything is $500.

I need a new CC globe for for a working 202 Flashtube, they want 50 Bucks just for the globe. The people who make them charge $15 for the globes, CC or not.

Speedo has a deal so the actual manufacturer wont sell any Speedo branded items unless it goes thru speedo.

I asked them to not brand it and sell it to me, they said Nope! I know who makes the bulbs for Speedo, a complete 202 and 206 CC or Un CC is $35 USD.

We pay $169 for the Speedotron MW40Qc (206 head). And the (202 Head) MW20QVC 5500°K color-corrected $168. That is a ton of markup. If they charge only $300 for the 22" Mola looking dish it, must only cost $25-30 to make! It's so sick the margins in this gear. I love it the best. this stuff is built like a tank and makes wonderful Pictures!

My next gear from Speedo is the 22" gridded dish from Speedo. I wonder in the Brownline one will fit my 202 and 206 heads. I can paint it black! it is less money than the blackline one.

I know. I really wanted to buy Profoto gear but it would have cost me as much as 2 packs, 5 heads, and a Tronix battery than for a 1200w/s pack and 2 heads used.

I have no idea how they got cross threaded. It's like they made different handles for different heads. I just sold a bunch of junk on e-bay though and have some more stuff to sell. I'm going to break out all my gear next week and see what's salvagable and what needs to be fixed. I have a photoflex strip box rod that's bent at the point where it inserts into the speed ring which is covered under warranty and a 3 month old Elinchrom 39" DO that has the interior silver on the fabric peeling, which may not be covered under warranty since it was an e-bay purchase. What can I say, no place had them in stock and I wanted one. It's real Elinchrom and it a problem that they've had with their softboxes, but I'm thinking they'll tell me to go take a hike and make me buy new fabric.

Hey here is an idea to fix you cross threaded Socket. Take it to a welder, have them take a tig torch to the hole. Just enough to melt the threads area. Then re drill the hole and re tap it. Send it to me, I will fix it for you. PM me if you want me to fix it.