Fix plastic hotshoe?

divamum · September 16, 2013

I managed to bounce my flash and Pixel King trigger down a flight of cement steps during a shoot at the weekend. Both - amazingly! - contnue to work just fine despite the pretty hefty impact, but the plastic hotshoe on the trigger got quite badly cracked, and looks like it will break through all the way without much assistance. It's only used to attach to the coldshoe on the flashstand, so function isn't a problem, I just don't want to risk the trigger-plus-flash combo falling off because the foot snaps off.

Super glue the cracks? Buy a cold shoe and superglue it to that? Replace the foot?

Curious what's the best way to repair to keep everything safe. Thanks in advance!

ziggy53 · September 16, 2013

divamum wrote: »

I managed to bounce my flash and Pixel King trigger down a flight of cement steps during a shoot at the weekend. Both - amazingly! - contnue to work just fine despite the pretty hefty impact, but the plastic hotshoe on the trigger got quite badly cracked, and looks like it will break through all the way without much assistance. It's only used to attach to the coldshoe on the flashstand, so function isn't a problem, I just don't want to risk the trigger-plus-flash combo falling off because the foot snaps off.

Super glue the cracks? Buy a cold shoe and superglue it to that? Replace the foot?

Curious what's the best way to repair to keep everything safe. Thanks in advance!

If it were mine I would carefully super-glue/epoxy temporarily while ordering a replacement part for a more permanent fix later. (As in something similar happened to me in the past and that's how I handled it.)

divamum · September 16, 2013

Er... how does one replace? It's the Pixel King which is damaged, not the 480exII (which is fine). I'll post a picture when I get home, but curious what I need to look for/order/disassemble/attach etc etc

Thanks, as always, Ziggy!

divamum · September 16, 2013

PS Superglue sucks. Didn't work to hold the cracks together (although my fingers were thoroughly stuck)

ziggy53 · September 16, 2013

divamum wrote: »

Er... how does one replace? It's the Pixel King which is damaged, not the 480exII (which is fine). I'll post a picture when I get home, but curious what I need to look for/order/disassemble/attach etc etc

Thanks, as always, Ziggy!

Contact Pixel King:

For Technical Support Service:
support@pixelhk.com

divamum · September 16, 2013

Phooey. I was hoping you had some magical source closer to home that might get me something before Saturday .....

As a backup plan, the foot also has a (female) threaded screw hole - is there way to connect that to an umbrella holder?

ziggy53 · September 17, 2013

divamum wrote: »

Phooey. I was hoping you had some magical source closer to home that might get me something before Saturday .....

...

"They" may have a US source for the part. Contact them to find out.

divamum wrote: »

... As a backup plan, the foot also has a (female) threaded screw hole - is there way to connect that to an umbrella holder?

If you have an umbrella bracket like this:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/298709-REG/Impact_3117_Umbrella_Bracket.html
http://www.adorama.com/LTUSH.html

... they come with a stud with a standard 1/4" thread.

divamum · September 17, 2013

Thanks Ziggy! To my surprise, PK got back to me immediately (give or take the time difference) and are sending a replacement part for free it seems. Can't complain about that!

I will also say that I have discovered during this that they have just released a NEW set called the Pros: LCD screen on the transmitter, ratios (yeah!) and internal metal frame. And still much more affordable than PWs! I know people knock the "cheap Chinese stuff", but I have to say, these really are decent items. Yes, the plastic on the foot and locking ring isn't the greatest (they need to replace that with metal for the next round), but the rest of the housing is as solid as Canon, if this experience is anything to go by - they both got scuffed (went down a full set of concrete steps - thankfully the softbox broke their fall a little), but both still working..........

ETA: YES I can screw it onto the umbrella stand. Actually MUCH more secure that way in general, so glad to have figured out that out (duh). And totally gets me through the weekend without worrying!!

divamum · October 8, 2013

Ok, so PK sent me the replacement part. Figured out how to fix it (9 screws - hope they've addressed that in addition to the new metal mount/reinforcement they've added!). Worked perfectly. Until the stand got blown over again on Sunday.... breaking not only the foot, but the entire mount the foot screws into. :bash

The triggers came with a cable, so I thought AHA! I can just hook it to the flash that way, hang the trigger using the lanyard, and then not worry about having to connect the trigger to the stand by the foot anymore. The supplied cable has what looks like a mini-co-axial (it screws on like a coax) at one end, and what looks like a headphones plug at the other end (in two different sizes - I'd say 3/8 or 1/4" if I were talking about audio gear).

Edited to add: according to PK the cables are:
Connecting cable (PC-1/4) PC Screwlock to 6.5 mm phone jack.
Connecting cable (PC-3.5) PC Screwlock to 3.5 mm Mini phone jack.

But the socket on the 580ex is a square, 3-pin kinda dealio, so I'm no closer to connecting them this way.

Is there an adapter I can get, or do I need a different cable? Thanks for all advice.

PS I need to be able to use ETTL; not sure if a cable would affect that or not.

