Paul C. Buff, Inc. Technical Forum

I just got my new CSRB+ and a CC. If I plug my CSRB+ into my AB800 with the phone jack the strobe will not fire properly. The flash tube faintly flickers. However it will fire fine with the regular sync cord. When the phone cord is used the dump light remains lit. I switched cords and also switched my AB800, still the same result. Please help, is there something wrong with my new CSRB+?

Make sure you leave a dummy plug (or your sync cord but disconnected from your CC or camera) plugged into the AB when the phone jack is used. Also did you setup the CC with all your lights per instructions first?

RMS

Yes the dummy cord is in, also the CC is setup. Thank you for your ideas.

Press up on the left joystck, this will refresh the command. Also, be sure the light's power is dialed up to at least -5f or higher (the vertical bar should show atleast some blue).

To be clear.... This was happening before I even took my CC out of the box. As soon as the receiver is plugged in via the phone cord this happens. I was testing it using the test button. I only tried the CC after switching to the sync cord.

Well I guess that I should not have assumed that the batteries that were shipped with the receiver were good. I Changed them and all is well.

Plugging in the RJ11 (telephone) cord overrides the back panel. It is not unexpected to have a light switch so that the red dump light comes on and a tickle flash fire upon initial connection, so the absence of CC would only reinforce this. As for the batteries, we do get these in bulk, and there may be bad cells out there. However, changing batteries may have simply reset the receiver from any settings made in testing, giving the appearance the old batteries were faulty.

I've seen no mention of doing "Open Studio" on the CC and setting this system up. If this isn't done the CSRB+ can't know where to set the lights and the results reported would be expected.

You were right all along, it was a setup problem with the CC after all. Thanks so much.

Got my CC and three CSRB+ units today - two work beautifully, the third was fine for a number of test shots then went gray. Guess I'll be stopping by Wallyworld for a huge pack of AAs ... I can't afford another yet another case of rechargeable AAs for these guys. :-)

If that doesn't work, I'll run the test setup AGAIN (did so 3 times, which is why I think it's a battery issue.)