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VSD Series Monolight
INSTRUCTIONS
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Thank you for purchasing an Impact VSD Series Monolight. This device is
proof that highly-functional monolights can be affordable. The VSD Series
Monolight provides enough stored power to light a por trait or small still-life
setup and offers features found on monolights costing twice as much. We
expect that you will get many years of trouble-free service and enjoyment
from your Impact VSD Monolight. Please read these operating instructions
and safety precautions carefully before operating this equipment.
Features
• Four-st op range – full power to 1/ 16 power in .10 f/stop increments
• Large LCD screen
• Buil t-in optical slave
• “Auto-Dump” feature automatically res the ash when you step down power
• Modeling lamp can be set propor tionally or independentl y of ash power
• Cushioned “touch-pad” function control buttons
• Tactile, “grippy” feel that resis ts slipping and shock damage
• Accepts Bowen -style re ector s and head accessories (7- inch grid re ector included)
• User-replaceable ashtube
• Commonl y available 1/8 ˝ mini-plug sync input
Power Requirements
This light is designed for use with 110/120V AC power only and is supplied with a
three-prong, grounded plug. Do not attempt to defeat t his safety feature. If necessar y,
use onl y grounded extension cords rat ed for 6 amps or greater.
Warning
There are no user-serviceable par ts inside the unit. Only quali ed service engineers
should access the inside of the case (Danger – high-voltage par ts inside). Avoid damage
to both the ash tube and modeling lamp. If the modeling lamp or ashtube become
cracked or damaged in any way, they should be replaced immediately. Do not use your
ash unit in an environment where moisture or ammable vapor is likely to come in
contact with the unit. Turn the power of f and unplug the power cord when the unit is not
in use. Always remove the modeling lamp and replace the protective cap when
transpor ting the unit.
All ima ges in this manua l are for illustrat ive purposes onl y. Your uni t may differ sli ghtly from the one p ictured.
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Preparing Your Monolight for Use
Contents of car ton
Carefully remove the monolight from the box. You should have the following:
• 110-120V monolight w it h pro tective cap and ashtube inst alled
• 100W modeling lamp (60W with VSD-160 model)
• 7˝ grid re ector • sync cable
• power cable • user manual
Mount on a stand
(1) Select a stand or suppor t
system of suitable weight
and dimensions to ensure
stable operation of the unit.
Install Reector &
Modeling Lamp
(2) Depres s the latch on top
of the monolight, pressing it
toward the back of the uni t.
Rotate t he protective cap
counter-clockwise. Pull the
cap of f and se t aside.
(3) Install the modeling
lamp by screwing it into the
threaded socket.
CAU TION: Do not touch the lamp with your bare hands. Oil residue from your ngers can
cause the sur face o f the lamp to heat unevenl y and explode. Use whi te cotton gloves or a
clean clo th. (4) Inst all the reector where the protec tive cap was before. A lign the three
pegs on the reector with the three slot s, press t he reector in and rotat e clock wise
until it locks in place.
Note: Take care when tting or removing reectors or softboxes to not damage the
ashtube assembly. The ashtube is very delicate. Always switch off the unit and
disconnect the power before tting or changing lamps, ashtubes, reectors, or softboxes.
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Operating Instructions
Legend
A – Digital Power Readout K – Photo Slave Control
B – Modeling Light Control – Up L – Photo Slave LED
C – Modeling L ight Con trol – Dow n M – Test Fire Button
D – Flash Power Control – Up N – Full Recycle Status LED
E – F lash Power Control – Down O – Mini-plug Sync Jack
F – Modeling Lamp Control P – On/Off Switch
G – Modeling Lamp LED – Free Q – Power Socket
H – Modeling Lamp LED – Propor tional R – Fuse Holder
I – Recycle Tone Control S – Umbrella Holder
J – Recycle Tone LED T – Photocell
Power Supply
Plug the power cord into the back of the ash unit . Before plugging the power cord into
the wall socket, make cer tain that the power switch is se t to the OF F (circle) position. T he
VSD is designed to automatically ash, if necessary, when turned off. The resistive dump
will continue to reduce any remaining energy while the uni t is off. T his is a safety feature
and cannot be disabled.
