How'd you know when your flash is dying?

[p3eps]

I'be been trying to play a round this afternoon, and everything I've hit goes really short, and is unusually bendy! I'm wondering if it's me or the GC2?!
I usually hit a driver about 230 / 250 yards... and most of my shots are going about 120 / 150.

My Flash counter says 32057 2 if that means anything to anyone?

[Ronsc1985]

After taking apart a failed flash module I found the flash tube in pieces i.e. the glass envelope cracked. At that point there are no different shots just no shots registered.

When mine stopped it just quit registering shots. I hit a drive on the eighth at Pebble Beach which went just fine and then no more shots registered until I changed the module. By that time I had cooled off and hit the iron into the Pacific Ocean.

Unless you flash driver board is screwed up, bad capacitor, driver etc. then the flash tube is either working or it isn't. Maybe there is some other failure mode but I'd guess your swing is having an off day. The only things in the flash module are the flash tube and a tiny trigger transformer.

[p3eps]

Thanks for the reply.
Hmmm... Must just be me then!
I can understand me developing a hook, but I really don't get the distance thing.
How many shots are you meant to get out of a flash?

[Ronsc1985]

Thanks for the reply.
Hmmm... Must just be me then!
I can understand me developing a hook, but I really don't get the distance thing.
How many shots are you meant to get out of a flash?

I don't think anyone knows how many shots you get. The tube flashes between 7 and 12 times depending on how fast the ball is moving. Fast moving less flashes, slow moving like putting and chipping more. As to distance the way the unit operates is it draws a line from the start point to wherever the ball lands and then stops rolling. So if you hit a real bender the distance calculated will be less for the same ball speed, launch angle and spin then if you hit it straight.

I'm kind of taking an educated guess about how it calculates distance based on what I observed in an FSX demo Foresight gave me which for some reason displayed the vectors from the hitting spot to the ball.

BTW fixing the flash module flash tube is really easy. There are threads in this forum about how to do it and where to get a replacement flash tube.

The flash unit I am presently using is one I repaired. I have no idea how long it will last but I do have about 200 or so high speed shots so far. Now that the weather is cooling off and my garage is a reasonable temperature I should start accumulating more shots.

At the cost of 5.95 for a flash tube if it lasts 1000 shots fine by me since replacing the flash tube is about a 5 minute job once you get the flash module case apart.

[p3eps]

I read your thread about repairing the flash modules, and have full intentions of trying that instead of buying a new one when mine does eventually go. I still have the spare that came with the unit, so I can experiment with the current one.
I spend half my days soldering at work anyway, so I'm fairly competent / confident with a soldering iron! I'd rather spend a few £'s every few months than a few hundred every year on a flash. Hopefully your DIY effort lasts as long as the standard one though.

My bendy shots aren't 'that' bendy! They're still landing on the hole I'm playing. Just significantly shorter than expected. Some are still on the fairway.
I'm done for the day... so will try again tomorrow and hope that it was just a bad swing day!

[FaultyClubs]

How many shots are you meant to get out of a flash?

They used to say,

"Our Infrared Flash Module quickly and easily replaces your expired infrared flash. (Rated for an average of 30,000 - 40,000 shots per flash unit)."

With all the games foresight is playing with their current flash modules no one knows what to expect.

They used to include a flash counter so you could track your flash usage but latest versions deleted it.

[p3eps]

I have the old FW with the flash counter. It must be 32000 shots then, so is closing in on its limit. Might be time to order some of the xenon tubes for a bit of DIY!!

[FaultyClubs]

I don't have the old firmware but my understanding is the flash counter measures flashes, not shots.

[p3eps]

I'm not sure? If the counter is measuring flashes, and I get 8-12 flashes per shot - and 30000 to 40000 shots... I've still got a looooonnnng way to go with this flash!

[mthunt]

Has anyone tried the new super flash? Mine is missing a lot of 90-110 yard wedges. Foresight said I need the stronger new flash. I might try it.

[FaultyClubs]

How much does the super flash cost in Canada...$700? For a $5 flash with no warranty!

Maybe the better question is who has bought the temporary flash and how long did it last?
If you aren't going the DIY route then I'd be tempted to buy that one. How bad can it be?

[Ronsc1985]

I'm not sure? If the counter is measuring flashes, and I get 8-12 flashes per shot - and 30000 to 40000 shots... I've still got a looooonnnng way to go with this flash!

Should be easy to tell. Hit a shot and see how much the count changes

[kinitex@gmail.com]

The flash counter does count flashes, not shots. Mine goes up by 12 after almost every shot, where the odd shot will have a few less flashes than 12. Mine is currently at 60k and I have no issues what so ever. I had some posts about concerns with low spin readings, but it was actually accurate and it was just my swing/clubs which I confirmed with another Golf Town GC2.

I would start with making sure your GC2 hasn't moved, and its full opened with the bottom lip fully extended back. If that checks out, run the calibration tool as maybe something went whack on you.

[mthunt]

Ya run calibration. It's a quick easy test. PM me if you need it.

[dannyboy123]

How did you get on? Maybe you need a newer firmware if running fsx, guessing you are running 3.1? If you do order any new flash tubes order me a couple, could pick them up in the way to work

[p3eps]

I haven't had a chance to try out the calibration utility yet. I only get to play indoor golf with real balls at the weekend at the moment as my daughter is teething - and sleeping very lightly. The constant thudding wakes her up!!

I'm running an old FW as it was the one recommended for TGC. I downgraded my GC2.
The numbers on the GC2's display match the FSX shots.

If I'm ordering the xenon tubes, I'll get a few. The shipping cost is more than the tubes, so it makes sense to get a stock!

[SFR]

As far as flash count goes, I have seen one at a Golf Town as high as 570,000 plus flashes and they were having issues where it would read a few shots and then not read for about 5 or more shots. Sit for a while and then read a few more, so this would be a flash that is almost done. If you average 10 flashes for a shot and are to get 30,000 to 40,000 shots then this would be a flash count in the 400,000 range. So they did well with theirs.

As far as the new super flash. It sounds like the older GC2 units need something done to them in order to use the new super flash. What this tells me is that it is the newer GC2 units that have changed and possibly why the old flashes seemed to cause short life in them.

I have never read where that change happened and what serial number it would have changed at. So I wonder if it is more the new parts in the new GC2's rather than the flash parts changing. I'm sure they will never say anything.

[FaultyClubs]

...As far as the new super flash. It sounds like the older GC2 units need something done to them in order to use the new super flash. What this tells me is that it is the newer GC2 units that have changed and possibly why the old flashes seemed to cause short life in them.

I have never read where that change happened and what serial number it would have changed at. So I wonder if it is more the new parts in the new GC2's rather than the flash parts changing. I'm sure they will never say anything.

Jasonsmith from the other site posted this:

"Beware that not all GC2s will work with the new super Flash unit. GC2 units with SN4600 or lower will find that the flash board will need to be"upgraded" at the cost of around £80"

If it is new parts in the gc2 then everyone should be finding they are getting super flash results since then, or finding normal flashes perform poorly since then. I haven't noticed either of those results posted so the changes in the unit might not be significant to this issue.