[Finally: Success!] Remote Trigger Setup

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Archive 2008 · [Finally: Success!] Remote Trigger Setup

Jonathan Knight
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p.1 #1 · [Finally: Success!] Remote Trigger Setup

Logistical question for you PocketWizard pros out there. Trying to wire up a second "shutter" to fire remote cameras at basketball.

Here's the hypothetical situation:

2 remote cameras (both on same channel)
1 camera in hand (shooting both far and near court)
1 PocketWizard (right now on hotshoe)

My problem is that if I am shooting action at both the far and near court I don't want to be firing my remotes off while shooting far court if they are both setup at near court or vice versa so I was wanting to setup a second shutter so I could fire the remote independently (without the PW on the hotshoe) of the regular shutter.

What is the general setup? Trigger to wire > wire to PW > PW sitting in lap, on leg, etc? What wire am I looking for?

Pictures and diagrams are always helpful, too!

Thank you!!!

Edited on Dec 24, 2008 at 04:08 AM · View previous versions

Dec 23, 2008 at 02:55 AM

Patrick Lanius
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p.1 #2 · [Finally: Success!] Remote Trigger Setup

Jonathan,

You need a lens mounted trigger button that fires a second PW which in turn triggers your remote. Michael Bass makes a nice lens mounted trigger.

http://michaelbass.blogspot.com/2006/11/lens-mounted-trigger-switch-for-pw.html#StartLensTrig

Dec 23, 2008 at 03:28 AM

Jonathan Knight
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p.1 #3 · [Finally: Success!] Remote Trigger Setup

anyone else? Looking for a DIY option if possible. I know they are out there!

Dec 23, 2008 at 06:42 PM

mcarlson
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p.1 #4 · [Finally: Success!] Remote Trigger Setup

I'll try...

The picture below (hopefully) is the trigger I use. It was homemade from Radio Shack for a few dollars and took a few minutes. Essentially, it is a MONO mini plug cord (don't get the stereo version - looks the same, but isn't). I bought the longest I could of the mini-mini plug version, then cut off one end. I then trimmed the wires and threaded them through the prongs of the switch I purchased, similar to the one at this link:

http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2062510&y=8&x=15&retainProdsInSession=1&retainProdsInSession=1

Ensure that you don NOT get the on-off switch, but rather the one that simply completes the circuit (explain to the RS guy, if you need to, in those terms, to make sure you get the right one).

I then used electrical tape to close it all up and, ta da. Done. I also purchased the mini-plug extension cord, which has proven useful at times.

I use the stand for a speedlite to mount the PW and keep it at my feet. It can also be mounted to something higher if you're sitting near stands. I also attached a strip of velcro to the cord (that's what the square is near the switch) and attached the other velcro to my camera body near the camera's trigger, that way it attaches regardless of the lens I choose.

It takes some getting used to, but I've found it to work fine. Another alternative that people use, is pretty much the same setup, but instead of the push-button trigger, they have rigged it to a simple foot pedal. Radio Shack used to stock these, but they don't anymore...so not sure how easy it would be to find an alternative where you live.

Hope that helps somewhat - feel free to write back on this board with questions so I can clarify the post for all who are confused...

2012 © mcarlson

Dec 23, 2008 at 08:29 PM

mcarlson
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p.1 #5 · [Finally: Success!] Remote Trigger Setup

By the way...excuse the crappy quality of my cellphone pic used...

Dec 23, 2008 at 08:30 PM

Patrick Lanius
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p.1 #6 · [Finally: Success!] Remote Trigger Setup

mcarlson wrote:
Ensure that you don NOT get the on-off switch, but rather the one that simply completes the circuit (explain to the RS guy, if you need to, in those terms, to make sure you get the right one).

Mike,

Do you mean a momentary contact switch? Nice DIY job BTW.

Jonathan,

in the link I gave you trhere are also foot switches which are also useful.

Dec 23, 2008 at 09:03 PM

mcarlson
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p.1 #7 · [Finally: Success!] Remote Trigger Setup

Momentary sounds like the right term...I'm a self-confessed idiot when it comes to technical terms, sometimes, but I do know what works and/or what needs to get fixed...the thing connected to the other thing that does things is about how it's all described.

Dec 23, 2008 at 10:53 PM

Scott Sewell
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p.1 #8 · [Finally: Success!] Remote Trigger Setup

I plan to make a foot pedal switch before baseball starts next spring, but for basketball I use my own version of what Mike has shown. Biggest difference is I have a very low-profile switch that I can velco to an elastic band that I can wrap around my 70-200. I then can press the remote switch with the thumb of my left hand while still holding the camera/lens and shooting with the body.

This is a pretty simply DIY project if you've got a solder gun and wire cutters.

Dec 23, 2008 at 10:56 PM

Jonathan Knight
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p.1 #9 · [Finally: Success!] Remote Trigger Setup

Some issues I am running into.....

Went over to RadioShack. First time they had no idea what I was talking about or what I needed. Drove home. Got the cameras, PW and cords. They finally had some decent idea of what I was looking for. PIcked up the following: mono mini - mono mini audio cable and a SPST - Momentary pushbutton switch.

http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2062510

http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2102950

Here's the problem:

If the PW's are setup and ON like I would normally as soon as I plug the mono mini in the remote camera starts firing. If I plug it in with the setup OFF and then turn the PW on the PW lights on both PWs are lit up continuously but the setup is not firing. I setup the switch and if the setup is initially OFF (not firing) and I turn everything on everyime I try and trigger with the switch nothing happens.