Note: The VSD flash unit is designed to work on 110-120V 50/6 0Hz AC current.
Power Switch
Turn the power s witch to the ON (line) position. The flash will
sound a beep and t he LCD will show the current ash power
set ting. We recommend charging the flash unit for one hour
prior to it s initial use and af ter an extended period of inactivi ty
(more t han t wo weeks). If the unit is left unused f or a few
mont hs, or the unit has been used predominantly at low power
set tings, we recommend that the power be increased t o the
maximum and the unit le ft switched on (w ith the modeling lamp
OFF) for at least 3 0 minutes, to help preser ve the lif e of the
capacitors.
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Flash Settings
Flash Output
The ash power output is variable over a four
f/stop range ( ve f/stops) from full power to 1/ 16
power in 1/10 f/stop increments. The power is
displayed on t he LCD screen. Minimum set ting is
2.0 and the maximum is 6.0. Pressing the up and
down t ouch-pad but tons under the LCD changes
the value by 0.1 f-stop (a total of 40 values). If the
current value is 5.6 and you want to reduce the
power by one s top, set the power to 4 .6.
“Auto-Dump” Feature
While raising the ash power requires no
special consideration, lowering the power
does. Excess power that has built up in the
system’s capacitors must be released. The
VSD Monolight employs an “auto- dump“
or “auto-bleed” feat ure to accomplish t his,
in order to avoid the necessit y of manually
popping the ash after every adjustment.
When lowering the power, expect the ash
to aut omatically re to release the excess
power.
Caution: To avoid eye damage, do not look into the strobe while ring. Do not re the ash
in close proximity to the face. Turn the unit off when changing attachments.
Setting Power
6.0 Full Power
5.0 1/2 Power
4.0 1/4 Power
3.0 1/8 Power
2.0 1/16 Power
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Modeling Lamp Settings
There are three modes for the modeling light:
Proportional, Full, and Of f. You can choose a mode by
pressing the modeling lamp control button, w hich is
to the lef t of the FU LL and PROP LEDs. Each time you
press, the mode will change.
Proportional Mode
During normal use, most photographers will use a
monolight in “proportional” mode. The modeling light
intensity will increase or decrease in response to
changes in the ash power. In this mode, the PROP
LED will be lit and adjustments to t he ash power
but tons will also adjust the power to t he modeling
lamp proportionally.
Full Mode
The VSD allows you to se t the ash and modeling
light to differen t intensities. You may wish to reduce
the in tensit y of the modeling lamp but keep the ash
power where it is . Depress t he up or down modeling
lamp buttons to the desired level on the digital
readout (2 .0 t o 6. 0). W hen you are nished adjusting
the modeling light, the digital readout will blink four
times before re tur ning to display ash power. The
FULL status LED will be lit during this mode.
Modeling light and ash power
are controlled simultaneously.
Modeling light and ash power
are controlled independently.
Off
To turn off the modeling light, depress the modeling
light but ton until the lamp is ex tinguished. The PROP
and FULL status LEDs will be off.
Modeling light is off.
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Triggering the Flash
TEST Button
There are three ways to trigger your ash, but the simplest is to press the TEST button.
This is useful when you need to discharge the power buil t up in the ash unit, for example
just before replacing t he ashtube (more on that later).
Sync Connection
The sync jack on the V SD Monolight may be used for
direct connection to a camera set to ‘ X’ synchronizat ion.
Inser t the “PC” end of the supplied sync cord in to the
connec tion on your camera and the other mini-plug end
into the sync jack on the back panel of the VSD. A radio
slave receiver may also be plugged into t his jack.
Photocell
The VSD Monolight features a photocell which allows t he
flash unit to be triggered by another flash. This is called
“optical slave mode.” The photocell is located
underneat h the red transparent cover on top of the unit .
The photocell is very sensitive but some experimentation
wit h positioning may be necessary to ensure a reliable
trigger, par ticularly if t he cell is not in the direct line of
sight of the triggering ash unit. Avoid direct ly
illuminating the photocell from a continuous light source
(such as ceiling lights or windows) since this can prevent
correct operation. Very high ceilings can also affect the
operation of the photocell.
