Bowens Gemini GM500 Pro Studio Flash | Official Repairer Couldn't Fix It | Can I FIX it?

[@XKSteve]

Wow! I am so grateful to you Mick for this repair and agreeing to take it on especially as I know you are quite busy at the moment. It is and has for a longtime, been a sad case of board swapping repairs to save money and time given the complexity of modern equipment. I remember the email we got in the technology centre telling us to just replace faulty units and even complete computers rather than diagnose the fault. Thank goodness there are folks like you still interested enough to go further and perform proper fixes. I really am struggling to find the words that fully express my gratitude to you for your work so a simple heart felt thank you will have to do. I am looking forward to recommissioning the Bowens GM500 pro and the modelling lamp will ease studio setups no end. Thank you - you are a star!

[@BER-UK]

Parts no longer available - hmm when resistors no longer become available we're all in trouble!

[@mash83]

They're probably referring to the whole board.

[@andygardiner6526]

@@mash83 Yes you are probably right. I've fixed £250 LED controller boards because the psu diode fries (it does cost 31p!) As soo as they are "out of warranty" the manufacturer only wants to sell you the entire replacement controller ...

[@kinggreene]

@@mash83 i doubt whether they even looked at it

[@mash83]

@kinggreene with how awkard it is to open and deal with - quite possibly 🤷‍♂️ but it's fair enough for this level of repair to not be dealt with by the company themselves. This is a board replacement (which may well not be available as they say) or a repair shop willing to put in the time and extensive investigation, probably outside the realm of economical repair. You just need a very good youtuber mate 🤔

[@darkknight145]

That's what happens when "Approved Repairers" are just board jockeys and not real techs.

[@rickoneill4343]

The fact that you were never an electrical engineer and learned all this on your own is staggering. Easily one of the most thorough and articulate technicians I have come accross.

[@BuyitFixit]

Thanks, although I did get the Triac operation slightly wrong in my description (I haven't used them much). I now know that they switch off at the zero cross point automatically, so you don't actually turn them off only on.

[@ThexZEDx]

"Fixer of everything"

[@BuyitFixit]

😂😂Thank you 👍

[@JonnyFix]

Always a good feeling when you beat the official repair crew.

[@BuyitFixit]

Totally 😂😂👍

[@larrybud]

Official repair crews are generally assembly lines. If it takes them more than "n" minutes of time, it's not viable to run as a business, because the customer isn't going to pay for the extra time to fix something.

[@patrickpafarnis5798]

But have to learn something: Long time ago I was working at a small company who was making proffesional studio flash equipment in the Netherlands. The first thing we did when we have to repair this kind of flash units was to discharged the capacitor. You don't want to come into contact with a voltage of 500V and currents of 1000A!

[@forevercomputing]

They just swap parts. Nothing as hardcore as board level work.

[@edmclaughlin4923]

I can't get enough of this channel. I have watched all the current videos and now going back in history. Thank you!

[@BuyitFixit]

@@edmclaughlin4923 Thanks so much 👍😊

[@renevile]

imagine how many things gets thrown in the rubbish because a 1 pence resistor fails.

[@richards7909]

Yup and it’s a shame. But for the average person who has to rely on a repair shop, it can become very expensive (and that’s not the repair shops fault, they need to make a living!) so unless the item is high value or difficult to replace then sadly off to landfill it goes :(

[@JohanlastZa]

This is why we should force them to release the schematics for all manufacturer electrical/electronic devices. Just because they are unable to fix things, does not mean the rest of the world is so useless.

[@Crazick]

Because of channels like this, is why my carpet cleaner hasn’t been thrown away. Fixed/replaced two pumps, a bearing, and a blown capacitor. I have it close to 10 years.

[@cheapasstech]

How many ps5’s get tossed because of a 2p cap

[@FixDaily]

@@cheapasstech you mean the on next to the HDMI port?

[@wagstaffphilip]

Just opening this was a major test, fixing this £149 light was a triumph. I did not think it would be possible. Impressive and a joy to witness.

[@BuyitFixit]

Thanks 👍🙂

[@visitslovenija]

Great stuff. You’re ability to calmly home in on the fault is an inspiration to us all.

