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07-02-2009, 07:13 AM   #1
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Help! Off camera flash cord problem

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Hi from Peter in Costa Rica! I have a Vivitar 285hv which works without a problem on my K10d. I recently bought a flash bracket and promaster off-camera TTL cord for Pentax but the 285 does not work when I attach it to the cord. Also, if I mount the cord on the bracket the flash triggers constantly every time it powers up! I am a flash novice so would appreciate any help in this matter. Thanks!

07-02-2009, 05:46 PM   #2
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You need to make sure the flash is fully on the shoe of the "off-camera TTL cord " so the pins/terminals line up.

You might want to check each terminal with a meter to make sure there are no broken wires inside the cord. i.e put the meter between the matching pins on each end of the cord.

Bracket, the reason the flash is firing is it is shorting out the pins on the shoe on the bracket. you might want to look at slipping in a piece of thin tape or film between the shoe and the bracket, this should stop the terminals touching the metal bracket plate.
07-03-2009, 06:01 AM   #3
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Thanks Peacekeeper - this is actually the second unit I try as I thought the first was defective - your bracket suggestion worked but still not tripping via the camera shutter, oh well...
07-08-2009, 08:46 AM   #4
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QuoteOriginally posted by peter sellmer Quote
Hi from Peter in Costa Rica! I have a Vivitar 285hv which works without a problem on my K10d. I recently bought a flash bracket and promaster off-camera TTL cord for Pentax but the 285 does not work when I attach it to the cord. Also, if I mount the cord on the bracket the flash triggers constantly every time it powers up! I am a flash novice so would appreciate any help in this matter. Thanks!
This is the flash cord you want and need for that Vivatar 285 HV.

It allows you to use the removable sensor from the flash and has a sync pin inside the cord; gerat if you break the hot shoe and try to repair it with a metal one and do a poor job of soldering the contacts like I did! You can find them on Ebay for about $20. If you are interested, let me know and I will research availability. The cord you have is for dedicated flash and who knows what could be wrong with it since it is a third party brand, and it should work!

Notice I have a Wein Safe sync attached to the cord; be aware that some older 285's especially the non HV could have high trigger voltages which aint good for your modern D-SLR.



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07-08-2009, 12:34 PM   #5
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Thanks so much Rob! wish I had gotten your message earlier - I just bought this on ebay, it's suposedly a dedicated flash cord for the 285hv:

OFF CAMERA FLASH SHOE CORD FOR VIVITAR 283 285 285HV - eBay (item 310151730731 end time Jul-03-09 16:58:57 PDT)

This is my third attemp - if it doesn't work I will go for the setup you recommended. I will let you know once I receive the item...

btw, really enjoyed your family and cat photos - very fresh and spontaneous!
07-08-2009, 06:14 PM   #6
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QuoteOriginally posted by peter sellmer Quote
Thanks so much Rob! wish I had gotten your message earlier - I just bought this on ebay, it's suposedly a dedicated flash cord for the 285hv:

OFF CAMERA FLASH SHOE CORD FOR VIVITAR 283 285 285HV - eBay (item 310151730731 end time Jul-03-09 16:58:57 PDT)

This is my third attemp - if it doesn't work I will go for the setup you recommended. I will let you know once I receive the item...

btw, really enjoyed your family and cat photos - very fresh and spontaneous!
Thank you Peter. Don't let the ignorance on Ebay fool you( or it could be someone trying to trick you). The Vivitar 285 and 285HV are manual flashes only. They do not communicate to the camera at all like dedicated flash does. However, that cord should let you fire the flash.

It could be faulty. If it is, hopefully you can get a refund and buy the real deal.

You can also use a regular PC cord with the Vivitar conector. They come in straight and coilled versions. You would have to buy a hotshoe adapter with the PC conector on the end.

The remote sensor cord for the 285 may be hard to find these days with the renewed intrest in these flash units.

Let me know if you need help!

Last edited by res3567; 07-08-2009 at 06:20 PM.
07-24-2009, 02:55 PM   #7
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Rob, finally recieved the flash cord for the 285hv and it works perfectly - here's a photo (hope it shows up) so another solution!




07-24-2009, 11:31 PM   #8
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QuoteOriginally posted by peter sellmer Quote
Rob, finally recieved the flash cord for the 285hv and it works perfectly - here's a photo (hope it shows up) so another solution!


No photo showed up.

What kind of cord is it?
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