Read what Karl Schefft owner of the "worlds Largest Stroboflash Collection" has to say about the RBPS:
I have been using and collecting Stroboflash electronic flash units for the last 30 plus years. These flashes produce the softest, most evenly dispersed light of any portable flash I have ever used. I have located sources for the 225 volt dry cell batteries that the Stroboflash II and IV require and have bought them in quantity to get a discount, keeping the extras religiously cold in my basement refrigerator until needed. I consistently use the Stroboflash “Battery Booster” after each use of the flashes to try and extend the life of these non-rechargeable dry cell carbon zinc batteries. The batteries, even in quantity, cost about $80 each, so it costs $160 to power each Stroboflash II and IV power pack. I usually get around 1,500 flashes from each set of batteries if I religiously use the battery booster after each use. As the batteries get older ( they are rated for 9 months of service life from date of manufacture), the recycle time gets longer. Despite this drawback, I still believe that the Stroboflash light quality is so unique in it’s non-directional, soft, evenly dispersed full frame coverage (up to 28mm lens in 35mm format) that I have continued to use and collect these old Stroboflash units even though the newer technology flashes work with rechargeable batteries and are much lighter and more convenient to use. I own at least 20 working Stroboflash IV units and 15 working Stroboflash II units.
I have always wished that someone would develop and manufacture an adapter that would allow use of rechargeable batteries in these Stroboflash units. My wish has been granted. “Stroboflash.com” has developed and now offers to the public a one of a kind, state of the art, Rechargeable Battery Power Supply (called RBPS by them) that employs a host of modern solid state micro components mounted on a computer type circuit board that plugs right into the Stroboflash battery banana plugs on the underside of the power pack top, just like the old 489 batteries do. It fits inside the original power pack and it then uses 2 12 volt 5,000 milliamp NiMH battery packs which are connected in series to produce 24 volts. The battery packs fit right into the power pack bottom. This RBPS miraculously transforms the 24 volts into 450 volts and perfectly powers the Stroboflash II and IV power packs. The RBPS also has a ready light and on/off power switch that conveniently mounts on the outside of the Stroboflash power pack without drilling holes by being sandwiched between the top and bottom of the Stroboflash power pack. I located mine on the front side opposite where the coiled power cord comes out of the power pack so it is not accidentally bumped when I am slinging the Stroboflash over my shoulder and shooting photos with Stroboflash. Absolutely NO modifications to the original Stroboflash Power pack are needed to use this RBPS.
Now the best part….the RBPS with the two 12 volt 5,000 milliamp NiMH battery packs gives recycle time of about 2.5 seconds with the Stroboflash II and about 5 seconds with the Stroboflash IV on FULL power and allows between 400 to 800 flashes per charge, depending on the power level selected. I have bought 5 of these RBPS units from Stroboflash.com and I LOVE THEM!!!! I heartily and unhesitatingly recommend these to EVERYONE who has a Stroboflash unit. I have personally tested these RBPS units and they do exactly what Stroboflash.com says they do. They keep a constant 430 to 450 volts going into the power pack (it automatically kicks in the charging circuit when the voltage drops in the pack to about 430 volts) so you know that you have correct voltage all of the time and can confirm this by the ready light. I used a Gossen Luna Pro F in Flash meter mode and confirmed that the RBPS yields exactly the same light output with my Stroboflash II and IV units as fresh 489 dry cell batteries. They give consistent voltage for about 400 flashes at full power with the Stroboflash IV and twice that number at ½ power and with the Stroboflash II. Plus, the rechargeable battery packs are rated for at least 1,000 recharges!!!!
I got flash happy when I realized that recycle time for the Stroboflash IV on full power was 5 seconds and I flashed mine every 6 seconds or so as long as I could, to make sure that these will truly do what they say..…and they did. I also then noticed another feature of the RBPS that is really smart- a built in fuse “chip” that trips before the RBPS can heat up too much when flashing every 6 or 7 seconds on Full power repeatedly for several minutes, and I simply turned the power switch off and waited about 1 minute and the internal fuse built into the RBPS reset itself and I was good to go again. Plus, “Al” of “Stroboflash.com”, a really nice fellow, also loves and uses Stroboflash units and he can help with other parts and repairs needed on your Stroboflash units. I have had Stroboflash.com repair 15 of my non-firing Stroboflash heads and install in them a solid state trigger device they devised instead of the old 5823 vacuum tube, and they all were fixed perfectly and work great.
The cost of the RBPS ( which you buy from Stroboflash.com), the two 12 volt rechargeable NiMH battery packs, and two chargers so both battery packs can be charged overnight- about 9 hours to fully charge a depleted set (which you buy from Batteryspace.com) is approximately $280 total. This is $120 more than a fresh set of 489 225 volt batteries, but this will allow 1,000 recycles of 400 to 800 flashes instead of about 1,500 flashes from a set of fresh 489 dry cell batteries and the recycle time is MUCH faster. There is a ready light and they are somewhat lighter than the set of 489 batteries. The RBPS system is the BEST investment any Stroboflash user can make!! They are built right in Florida U.S.A. and are hand assembled by Stroboflash.com. The RBPS will last forever, and the 12 volt rechargeable battery packs will always be available and can easily be replaced when the 1,000 recharges have depleted their useful lives. All of this for LESS than the cost of 2 sets of NON rechargeable 489 batteries!!! Stroboflash users, get these RBPS units today!!! I guarantee you will LOVE them!!
Karl D. Schefft
N58 W6212 Columbia Road
Cedarburg, Wisconsin 53012
Email: kschefft@execpc.com
Phone: 1-262-375-4544