[@BuyitFixit]

Thank you very much 👍🙂

[@MrBaldypete1]

"I got balls of steeeel"... Loved that game!

[@darrenhelsby7480]

And hail to the king baby

[@BuyitFixit]

"Come get some" 😂😂😂

[@Pgr-pt5ep]

"It's time to kick ass and chew bubble gum. And I'm all outta gum"

[@CodySorgenfrey1]

I really really appreciate that you show how much of a PITA these things can be. Thanks for fixing this crap and showing us how you do it. Don’t stop!

[@BuyitFixit]

Cheers 👍

[@keithmarlow143]

So much for the ability of the 'official repairer'. In my experience if they can't fix it by doing a board swap, they lack the ability to do component level fixes.

[@BuyitFixit]

Agree 👍

[@zubeystinzen540]

And still the undefeated champion, Mr fixit 😂👌💪

[@BuyitFixit]

😂😂😂Thanks 👍

[@crazycarl9484]

No wonder they wouldnt touch it must very akwardly put together. Fair play Mick very patient methodical fix. Thanks for sharing.

[@BuyitFixit]

Cheers mate 👍

[@stevvieb]

Thank god for youtube and people like you passing on thier knowledge and experience onto us. Also sounds like the service center wasn't going to repair the unit, they were going to do an apple and just replace the inners with new parts. Makes a change for it to be a resistor and not a capacitor.

[@BuyitFixit]

Thanks mate 👍

[@rickdiego5]

You do some interesting repairs and your thought process analyzing the situations is impressive. After watching a few of the old little video game repairs I was getting tired of those. Repairing a unit like this one is really worth watching. I fixed my garage door opener by replacing the three-cent capacitor. Resisters don't usually go bad but clearly you use logic to find the bad resistor which look like the end disconnected from the resistor which was clear to me as soon as you mailed it the solder on one end of it the whole resistor moved which meant the solder joint or the resistor failed on the other end. Your channel is one of my favorites and I look forward to your repairs of important and complex and relevant equipment.

[@BuyitFixit]

Thanks 👍Yes I try to do a variety of different things. It also depends what comes my way!

[@TheSod70]

That was an amazing fix. I know nothing about electronics and it always amazes me to see you fix things that I know would normally just be junked. Awesome video!

[@BuyitFixit]

Thank you 👍🙂

[@JamieBulloch1]

I have these very studio lights (750pro and 500pro)'s, pretty super and bulletproof but it was very interesting to see inside, fyi Bowens as a company went out of business as of about 2017, so i really found this useful, many thanks....

[@BuyitFixit]

Thanks, glad you found it interesting 👍🙂

[@Gazzyb2071]

It's unbelievable how you managed to fix it, I'm new to electronics, and your videos are amazingly informative, even though I don't understand half of what you are saying or doing. 👍

[@BuyitFixit]

Cheers mate 👍

[@raygianelli3612]

Mick, just found your channel and watched a few videos. I appreciate your running commentary; it shows your thought process and theory of operation. I was really impressed with this particular repair, probably because I never worked on anything like it and wouldn't be sure where to start. Subscribed!

[@BuyitFixit]

Thanks 👍I've never worked on anything like this before either 😂😂That's half the fun of it. I've pulled off some quite ingenious repairs, even down to software level and firmware corruption on some devices (Vtech baby monitor) being the most recent one I can think of 😊

[@Lyndalewinder]

Wow - great fix and so much patience

[@BuyitFixit]

Thanks 👍

[@paulmeynell8866]

Very cool although the time required to fix this probably equates to the cost of a new one. Excellent find , great to watch you work.

[@BuyitFixit]

Thanks 👍

[@JAYG6390]

Really enjoying the varied and unusual items you're repairing recently. Another great repair!

[@BuyitFixit]

Thank you 👍

[@xzytqweo3538]

Glad you were able to fix it with a part that was ready available....😉

[@BuyitFixit]

😂😂😂Yes, I just looked on one of my "junk boards" and there it was. I hear they are very rare these days 😂😂😂

[@DavoShed]

What a great save. Sometimes it’s is the simplest of things among a sea of complexity.

[@BuyitFixit]

Thanks 👍yes it seems 330 ohm resistors are no longer available 😂😂😂

[@dalee.mccombs8571]

You are the master! I enjoy your repair videos! Keep em coming!