Sync connection: step 1
Sync connection: step 2
To operate your V SD as a “slave” to anot her ash,
disconnect any sync cords and press the “eye” but ton
until the bot tom status L ED is on. The two LEDs above
this light are reserved for future features . The bot tom
LED must be lit to be in slave mode.
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Slave Mode
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Audible Beep Settings
To Turn the Audible Beep Off
A beep will sound when the ash has recycled and is
ready t o ash again. You can turn this audible beep off
by pressing the AUDIO but ton wit h the musical eighth
notes. The small LE D nex t to this button will not be lit
when the audible beep has been turned off.
If you have turned t he audible beep of f, you can still
conrm that the ash has recycled and is ready to re
by looking at the small L ED next to the TEST button .
When t he ash has recycled, this LE D will be lit.
Audible beep is off.
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Use of Umbrellas and Softboxes
Umbrellas
An umbrella with a shaft diameter of up to 8mm can be secured in the umbrella holder.
Firmly press the umbrella shaft t hrough the holder. The locking knob is located beneat h
the holder. Do not overt ighten to avoid damaging the shaf t of the umbrella.
The monolight can be
pointed up or down by
loosening the release lever.
Adjust to your preferred
angle and then tighten the
lever back down.
Softboxes
The VSD Monolight accepts sof tboxes with a Bowen moun t-design speed ring. Install the
sof tbox the same way you install reectors. Match up the three tabs at the back of the
sof tbox speed ring w it h the three slots on t he ash head. Pres s in and t urn clockwise
until the sof tbox locks in place.
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Changing the Flashtube
Discharge the Flash Unit
The charge in t he flash unit must be discharged before removing the flashtube. Make
sure the flash unit is on. Push the TE ST but ton on the rear panel o f the flash. The unit will
flash, discharging the power. Immediately turn of f the power swi tch on the rear panel.
Unplug the power cord from the power source. It is advisable to wait at least 3 0 minutes
before touching or removing the flashtube.
Remove Old Flashtube
First , remove the reflect or. Then, using white cot ton gloves or a clean clo th, remove the
modeling lamp. You will need to remove the retention spring wrapped around t he top of
the flashtube. W ith needle-nose pliers, unhook the retention spring loop. Using white
cot ton gloves or a clean cloth, grip the base of t he flashtube on each side. Carefully pull
the flashtube from the flash unit .
Install New Flashtube
Make sure the power s wi tch is o ff and the power cord is disconnected from the source.
Locate the two flash tube pin socket s below the modeling lamp socket. Using w hite
cot ton gloves or a clean cloth, push the pins of the flashtube in to the sockets using firm,
even pressure at t he base of the flash tube. With needle-nose pliers, fas ten t he retention
spring over t he hook above the flasht ube. Re-insert the modeling lamp using white cot ton
gloves or a clean cloth. Re-install the reflector.
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Changing the Fuse
A 6A fuse is mounted in the rear panel and protect s the circui tr y of the flash unit . Turn of f
the unit and disconnect t he power supply before changing the fuse. Never replace wi th a
fuse of a dif ferent t ype or rat ing. A spare 6 A fuse is t ted within the fuse holder. Use a
small screwdriver to release the fuse cover. Remove the old fuse, place the new fuse in
the slot, then replace the fuse holder.
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Best Practices
As wi th any ash unit , the useful life of the ashtube and the unit as a whole depends on
the way it is used. Avoiding excessive heat is the key to long life.
• The f ast recycling feature of the VSD Series allows a rapid sequence of high-power
ashes. However, this feature should be used sparingly, since continuous rapid ashing
can cause overheating and subsequent damage to the ashtube and possibl y the
internal electronics.
• Rapid sequences of ashes should always be followed by a reasonable cooling period,
10 to 20 minu tes w it hout ashing, or at a substantially reduced rate.
• Dimming or t urning the modeling lamp of f will reduce heat generation.
• Avoid rapid high-power ashing when using restrictive reectors such as snoots or
grid reectors, part icularly i f the unit is poin ting downward.
• Do not ash over 12 shots per minute for more than 10 minu tes.
• Do not ash over 8 shots per minute f or more than 30 minutes.
