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4honor Offline Upload & Sell: Off p.1 #1 · Alien Bees Cybersync problem I already sent Alien bees Tech Support an e-mail, but meanwhile, I'd like to see if you guys have any ideas... I bought a pair of CST and CSRB and used it a couple times. But then it was put in my bag for storage, as I usually just toss my flash on camera. Yesterday I pulled it out, tried to use it, but it won't trigger my CSRB (they are on the same channel). I tried to pull out the battery and put it back in, and when I do that, the LED by the test button just blinks three times, and then it won't work. I can trigger the CSRB once if I press the test button as I push the battery in before the 3 blinks are over. Anyways, so then I tried to exchange the battery with my friend's CST, and it seems the batteries are working fine, so it's something with the CST. Anyone with similar problem before? Thanks! - Mike Nov 17, 2009 at 06:27 PM

bacilonur Offline Upload & Sell: Off p.1 #2 · Alien Bees Cybersync problem Call them and ask for Joe. Nov 17, 2009 at 07:06 PM

jwp721 Offline Upload & Sell: Off p.1 #3 · Alien Bees Cybersync problem See page 15. http://www.paulcbuff.com/manuals/cybersync_quick_start.pdf Seems like your transmitter is somehow in repeater mode? Not sure if this is possible but it does explain the three blinks of the test light. John Edited on Nov 17, 2009 at 08:04 PM · View previous versions Nov 17, 2009 at 07:56 PM

4honor Offline Upload & Sell: Off p.1 #4 · Alien Bees Cybersync problem Oh sorry, forgot to clarify that it's the CST that is having the problem of blinking red three times, not green like page 15 says... Thanks for looking it up though! Nov 17, 2009 at 08:01 PM

jwp721 Offline Upload & Sell: Off p.1 #5 · Alien Bees Cybersync problem Yeah I caught that afterwards and edited my message. Sorry I couldn't help. Enjoy the heck out of my cybersyncs! John Nov 17, 2009 at 08:06 PM

4honor Offline Upload & Sell: Off p.1 #6 · Alien Bees Cybersync problem Oh by the way, just to keep you guys updated: I gave AB a call today and asked for Joe (Thanks bacilonur!), and after talking with him for like 5 minutes (nice guy!), he thought the best solution is to just exchange the CST unit for me, so I got a replacement unit coming. Joe was knowledgeable and no hassle at all. I think I am going to have to order my lights from them now... Nov 19, 2009 at 02:02 AM

Paul Buff Offline Account Locked p.1 #7 · Alien Bees Cybersync problem Multiple blinking of the CST indicates a low or nearly dead battery. The threshold of detection of low battery state is probably different enough on your friends CST. I would suggest that your friend also put a fresh battery in . . . they're about $395 at Walgreens. I would always keep a spare battery in your camera case. Nov 19, 2009 at 05:18 AM

Chris Cooke Offline Upload & Sell: On p.1 #8 · Alien Bees Cybersync problem Paul Buff wrote: Multiple blinking of the CST indicates a low or nearly dead battery. The threshold of detection of low battery state is probably different enough on your friends CST. I would suggest that your friend also put a fresh battery in . . . they're about $395 at Walgreens. I would always keep a spare battery in your camera case. wow Paul! a $395 battery! j/k! My cyber syncs are being delivered tomorrow, I cant wait to test them out! Nov 19, 2009 at 05:20 AM

4honor Offline Upload & Sell: Off p.1 #9 · Alien Bees Cybersync problem Paul Buff wrote: I would suggest that your friend also put a fresh battery in . . . they're about $395 at Walgreens. I would always keep a spare battery in your camera case. Yikes... I think I will just go buy a couple more CST's for that amount of money... Why would the threshold be different? Can mine be adjusted so it won't quit so early? Many CST owners never had to even replace the stock battery for years, and mine's only like half of a year... Oh well, I will see if the one Joe sends me is good or not... Nov 19, 2009 at 05:22 AM

ranger_101 Offline Upload & Sell: Off p.1 #10 · Alien Bees Cybersync problem You need to watch how you store the Cybers as if something knocks the test switch in a camera bag it'll turn on. This will obviously cause unexpected rundown over time... Nov 19, 2009 at 07:51 AM

siniquezu Offline Upload & Sell: Off p.1 #11 · Alien Bees Cybersync problem I wish there was an on/off switch. I keep mine in a plastic craft box from TArget. Prevents any button pressing by accident. Nov 19, 2009 at 08:40 AM