[@BuyitFixit]

Thanks, will do!

[@patrickpafarnis5798]

Long time ago I was working at a small company who was making proffesional studio flash equipment in the Netherlands. The first thing we did when we have to repair this kind of flash units was to discharged the capacitor. You don't want to come into contact with a voltage of 500V and currents of 1000A!

[@BuyitFixit]

Yes agree, this one had a bleeder resistor across it so it discharges when not powered 👍

[@patrickpafarnis5798]

@@BuyitFixit Nice to hear you was aware of this.

[@Mad4400]

Got a sense of déjà vu when you removed the rubber plug near the handle to find it wasn't hiding a screw. Fortunately, the unit I was troubleshooting only required me to get access to the connectors for the switches on the rear panel. Thanks for sharing, I've saved this video to keep as a reference for next time I have to open one up, and there will be a next time. I guaranteed that by repairing it the first time.

[@BuyitFixit]

Nice, what was the problem with the unit you have?

[@mikeselectricstuff]

22:32 you can see the piece of plating that cracked off the left end of the resistor

[@BuyitFixit]

Yes 👍Cheers Mike.

[@thinking-monkey]

Great job with the diagnosis and repair, sir! 👍Very happy customer, I'll bet! Shame on that "repair center". Not for simply not having the experience to do a proper diagnosis and repair, we can't all be wizards after all, but for not even trying.

[@BuyitFixit]

Thanks 👍

[@leonvanderlinde5580]

Nice logical faultfinding. I just kept screaming at you to remove the barcket 😄

[@BuyitFixit]

😂😂😂👍

[@kendom33]

Great repair Mick. What a carry on to get to that resistor. Very well done

[@BuyitFixit]

Thanks 👍Much appreciated 🙂

[@ShR33k]

Excellent repair, and talk-through process. As a noob, it was incredibly interesting to watch!

[@BuyitFixit]

Thanks 🙂👍

[@ShR33k]

@@BuyitFixit I'm OK with soldering with "obviously" damaged components, but I'm very weak on my fault-finding if nothing looks obvious - so this type of content is valuable to someone like me who wants to learn! You have a new subscriber!!! 👍

[@stevenwoollard8082]

Thanks! I now know how to get the top off to replace the ceramic insulators (pack of 10 @ €15 inc. postage from China). It will, of course, also need a new flash tube. But hey, four lamps instead of three!

[@BuyitFixit]

@@stevenwoollard8082 You're welcome 👍Glad you found it useful 🙂

[@101thenuke]

Class diagnostics again Mick, That was probably an expensive bit of kit in its day.

[@BuyitFixit]

Thanks 👍yes agree 🙂

[@Mad4400]

Still not cheap to buy secondhand today.

[@manusholm1544]

nicely done. often diagnostic is the bigger trick in repairs. much more important to get good diagnostic than most other aspects. how much trouble one little component can be.

[@BuyitFixit]

Thank you 👍Yes one little component is usually the problem in most devices!

[@whodatdere1]

I have several coloured markers that I use to mark the ocnnectors when I am pulling stuff apart. It helps from looking at pictures

[@brucecorbettn9bh398]

That’s a good idea.

[@XKSteve]

Yes me too. Got caught once, then I found multi colour packs of markers. Great advice.

[@BuyitFixit]

Thanks for the tip 👍

[@sivoltage]

what a ballache! well done

[@BuyitFixit]

Thanks 👍

[@cajuncoinhunter]

Wow a 2 cent part that is common as dirt ...... I hope they didn't charge Steve a fee for the " NON repairable " device ....... Great job..... Take care Mon Ami...

[@BuyitFixit]

Thanks Cajun, I think the "repairer" just swaps boards, and a board "wasn't available"

[@DerekEmerson]

I have 4 of these from when I tried my hand at Photography, they are great units and expensive.

