Question regarding wireless rf triggers

[Ridge Meadows Photography]

We have wireless trigger setup for our strobes .. it is NOT your $300 "pocket wizard" .. but I also don't need to be 300yds away .. we're right beside the strobes ..
Anyway .. when we purchased it it worked perfectly .. the batteries wore down and it started triggering the strobes randomly .. I replaced the batteries and we have moved a little bit of a different placement but even with the new batteries (energizer rechargables) in the master and slave units ..it still sets off the slave randomly ..
Is this a problem with interfering frequencies ..wifi.. cordless phones .. etc. ?
or possibly something else ..
Any experience or input greatly appreciated

thanks in advance ..

 

[andrew99]

What kind of triggers are they?

 

[Don Kondra]

Alkaline batteries are recommended

I have no idea how/why that would matter....

Cheers, Don

 

[Garbz]

Alkaline batteries are recommended

I have no idea how/why that would matter....

Long shelf life. Same reason an Alkaline lasts a year in a remote but your NiMhas need to be charged every 2 months.

Sorry no solution to the original problem. Just that I was looking into a unit for my friend (ebay Cactus trigger) which was only triggering twice and giving up. My conclusion is the unit was .... cactus. (pants for the British out there). They seem to be exceptionally poorly built but when you get a good one they are worth every one of their few cents.

 

[table1349]

We have wireless trigger setup for our strobes .. it is NOT your $300 "pocket wizard" .. but I also don't need to be 300yds away .. we're right beside the strobes ..
Anyway .. when we purchased it it worked perfectly .. the batteries wore down and it started triggering the strobes randomly .. I replaced the batteries and we have moved a little bit of a different placement but even with the new batteries (energizer rechargables) in the master and slave units ..it still sets off the slave randomly ..
Is this a problem with interfering frequencies ..wifi.. cordless phones .. etc. ?
or possibly something else ..
Any experience or input greatly appreciated

thanks in advance ..

There Broken???

Seriously, narrowing it down to their not Pocket Wizards really doesn't supply enough information for people to provide much of an answer.

On a side note, I don't use my Pocket Wizards at great distances all that much either. Yet to have a misfire with them. When the batteries wear down they stop triggering. Replace the batteries they work perfectly. That's one of the reasons they are more expensive. I got mine for $179 each, not $300.
801125 Pocket-Wizard Plus II Auto Sensing Smart Transceiver with a Range of up to 1600 Feet
$154.99 right now with rebate.

 

[Phranquey]

Alkaline batteries are recommended

I have no idea how/why that would matter....

Cheers, Don

At least use aklalines for attempting to diagnose a problem. Rechargeables can be too much of an unknown.....If they are new, was the initial charge done properly.... how many times have they been cycled, etc.

There Broken???

Seriously, narrowing it down to their not Pocket Wizards really doesn't supply enough information for people to provide much of an answer.

On a side note, I don't use my Pocket Wizards at great distances all that much either. Yet to have a misfire with them. When the batteries wear down they stop triggering. Replace the batteries they work perfectly. That's one of the reasons they are more expensive. I got mine for $179 each, not $300.
801125 Pocket-Wizard Plus II Auto Sensing Smart Transceiver with a Range of up to 1600 Feet
$154.99 right now with rebate.

Are PW's finally feeling some pinch from Poppers & CyberSyncs?? That's not a bad price, but still a little too rich for me. If I ever see them at $99.99, then I'll grab a set.

 

[table1349]

At least use aklalines for attempting to diagnose a problem. Rechargeables can be too much of an unknown.....If they are new, was the initial charge done properly.... how many times have they been cycled, etc.



Are PW's finally feeling some pinch from Poppers & CyberSyncs?? That's not a bad price, but still a little too rich for me. If I ever see them at $99.99, then I'll grab a set.

Na. Poppers really don't enter the equation unless you are only doing TTL strobe stuff. They can't trigger studio stuff and the PX is still not on the shelves.

Cybersyncs seem like a good product, but the PW's are the industry standard. More products come PW compatable/ready than any other I am aware of. Hey everyone is giving price breaks right now. Except Nikon at least.

 

[Ejazzle]

so that link to the PW is one that goes on the camera and one that goes on the flash?

 

[table1349]

so that link to the PW is one that goes on the camera and one that goes on the flash?

Yes, they are tranmitters and receivers.

 

[ksmattfish]

Go to Strobist.com. There is a lot of info on the various radio triggers there, the problems people have with them, and how they solve them (if possible). From what little I've read many of the cheap Ebay models have quality control issues; if you get good ones they work fine, if not.... Do you know anyone who messes with electronics? Maybe they could look inside and see if they can spot any obvious problems. I know very little about electronics, but I've managed to get into a few accessories and re-solder loose wires.

 

[Phranquey]

Go to Strobist.com. There is a lot of info on the various radio triggers there, the problems people have with them, and how they solve them (if possible). From what little I've read many of the cheap Ebay models have quality control issues; if you get good ones they work fine, if not.... Do you know anyone who messes with electronics? Maybe they could look inside and see if they can spot any obvious problems. I know very little about electronics, but I've managed to get into a few accessories and re-solder loose wires.

Knock on wood...... I've had pretty good luck with the Cactus V2's (after the mods). I've heard more people have trouble with them than not, though.