RDKirk Offline Dedicated FM Upload & Sell: Off p.1 #12 · Alien Bees Cybersync problem siniquezu wrote: I wish there was an on/off switch. I keep mine in a plastic craft box from TArget. Prevents any button pressing by accident. That doesn't necessarily help us all. The old Radio Remote One receivers had on/off switches, but my problem was always forgetting to turn them off. That certainly resulted in a dead battery the next morning. Nov 19, 2009 at 01:57 PM

chevyt1963 Offline Upload & Sell: Off p.1 #13 · Alien Bees Cybersync problem Now that you mention it, I did have a problem using the Cyber syncs with an interfit strobe while in Augusta Ga. Just like you i thought it was a dead battery so I exchanged the battery from my spare and had the same results. I decided to use my ABR800 instead for lighting and the issue went away. Did not even think about it again until your question. Both appear to work fine at home not sure what happened to cause them not to work while away. Nov 19, 2009 at 06:30 PM

Paul Buff Offline Account Locked p.1 #14 · Alien Bees Cybersync problem Chris Cooke wrote: Paul Buff wrote: Multiple blinking of the CST indicates a low or nearly dead battery. The threshold of detection of low battery state is probably different enough on your friends CST. I would suggest that your friend also put a fresh battery in . . . they're about $395 at Walgreens. I would always keep a spare battery in your camera case. wow Paul! a $395 battery! j/k! My cyber syncs are being delivered tomorrow, I cant wait to test them out! Decimal challenged! That's $3.95 Nov 19, 2009 at 07:45 PM

Paul Buff Offline Account Locked p.1 #15 · Alien Bees Cybersync problem chevyt1963 wrote: Now that you mention it, I did have a problem using the Cyber syncs with an interfit strobe while in Augusta Ga. Just like you i thought it was a dead battery so I exchanged the battery from my spare and had the same results. I decided to use my ABR800 instead for lighting and the issue went away. Did not even think about it again until your question. Both appear to work fine at home not sure what happened to cause them not to work while away. Interfit and some Bowens/Calumet sync circuits draw much more sync current than the rest of the flash world and can cause latchup of the tripper receivers. CSRBs are more immune to this than CSRs. Nov 19, 2009 at 07:49 PM

Beau Arnold Offline Upload & Sell: On p.1 #16 · Alien Bees Cybersync problem I was in the middle of the start (for those of you that have done it you know where ZI am coming from) of a large t&i shoot when all of the sudden after about 3-4 players i shot my 1 year old cst stops working. I stopped shooting (would of kept on except I could not get the cst to work) with 2 teams now lined up long enough to switch over to a back up strobe and no transmitters. Between the 3rd and the 4th teams I had built enough of a cushion to change the 2450 coin battery out of the cst. Back to shooting with my bees and brella's no problems. I am glad I bought a spare set of batterys for all my cyber's. Nov 19, 2009 at 07:55 PM

Paul Buff Offline Account Locked p.1 #17 · Alien Bees Cybersync problem 4honor wrote: Paul Buff wrote: I would suggest that your friend also put a fresh battery in . . . they're about $395 at Walgreens. I would always keep a spare battery in your camera case. Yikes... I think I will just go buy a couple more CST's for that amount of money... Why would the threshold be different? Can mine be adjusted so it won't quit so early? Many CST owners never had to even replace the stock battery for years, and mine's only like half of a year... Oh well, I will see if the one Joe sends me is good or not... It depends on how often you fire it. I have a number of CSTs here 1 to 1-1/2 years old. They are just now needing new batteries - but I don't fire them a lot. If you use them heavily the life will be less. But, hey, I have to change the batteries in all my flashmeters and color meters about every 3-4 months after no use at all. If I leave my laptops or cameras unused for a couple of months the batteries are always dead and have to be recharged. Cyber Commander is about the same - if it sits unused the batteries will last over a year, but if you force the display to be constantly on the batteries last about three hours. We calculate 10-20 "LCD on cycles" per day equates to about 300 seconds LCD on-time per day and indicates about 35 days of battery life at this usage rate. Nov 19, 2009 at 07:59 PM

4honor Offline Upload & Sell: Off p.1 #18 · Alien Bees Cybersync problem @ Paul Buff - Thanks for the information. I think since I don't use mine that often, I will just take the battery out for storage... See if that helps. @ chevyt1963 - I don't think it matters, but I was (tried to) firing two B400's and one B1600... Nov 19, 2009 at 08:07 PM

chevyt1963 Offline Upload & Sell: Off p.1 #19 · Alien Bees Cybersync problem Wow, Paul never thought I would hear from you. Thanks for your response and also your quick shipments to La Grange, NC. You have won over a loyal customer. Thanks again Max Nov 20, 2009 at 12:06 AM

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