[@BuyitFixit]

Well at least you now know what's inside of them 🙂

[@rickdiego5]

I'll bet that unit cost thousands of dollars and you made it usable with a $0.05 part. That is what got me interested in microelectronics. I have a gas range in my home and the oven would sometimes turn on but you had to keep pushing the on button over and over again and maybe after 10 times it would take and then the oven would come on. I took out the circuit board and this oven is from 1986, a GE top model. I replaced a small electrolytic capacitor that cost maybe $0.10. and now instead of spending $1,500 on a new stove mine works perfectly now. After watching this video I understand more about opto couplers.

[@BuyitFixit]

Thanks 👍as I was reading your comment I was thinking capacitor? and then read that's what it was 😂😂Well done on fixing your stove 👍

[@andymouse]

Good stuff, saw the resistor come away from its end cap ! that looks like an expensive bit of kit too.....cheers.

[@BuyitFixit]

Cheers Andymouse 👍

[@chrissavage5966]

"can't get the parts" is presumably code for "we want to sell you a new one" given that 330 Ohm surface mount resistors aren't yet in short supply.... Nice fix.

[@BuyitFixit]

Cheers, yes there's currently a run on 330 ohm resistors 😂😂😂😂

[@briancalvey4997]

Really loved to see you figure this out. So interesting and satisfying! 👏👍

[@BuyitFixit]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@stefanopassiglia]

Great repair. The IR cell is for the master/slave mode, when you have multiple units they can fire when a master light fires, and this avoids the need of a radio control for each unit. Obviously the units must see each other for this to work.

[@BuyitFixit]

Thanks for that, I did wonder. Thanks for clearing that up 👍

[@hansregli8678]

I see many repair videos where the first shop was too lazy to even start with a diagnose...😢 My first guess was the Triac, because of the thumb rule: "It was the Butler", ehh no, what I wanted to say, "It was the part where the most current goes through"

[@BuyitFixit]

Yes I thought it might have been the triac too, but I guess we were both wrong 😂😂👍

[@fredwooding599]

You still AMAZE me!!

[@BuyitFixit]

Thanks Fred 👍

[@sean9595]

Sound job Mick 👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼

[@BuyitFixit]

Cheers 👍

[@TC_here]

Great fix. Capacitors the size of bean cans :)

[@BuyitFixit]

Yes, I wouldn't fancy getting a shock from them!

[@ceemills]

its amazing how little effort some repair centres make on some repairs. excellent work.

[@BuyitFixit]

Thanks 👍 Yes agree!

[@christophermarshall5765]

Nice fix. I can no longer do this sort of work.

[@mikejones8716]

Same here, I went blind in 2011, but, still good stuff

[@BuyitFixit]

Thanks, shame. Yes I guess I'll be at that point some day too 😢

[@terrym1065]

Fantastic fix bro👍👍 I'm astounded you found that resistor so quickly and that out of all the components involved it was the culprit. A broken resistor is not unheard of but not very common in the greater scheme of things. A nightmare indeed taking apart and putting back together, your dexterity is above normal it seems. Thanks for the work in front of and behind the camera, well done. See ya soon.

[@BuyitFixit]

Thanks Terry 👍

[@PhilipBryden]

Great job. Nice methodical fault finding.

[@BuyitFixit]

Thanks 👍

[@MikeB_UK]

I think you missed the nice big spark that happened @10:18 near your right hand as you rotated the unit. :o

[@elliaction]

Another great fix. looking forward to next Saturday :) best regards from east Iceland

[@BuyitFixit]

Thank you 👍

[@danielsaturnino5715]

Thumbs for the Duke Nukem reference!

[@BuyitFixit]

Thanks 👍Yes I remember lugging my PC and CRT monitor around to a friends house with a few other mates and us linking up with coax network cards to play multiplayer 😂😂😂

[@riskifixes]

Excellent job! Once again.👍

[@BuyitFixit]

Cheers mate 👍

[@leighfoulger]

Genius, well done.

[@BuyitFixit]

Thanks 👍

[@JB-ux5yb]

Top fault finding and fix

[@BuyitFixit]

Thanks 👍

[@599miata]

You are good and lucky to find that bad resistor mate.👍👍

[@BuyitFixit]

Thanks 👍

[@tomharris1457]

You will attack anything! Bravo.

[@BuyitFixit]

Thanks Tom 👍

[@bborkzilla]

I just fixed a couple "White Lightning" flash units. One had a broken IEC power connector and the other had a short between one of the legs of the xenon tube and the metal case. The manufacturer didn't want to work on those either. It seems anything over a few years old is a waste of time for them.

