[crossmr]

Amazon.com: Aputure 2.4Ghz Trigmaster Kit (One Transmitter + 2 Receivers) Radio Remote Flash Trigger and Shutter Cable Release, fits Pentax *ist DS, DS2, D, DL, DL2, K10D, K20D, K100D, K110D, K200D, K-5, fully compatible with PENTAX CS-205, CONTAX LA

So I get these shipped in from the states as I saw several people recommending them.
I'm using an old Pentax AF160 flash.

Seems to be working fine. I get them set up, hit the test button a few times. All seems good. I noticed once or twice it didn't seem to fire, but push it again and it's good.
Last night, I really put it to work and took well over 100 shots using the flash. Everything seemed fine.

Today I get it set up again. Doing smoke shots off incense. Get it set up, fire a couple, then nothing.
Red light is coming on the receiver, but the flash isn't firing. It's ready.
So I grab the other receiver, throw some batteries in it, incense burns down, put the flash on it, hit the test button, flash fires fine.
Put it back on the other one. Red light, no flash. Change batteries, still no flash.
Great, I gotta send this back to the states to be exchanged from Korea.

So I get set up with another stick of incense. Start firing pictures, get through a little over a hundred, no problem.
So i turn all the devices off, check out my pictures, edit some, upload, etc.
go back for another stick of incense because I want to try another shot. Get a stand-in. Fire off a few practice shots, light the incense, get ready to start taking the real shot and where is the flash?
red light.. no flash..
bloody..
hit fire off like 10 pictures, no flash, suddenly get one with a flash, and that is it..no more flash.

Both of them have the red light coming on, but now neither one of them which both fired the flash over 100 times are capable of firing the flash.
They both still work to fire the camera using them reverse, they just can no longer fire the flash. The flash still fires fine directly from the camera.

what is going on here?

[edit]
additional info. I ran a cable from the transmitter, to the receiver, and hit the test button, it fires the flash. It seems like only the wireless function of both receivers has crapped out. So the receiver can fire the flash it's just not doing it wirelessly anymore

and this is completely bizarre..
if I run a patch cable from the camera jack to the flash jack on the same receiver, it will fire the flash. So.. the receiver can take a signal, send it out the camera jack, take it in the flash jack and fire the flash. Remove the cable, and the same receiver can no longer fire the flash, despite being able to do it before and apparently still possessing the capability of firing the flash. The wireless trigger seems to be working as it's sending the signal out the cable..

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Last edited by crossmr; 01-27-2013 at 05:37 AM.

[davidreilly3207]

Have you tried switching channels? Maybe interference from another 2.4ghz device?

[jatrax]

Have you tried switching channels? Maybe interference from another 2.4ghz device?

Yeah, that's what I was going to say. Or double check that all the switches for channel control are EXACTLY in the right place. Off just a smidge and things get wonky. On my Cactus v5's if the channel dial is off ever so little things do not work.

[crossmr]

Yeah, that's what I was going to say. Or double check that all the switches for channel control are EXACTLY in the right place. Off just a smidge and things get wonky. On my Cactus v5's if the channel dial is off ever so little things do not work.

Yeah, I've done that, and that wouldn't be the problem, because when I run a patch cable on one device to itself it fires, so it isn't getting interference. Otherwise it wouldn't fire. Just for some reason they both seem to have spontaneously lost the ability to fire the flash wirelessly, despite being able to fire the camera wireless and despite being able to send a signal out the patch cable wirelessly and fire the flash off the patch cable.

I'm guessing something very specific would have to blow inside both devices to create this kind of unique scenario and I can't even imagine the chances of that happening. In that first picture the flash fires, wirelessly. Just for some reason it sends the signal out the cable to itself and then it'll fire.

[jatrax]

because when I run a patch cable on one device to itself it fires, so it isn't getting interference.

Actually I was thinking that this might act as an antenna and pick up an out of freq signal that allowed it to fire, or at least modified the incoming signal enough for it to be accepted as valid. Just speculating, but I see no other reason for that patch cable to work.

Not familiar with those units but do they have lights on them that indicate signal received? Cactus v5 do and I use that for trouble shooting without connecting a flash. If the 'received' light blinks I know the signal is being received.

One other thought, try the flash on camera or another way, just to make sure it is not the flash or flash contacts that are causing the problem.

Sorry, wish I could be more help.

[crossmr]

Actually I was thinking that this might act as an antenna and pick up an out of freq signal that allowed it to fire, or at least modified the incoming signal enough for it to be accepted as valid. Just speculating, but I see no other reason for that patch cable to work.

Not familiar with those units but do they have lights on them that indicate signal received? Cactus v5 do and I use that for trouble shooting without connecting a flash. If the 'received' light blinks I know the signal is being received.

One other thought, try the flash on camera or another way, just to make sure it is not the flash or flash contacts that are causing the problem.

Sorry, wish I could be more help.

Yes, they do have a light and the light is flashing which is the weird part. the behaviour makes absolutely zero sense. It indicates the signal is being received.
No patch cable - no flash
patch cable to itself - flash
patch cable to another receiver (I have 2 both doing the same thing) - flashes
patch cable from transmitter to receiver - flashes
using the receiver to fire the camera shutter - works wirelessly without patch cable
flash works fine on the camera. All the equipment seems to work fine
I'll be getting another flash I ordered Maybe today or tomorrow. Yongnuo 560ii I can try. It shouldn't be a voltage issue, I saw some people measure the voltages on their AF160 and it was under 6V.
It makes no sense why it'd fire a little over 100 times on each receiver then die.
but only that one very specific function.

