How to Measure Voltage, Current, and Light from Strobe Flash

TL;DR

To measure the voltage, current, and light output of a Xenon strobe flash like the Speedotron 4803, use a high-voltage probe and an isolation transformer to ensure safety and accuracy. Voltage changes slowly, taking over 50 milliseconds to stabilize, while the flash can peak at around 3,000 amps. The light output decays more quickly than the current, indicating a flash duration longer than anticipated.

Transcript

small medium large extra large extra extra-large hey everyone I started to get into xenon strobe lights and so I wanted a way to measure the voltage current and light output of a strobe as it flashes I took apart a speed of Tron 4803 head unit and discovered that there's a pulse transformer inside the head so there's two large wires which supply th... Read More

Key Insights

• 💗 The Speed of Tron head unit contains a pulse transformer that generates a high voltage pulse to initiate the strobe.
• ⚡ Wiring configurations in the unit and the need for isolation transformers can affect accurate voltage measurements.
• ⚡ Voltage measurements of the strobe show a slow voltage change during the flash, taking over 50 milliseconds to reach a steady state voltage.
• 🙊 The current during the flash peaks at around 3,000 amps and gradually decreases over time.
• ✊ The power output of the strobe can be accurately measured using voltage and current measurements.
• 🙂 The light output of the strobe does not directly correlate with the current, as it decays more quickly than the current.
• 📸 The flash duration of the strobe is longer than expected, with a considerable tail after the initial flash.

Questions & Answers

Q: What is the purpose of the pulse transformer in the Speed of Tron head unit?

The pulse transformer in the Speed of Tron head unit is responsible for generating a high voltage pulse to trigger the strobe, initiating the flash.

Q: How does the author measure the voltage across the strobe light?

The author uses a high voltage probe connected to an oscilloscope to measure the voltage across the strobe light during the flash.

Q: How does the author measure the current during the flash?

The author uses a shunt connected to a milliammeter and a section of wire with a known resistance to measure the current flowing through the strobe during the flash.

Q: How does the author measure the light output of the strobe?

The author uses an LED with a 100 ohm resistor connected to the scope, utilizing the LED as a light sensor to measure the light output of the strobe.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• The content discusses the structure of a Speed of Tron 4803 head unit and identifies a pulse transformer inside, which initiates the strobe.

• The author attempts to measure the voltage across the strobe but faces challenges due to the wiring configuration.

• They overcome the issue by using an isolation transformer, allowing them to measure voltage, current, and light output of the strobe.