Difference between revisions of "Plus III FAQ"

Latest revision as of 15:25, 24 October 2021

Do you have a question about your Plus III? Check out these Frequently Asked Questions, compiled by PocketWizard tech support.

Why is my new Plus IIIe not working with my older Plus III?

Since September 2019, Plus IIIe and Plus IVe radios have been shipping from our warehouse with the new E Release firmware protocol installed. The E Release is not compatible with Legacy firmware 'out of the box'. You will need to either downgrade your new radio or upgrade your older units so they can communicate. Please see the PocketWizard Firmware page for details.

What is the E Release?

On September 12, 2019, PocketWizard introduced the E Release Firmware Upgrade. This is a new platform for our radios and the new E Series firmware uses an entirely different protocol than our Legacy firmware. Any Plus III radio purchased after September 1, 2019, from an authorized PocketWizard dealer may be eligible for the free upgrade. If you already have a Plus III, you may purchase a Firmware License for the E Release and upgrade your existing PocketWizard radios. For more information, see our PocketWizard E Release Wiki page.

Is the Plus III compatible with my camera/flash?

The Plus III is compatible with virtually* all cameras and flashes with a standard size hot-shoe, PC socket, or sync port.

• As long as the camera or flash can be triggered by a single pin trigger.

Can the Plus III do TTL? HSS/FP?

No. The Plus III is a Standard Channel trigger. If you need TTL, HSS/FP, or power control, you’re looking for our Raven radio.

The Plus III won’t trigger my studio flash! How can I get the Plus III to trigger my flash?

There seem to be some packs that are wired backwards from the industry standard, which can cause this problem. Try the following:

• On packs that use a household-style sync plug, simply reversing the way the plug is oriented usually solves the issue.
• Some customers have seen success using a Wein Safe Sync.
• We also have a cable solution that allows you to reverse the orientation of the sync cables, and trigger your lights. First, plug the phono to miniphone adapter that came with your Plus III into the sync port on the pack itself. Then, plug an M3H cable into the adapter in the pack, and then an MH3 into the M3H. If it does not work, simply flip the MH3 around and use it orientated the other direction.

Sometimes when I turn my Plus III on nothing happens! Is there a fix?

Yes! Update your Plus III to the latest firmware version. Connect your radio to the PocketWizard Utility and navigate to the "Update Tab." Click the “Check for Updates Button.”

What cable do I need?

You can use the Cable Finder at PocketWizard.com to find the right cable for lots of different cameras and flashes. The Plus III usually comes with a miniphone to miniphone cable, a PC to miniphone cable, and a miniphone to phono adapter for triggering remote flashes. Remote camera cables and specialty flash sync cables are sold separately.

Contact PocketWizard tech support if you still have questions.

I need my Plus III to stay powered on for a long time. What can I do?

Consider powering your Plus III via USB with a PW-AC-USB Adapter.

What is the two-stage TEST button all about? How does remote half-press work?

Half-pressing a transmitting Plus III, either via a camera shutter release or the two-stage TEST button, will cause certain receiving PocketWizard radios to pre-release a remote camera. This wakes the camera up and engages Auto-Focus, preparing it to respond quickly to full-press triggers.

You can read more about this on our Plus III Half-Press Compatibility page.

How can I increase my range?

Check out our Long Range Performance page for tips.

For extreme long distances, consider using the Plus III’s Repeater feature, described on the Plus III wiki page.

If you have not upgraded your Plus III to the E Release firmware, consider doing so! This simple and inexpensive upgrade can substantially increase the range for your radios.

Why isn’t my remote camera catching the flash in frame?

If you are attempting to trigger a remote camera in sync with remote flashes, be sure to set the flashes’ receivers to 1 Channel higher than the remote camera’s receiver. This is called Relay Mode.

Is the Plus III compatible with other PocketWizard radios?

Yes! The Plus III is compatible with all PocketWizard transmitters and receivers using the same frequency (FCC or CE) and firmware, including PocketWizard-enabled photo gear from Profoto, Dynalite, Norman, Photogenic and Sekonic light meters.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Since September 2019, Plus IIIe and Plus IVe radios have been shipping from our warehouse with the new E Release firmware protocol installed. The E Release is not compatible with Legacy firmware 'out of the box'. You will need to either downgrade your new radio or upgrade your older units so they can communicate. Please see the PocketWizard Firmware page for details.

Why won't my Plus III trigger my FlexTT5/FlexTT6?

The Plus and MultiMAX radios can transmit and receive on Standard Channels. While the FlexTT5/FlexTT6 radios can transmit on both ControlTL and Standard Channels at the same time, they can only receive on one or the other. The default is to receive only on ControlTL Channels.

To enable it to receive a Standard Channel signal: plug the FlexTT5/FlexTT6 into your computer with the Utility running. On the Channel Tab, note that the Standard Receiving Channel is grayed out. Choose which Configuration setting you want to change and unclick the “Use ControlTL for Receive Channel” box. The Receiving ControlTL Channel will now gray out. You can then change the Standard Receiving Channel to match the Transmitting Channel you wish to use on your Plus or MultiMAX. Click “Apply Changes” and wait for the radio to reset.

You can also navigate to the Misc tab and check the "Basic Trigger" box. This will make your FlexTT5/FlexTT6 behave just like a Plus radio and only send and receive on Standard Channels. The ControlTL radios have 2 Configuration settings. If this is a setting you may use often, it might be a good idea to set C2 to Basic Trigger mode and leave C1 for regular TTL shooting.

Please remember, when using Standard Channels, all ControlTL functions are disabled, meaning that you will be unable to use TTL, remote power changes, or High Speed Sync/FP. You will need to adjust settings on the back of the flashes manually and your maximum sync speed will be X-sync.