[jatrax]

Well, if you follow the signal:
Camera to transmitter to receiver to flash where is the break?

Looks like the receiver is getting the proper signal but is not able to send it to the flash. Since it works with the patch cable sounds like the signal can be routed out the camera port, but for some reason is not internally being sent to the flash. (When it goes to the camera port - cable - flash port it is bypassing the internal path).

Maybe a component, or solder joint, internally that worked for 100x flashes and failed? If it was me I would open up and check with electrical tester. But your best bet might be send it back and get new ones.

You might want to check the manufacturer website, see if anyone else has a similar problem. Or send them an email and ask if this is normal behavior and what to do.

[crossmr]

Yeah, I've sent them a message on facebook and through their website. I'm waiting for their answer. But I was just so ticked off last night.I was in the middle of shooting smoke, which absolutely requires these off camera flashes, and ruined half my supply of incense with this screw up and I ended up not taking some of the shots I wanted when the second on died (it took me awhile to figure out I could fire it with the patch cable to itself at that point I was too pissed to shoot)

I thought I'd see if anyone here had any ideas. Even if something messed up inside it's strange for it to burn out on both. So weird. I could have actually gone to the studio with a model this morning, but not with my receivers screwed up like this which is more annoying.

[davidreilly3207]

The patch cable bypasses the 2.4ghz circuitry and fires the flash the old fashioned way, a direct connection shorted by the button on the trigger. Still suggest you try other channels on the triggers.

[crossmr]

The patch cable bypasses the 2.4ghz circuitry and fires the flash the old fashioned way, a direct connection shorted by the button on the trigger. Still suggest you try other channels on the triggers.

as I said I already tried other channels. the patch cable also works when plugged into itself. so it's still getting the signal wirelessly. sending it out its own jack bringing it in the other jack and firing the flash see the first picture. the wireless receiver works the hot shoe works. the flash can fire but the direct connection between the wireless receiver and hot shoe has died on 2 different receivers after about the same amount of shots. searching Google i found someone last year complain of the same problem. flash worked a bit then died but receiver light was flashing. I opened one up. nothing looked like it died. no burnt out parts our black marks or obviously broken solder.

[crossmr]

and as further evidence as to what is going on here:
When you turn these receivers on they fire a test. There is no test button, to test them, you turn them off and on.
If you do that with the flash in, it does not fire
but if you loop it back on itself with the patch cable back into itself like the first picture, it fires.
It's like it's completely lost the ability to fire itself.
but everything else works.

[crossmr]

I just got an email from Aputure finally. I made this video so that they could exactly see what is going on:

You Tube

You Tube

The very specific failure that would have to occur in both devices for this problem to happen boggles the mind..

[jatrax]

The very specific failure that would have to occur in both devices for this problem to happen boggles the mind..

Not really, could be as simple as a cold solder joint on a component that failed after it heated up. Same batch, same failure.

[crossmr]

Some good news, because I'm in Korea, Amazon decided it wouldn't be worth it to ship the item back and is just issuing me a refund. I like the aputure product just bummed I got a defective set. I'm thinking about using the refund to get the pro set instead.

[crossmr]

I really need to find the thread where a couple of people recommended aputure equipment, because my god what a trial in frustration this has been. I used my refund to grab a pair of aputure trigmaster pros. Figuring what are the chances?
Just got them.. they appear to be malfunctioning right out of the box. Both work as receivers, but despite the fact that they are transceivers, I can't get one to trigger the other, one set to Tx/rx and the other set to rx nothing. Luckily i have the trigger from my other defective set, it has no problem triggering one of the pros, but they seem incapable of triggering each other. They don't even blink a light indicating a signal has been received.

The technological bizareness continues
Flash:
Trigmaster Trigger -> Trigmaster Pro as receiver This works
Trigmaster Pro as Trigger -> Trigmaster Pro as receiver This does not work
Trigmaster Pro as Trigger -> Trigmaster receiver This does not work

Shutter
Trigmaster Pro as Trigger -> Trigmaster receiver This works autofocuses and takes a picture
Trigmaster Pro as trigger -> Trigmaster Pro as receiver This works
Trigmaster Trigger -> Trigmaster Pro as receiver This works

If i try to fire a flash, and I wave the transmitter around, I'll hit a sweet spot where they can communicate. If i move more than a couple mm, I lose it. It is the most bizarre thing I've ever seen in electronics. having them set up both as tx/rx to fire a camera shutter and they will fire all day anywhere anytime any position. Slide one of them into rx only and suddenly they can't talk. from an electronics background it makes no sense, especially when you factor in the fact that the regular non-pro trigger can fire them from any position anywhere any time.
The ridiculous specifics of the failures I'm seeing with this products almost looks like they'd have to be designed to do this.

using some confusing techniques, I can fool these pro units like I fooled the basic ones. Put them both Tx/Rx (since i know that is always on communication for some stupid reason) then put a wire in the unit I want to be a receiver to connect the camera jack to the pc sync jack, and it fires the flash whenever I want, again I'm working around one of the weirdest electronic problems ever.