EagainTA: if the cable idea won't work, how the devil can I hook this thing to the stand? The unit works just fine, it simply has no foot on the bottom to let me attach it to a coldshoe on an umbrella mount....

ziggy53 · October 9, 2013

divamum wrote: »

... The supplied cable has what looks like a mini-co-axial (it screws on like a coax) at one end, and what looks like a headphones plug at the other end (in two different sizes - I'd say 3/8 or 1/4" if I were talking about audio gear).

Edited to add: according to PK the cables are:
Connecting cable (PC-1/4) PC Screwlock to 6.5 mm phone jack.
Connecting cable (PC-3.5) PC Screwlock to 3.5 mm Mini phone jack.

But the socket on the 580ex is a square, 3-pin kinda dealio, so I'm no closer to connecting them this way. Is there an adapter I can get, or do I need a different cable? Thanks for all advice.

PS I need to be able to use ETTL; not sure if a cable would affect that or not.

....

I believe that E-TTL requires all of the connections of the hot shoe. Those phone jack cords only provide 2 or 3 lines of connection, so they are probably only for a simple trigger in manual mode. Please contact Pixel King to see if they can elucidate.

divamum · October 9, 2013

Googling around, I have a feeling it's just not going to work - my 580ex is the original, so no pc synch socket (the one I was looking at was for external power).

So.... now I have to figure out how to attach the darn trigger to an umbrella mount. There must be a way to do this, just have to figure it out

puzzledpaul · October 9, 2013

divamum wrote: »

So.... now I have to figure out how to attach the darn trigger to an umbrella mount. There must be a way to do this, just have to figure it out

I've zero experience with this sort of gear (except using a 550ex based macro rig) - but I'd have thought tenacious double-sided tape / nylon cable ties etc + some intermediate bracket (maybe?) might be one way to go ... if stuff's not too heavy.

Can't suggest more without seeing the nature of the beast(s) / situation.

pp

divamum · October 10, 2013

So I had a closer look, and two of the four tiny screwholes which attach the foot to the unit were still intact. So.... I took the newly-replaced foot off, put the OLD broken one - which still has the metal screw mount (to attach to a stud) intact - superglued it to the plastic and reattached using those two intact screwholes. I certainly don't trust the actual plastic any more and it will definitely require velcro straps and/or duck tape as a failsafe, but at least there is now SOMETHING to use to fit it to a stand/bracket. I can probably scope out a replacement on the used market for not much $, and/or if I upgrade to the newer version, can hopefully firmware flash these to use with the new transmitter (they're supposed to be compatible) and still have 2+ a spare (relegating the broken one as the "spare")

I'm very glad to read that PK have upped the ante on a metal structure for the Pixel King Pros that have just been released

(PS While yes, of course it's a pain that the foot should break, and yes, the build quality on these is less than some of their more expensive cousins, these little triggers are STILL worth everything you (don't) pay for them - so simple to use and they have been very reliable for me. I usually don't have an assistant, and things DO get blown over - if I'm going to break something, I'd rather it's a $60 trigger than my flash or an expensive PW.

I should add that the first fall was down a full flight of cement steps, so it's actually impressive that it still works at all!! )

ziggy53 · October 10, 2013

divamum wrote: »

... I'm very glad to read that PK have upped the ante on a metal structure for the Pixel King Pros that have just been released ...

Sadly, strengthening the hot shoe to a metal structure will just mean that if the transmitter "... stand got blown over again on Sunday" or if you should happen to "... bounce my flash and Pixel King trigger down a flight of cement steps ...", the transmitter will probably just break in a more completely fatal way.

Please do be careful.

divamum · October 10, 2013

Bottom line, what I REALLY need is human lightstand

Art Scott · October 11, 2013

for attaching things in an unnormal manner I have a couple of rolls of velcro straps.....Glad to see that PK has added a test button to the Pro.....I bought a set of 5 PK's a few months ago and could not deal with no test button....my really inexpensive Youngnou triggers have a test button....I sent the PK's back....but I was quite impressed with their build and usability....the signal would go thru walls and doors real well, I just could not deal with having to fire the camera as I did lighting set ups.

Hope you get it all working well.

divamum · October 31, 2013

Am taking the plunge on the newer version (King Pro/King X), and will report back. Transmitter + one receiver is $142 vs one 2nd gen receiever at $80, so it was kind of a no-brainer, especially since the transmitter is backwards-compatible with the ones I already have.

Sam · November 2, 2013

divamum wrote: »

Am taking the plunge on the newer version (King Pro/King X), and will report back. Transmitter + one receiver is $142 vs one 2nd gen receiever at $80, so it was kind of a no-brainer, especially since the transmitter is backwards-compatible with the ones I already have.

Sand bags...............word.

Sam

divamum · November 2, 2013

I've had sandbagged ones go over on me too. Maybe I need heavier sandbags.... ?!

divamum · November 3, 2013

Posting a mini-review as a separate thread....

ian408 · November 4, 2013

divamum wrote: »

I've had sandbagged ones go over on me too. Maybe I need heavier sandbags.... ?!

It's easy to underestimate the amount of weight required to hold a stand in place. Especially when you have something large, like a softbox, on the arm/top of the stand.

Fix plastic hotshoe?

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