VISICO Excel Series User manual

VC-HS III
Thank you for selecting this professional flash unit .
Please read these instruction carefully and keep them handy for your reference .
VCHH II series of flash light is powerful, flexible in positioning and ease of use,
meets the standards demanded in professional studios today .
Please ensure that you are completely familiar with the operations and features of
your new flash before using it .
Studio Flash

01/02
Table of Contents
2/Content of carton
1/Safety notes
When using this photo flash unit, basic safety precautions should always
be followed, including the following:
1. Read and understand all instructions before using.
2. Close supervision is necessary when any appliance is used by or near
children. Do not leave appliance unattended while in use.
3. Care must be taken as burns can occur from touching hot parts.
4. Do not operate appliance with a damaged cord or if the appliance has
been dropped or damaged – until it has been examined by a qualified
technician.
5. Position the cord so that it will not be tripped over, pulled, or contact
hot surfaces.
6. If an extension cord is necessary, a cord with a current rating at least
equal to that of the appliance should be used. Cords rated for less
amperage than the appliance may overheat.
7. Always unplug appliance from electrical outlet before cleaning and
servicing and when not in use. Never yank cord to pull plug from outlet.
Grasp plug and pull to disconnect.
8. Let appliance cool completely before putting away. Loop cord loosely
around appliance when storing.
9. To reduce the risk of electric shock, do not immerse this appliance in
water or other liquids.
10. To reduce the risk of electric shock, do not disassemble this appliance,
but take it to a qualified technician when service or repair work is
required. Incorrect reassembly can cause electric shock when the
appliance is used subsequently.
11. The use of an accessory attachment not recommended by the
manufacturer may cause a risk of fire, electric shock, or injury to
persons.
12. Connect this appliance to a grounded outlet.
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Technical Data
Description Page
Safety Notes 
Content of Carton
Name of Parts
Button Function
Prepare Flash for Use
Power Supply Connection
Sync Cord Connection

Test Button
Operating Audible Beep
Operating Modeling Lamp
Operating Photocell
Wireless Flash Trigger
Flash Mode-Multi Stroboscopic Flash
Constant Color Mode ON/OFF
Use of Umbrellas and Softboxes
Changing Flash Tube
Changing Fuse
Protection Feature
Best Practice
Maintenance Notes
Error codes
USB Firmware Update
Setting Channel
Setting Group
Flash Mode-M Manual Flash
Flash unit
Reflector
4m Power cable
4m Sync Cable
User Guide
.
.
.
.
.
15
15
15

03/04
3/Name of Parts
A. Photocell
B. Handle
C. LCD screen
D. Operation button
E. Regulator
F. Main power switch
G. Umbrella hole
H. Adjusting lever
I. USB upgrade terminal
J. Power cable input
K. Fuse holder and spare fuse
L. Sync cord input
M. Umbrella locking knob
N. Light stand locking knob
4/Button Function
Button Operation Function
MODE Short Press Select M/MULIT in sequence
MODEL Short Press Adjust brightness of
modeling lamp
AUDIO
SLAVE
TEST
Regulator
Short Press
Short Press
Short Press
Short Press (In Multi
Mode)
Turn on and off audio beep
Turn on and off optical slave
Test
Set number of flash and
flash frequency
Long Press 4 seconds
Long Press 4 seconds
Rotate
Set color temperature mode
Set channel, group
Adjust parameter
5/Prepare Flash for Use
5-1 Fix flash on Light stand
Select a light stand or support system of suitable weight and dimensions
to ensure stable operation of the unit. Rotating “Light Stand Locking knob”
clockwise to lock flash unit firmly on support system.
Figure 1 Figure 2
5-2 Remove Protective Cap
Please remove the rubber cap on the latch knob before use (Figure 1a).
To remove protective cap, push “reflector Release Knob” back towards
the rear of the unit and rotate protective cap anti clockwise (Figure 1b).
Put the protective cap aside.
CAUTION: Do not operate the flash with the protective cover still in
place. To avoid deformation of plastic protective cap, always cool down
flash unit before fitting protective cap.