• Take special care when shooting in a high-temperature environment .
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Safety and Maintenance Notes
Safety Notes
• Do not use your ash in an environment w here mois ture
may come in contact w it h the unit .
• A re hazard exists if ammable materials are placed in close proximit y
to the ash tube or the modeling lamp. Do not use your ash
in an environmen t where ammable vapors are present .
• Do not res trict the ventilation holes when the ash is in use.
• Always swi tch off the power and disconnect the power cord
before changing t he fuse, modeling lamp, or ashtube.
• Avoid placing cables where they can be tripped over.
Replace damaged cords immediately.
• Never use a ash unit with damaged covers, moldings, ashtube,
or modeling lamp. If the unit is dropped or damaged,
have it checked by a professional repair service before using.
• Due to the high-voltage circuitr y inside this dev ice,
do not attempt to disassemble or repair the unit yourself.
• Keep out of the reach of children.
Maintenance Notes
• Turn the power of f and unplug the power cord when the ash is not in use.
• We recommend charging the ash unit for one to two hour s prior to its initial use
and af ter an extended period of inactivit y (more than two weeks).
• If the uni t is left unused for a few months, or the unit has been used predominantly
at low power set tings, we recommend that the power be increased
to the maximum and the uni t left swi tched on (w it h the modeling lamp OF F)
occasionally for at least 3 0 minutes to help preser ve the life of the capacitors.
• Avoid rapid, high-power ashing, especially when using rest ric tive reectors
such as snoot s or grids. Excessive heat will shorten the lifespan of your ash unit,
modeling lamp, and ashtube.
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Specications
Model VSD-160 VSD-300
Flash Output 160 Watt/sec 30 0 Wat t/sec
Flash Variations 1/16 – Full
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Guide Number
Power Suppl y 110V AC / 6 0 Hz
Recycle Time 1-2 seconds @ min. power
Modeling Lamp 60 Watts 100 Watts
Color Temperature 56 00 ±2 00°K
Flash Triggering sync cord, slave cell, test button
Trigger Voltage 4.3V DC
Sync Range ≥10m
Dimensions (mm) 11.6˝ x 8 .4˝ x 6.1˝ (with reector)
11.6˝ x 8 .4˝ x 5. 2˝ (with protective cap)
Weight 3.5 lb
GN4 0 GN55
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Guide N umber is cal culated at 2 m, ISO 10 0, 1/6 0, using t he included r eecto r, and is a star ting po int.
You shou ld perfo rm your ow n evaluat ions to det ermine t he result s you pref er.
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One-Year Limited Warranty
This IMPACT product is warranted to the original purchaser to be free from
defects in materials and workmanship under normal consumer use for a period of
one (1) year from the original purchase date or thirty (30) days after replacement,
whichever occurs later. The warranty provider’s responsibility with respect
to this limited warranty shall be limited solely to repair or replacement, at the
provider’s discretion, of any product that fails during normal use of this product in
its intended manner and in its intended environment. Inoperability of the product
or part(s) shall be determined by the warranty provider. If the product has been
discontinued, the warranty provider reserves the right to replace it with a model
of equivalent quality and function.
This warranty does not cover damage or defect caused by misuse, neglect,
accident, alteration, abuse, improper installation or maintenance. EXCEPT AS
PROVIDED HEREIN, THE WARRANTY PROVIDER MAKES NEITHER ANY EXPRESS
WARRANTIES NOR ANY IMPLIED WARRANTIES, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED
TO ANY IMPLIED WARRANTY OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A
PARTICULAR PURPOSE. This warranty provides you with specic legal rights, and
you may also have additional rights that vary from state to state.
To obtain warranty coverage, contact the Impact Customer Service Department
to obtain a return merchandise authorization (“RMA”) number, and return the
defective product to Impact along with the RMA number and proof of purchase.
Shipment of the defective product is at the purchaser’s own risk and expense.
For more information or to arrange service, visit www.impactstudiolighting.com
or call Customer Service at 212-594-2353.
Product warranty provided by the Gradus Group.
www.gradusgroup.com
IMPACT is a registered trademark of the Gradus Group.
© 2014 Gradus Group LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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