I have a new foot without all the guts and wires. Where do I go to get detailed instructions/pictures on how to take it apart and back together.

Thanks, Steve

 

Steve,

I believe the 283 model is the same and I have replaced mine once and it's due again.
This one is the first bought of two that I own. Bought it in 1977 and other than the foot still works after pretty heavy use.
Don't break them anymore since I started using a side handle.

On mine you only need remove two small phillips head screws that attach the foot to the body of the strobe.
If you gently pull you will get enough wire to be able to unsolder and resolder the wire to the new one.
You need to make sure to use a small iron that is clean and well tinned and make sure you can get on and off fairly quickly.
There isn't much metal on the terminals and it would be easy to melt the part.

 

Steve,

Is the foot as I described and is this information any use to you?

 

Both of my 285's have 4 wires going to the plastic foot. The replacement metal foots that I purchased only has 2 solder tags. Which wires do I use please? Incidently the 283 only has 2 wires.

Thanks,

Bruce

 

Bruce,

Are there four contacts on the original foot for perhaps an automatic flash control?

 

No it is a standard foot with regards to contacts, there are no extra contacts. The 285 plastic foot has the sync connection and the test button, but has 4 wires to it. The metal foot also has the sync connection and test button but it appears these are wired across the hot shoe connection, hence only two solder tags.

Bruce.

 

The Vivitar 285 has FOUR wires to the plastic foot.
GREEN - Hot shoe centre contact
RED - Hot shoe side contact
BLACK - Sync connection sleeve
WHITE - Sync connection centre.

If you but one of the metal replacement hot shoes it will only have TWO connections. You will need to solder the BLACK & WHITE wires together and insulate, GREEN to hot shoe centre and RED to hot shoe side.

The down side to the metal type replacment feet is you will not be able to use the flash gun on a Vivitar flash bracket or any other kind of barcket that does not have a hot shoe connection as it will short out the hot shoe contacts. The Vivitar brcaket has a solid metal accessory shoe. This is easily reminded by using a thin piece of paper under the flash guns hot shoe. Also when using the bracket you will need a MALE to MALE sync lead.

Bruce.

 

Bruce,

Thanks for the help.

Going to "move up" and buy a used 285 'cause I still can't justify the price I have to pay for Nikon's SB-800!

 

GregH,

Please be aware that some Vivitar 283 and 285 flash guns do have a voltage in excess of 6 volts across the hot shoe contacts. Some have been reported as high as 600 volts. If you are going to use it on any electronic based camera be it film or digital, play safe a get one of those Wein Safe Sync. Have a search on the net especially this link: -

http://www.botzilla.com/photo/strobeVolts.html

It makes interesting reading. I do wonder how many people have fried their electronic camera by using a high voltage flash gun.

Use a Digital Voltmeter across the hot shoe contacts, turn on the flash gun and let it charge up and settle. Oh yes, keep your fingers away from the hot shoe just in case of a high voltage.

Bruce.

 

Bruce,

Thanks for the heads up.
I do have a safe-sync and do not even use an old Nikon SB-20 without it.

Using a manual flash is no stretch for any of us familiar with "old time" cameras.
Just hope EVERYONE with a digital camera with a hot shoe reads this.

 

I figured out that if you want the Vari Sensor Adapter working with this hot shoe, you need to solder the red and white wires to the side, and the green and black to the center. If you don't do this, the 285 won't work without the Vari sensor attached to the flash. This Vari sensor adapter is great for shooting with the flash mounted in a hand mount, but still using the sensor on top of camera...
btw, thnx for the info...

 

whoops...
I tried it today and figured out that the varisensor is not working mounted on the flash, so i soldered out again and now everything is working:
white+green isolated together. Red on center, and black on the side.
(the other way changed the polarity of the hot shoe contacts, inhibiting the flash to fire when the vari sensor was plugged directly on it. Works with the vari sensor adapter because it has its own hot shoe)