Dec 23, 2008 at 11:45 PM

S_Dreslinski
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p.1 #10 · [Finally: Success!] Remote Trigger Setup

Jonathan, its possible you have a bad solder job??

Do you have an digital multimeter? One that can detect and beep on a short/closed circuit.

Basically most DVM's can measure resistance, and most will beep when the resistance is 0 or a closed circuit.

All you are doing with your momentary switch is shorting the 2 conductors of the wire together.

So if you have a DVM, take the cord with your switch on it and put the DVM leads on the end of the cord that would plug into the PW.

If you look at the plug that goes into the PW, there is a ring and a tip. (2 parts of metal separated by a black line)
Put one DVM lead on the ring, and one DVM lead on the tip. The DVM should detect an open circuit. If it detects a short/closed circuit, then you have a bad solder job up top with your switch.

If it detects open circuit, then press your switch while leaving the DVM leads on the ring and tip as in the previous measurement. With your switch pressed, the DVM should now detect a short, or zero resistance.

Doing the above will verify that your new cable is properly made.

If it is, then which port, flash or camera port did you plug the cable into on the PW?

If the above makes no sense to you, then shoot me an email from my contact info, and if you'd like, I can give you a ring and we can talk about it.

--Scott

Dec 24, 2008 at 12:04 AM

Jonathan Knight
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p.1 #11 · [Finally: Success!] Remote Trigger Setup

S_Dreslinski wrote:
Jonathan, its possible you have a bad solder job??

Do you have an digital multimeter? One that can detect and beep on a short/closed circuit.

Unfortunately no. I don't. So the remainder of the post isn't all too helpful, unfortunately.

I do appreciate the help, though!

I can answer the one question: I have it plugged into the sync input on the transmitter and the remote PW is setup like normal: pre-trigger on "on" and the cable plugged into the "camera" port on top.

Dec 24, 2008 at 12:16 AM

Jonathan Knight
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p.1 #12 · [Finally: Success!] Remote Trigger Setup

Anyone else? I'm really not sure what to try anymore.

If the PW's are setup and ON like I would normally as soon as I plug the mono mini in the remote camera starts firing. If I plug it in with the setup OFF and then turn the PW on the PW lights on both PWs are lit up continuously but the setup is not firing. I setup the switch and if the setup is initially OFF (not firing) and I turn everything on every-time I try and trigger with the switch nothing happens.

Dec 24, 2008 at 03:00 AM

redal
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p.1 #13 · [Finally: Success!] Remote Trigger Setup

Firstly make sure you have pushed the plug all the way into the PW, i had a similar issue when i made a homemade cable release.

Im guessing you cut off one end of the cable so you could attach that end to the switch.
If so, try putting the plug that you cut off the cable into the PW to see if you get the same issue. ie both pws lighting up continuously .

If it doesn't , then the other plug could be stuffed. If that's the problem, i'm hoping that you left a little cable on the end you cut off. Then you can cut the "broken" plug off and tape the "good" plug on to the cable, with it being mono it doesn't matter which wire joins up.

Dec 24, 2008 at 03:17 AM

PShizzy
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p.1 #14 · [Finally: Success!] Remote Trigger Setup

im not sure if i got this right... but

both remotes are on the same channel, and NOT linked to the handheld...

so you need 3 PW, one for each remote, and one for the trigger

get a plunger trigger or similar. MBass has all that, but its pricey, but good stuff. Connect it to the trigger PW. then tape that trigger to your camera or lens.

When you need to shoot remote, click both your cameras shutter and that trigger, and when you dont, just tap the camera shutter.

I tried this, and it was a pain. I thought maybe it was me, but I heard a few other pj's say that they had problems. Nothing technical, it's just annoying to remember to trigger on or off the remotes.

So, instead, I just plant in a big card, and shoot everything, it's not that big a deal really.

Max

Dec 24, 2008 at 03:35 AM

Jonathan Knight
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p.1 #15 · [Finally: Success!] Remote Trigger Setup

I'll put it this way......there's a reason why I am not an electrical engineering major.......=)

It works.....and I'm an idiot. =)

Dec 24, 2008 at 04:07 AM

Romeo Guzman
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p.1 #16 · [Finally: Success!] Remote Trigger Setup

Jonathan, I think problem is the switch you are using, that switch is what is known as always on till you push the button. The switch you need from Radio Shack is http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2062508 which only makes a connection when the button is pushed.
Hope that helps

Dec 24, 2008 at 04:20 AM

S_Dreslinski
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p.1 #17 · [Finally: Success!] Remote Trigger Setup

Jonathan Knight wrote:
I'll put it this way......there's a reason why I am not an electrical engineering major.......=)

It works.....and I'm an idiot. =)

Well, now that that is clear...

You should at least provide the details of what your issue was so the next person who tries it does not waste time by potentially making the same mistake.

--Scott

Dec 24, 2008 at 04:28 AM

Jonathan Knight
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p.1 #18 · [Finally: Success!] Remote Trigger Setup

Don't worry. No one will make this mistake again. =)

Thanks for everyone helping, especially Scott D.

Thanks again!!!

Jonathan

Dec 24, 2008 at 04:30 AM

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