Figure 1 Figure 2
05/06
Figure3Figure4
5-4 Adjust Angle of Flash Light
Rotate regulating level counterclockwise
to adjust the unit to appropriate angle.
Rotate regulator clockwise to tight flash
head. The regulating level is limited
under housing. Before regulating level
touching housing, pull it to adjust its angle.
6/ Power Supply Connection
Use only the mains leads supplied to connect to the main power.
Before plugging the power cord into the wall socket, make
certain that the power switch is set to the OFF (“0” position).
Press “Power Switch” to “I” position, turn on flash light.
7/ Operating Modeling Lamp
Shortly press [MODEL] button, brightness
of modeling lamp varies in sequence
(OFF/1/2/3/4/5/6). Brightness of modeling
lamp reaches max. at 6.
5-3 Install Standard Reflector
Install standard reflector where the protective cap was before. Align the
three pegs on the reflector with the three slots, press the reflector in and
rotate clockwise until it locks in place(Figure 2a & 2b).
CAUTION: Always switch off the unit before fitting and changing reflectors.
Take care when fitting or removing reflectors or soft boxes not to damage
the flash tubes. The flash tube is very delicate; avoid unnecessary
handling of the flash tube.
8/ Operating Audible Beep
Short press [AUDIO] button to turn ON or
OFF audible beeper.
Turning beep ON, the trumpet symbol
appears and a beep will sound once when
the flash is recycled and ready to flash.
Turning beep OFF will allow the modeling
lamp to turn off automatically while the
flash is fired.
9/ Test Button
The simplest way to trigger the flash is to press the [TEST] button.
This is useful when you need to discharge the power built up in the
flash unit, for example, just before replacing flash tube.
10/ Operating Photocell
The photocell is located behind the red transparent cover on the top
and at the back of the unit. Press [SLAVE] button to turn ON or OFF
the photocell. When photocell is on, it enables the unit to be triggered
by another flash unit or an optical flash trigger.
Note: The photocell is very sensitive but some experimentation with
positioning may be necessary to ensure a reliable trigger, particularly
if the cell is not in the direct line of sight of the triggering flash unit.
Avoid directly illuminating the photocell from a continuous light
source (such as ceiling lights or windows)since this can prevent
correct operation.

07/08
Caution:
1. When transmitter (VC-816TX, VC-16TX, VC-801TX, VC-818TX,
VC-818S, VC-818TX II) and flash are set at the same channel,
the flash can be triggered by VISICO transmitter.
2. When transmitter (VC-801TX, VC-818TX, VC-818S, VC-818TX II)
and flash are set at the same channel and group, the transmitter
can adjust flash power and turn ON/OFF modeling lamp.
11/Sync Cord Connection
The “Sync Cord Input” on the flash may be used for direct connection to
a camera set to synchronization by a sync cord.
1 2 3 4 5
12/ Wireless Radio Trigger
The flash unit has 2.4G build-in radio receiver module,
enable the flash to be triggered by VISICO transmitter
(VC-816TX, VC-16TX, VC-801TX, VC-818TX,
VC-818TX II and VC-818S). Transmitter doesn't
include in the package, please purchase separately.
12-1 Setting Channel
Long press [SLAVE] button 4 seconds
to access to channel “ch”. Rotate
[regulator] to set the desired
channel (CH 1-32).
12-2 Setting Group
Long press [SLAVE] button 4 seconds
to access to channel “ch”. Short press
[SLAVE] button once to access to
group “Gr”. Rotate [regulator] to set
the desired group(A-E).
12-3 Press [SLAVE] button to memorize the settings and display
the flash output power again.
Please refer to the following table to set up channel number of
transmitter VC-816TX, VC-16TX, and VC-801TX.
6 7 8 9 10
11 12 13 14 15
13/ Flash Mode – M Manual Mode
When use flash in manual mode, output
power of studio flash is adjustable from
1.0 to 6.0 with 0.1 f-stop increment.
1) Set flash mode <M>
Shortly press [MODE] button, flash mode
set as <M>.
2) Set flash output power
Rotate [regulator] to adjust flash output power.

