V4 Cactus Triggers - Am I doing something wrong?

Sigma 30mm f/1.4 EX DC HSM for Nikon

08/29/2009 05:38:51 PM · #1

Hey there,

Just ordered Cactus Triggers on Friday of last week and got them on Wednesday of this past week. Pretty quick delivery from half way around the world standard shipping.

Anyways, the receiver won't work. I've heard their support is pretty good and expect to hear from them by Monday morning their time. But I'm wondering if I'm missing something. I've put the batteries as indicated in the receiver(proper negative positive alignement). Then I push the switch to the left or right but nothing comes to life. No flashing led on the receiver. Then I tried the trigger which fires but the receiver light doesn't light either and they both are on the same channels. Is there something else I had to do? Or is it just a faulty receiver most likely?

jdannels

Nikon D300s

08/29/2009 06:09:03 PM · #2

maybe the batteries are dead.

Sigma 30mm f/1.4 EX DC HSM for Nikon

08/29/2009 06:18:43 PM · #3

Or if the batteries aren't dead, maybe there's a piece of plastic film to prevent contact?

jdannels

Nikon D300s

08/29/2009 07:15:11 PM · #4

mini gremlins?

08/29/2009 08:02:36 PM · #5

No, tried other batteries. And no plastic inside at all. Batteries came seperate from the receiver.

bnilesh

Canon EOS-5D Mark II

Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II

08/29/2009 09:22:32 PM · #6

Did you selected channels properly? I mean the receiver & transmitter are given two switches 1 & 2 two have channel selection,play with them.

Canon EF 24-105mm f/4.0L IS

08/29/2009 11:16:11 PM · #7

PM me your mailing address and I'll send you my Cactus Triggers. My batteries may be dead, but I know the triggers work (as well as Cactus triggers do work). I'm done with them as I've found that putting some tin foil on my pop-up flash to deflect the light to an off camera flash(es) works better.

I see you live in Bancroft (awesome for gem hunting!), so shipping won't be much, and I don't mind paying that at all if it'll give a little joy (or frustration - evil grin).

Seriously!

Melethia

Canon EOS-80D

08/30/2009 01:25:29 AM · #8

Have you tried actually using them, vice seeing if a LCD lights up? Make sure the trigger has a wee bit of red showing so the switch is set to "On" (it's hard to tell, really) and the receiver doesn't even have a switch - it is simply "on" by default. Make sure the channels are the same on both (dip switches set the same), then just try it. Mine don't have any LEDs that light up, but they work.

millsa

Nikon D7100

Nikon AF-S DX 18-105 f/3.5-5.6 ED VR

08/30/2009 02:45:49 AM · #9

They can be fiddly things, id suggest the following. (obvious maybe, but its easy to miss something)

1. Set the dip switches to 1 and 1 on trigger (the one that goes on the camera) and receiver
2. Turn the trigger ON,
3. Attach your flash (via hot shoe)
4. Turn on your flash
5. Set flash to Manual
6. Put flash and trigger close together, wait until flash is charged to fire.
7. Without the trigger mounted on the camera, press the test button on the trigger.
8. The LED should light on trigger (if not battries may be flat)
9. Flash should fire (if not the flash may be causing interference)

If this happens the triggers work, and you can then try it on the camera, and at further distances to debug the system.
If not the triggers don't work or you have a flash that is causing interference, I hear some cannon flashes may interfere with the signal, I know my new Nikon SB-600 is far less reliable that my old SB-24 on the trigger, which I put down to electronic interference.

I've found mine to be pretty handy when you know their limitation. To increase my reliability I opened up the trigger casing and extended the aerial with a length of wire.

spiritualspatula

Panasonic LUMIX DMC-LX100

Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 24-70mm f/2.8G ED

08/30/2009 09:24:25 AM · #10

I bought some from another user on here, and while they weren't the newest version, I found that one suffered from a bunk connection that needed to be resoldered. Just look inside and make sure everything is soldered together. It was only one of four that I received that needed this, so check to make sure things are all securely attached. Easy fix if they aren't.

Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 24-70mm f/2.8G ED

08/31/2009 03:09:50 PM · #11

Turns out I was in the wrong. I finally got the trigger system going. Unfortunately that didn't help. I don't know why but my flash isn't firing. It's an old flash and I'm wondering if it's compatible. It works on camera so I thought it would work on the Cactus. Guess not. At least not so far.

Citadel

Nikon D7500

08/31/2009 03:22:35 PM · #12

I found that for mine I need to make sure all the contacts are in place properly. If your test fire works (i.e you press the button on the transmitter and the receiver's red light turns on) it might just be something like that.

taterbug

Nikon D300

Nikon AF Nikkor 50mm f/1.4D

08/31/2009 03:42:47 PM · #13

This may sound wierd, but mine only work if I slide them (receiver) on the flash hot shoe with the receiver on button to the opposite side of the flash controls (which doesn't seem logical to me anyways). Anyways, yeah, you could try sliding it on both ways?
What flash are you using?

08/31/2009 04:53:10 PM · #14

Yeah, sounds like it may be a contact issue. Contact might even be gained or lost depending on how much your flash is tilted up or down.

Anyway, two receivers and one transmitter are into the mail for your pleasure. Maybe they'll be slightly different in some way. Personally, I hate the bastards and am glad to get them the hell out of my house.

08/31/2009 07:00:56 PM · #15

Thanks Strike. Maybe the contacts are made different on the V2 and will work. Not sure. I'm using a very old flash from the 70's which has a low voltage by the way. In case it's the hotshoe on the receiver, can someone tell me what voltage I should measure from the hotshoe center connector to the rail with Cactus's?

08/31/2009 08:36:41 PM · #16

Woohoo, just voided the warranty but that's fine cause it works fine now. Turns out the problem was the plastic between the center post and the surrouding connection including the rail. There's a plastic piece seperating the two(of course so no short is possible with any other posts that might otherwise make a connection if the plastic wasn't so wide). Anyways, it's sitting higher then the center post receiver and so I took sandpaper to it to make it just about flush and now it's fine.

Might still end up with a 430ex II eventually very soon(Christmas time) but until then I can use my 70's flash to do it up.

09/03/2009 08:06:10 AM · #17

Hey Slippy,

Received the triggers. Since mine is working now, did you want me to ship em back to you. I think you said not to worry about it but it's fine if you want them back. If not I will hand them to a member of our new photoclub that we just started in town if that's ok. I'm sure they can find a good home.