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Troubleshooting FlashQ triggers and older flashes


richard_bailey1

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<p>I've been putting together a two light (manual flashes) portable setup and one of the flashes I'm hoping to use is an old Vivitar 283. I've been testing with various camera equipment to find my problem but could use some troubleshooting or educating on whythis isn't working.<br>

<br /> Ideally (and isn't working) the setup is my Nikon D5300 with a FlashQ T1-S transmitter connected to the hot shoe. The receiver is attached to a hotshoe to PC Wein safesync. The safe sync is connected to the Vivtar 283 by sync cable.</p>

<p>Additional equipment for testing:<br /> A vivtar 2600 (simple ISO foot, sync voltage around 160)<br />LumoPro LP180 flash (this is my other flash for my setup)<br />An old NIkormat with no hot shoe, but has a PC connector</p>

<p>What works:<br /> LP180 with FlashQ<br />Vivitar 283 with Nikormat (using sync cable)<br />Both Vivitars fire when connected to Wein using either the Wein's test button or shorting its foot connectors.</p>

<p>Other things that don't work:<br /> D5300 won't fire either Vivitar flash through Wein<br />When the 2600 is connected to the FlashQ the FlashQ can't fire it, but the ready light on the flash does momentarily go off when I try to.</p>

<p>Any thoughts?</p>

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I suspect there's a mismatch

between the trigger and wein

safesync, or between the

flash and safesync. It's not

good to stack triggers and

safesyncs. Decent triggers will withstand 400v anyway. I'm not sure about the Q brand. But why use old

flashes with "iffy" trigger

voltages anyway?

 

 

These days you can get

speedlights that are better in every way than those old Vivitar bricks, and for not a lot of money. YongNuo 560s for example. They need no special synch voltage precautions and are far more versatile, with manual power settings over a very wide range in 1/3rd stop increments and a fast recycle time. The latest version even has a radio transceiver trigger built in.

 

You must have already spent $80 or thereabouts on the trigger and safesync, which don't seem compatible. So I'd suggest getting new flashes that you know are going to work, rather than messing about with old stuff that's turning into a money pit.

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<p>I suspect you're right... I'm mildly in denial since I was hoping to use that flash instead of buying a new one. Fortunately I've only put in about $53 to "update" the Vivitar 283 (new battery holder, variable power adapter, and safe sync) and the latter two I can probably resell on ebay. Thank you for your feedback.</p>
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The old Vivitar 283 has a

specified flash energy of 60

watt-seconds (Joules). That

compares to around 75 Joules

from the likes of the Nikon

SB-910, SB-25 and the YN560

mkiii or mkiv. So you'd get

25% more light, which

admittedly is only an extra

1/3rd stop, but it's

something.

 

My preference is for SB-25s.

They're old enough to be

quite cheap used, but not so

old as to have a high trigger

voltage and clunky design.

You can set manual power down

to 1/64th in 1/3 stops and

there's a very useful Auto-Aperture mode that's lacking

on the YN560. The SB-25 takes

4 seconds to recycle from a

full power discharge however,

while the YN560 manages it in

2.5 seconds. Both have a

trigger voltage of only 5

volts or so, and you should

have no trouble firing them

via the Qflash trigger.

 

There are obviously many

other options, but IME the

above are reliable flashes

offering good value for

money.

 

BTW, the real - measured - GN

of the SB-25, SB-910 and

YN560 is around 30

(Metres/100 ISO @ 50mm zoom

setting). Ignore published

Guide Numbers. They're all

lies!

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I had much the same problem

with an old flashmeter. It'd

fire some flashes and not

others. However, it was newer

low-voltage units it had

trouble with.

 

It turned out that the

trigger pulse it gave out

wasn't long enough, and a

change of capacitor in its

triggering circuit cured it.

 

I'm not suggesting it's the

same problem with the FlashQ,

or that you hack its

circuitry. Just that these

electrical incompatibilities

aren't uncommon.

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<p>Before you give up on it, try the Vivitar with the flash trigger directly, no SafeSync. As Rodeo points out, triggers usually don't have any issue with sync voltage and can make the SafeSync unnecessary.<br /><br />I've never tried a FlashQ. But I have four Vivitars and used them all the time with my PocketWizards with no trouble. Yes, more modern flashes have a lot of nice features. But once you start using your flashes manually, many of the fancy features become irrelevant so why pay for them.</p>
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Craig, a major advantage of

modern, or more recent flashes is their

illuminated LCD display and

accurate push-button manual power setting. These features make it easy to set and verify power levels in poor ambient light.

 

The Vivitar's simple

variable-resistor power

adjustment "dongle" isn't

terribly accurate and not

easy to set at repeatable

levels in low light. You also don't have to juggle dongles to change mode from manual to AA. As for aiming the Vivitar head at a bounce surface behind the camera while fitted to its hotshoe, or changing the coverage angle....

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<p>FlashQ claims it can handle up to 300V, but when I asked the manufacturer if I could use my 283 which I had measured at around 280V they said it still wasn't safe because my multi-meter doesn't show the peak voltages. So that's why I got the safesync.<br>

<br />The Vivitar 2600 though is much lower, around 160V so I tried it with the FlashQ without the safe sync and that didn't work either.<br>

<br />I think the above message trigger pulse length is the most logical culprit so far... but the manufacturer is taking their time answering my email.</p>

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<p>Rodeo, always good to talk flash with you. :) I have an SB-900 (I'm not a total dinosaur) and one of the things I like about it over the Vivitar is the light-up LCD panel. It is hard to see what the power setting is on the Vivitar, especially when it's up on a stand. The SB also lets me dial the power down much lower than the 1/16th level on the Vivitar. I have one 283 and three 285HVs, so the dongle is built in (though still detachable) on the 285s, and they do let me change the angle even though they don't bounce backward like the SB can. I have recently made more use of the backward and sideways bounce on the SB, and I love the TTL when I'm doing run-and-gun shooting with the flash on camera.<br /><br />If I were buying new for off-camera use I might go for one of the manual YN's than David Hobby recommends on Strobist. Or if money were no object I'd like get the latest SB series. But for doing all-manual lighting on a budget I think the old Vivitars pack a lot of bang for the buck, especially since I already own them. If nothing else, the fact that mine range from 15 to 30 years old and still going and going and going says a lot IMHO.</p>
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