09/10
14 Flash Mode-Multi Stroboscopic Flash
According to one shutter signal, the flash will generate a series of fast
flashes, and multiply images will be integrated in one picture. It is useful
to capture trajectory of a moving object. You can set output power of
flash light, flash frequency and number of flashes. Maximum number
of flashes is 20 and maximum flash frequency is 20Hz.
Output power Max. number
of flashes
Max. flash
frequency
1.0
1.1~2.0
2.1~3.0
3.1~4.0
20
20 15
20 10
20 5
1) Set Flash Mode <Multi>
Shortly press [MODE] button, the
flash will set as <Multi>.
2) Set Flash Output
Rotate [regulator] to set flash
output power.
3) Set number of flashes
Shortly press [regulator], number of flashes parameter blinks.
Rotate [regulator] to set number of flashes(1-20).
4) Set flash frequency
Shortly press [regulator] twice, flash frequency “Hz” blinks. Rotate
[regulator] to set flash frequency(1-20).
20
5) Press [regulator] button to memorize the settings.
Caution: To prevent flash damage from overheating, don't continuously
use stroboscopic flashes more than 10 times. After 10 times, please
rest flash at least 15 minutes. If overheating protection is active, flash
will stop firing, please cool down flash for 30 minutes.
Note:
Use stroboscopic flash in a dark environment is more effective.
Maximum output power of stroboscopic flash is 4.0.
To ensure shooting effect, you may use the formula below to
calculate the shutter speed and set it with the camera.
Shutter Speed=Number of Flashes / Flash Frequency
15 Constant Color Mode ON/OFF
Setting color temperature
Long press [AUDIO] button 4s till “F1” shows
on the display.
Rotate [regulator] to set “ON” or “OFF”.
When constant color temperature mode is
active <ON>, despite variation of flash output
power or high-speed sync, the color
temperature of the flash remains 5600±200K.
When constant color temperature mode is
inactive <OFF>, flash duration is the first
concern, and color temperature varies.
Flash duration can reach 1/10000s, which
can be used for freezing fast moving object.
Long press [AUDIO] button 4 seconds to memorize the settings and
display the flash output power again.

11/12
16/Use of Umbrellas and Softboxes
An umbrella with a handle diameter of 8-10mm can be firmly secured
in the umbrella holder.
Firmly press the umbrella shaft through the holder. The locking knob
is located on the side .Do not over tighten to avoid damaging the
shaft of the umbrella
When the standard reflector is used, fit the umbrella in the hole of
the reflector.
Use of a heavy accessory such as a large softbox can make the flash
unstable. However, it is possible to re-balance the flash by sliding the
flash unit along its mounting bracket. Release the screw at the top of
the mounting bracket. Slide the flash unit along its mounting bracket
towards the front of the flash so that head doesn't tilt down. Don't forget
to retighten the screw. Make certain that your set up is stable before
proceeding. Pull the handle to make the lock turn completely to avoid
the scratch on the side of flash.
17/Changing the Flash Tube
Discharge the flash Unit
The energy in the flash unit must be discharged before removing the
flash tube. To discharge the Flash unit:
1.Make sure the Flash unit is ON.
2.Push the "Test" button on the rear panel of the flash .Immediately
turn off the power switch .Do not allow more than 1/2 second
between pressing the "Test" button and the power switch .
3.It is recommended to wait at least 30 minutes before touching/
removing the flash tube.
Note: Use white cotton gloves or a clean cloth or glove prevent
fingers from touching the flash tube.
17-1 Remove Old Flash Tube
Use tweezers to untie the wire around the flash tube and the two metal
pieces. Using white cotton gloves or a clean cloth, hold flash tube and
carefully remove the flash tube.
17-2 Install New Flash Tube
Align the pins of the flash tube with the pin receptacles. Push the
pins into the receptacles with firm, even pressure on the flash tube.
Wrap the wire around the two metal pieces and flash tube.