[@BuyitFixit]

Yes,unfortunately most manufacturers would rather you buy a new one these days.

[@iNireus]

Another great fix.

[@BuyitFixit]

Thanks 👍

[@tiggydorset9041]

The original repairers probably knew how much of a ball-ache it was to take apart and didn't want to touch it :D

[@XKSteve]

They are board swappers not fixers like Mick. They told me the “board” was not available anymore. I do computers and we get loads that are just failed components but companies won’t go that deep into a repair. NO profit.

[@Garry1888]

Brilliant. Just brilliant.

[@BuyitFixit]

Thank you 👍

[@Omegajet223]

Nice work 👌

[@BuyitFixit]

Thanks 👍

[@frankcarpenetti5776]

Great job once again! I lost all ye faith at about 10 minutes in, but you came through!!

[@BuyitFixit]

Thanks 👍

[@1kimdotcom]

Brilliant repair🥺

[@BuyitFixit]

Thanks 👍

[@DaveBrown1]

Well done dude

[@BuyitFixit]

Thanks!

[@MikeyMack303]

Very nice work!

[@BuyitFixit]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@tubeDude48]

You do some fine work!

[@BuyitFixit]

Cheers Dude!

[@harezy]

Not got a clue what you were doing same as Big C but was fasinating and subbed.

[@BuyitFixit]

Thanks 👍Welcome aboard 🙂

[@TheElectr0nicus]

Wow! Had very rarely seen a board so badly soldered. Half of the solderjoints are dry. A wonder how it is able to work anyhow. Look at the middle pin of the trough hole device next to the Optocoupler. That is the next failure. And The SMD transistor to the right with the name Q3 is also only held on the board with air and love it seems.

[@pjhb_microsoldering_portugal]

Great video. We need to save our 330 ohm resistors and sell them at the price of gold...seems they are not available any more...😂😂😂

[@BuyitFixit]

Thanks 👍

[@darrenwardell3079]

Cracking job again👍

[@BuyitFixit]

Cheers Darren 👍

[@alanr9496]

Excellent job!

[@BuyitFixit]

Cheers 👍🙂

[@wisher21uk]

Brilliant fix Mick, glad you spotted that resistor because I didn’t lol. I remember when my Nikon cameras pop up flash got dislodged, I took the camera apart so I could clip it back in place and accidentally touched the back of the board for the flash, I felt alot of pain up my arm it was a bit of a bite lol, my finger had a burn crater lol, it looked and smelt like a soldering iron burn…

[@BuyitFixit]

Cheers Gary 👍Yes even those little xenon tubes drivers can give a bit of a nip. I wouldn't fancy a bite from this one 😂😂😂

[@wisher21uk]

@@BuyitFixit lol it would be a lot more then nip or bite mate ⚡️

[@rickoneill4343]

Just commented on another video of yours where the klein small reversable retchet with 1/4 bit drive would be perfect for this.

[@BuyitFixit]

I've ordered one from Amazon 👍

[@chrisbartlett6022]

Being interested in Photography (besides all my other hobbies) this was great. SUCH a shame it was not actually a Grenade launcher, would have continued your Evil Genius from the last couple of videos 🙂KEWL bit of kit though, bet the owner is WELL pleased, if not I will pop up and get it from you, also bring a trailer load of stuff for you to fix 🙂 BLAST, just read the post from the owner 🙂

[@BuyitFixit]

Thanks Chris 👍Yes a trailer load of stuff sounds great 😂😂😂😂

[@kdog3908]

Since i've been toying with the idea of tinkering/fixing electronics, I've started to notice just how much electrical/electronic gear ends up in the bin or a skip. It's pretty shocking really. I've just lifted a nail gun out of a skip where there's some work going on retiling a roof. Not stripped it down yet but I'm quite looking forward to getting into it. It's rated at 1500 Watts so I reckon i'll have to be careful with it.

[@BuyitFixit]

I used to go to our local recycling centre (rubbish tip) to get rid of garden waste now and again, and the amount of electrical / electronic stuff I used to see being dumped was shocking.

