Sold/Expired Pulled from sale. Optical Radiation Corp 300 Watt Short Arc "LOCATOR" Helicopter Searchlight, ISSUES PICS ADDED

[BVH]

PULLED FROM SALE, Going to keep as a parts cow for my other light. Up for sale is one of my 2 remaining Locators. Unfortunately, this light ran great just before going in it's storage box but it is not igniting now. I put in a new lamp, verified that all 3 fuses were good and that power is passing through the fuse holders. I have a factory manual in PDF format that includes schematics and a trouble shooting guide. There are 4 possible suspect components identified in the troubleshooting guide and I can find them on the schematic but I can't ID them on the 4 different locations of electronics. The main PC board does not have reference numbers next to components. I think someone who is into electronics could fix this but I am not willing to put in any more time. Shipping estimate is about $90 to Oregon and about $140 to Florida from my Cent Cal coast location. I would like to get $200 out of the light so am asking $200 plus actual shipping. Comes with 7 extra lamps. Lamps are good for about 25 hours.

 

[BVH]

Sale on hold for a week while waiting on repair parts. I remembered I had a very detailed factory paper manual buried under my tool box. Got it out and found the troubleshooting section. Found my system and in the end, it said to replace the relay board. Well that's a fail! So I removed the board and right away saw a burn mark under a diode. Looking more closely, one end of the diode has completely separated from the body. I'm hoping I'll be able to sell this gem in working condition. Found a burned through resistor on the main board.

 

[BVH]

I'm theorizing that the 1/4 Watt resistor on the main board was under spec'd and finally burned itself in half which took out two tantalum caps next to it which, in-turn, fried the diode on the relay board - or this was not related to the burned resistor. The replacement resistor will be rated for 1/2 Watt. So the new diode arrived and I installed it today. I am going to replace all 11 glass "Avalanche" diodes, 5 on the mail board and 6 on the relay board with new identical diodes. All of them have a greenish buildup which looks like lichen over their surface as if they are leaking. I will also replace two orange Caps on the relay board. Hopefully all parts will arrive by Monday. I am really excited to see if I have correctly diagnosed why this beauty wont start. I haven't had this much fun since buying about 60 non-working Sorensen programmable DC power supplies over a couple years, repairing them and re-selling them on Ebay.

 

[BVH]

Got everything replaced this evening. Turned on the ignition switch and I had no shortage of strikes but it would not light. I also heard what I think is a small cap POP. I don't see any damaged caps but I think something popped. So progress but no joy. Going to keep her as a parts cow my my remaining light.

 

[LuxLuthor]

PULLED FROM SALE, Going to keep as a parts cow for my other light. Up for sale is one of my 2 remaining Locators. Unfortunately, this light ran great just before going in it's storage box but it is not igniting now. I put in a new lamp, verified that all 3 fuses were good and that power is passing through the fuse holders. I have a factory manual in PDF format that includes schematics and a trouble shooting guide. There are 4 possible suspect components identified in the troubleshooting guide and I can find them on the schematic but I can't ID them on the 4 different locations of electronics. The main PC board does not have reference numbers next to components. I think someone who is into electronics could fix this but I am not willing to put in any more time. Shipping estimate is about $90 to Oregon and about $140 to Florida from my Cent Cal coast location. I would like to get $200 out of the light so am asking $200 plus actual shipping. Comes with 7 extra lamps. Lamps are good for about 25 hours.View attachment 50970View attachment 50971

LOL! BVH, I always loved your WW-II searchlights and this one. You crack me up.

 

[BVH]

Click your heels 3 times and say "There's nothing like a Short Arc, There's nothing like a short arc, There's nothing like a Short Arc" and you will be transported.

 

[LuxLuthor]

Click your heels 3 times and say "There's nothing like a Short Arc, There's nothing like a short arc, There's nothing like a Short Arc" and you will be transported.

Gotta love this hobby. It pulls us into strange obsessions that no one else understands.