Originally posted by LSAGuy I bought the complete replacement assembly with the white solenoid from USCamera for $35. Anyone replaced the whole assembly? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Rick
---------- Post added 10-02-18 at 07:26 AM ----------
I just compared the new assembly with the photograph of the solenoid on page one of this discussion. The difference in the new board (mfg date of 9/9/2017) is the neodymium magnet has been moved up so that there is a 1.5 mm (eye ball measurement
) gap between the magnet and the plastic coil bobbin. This seems to support the argument that the fix reduces the magnetic force drawing the plunger in.
Rick
Last week I received a Aperture controll block from USCamera which they call the
Diaphragm Control Block . It was an expensive deal because of added VAT.
It has the China made green solenoid on it.
But it was a very useful buy because I could do some tests with it:
With the China green solenoid the release time of the horseshoe was 10 ms
Then I installed a white solenoid from a defunct Pentax K10D: Release time was 2 ms!
This explains what I always felt I heard as a difference and noticed also when I did a series of shots:
With the white Solenoid the K30 (and the others) shoot faster and more precise.
I have several times asked member LSAGuy to upload a photo or send me one of his block which he claimed had the white solenoid on it.
He never did, he wrote to me that he did not install the block into his body but purchased an used Pentax K20D instead.
I very much daubt that he got it with a white solenoid because several people I know of have meanwhile ordered the same unit:
All with the green solenoid!
Logic! Because the white solenoid is no longer manufactured since a long time!
I know that somebody was able to buy some white NOS (New Old Stock) solenoids in Tokyo Akihabara but I never found any direct link where one could get them directly from Japan
Last edited by photogem; 02-08-2019 at 03:23 AM.