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Gauging the effectiveness of the 580EXii modification for RF interference

vdotmatrixvdotmatrix Registered Users Posts: 343 Major grins
edited December 17, 2013 in Accessories
I recently had this modification performed on all 3 of my speed lights to use with my pocket wizard FLEX TT5/TT1. But sometimes will have to fire the lights or the entire camera/light circuit until they sorta sync up.

Other times I will get a black frame..light fired but nothing..

Then the system works...but this type of uncertainty is crazy, unnerving and everything else.

SO finally the question: How can you measure the RF interference to evaluate the modification?
http://penosoimages.com

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    JimKarczewskiJimKarczewski Registered Users Posts: 969 Major grins
    edited December 8, 2013
    Go out and buy expensive lab equipment that tests RF.

    From what I was told by the guy @ PocketWizard all of the Canon flashes are pretty noisy. The absolue worst though is the 420EX. It's worse than the 580EXII but not as many people own/use that flash so you don't hear about it as much.

    If you connect your flash to a PW or something via cable, go look at Ferrite Chokes. You can get them at Radioshack, DigiKey.com, etc. They have greatly increased the distance I can use my PW now when I would have serious problems before. Add to that a minimum distance of 6ft from flash to receiver.
    Jim Karczewski - http://www.jimkarczewski.com
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    JimKarczewskiJimKarczewski Registered Users Posts: 969 Major grins
    edited December 8, 2013
    BTW, you didn't mention what you are using for transmitters/receivers? You using TT5/TT1? Or what?
    Jim Karczewski - http://www.jimkarczewski.com
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    vdotmatrixvdotmatrix Registered Users Posts: 343 Major grins
    edited December 8, 2013
    JimKarczewski wrote: »
    BTW, you didn't mention what you are using for transmitters/receivers? You using TT5/TT1? Or what?
    yes
    http://penosoimages.com
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    rwellsrwells Registered Users Posts: 6,084 Major grins
    edited December 8, 2013
    The PW AC-5 (sock) works a good bit (but is also a pain to use), but the PW AC-7 worked great for me thumb.gif And I loved the utility of the AC-7's design. Lays the flash flat with the umbrella shaft. I had great luck with 580EX & 580EXII flashes using the AC-7.

    Also, if your not already using one, the PW AC-3 works great and IMHO, is what really "makes" the PW TT series great!




    This reminds me; I need to get off my duff and finish listing all my Canon gear for sale...
    Randy
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    vdotmatrixvdotmatrix Registered Users Posts: 343 Major grins
    edited December 8, 2013
    rwells wrote: »
    The PW AC-5 (sock) works a good bit (but is also a pain to use), but the PW AC-7 worked great for me thumb.gif And I loved the utility of the AC-7's design. Lays the flash flat with the umbrella shaft. I had great luck with 580EX & 580EXII flashes using the AC-7.

    Also, if your not already using one, the PW AC-3 works great and IMHO, is what really "makes" the PW TT series great!




    This reminds me; I need to get off my duff and finish listing all my Canon gear for sale...
    I have the AC3 but I just bought the L-478DR. I also have the AC5 but it is a pain in the ass to plug a battery pack into the flash with the %^$^%# sock on. It is also a pain when one accidentally pushes the mode button or something else with the sock on-OH, I forgot, turning the bugger on is a real bugger. Now multiply this cluster x3 while still trying to remain composed while composing...I was near a melt down as I am now :)))))))
    http://penosoimages.com
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    JimKarczewskiJimKarczewski Registered Users Posts: 969 Major grins
    edited December 8, 2013
    There are places you can send them in (check PW's site) that will modify the flash internally, but I think it's $75-100 per flash. The basically add the filter internally that Canon should have had in the first place.

    Guy @ PW doesn't know how most of these flashes made it past testing to get into the US because the noise is so bad coming off of them.
    Jim Karczewski - http://www.jimkarczewski.com
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    vdotmatrixvdotmatrix Registered Users Posts: 343 Major grins
    edited December 8, 2013
    JimKarczewski wrote: »
    There are places you can send them in (check PW's site) that will modify the flash internally, but I think it's $75-100 per flash. The basically add the filter internally that Canon should have had in the first place.

    Guy @ PW doesn't know how most of these flashes made it past testing to get into the US because the noise is so bad coming off of them.

    The OP said he had the modification done already and he is trying to figure out how the average shmoe can tell how well the job was done...
    http://penosoimages.com
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    JimKarczewskiJimKarczewski Registered Users Posts: 969 Major grins
    edited December 9, 2013
    vdotmatrix wrote: »
    The OP said he had the modification done already and he is trying to figure out how the average shmoe can tell how well the job was done...

    You know, I read that and completely forgot about it when I posted that.

    Any friends REALLY into electronics? Or maybe find a local electronics repair place that might be able to tell you how much RF energy is coming off the flashes. Only other choice is get your hands on a MultiMax.

    Why a Multimax? It has a noise sniffer. So, put it next to the modified flashes and see what it reads. I can do the same for a non-modified 580 and 580II and compare that also with the YoungNou 560III and also some really old Canon 540EZ's (A-TTL flashes for film)
    Jim Karczewski - http://www.jimkarczewski.com
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    vdotmatrixvdotmatrix Registered Users Posts: 343 Major grins
    edited December 9, 2013
    JimKarczewski wrote: »
    You know, I read that and completely forgot about it when I posted that.

    Any friends REALLY into electronics? Or maybe find a local electronics repair place that might be able to tell you how much RF energy is coming off the flashes. Only other choice is get your hands on a MultiMax.

    Why a Multimax? It has a noise sniffer. So, put it next to the modified flashes and see what it reads. I can do the same for a non-modified 580 and 580II and compare that also with the YoungNou 560III and also some really old Canon 540EZ's (A-TTL flashes for film)
    Hey man I appreciate your help. MULTIMAX...googlling now.... So this could all be a scam with the modifications. Consumers have no way of knowing how effective these modifications are because there is no standard level of RF that has to meet a threshold.

    upset...
    http://penosoimages.com
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    JimKarczewskiJimKarczewski Registered Users Posts: 969 Major grins
    edited December 9, 2013
    Hell, even if you rent a multimax for a couple days. It's typically used to sniff out noise on different PW channels in a venue, but the same could be done with a flash as well. Since MultiMax's run $300 ea.
    Jim Karczewski - http://www.jimkarczewski.com
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    JimKarczewskiJimKarczewski Registered Users Posts: 969 Major grins
    edited December 17, 2013
    So, just for sh!tz and giggles I put the Multimax in noise sniffer mode. And the noise didn't increase next to a 580EXII or 580EX. So either the sniffer is useless or something else is going on. I even popped off a few flashes to see if the cycle time caused the drop and nothing. The peak (a number which stays locked at the highest noise level) never went above 65, which isn't bad...

    More information about the Noise Sniffer and it's meaning may be in order. Thinking of calling MAC tomorrow to see what the threshold is for noise.
    Jim Karczewski - http://www.jimkarczewski.com
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