DIY - PocketWizard II Mounting

[cbjetboy]

Check out the article I posted here http://photography-on-

the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=330498 for a DIY mounting of PocketWizard II

transceivers onto strobes. Enjoy!

[cbjetboy]

Are you tired of the sync cables and PocketWizards hanging off of your strobes? I sure was and I didn't want to pay the premium price for strobes with transceivers integrated in the strobes. I decided to remedy this. I'm not sure if this will void your warranty (probably) so do this at your own risk. BE SURE TO UNPLUG THE STROBES BEFORE MESSING AROUND INSIDE! Here is the final result.

 

http://www.jetboyphoto.com/lighting/pw01all.jpg

 

I started with the large strobes first. I mounted the PocketWizards on opposite sides so the antennas would not have the strobe between themselves and my camera mounted PocketWizard. Here are the finished left and right strobes.

 

http://www.jetboyphoto.com/lighting/pw03right.jpg

http://www.jetboyphoto.com/lighting/pw04left.jpg

 

First, I opened up the rear of the strobe. Two of the screws were under the handle sticker. After I had the rear opened, I located the best place to drill two holes - one for the 1/4-20 bolt mounting the PocketWizard and one for the cable to go through. I mounted the PocketWizard. Here are the mounting and cable holes.

 

http://www.jetboyphoto.com/lighting/pw06drilling.jpg

 

I purchased an airplane Y headphone adapter for the cable. I cut the headphone end off and the result was a 90 degree plug, one for each large strobe. I took my multimeter and tested which conductor was going to the center and which was going to the outside of the plug. I also took the one cable made for the connection and cut it in half. I would end up using the 90 degree plug for the small center strobe. I took the large plug and inserted it into the strobe. Using my multimeter I figured out which pin on the rear if the socket that the center and outer pins connect to. I routed the cable through the drilled hole and soldered the cable onto the proper pins. I plugged the cable into the PocketWizard and gave the setup a test. It worked great. Here is the wiring connection.

 

http://www.jetboyphoto.com/lighting/pw02wiring.jpg

 

Next I tackled the center small strobe. This one was a lot harder. All of the screws are hidden under stickers. Once I had the strobe opened up I discovered the socket mounted directly to a circuit board. I located the best mounting place and drilled holes similar to what I did on the large strobes. I also took my multimeter and figured out which solder spot on the rear of the terminal board connected to each side of the plug. I mounted the PocketWizard, routed the cable, soldered the cable to the circuit board, reassembled and tested the strobe. Here is the wiring and mounting for the small strobe as well as the finished install.

 

http://www.jetboyphoto.com/lighting/pw07wiring.jpg

http://www.jetboyphoto.com/lighting/pw05center.jpg

 

I have had these strobes and PocketWizards for almost a year. The batteries in the PocketWizards were still good. I installed fresh ones in there before mounting so hopefully I won't need to change them for quite a while. Changing the batteries will not be that difficult and will be worth the effort to get rid of the cables and loose PocketWizards. This took a little bit of electrical know-how and care while installing but really was not that difficult. You may not want to try this but if you do I hope you enjoy the end result as much as I do. It sure is nice to disassemble and pack the lights without having to mess with the transceivers. If the batteries prove to be a hassle I will look into installing some transformers and doing away with them. Thanks for reading this and I hope you enjoyed the crude article.

[cbjetboy]

I figured the images would not show up. Here is the link without the space that somehow got added http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=330498 . This one will work.

[Ed_Ingold]

Unplugging a strobe won't necessarily discharge the power capacitors inside. The capacitors can retain a deadly charge for hours if not days. I would not drill holes in the case unless the case were completely disassembled. You definitely do not want metal shavings inside the flash unit. If you bolt the PW to the case with a screw from the inside, how do you keep it tight without disassembling the case? Doesn't the PW stick out in a vulnerable position?

 

I find that Velcro is sufficient to eliminate the "problem of loose Pocketwizards". This also gives me the freedom to move the PWs from flash to flash, depending on my needs. I am not averse to making mechanical and electrical modifications, but there is no need in this case, and a potential for harm.

[brooks short]

I agree with Edward. This is simply solved with a bit of velcro.

[david_prouty]

I agree about the Velcro solution, however, the Velcro Extreme product will hold far better in situations where more hold is required. Regular Velcro can be jarred loose. This stuff defintely won't. And it won't electrocute you or void your warranty! :-)