[@robdaniels78]

Was anyone else shouting to take that ceramic bit out the light hahaha ?

[@mikecass8306]

Brilliant fix and diagnosis again, thanks Mick 😀

[@BuyitFixit]

Cheers Mike 👍

[@canyondan]

Excellent to say the least. Great job.

[@BuyitFixit]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@Blacklab99]

This man is a genius!

[@BuyitFixit]

Thanks 👍

[@Trucam2020]

You are a true Master Chief

[@BuyitFixit]

Thank you 👍

[@lmwlmw4468]

Great work.

[@BuyitFixit]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@jimsvideos7201]

Good save! Aside, studio lights like these happen to have about the same sort of output as a spot welder capable of welding copper tabs to lithium batteries.

[@BuyitFixit]

Thanks 👍I bet the spot welder runs at a lot lower voltage than 385V or so! I wouldn't fancy giving it a go 😂😂😂

[@jimsvideos7201]

@@BuyitFixit I think you'd have to direct the output of the light through a suitable transformer, which I'm in no rush to dabble with, but the numbers look ok.

[@slam4815]

You are soooo bright!

[@BuyitFixit]

😂😂Cheers

[@nexpro6985]

Good job. Be careful, touch those capacitors when they are fully charged and it might be your last day.

[@BuyitFixit]

Thanks, yep pretty much what I thought too 👍

[@phildegruy9295]

Likely manufacture knew from what the light didn't do the board was bad and not worth it to them to fix. Did you ever figure out where the springs actually went?

[@BuyitFixit]

Yes agree. No, never worked out where they went although I might have another look before I send it back.

[@joesantana6393]

awesome vid

[@BuyitFixit]

Thanks 👍

[@smbrob]

This flash is less accessible than an 80 years old maiden. 😬 And yes, a resistor like that is really obsolete, I bet they never did take it apart. Good repair.

[@BuyitFixit]

😂😂😂😂Thanks 👍

[@cecildramat-ps9eq]

Hi! there once again, I wonder if the tech who worked on this ever open it, to really see what the problem was. I don't think so. Hope they didn't charge him.

[@XKSteve]

Yep they charged 35£ knowing they could not fix it. And yep never opened it as I put some tell tails in place. Of course they denied it and it is impossible to sue for small amounts in the uk.

[@BuyitFixit]

Wow that sucks Steve.

[@jaym5938]

I've never seen two trigger transformers in a strobe before.. are they connected in parallel? And curious why you put it all back together before testing? Congrats on the great fix.

[@BuyitFixit]

I can't remember the two trigger transformers, I'm not sure if I paid much attention to that part of the circuit as that wasn't the issue. I was pretty sure that that was the problem, also it was tricky to test with everything hanging about without it being assembled. Also another reason is it finishes off the video nicely as probably not many people would hang around to see it back together after they saw it working.

[@jaym5938]

@@BuyitFixit Thanks for the response.

[@FixDaily]

This video made me wondering. Were the springs were from? 😅

[@gonzaloj.dominguez634]

Also here, must admit I was expecting closure for those😂

[@BuyitFixit]

I've still got 2 spare springs.. I still didn't figure out where they were from, or find any place that they could fit.

[@adrenna123]

@@BuyitFixit Any chance there were part of the isolators/brass contacts?

[@BuyitFixit]

@@adrenna123 I'm not too sure, the brass bits were just supports and the isolators weren't spring loaded as they just fell out.

[@salmanrashid6245]

Awesome!

[@BuyitFixit]

Thanks 🙂👍

[@leaflee2066]

You just know the shop that tried to repair this checked the bulb, the fuse then thought, we aren't going to make any money on this, tell them the parts aren't available and get rid of them.

[@BuyitFixit]

Either that or they are just board swappers and the board was "unavailable" due to Bowens no longer being in business.

[@TimDyb]

All of those connectors and yet there are soldered on wires that prevent you from getting into the "guts" of the lamp. Terrible layout. Great repair!

[@BuyitFixit]

Thanks 👍🙂

[@Dutch_off_grid_homesteading]

Heya, nice repair

[@BuyitFixit]

Thank you 👍

[@chrisprobert6]

25:33 no ,nope, couldn't see a fing. Silva? Scary stuff, crt like😅