Measuring the voltage, current, and light output of a strobe flash lamp (Speedotron 4803)

TL;DR

This analysis explores the voltage, current, and light output of Xenon strobe lights, discussing measurement techniques and findings.

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.