Paul C. Buff, Inc. Technical Forum

This week I had the need to add some additional lights into my set. I ended up using 4 WL's and 2 Speedotrons (powered by the 1602 Brownline pack). The lights were to be triggered by a CST on camera, CSR+ on each WL, and a CSRB+ on the Speedotron pack (connected by a household to mini-phone cable).

The Speedotrons would not fire, either from the CST or directly from the CSRB+ test button. The WL's fired perfectly.
I swapped out the cable from the CSRB+-to-Speedotron pack to no avail. Double checked all connections to no avail. I replaced batteries in all units to no avail.
Pressing the test button on the Speedotron pack will fire the lights.

I replaced the CSRB+ with a Pocket Wizard Plus II receive and triggered it with a PW transmitter and the lights fired. So I removed the CS units from the WL's, attached a PW to the main light, and completed my shoot with no further problem.

My question is: What would cause the CS combo to fail to fire the Speedotrons. Obviously it wasn't an issue with the cables or batteries since they worked perfectly with the PW's. Is it possible that the CSRB+ isn't delivering enough power to trigger the Speedotron pack? Its the only thing I can think of...

Most likely a polarity issue. Turn the H plug around so the prongs go in the opposite holes and the problem should disappear.

HA! The only thing I didn't try! Thanks, I'll give it a go tomorrow morning.

A friend w/ cybersyncs asked me to build him a reverse polarity cable for his 805 pack. The wein safe sync is not polarity sensitive, but the cybersync is...

Sorry to revive an old thread, but I'm having almost the exact same problem, except I'm running:

5DmkII-> CST -> CSR+ -> (1/8"->1/4" that came as an accessory) -> Speedotron 805

When I use the above setup, both the CST and CSR+ indicator lights blink, but the Speedotron doesn't fire.

I've tried the following troubleshooting: 5DmkII -> (PC->1/4") -> Speedotron and it works great.

I've tried 5DmkII -> CST -> CSR+ -> (1/8"->hotshoe) -> 580EXII and it works great.

So it sounds like a polarity issue as was diagnosed earlier in the thread. But how do you reverse the polarity on a 1/8"->1/4" cable?

Thanks for any help!
John

Perhaps the 1/8"->1/4" cable is bad. Did you try replacing it with another?

Dang, hadn't thought of that. I only have the one that came with the CSR+ I just received. I'll see what I can find.

No luck. Tried the 1/8"->1/8" cable that cable with the CSR+ (and then added a 1/8"->1/4" adapter) and it didn't work. Just for kicks, I also tried a 1/8"->1/8" cable that I knew worked with the 1/4" adapter and still nothing.

I did notice that with any of those cables plugged into the Speedotron, I could get it to fire by pulling the 1/8" from the CSR+ and touching the tip of it to the inside of of the CSR+ jack (kind of on an angle if that makes sense) and get it to trip the flash.

Ugh, thoughts?

There are a couple of ways.

One, if you are willing to alter an existing cord, is to cut the cord in half, and strip the black insulation. In this, you will find two more wires each with a different color (I think red and white). Strip these wires back. Splice red to white and white to red. Insulate (electrical tape) the exposed parts from one another, then insulate the whole thing. If nothing else, this will confirm this is needed, and you can limp along until you get a proper replacement.

Two, You can contact Flash Zebra to see if he has any polarity reversing cables.

Three, you can go to Radio Shack and wire one up for less than $15 (if you are already set up to solder, or know someone who can). I would use a 1/8" female mono to 1/4" male mono conections.

Four, you can get this: http://www.paulcbuff.com/ssc.php and this http://www.flashzebra.com/products/0160/index.shtml
The direction you plug the HH prongs will reverse the polarity.

That confirms a polarity issue.