P3D Vivitar 283/285/292?

[Bob Wier <wier@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

>
>It is something else!!! It almost looks like a miniature phone
>plug except that the center conductor is very small and the
>shield is almost cone shaped with a shoulder on it that keeps it
>in place. See pic at:
>http://home.earthlink.net/~fastline/vivpc1.jpg
>Plug on top of picture is the one that plugs into the 283. The
>plug on the bottom is the PC end that plugs into the camera.
>
>

Gadzooks! I've never seen anything like that on a flash before - the
PC end looks normal enough though.

I did some checking at various auction web sites and find both the
283/285 units and the 292. Strangely enough the 292 seems to PREDATE
the other two (which are current models). From reading stuff, it 
looks as if the 292 which uses the funky ni-cad pack MIGHT be more
powerful - and the pack can be re-built using AA size ni-cads internally
(I just did this sort of thing with a battery pack for an ancient Dell
luggable - the battery pack was actually composed of 9 c-cell size ni-cads).
Although the capacity is only about 1/2 of the "genuine" specs, it seems to
run the thing just fine for perhaps an hour...).

Does anyone have a guide number for the 292? If one had their choice with
say only about $20 difference, which would be better for Realist format?
The 285 vs 292?

THANKS

--Bob W.

wier@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx



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