Radiopopper JrX can't trigger Speedotron packs
/forum/topic/823728/0

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kenyee
Registered: Jul 08, 2008
Total Posts: 1325
Country: United States

FYI, someone on Nikon Cafe mentioned that they couldn't trigger his Speedo gear and I can confirm my JrX Studios don't trigger a borrowed 805 pack. The same pack can be triggered w/ V2s fleabay triggers using a PC sync cable w/ 1/4" plug.

I used a multimeter to check and there's no crosswiring. The one thing that's unusual is they have a stereo 1/8" to 1/8" cable for the JrX. Then they supply a stereo 1/8" to 1/4" connector. My guess is Speedo packs use the middle of the plug for the ground and that is actually the quench part of the stereo pin. They just need to supply a 1/8" stereo to 1/4" mono plug adapter.

I'll email to confirm...
.



cathpah
Registered: Jan 28, 2006
Total Posts: 744
Country: United States

wow...RP just keeps having problem, after problem, after problem.



kenyee
Registered: Jul 08, 2008
Total Posts: 1325
Country: United States

cathpath: that's what QA should pick up but they can't test everything...if the company is big enough, they should be able to catch most of it, but just look at the pocketwizard TT gaffs...and they had plenty of money to have a big QA department



cathpah
Registered: Jan 28, 2006
Total Posts: 744
Country: United States

kenyee wrote:
cathpath: that's what QA should pick up but they can't test everything...if the company is big enough, they should be able to catch most of it, but just look at the pocketwizard TT gaffs...and they had plenty of money to have a big QA department


True enough. Still a bummer though.



kenyee
Registered: Jul 08, 2008
Total Posts: 1325
Country: United States

Bummer indeed.
I suspect something like this would work fine:
http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2062462



cordellwillis
Registered: Aug 24, 2004
Total Posts: 4327
Country: United States

cathpah wrote:
wow...RP just keeps having problem, after problem, after problem.


News to me....and I'm sure to many others.



Future Man
Registered: Mar 30, 2006
Total Posts: 323
Country: United States

What's the bummer?

It takes a $5 plug to make it work. Oh bummer, gotta quit photography. Can't afford it.



Paul Buff
Registered: Oct 06, 2006
Total Posts: 2775
Country: United States

Not sure, but I think Speedo may use about 70V triggering voltage - could be the problem.



kenyee
Registered: Jul 08, 2008
Total Posts: 1325
Country: United States

Future Man wrote:
It takes a $5 plug to make it work. Oh bummer, gotta quit photography. Can't afford it.


So I bought the radioshack plug to test. Plugged the cable into it and luckily used a multimeter to check connectivity. The trigger and quench (tip and middle) are shorted together by this adapter. I'm not plugging this into my gear to see what'll happen. That'd be a major bummer if it fried my RP JrX and speedo pack
I expected the middle part of the stereo plug to connect to nothing when the adapter was in place...



kenyee
Registered: Jul 08, 2008
Total Posts: 1325
Country: United States

RP put up a JrX cable compatibility guide:
http://www.radiopopper.com/docs/jrx_cable_selection_guide.pdf

but 805 packs don't have a household sync plug and they say that's what's needed

Also found out the JrX has a max sync voltage of 200V. Some older Speedos (the ones w/ the household sync ports) put out 300V and it'd be fried popper time
Still digging to find out the sync voltage of the 805 pack...Speedo really needs to put up a table listing all their sync voltages...



K_Strecker
Registered: Apr 03, 2008
Total Posts: 360
Country: United States

Damn. Even Pocketwizards only have a 250v max . . .



kenyee
Registered: Jul 08, 2008
Total Posts: 1325
Country: United States

Just a followup on this...the JrX Studio definitely has a hardware bug so it won't sync some packs/heads.
Someone on the flickr forum can't get his Travelite strobe to fire.
I also got a mono-mono 1/8" to 1/4" adapter for the Speedo 805 pack to make sure I wasn't shorting any JrX signals (the JrX comes w/ a stereo adapter but I was worried Speedo put their ground connection too low) and it doesn't fire.
Measured sync voltage at -63V (yep, reverse polarity), so I made up a reverse polarity sync cable, checked voltage to verify it was +63V and it still doesn't fire.

If you're using this w/ anything besides AB/WL strobes, make sure you check when you get it...



akfreak
Registered: Apr 03, 2010
Total Posts: 78
Country: United States

It does work, You need to buy the Mono plug from radio shack and reverse the leads. I had the same issue with my 805 packs. I can now trigger my 805 with any trigger. Also the 805 has a built in optical sync, it will fire from your other pack.


This image is copyrighted by the owner


This image is copyrighted by the owner



akfreak
Registered: Apr 03, 2010
Total Posts: 78
Country: United States

kenyee wrote:
Just a followup on this...the JrX Studio definitely has a hardware bug so it won't sync some packs/heads.
Someone on the flickr forum can't get his Travelite strobe to fire.
I also got a mono-mono 1/8" to 1/4" adapter for the Speedo 805 pack to make sure I wasn't shorting any JrX signals (the JrX comes w/ a stereo adapter but I was worried Speedo put their ground connection too low) and it doesn't fire.
Measured sync voltage at -63V (yep, reverse polarity), so I made up a reverse polarity sync cable, checked voltage to verify it was +63V and it still doesn't fire.

If you're using this w/ anything besides AB/WL strobes, make sure you check when you get it...


you dont use a stereo adapter use a Mono and reverse, simple simple!



Conner999
Registered: Jan 22, 2006
Total Posts: 3521
Country: Canada

Simple matter of RP just not (or yet) developing each and every type of sync cord adapter needed for some packs with more esoteric sync connector wiring. From a sales perspective, it makes more sense for them to focus on the largest common denominators (plus speed lights of course) first. Send them a link to this thread with akfreak's found solution - might help other Speedo users.

Don't know them, but really like the product. FYI - work like a charm with Profoto and the JrX Studio receiver +Cube (theirs or DIY Nikon in this case) works as advertised for remotely adjusting speed light power.



kenyee
Registered: Jul 08, 2008
Total Posts: 1325
Country: United States

akfreak: I did *not* use a stereo adapter for this.
I used two connectors, twisted the wiring together and reversed polarity when doing this (checked a continuity tester to verify). The same came works w/ a friend's cybersync triggers.
Did you try your cable w/ a JrX? Your photo shows an old V1 fleabay trigger...



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