A Simple Solution to Solve a Flash Sync Problem

[simon p barlow]

Hi All

 

I came up with this simple but flexible solution to sloving a flash sync problem

that I was having. I thought I'd share it in the hope it can help someone else

to get round a similar problem. I'm UK based (Manchester) but have included

?Americanisms? where I can (OK OK dont all shout at me at once)

 

Cheers

 

Simon

 

PS There should be a .pdf with this post...

[brooks short]

Are the optical slaves on your monolights operable even with synch cables attached. In other words can another flash fire them even though you are hard-wired to a radio receiver?

[doug_axford1]

Simon, I can't get your pdf to load. You might have Americanism'd it too much. I'm bilingual and can understand both the Queen's English and the American form. Well, there are some regions of England that I can't understand, that's true.

 

Cheers mate

 

Doug

[simon p barlow]

Hi Brooks

The optical slaves on the monolights have a switch on the back panel so I can turn them off. I did a quick test to see if I left one turned on if it would trigger the others, it seems when I plug a sync cable in to the light it automatically disconnects the optical slave.

 

Hi Doug

The .pdf is a bit chunky as I put a few photos in it at hi res so that anyone could zoom in to see more detail. it could be its taking about 50 seconds to download.

 

Cheers

 

Simon

[frank_skomial]

You asked for ideas for improvements ?

 

I guess that works well when all flashes are of the same type, and have the same signal polarities and the same sync voltages.

 

You could add a polarity reversing switch on 1 or more of the flash socket inputs.

 

You could clamp sockets with semiconductor passive voltage limitting element, in either one or both directions making it bi-directional (then you may not need a polarity switch ?), e.g. those elements found in the Wein Safe Sync, let say to clamp/limit voltage to 6 Volts DC, or any higher value. The box is pretty big, so you have room for them. Then your cost (and profit) will be higher.

 

Good Luck!

[simon p barlow]

Hi Frank,

 

Good idea! I did think of using zener diodes to clamp the voltage but as I built it for my own use,(I don't have any intentions to produce any for sale), I thought of keeping it simple.

 

I did wonder if mixing units of differing types would have any affect. I looked through the spec for elenchrome (spelling?) and Allenbee's and they all use around 5 volts as the sync voltage. I couldn't find any posts of anyone having any problems with differing units.

 

There are a couple of opto isolators now on the market that would make it safe, as would a 9V battery and reed relays, but like I said, it was to keep it simple.

 

Maybe someone would like to make the next generation of sync box with the improvements and post the results?

 

Cheers

 

Simon