Vivitar 285hv problem

[AndrewK]

Im using a brand new vivitar 285hv and ive been trying to fire it wirelessly using these
http://cgi.ebay.com/4-channel-Wireless-Rem...%3D10%26ps%3D63

I got them pretty recently and they were working perfectly fine up until last night.
The vivitar fires when its on the cameras hotshoe and if i press the red test button on the side of the vivitar, but when i plug in the pointy screw cable thing connected into the port of the vivi, the vivitar does not fire. i have the transmitter on the hot shoe of the camera, and i have new batteries in the vivitar and the reciever, and they are both synced to the same channel.
The weird thing is that the reciever led light thing blinks whenever i press the shutter release so i think the reciever is getting the message, the flash just isnt firing.

Does anyone know what the problem is and if i can fix it? because as of now i cannot use the vivitar wirelessly

 

[tirediron]

I suspect there's something funky with that radio unit. I got exactly the same one in a job lot of flea-market stuff, and it works perfectly EXCEPT when I have have my remote release connected. If I have my remote release connected, the camera fires, but the remotes won't. No idea... anyone else?

 

[Ron Evers]

I thought I had an answer for you until I looked at your radio receiver.

I have a Vivitar DF 383 & radio flash trigger but not the same as yours. My receivers have a hot shoe not cable connection to the flash. I was having the same problem as you until I turned the flash 180° in the receiver hot shoe. :blushing:

My guess is that there is a poor connection between the cable plug & the flash. You could try using some contact cleaner on the jack/plug connection.

 

[AndrewK]

Is that basically compressed air used for cleaning electronics and keyboards and stuff?
If so, just spray it into the little hole in the flash where the cable goes in?

 

[Ron Evers]

Is that basically compressed air used for cleaning electronics and keyboards and stuff?
If so, just spray it into the little hole in the flash where the cable goes in?

You could certainly try that but no, it is a spray can with a cleaning solution for electrical contacts.