Hello everyone. I'm new to this site and almost as new to Graflex photography.

I found a Pacemaker Crown Graphic 2x3 at an antique mall for $30! What a steal. I've been using it since October '08 with some good results and am learning more about the camera (and photography in general!) all the time.

I found a two cell Graflite at a reasonable price on eBay (I guess the movie fans missed this one). It has the 5" reflector and is Catalog # 2772; the camera has the Kodak Flash Supermatic lens/shutter, Ektar f:4.5 101mm. I bought a NOS synch cord, coiled, with what looks like a 2 prong AC plug at a 90 degree angle on one end, and a two hole female jack on the other. I connected the female end to the two prongs just below the synch cocking lever, and the AC plug into the Shutter connection on the Graflite. The circuit control on the Graflite is set to N. I have tried the flash using both the F and M settings; since I'm using GE#5 bulbs I believe the correct setting would be F.

All this being said, I get no flashbulb operation at all, except if I press the red button on the Graflite battery holder. Is the problem with the shutter/synchronizer? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

By the way, thank God for Mike Butkus and his vintage photography manuals! If you download any of his manuals, please send him a contribution.

Blue skies,
Rick

I sounds like it's time to get digit volt ohm meter or at least a circuit tester. From what you've said, you've done everything right. But the circuit isn't closing.
The first thing i'd do is find some fine sand or emery paper (320 to 600) or some 0000 steel wool and polish up the bipost contacts and the forks. With the NOS cord attached to the shutter, attach the meter (set to 'continuity') to each fork of the other end of the cord. Cock and trip the shutter when it's set at M. If the meter doesn't beep (or circuit tester light) try different shutter settings, going lower, sometimes the connection is to brief to be seen by a continutiy tester (which is nothing more that an Ice pick, some batteries a light bulb and a wire).

If you don't have continuity on any shutter speed, then pull the cord and test the shutter and cord separately, then the flash. The fact that the flash can pop a bulb on its own is a good sign. It means nobody has gutted it.

If it's the shutter, you can open it up and polish the contacts. If it's the cord then you'll need a new one rather than a new old one, try paramount cords.

Also do a search here on the graflex helpboard. Some Supermatics have a resistor inside that needs to be shorted with a piece of wire from one terminal to a screw head.
Les

I too suspect the cord. When you see NOS cords these days, think they could have been made back in the 1950s. I've seen a lot of these cords with brittle covering which would break when bent. A continuity check as Les suggested will rule that out.

There are bulb test lights still out there to be bid on which will show the complete setup is working w/o having to waste an expensive bulb. Watch for them.

Thanks Les and Alec. I'll check that out with my Fluke when I go back to work 2-16. I was just hoping it wasn't the shutter. I use mostly natural light, but thought it would be fun to play with flash.

Blue skies,
Rick

Rick,

Remember to cock the shutter and the synchronizer delay lever Too.

Regards,
Dave

alecj wrote:

I too suspect the cord. When you see NOS cords these days, think they could have been made back in the 1950s. I've seen a lot of these cords with brittle covering which would break when bent. A continuity check as Les suggested will rule that out.

I had a nice image of a flash reflector burned into my retina for about an hour after wiggling such a cord!