Post by thread:[EE]:: Xenon flash tube design

Superb design guidelines for driving Xenon flash tubes. Based on tube's visibly observable, measured or testable parameters when no data is available. http://donklipstein.com/xeguide.html Very useful Xenon Technologies "One stop Xenon Flash Solutions for Cameras" Combination application note, deign guide and data sheet. 19 page PDF. Listed tubes range from 1-2 Joule mobile phone tubes, through 4-11 Joule "digital camera tubes", 16-21 J "DSLR Camera" tubes to 14-70 J "Xenon flash tubes". The 69J tubes have 3.6 mm OD and 42 mm between electrode ends. Energy is about 15% of the energy of a "38 special"'s muzzle energy and the tube is rated at 15 discharges/second. http://www.xenon-technologies.com/userfiles/files/XEN003066YC_ProductCat_05oct10.pdf Russell McMaho

On 30.7.2012 5:29, RussellMc wrote: > Superb design guidelines for driving Xenon flash tubes. Based on tube's > visibly observable, measured or testable parameters when no data is > available. > > http://donklipstein.com/xeguide.html > > > Very useful Xenon Technologies "One stop Xenon Flash Solutions for Cameras" > Combination application note, deign guide and data sheet. 19 page PDF. > > Listed tubes range from 1-2 Joule mobile phone tubes, through 4-11 Joule > "digital camera tubes", 16-21 J "DSLR Camera" tubes to 14-70 J "Xenon flash > tubes". > The 69J tubes have 3.6 mm OD and 42 mm between electrode ends. Energy is > about 15% of the energy of a "38 special"'s muzzle energy and the tube is > rated at 15 discharges/second. Isn't this dangerous for the eyes if you are close, it is very dark and you look directly at the bulb? Djula > > > http://www.xenon-technologies.com/userfiles/files/XEN003066YC_ProductCat_05oct10.pdf > > > > Russell McMahon

> > The 69J tubes have 3.6 mm OD and 42 mm between electrode ends. Energy > > is about 15% of the energy of a "38 special"'s muzzle energy and the tube > > is rated at 15 discharges/second. Djula said: > Isn't this dangerous for the eyes if you are close, it is very dark and > you look directly at the bulb? 1. Yes. 2. Not as dangerous as a 38 Special in the same circumstances. I have a guide number 56 flash that I use with my DSLRs. People tend to find it "too bright" if used directly at a range of a few metres. The 69J tube is probably about 4X as powerful. If it was fired at the rate of 15 times per second it would rapidly temporarily reduce the seeing ability to zero of any person viewing it from a few metres away. Even when light of this intensity stops all you get is strong after image for some seconds and then a decreasing after image plus some vision for tens of seconds. A 69J = 69 Ws tube fired 15 times per second requires an input of 69 x 15 =~ 1,000 Watts continuous input. That's an impressive power handling ability. I have two flashes which have automatic zooming to track the lens focal length (the 56 guide number flash and a 42 guide number flash.) If zoomed to match a say 200mm lens viewed at close range the focused light would be proportionately brighter. ... time warp ... I just spent several minutes staring into the guide number 42 flash from a metre or two with fully wide and fully zoomed settings. Both are "bright" and the zoomed appears brighter but not vastly so. Multiple flashes at about 2 to 4 per second add to the effect but still leave some vision immediately afterwards. It will take tens of minutes for the after image to fade fully. Hopefully it will :-). Russell McMaho