Ascor Light QC4 - Newb needs help

[LewDog]

Hi All,

(Pictures for all this are below and in the next post), I would love to hear thoughts and opinions. Brand new here, been lurking for a year, this is my first post. I am an intermediate pro, with several years experience doing mostly sports/product and several years as an assistant in the NFL/NBA/MLB/NHL and with an AP stringer. I am also a single Dad on a tight budget these days.

I know NOTHING about studio lighting. I don’t even know what the settings on this thing do.

An friend gave me a 1920’s tripod and an Ascor Light QC-4 System. The system has 4 heads, of which two are working, I am waiting to order tubes and bulbs on the other two, but I need some advice from you all if you might consider helping me.

#1 – I think I found the correct bulbs for this thing, here:
Sylvania ESP 120V 150W Bulb

And tubes here:
400V 400W/80130 - Flash Tube - WK95 Replaces Bulb In Photogenic H4-1 (QC4) (DM7/FT300) (Ascor 060-601) (Ascor 060-603) - Flashtubes

There is also a guy here selling the instruction manual on eBay
Ascor Ascorlight QC4 Flash System Instruction ManualÂ* - eBay (item 350254550151 end time Jun-15-10 20:50:48 PDT)

And also the QC module, which alarms when flashes fail or the fire is before the charge is ready
Ascor QC Control Center for AscorLight QC-4 Systems - eBay (item 380176701250 end time Jun-08-10 21:27:03 PDT)
I know I don’t need this but its NOS so why not? 

The model on the tubes says “ASCOR 030-603”, the bulbs Say Sylvania ESP 120V

Do these look correct to you? I have pictures of the bulbs below…..

#2 – How the heck can I sync this thing to a Nikon D40? I read post from a guy in 2005 who says he synced a QC4 to a Coolpix, so I got to believe it’s possible. Any ideas, again I am as green as grass on this, so please be patient with my ignorance.

#3 What does that red switch in the first picture do? It says Watt Sec. X100?

Thanks for looking at all the gear and giving thoughts and opinions. It came with 3 stands, al the cabling, two sync cords, a barn door, soft box, clamps and the nifty 30+ year old carrying case. I live in a small town and this was used by a local high school who hasn’t had a darkroom in years. It is ghetto but all works. I am excited to try it out but would love any and all advice on how to use it. My first time plugging it in blew a circuit (not the QC-4’s fault, I have poo wiring as well). I’ve heard these things can arc, and with my lack of ANY lighting knowledge (studio wise) I want to make sure I educate myself on this before I give it a go. Thanks again!

Cheers,

LewDog

[zona5101]

The red switch is a 3 way rocker that sets your lighting ratio between the heads. Top one sets the power to 200 watt seconds to lights plugged in to A & B ports and 100 w/s to lights plugged into c&d. The other positions are read the same way.

[LewDog]

Thanks Zona, that makes sense.

Can you tell me then Ideally, what would be the setup for those, i.e. the A & B lights getting the higher w/s would be used for what, vs the lights getting 100w/s? Would the bottom setting be 100w/s to each head, being that this is (I believe ) a 400 watt system?

Thanks again,
LewDog

[zona5101]

I do not know what camera you will fire these from but chances are you will need something like a "safe sync" to insulate your camera from any return voltage. You can google those devices.

The bottom setting with 1 to 4 heads attached would be powered 100w/s to each head.
This is the "synchronous" setting as opposed to the "asynchronous" setting of the other two switch positions. Some manuals will refer to it in those terms and it simplly means evenly or unevenly distributing the power from the pack.

You would use those other power ratios to get one light stronger than another...for example one light at full power and one light at 1/2 power. Besides the ratios afforded by the switch, the only way to adjust the light falling on your subject is to vary the distance between the light and the subject. (well, besides adding a light modifier...)