13/14
18/ Changing the Fuse
A fuse is mounted on the rear panel protects the circuitry of the flash unit.
Turn off the studio flash, and disconnect the power supply before
changing the fuse. A spare fuse is fitted in the fuse holder.
Use a small screwdriver to pull out the fuse holder. Change the blown
fuse. Replace the fuse holder.
20/Best Practices
As with any flash units, the useful life of the flash tube and the unit as
a whole depends on the way it is used. Avoiding excessive heat is the
key to long life.
The fast recycling feature of the flash allows a rapid sequence of high
power flashes to be obtained. However this feature should be used
sparingly since continuous rapid flashing can cause overheating and
subsequent damage to the flash tube and possibly the internal
electronics.
Rapid sequences of flashes should always be followed by a reasonable
cooling period, at least 10 to 20 minutes is advised either without
flashing or at a substantially reduced rate. This flash is fitted with a
cooling fan and will cool faster if left switched on–modeling lamp off.
Dimming or turning the modeling lamp off will help prevent overheating.
Avoid rapid high power flashing especially when using restrictive
reflectors such as snoots or grid reflectors, particularly if the unit is
pointing downwards. Excessive heat will shorten the lifespan of your
flash unit, modeling lamp, and flash tube.
Long shooting session at high output at more than 8 times per minutes
should be followed by a reasonable cooling period. At least 10 to
20 minutes is advised either without flashing or at substantially reduced rate.
Do not flash over 12 shots per minute for over 10 minutes
Do not flash over 8 shots per minutes for over 30 minutes
Studio flash
VC-400HS
VC-600HS
Corresponding fuse
12.5A
12.5A
19/ Protection Feature
This unit is equipped with advanced overheating, over voltage, and
over current warning to prevent damage to the internal electronics.
Overheating protection: After a long shooting session at high output,
the recycling time of the flash will increase automatically until the flash
cools down to a safe level and will start working normally again.
Over voltage protection and Over current protection: The flash is
protected against unstable voltages. Over current protection is
especially useful when using a power pack.
21/ Maintenance Notes
Switch off the unit and unplug the power cord when the flash is not
in use.
We recommend charging the flash unit for one to two hours prior to
its initial use and after an extended period of inactivity (more than
two weeks).
If the unit is left unused for a few months, or the unit has been used
predominately at low power settings, we recommend that the power
be increased to the maximum and the unit left switched on for at least
30 minutes(with the modeling lamp OFF) to help preserve the life of
the capacitors.

15/16
22/Error Code
This flash is programmed so that in case of malfunction the LCD display
will show different types of errors blinking continuously in conjunction
with the output of the flash.
E1: Temperature Transducer problem. Turn the unit OFF immediately
and contact the place where you purchase the flash.
E2: This error code can display after a long shooting session at high
output or rapid sequence, Turn OFF the flash and allow it to rest
30 minute
E3: This error code will display when the internal voltage of the flash is
too high, Turn OFF the power immediately. After a few minutes turn
on the flash again, if you still have the malfunction warning, Turn
OFF the unit and contact the place where you purchased the flash.
E4: This error code will display when the charge circuit is wrong. Turn
OFF the unit and contact the place where you purchased the flash.
23/ USB Firmware Update
1）Visit VISICO official website (www.visico.com) to download the
firmware upgrading drive and the firmware of the latest version.
2）Turn off the power, and press and hold [MODE] button, meanwhile,
switch on the power. Then, the screen will display an interface
indicating firmware upgrade is accessible.
3）Connect the flash to PC with a USB cable (not included).
24/Technical Data
Tested with SEKONIC L-758DR Light meter. Using the included reflector.
Due to our policy of constant product improvement we reserve the right
to change equipment specifications without notice.
Output power 400W 600W
Guide No. (2m, ISO 100) 1/60 reflector 70 86
Recycling time at full power
Control range of flash output power
Modeling lamp
0.3s
Full to 1/32 Stepless
25W LED (6 steps adjustable)
0.6s
Color temperature (in constant
color temperature mode) 5600±200K
Flash Mode
Build-in 2.4G radio receiver
Controllable group
Fuse
Stroboscopic flash
Channel number
Triggering method
Cooling Fan
Beep
Bowens mount
Overheating protection
Flash tube
Power source
External port
Accessories Included
M/Multi
Yes
A, B, C, D, E
Number of flashes 20, Frequency 20Hz
1 - 32
Sync cord / Slave sensor / Test button
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Plug in tube (user replaceable)
220-240V~ 50Hz/60Hz
PC port, USB port
Reflector, Power Cord(4m),
Sync Cord(4m), User Guide
Flash duration (not in constant color
temperature mode) up to 1/10000s
12.5A 12.5A
2800g
35x13x13cm
(without reflector)
3140g
35x13x13cm
(without reflector)
Weight
Dimensions