Difference between revisions of "The FAQ"

Revision as of 07:52, 13 March 2017

Do you have questions about PocketWizard radios in general? Check out these Frequently Asked Questions, compiled by PocketWizard tech support.

Nothing is working! What should I do?

Try the following steps:

• Check your batteries - sometimes low batteries can affect radio performance.
• Make sure all of your radios have been updated to the latest firmware. Connect your radio to the PocketWizard Utility and navigate to the "Update Tab." Click the “Check for Updates Button.”
• Make sure your camera and flashes are using the latest firmware, too!
• Perform a Factory Reset on all of your radios.
• Take your first shot at 1/160th or 1/200th so the system can properly calibrate timing.
• Contact PocketWizard tech support for troubleshooting help.

I just upgraded my firmware and it doesn't work! What do I do?

After updating your firmware, always perform a factory reset with the radio: See RESET B here, or simply hold TEST before you power on your radio and continue to hold TEST for 10 seconds until you see 4 green blinks. While the PocketWizard Utility performs a factory reset automatically when you upgrade the firmware, and has a Factory Reset button on the Update tab, Reset B remains the recommended method after a firmware upgrade.

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.

Contact PocketWizard tech support if you still have questions.

How many radios do I need?

You will need one radio per device. That means one for each camera and one for each flash in use.

Is my camera or flash compatible with your radios?

Virtually all cameras and flashes with a standard size hot-shoe, PC socket, or sync port are compatible with Standard Channel radios like the Plus II, Plus III, PlusX, and MultiMAX.

Visit our Canon Compatibility or Nikon Compatibility pages to see if your camera or flash is compatible with our ControlTL radios like the MiniTT1 and FlexTT5.

Contact PocketWizard tech support if you still have questions.

I can’t update my firmware. Why won’t the Utility recognize my radios?

Try the following steps:

• Start by making sure you're connecting your radios directly to your computer, rather than through a USB hub.
• Try disconnecting all additional USB devices from your computer.
• Uninstall the PocketWizard Utility and reinstall the latest version, available for download on our website, http://www.pocketwizard.com/support/downloads/.
• Attempt to update the radios using another user account.
• Attempt the update while running your computer in Safe Mode.
• Contact PocketWizard tech support for troubleshooting help.

I think my radio needs to be repaired. What do I do?

Contact PocketWizard tech support. Warranty and repair inquiries are handled by the distributor in the region in which the radios are purchased, so please include this information in your message.

Why does PocketWizard make radios in two different frequencies?

Our radios are sold in two different versions to comply with radio laws in different countries. In the United States, the FCC reserves the 344-354 MHz frequency for PocketWizard systems. In Europe, regulations assign 433-434 MHz. A PocketWizard sold in the USA bears the letters “FCC” on the outer shell; a European version will have the letters “CE.”

Can I buy my radios directly through PocketWizard?

Yes! You can buy PocketWizard products directly through the PocketWizard online store if you live in the US or Canada: http://shop.pocketwizard.com/. Or if you prefer to visit a local camera shop that carries PocketWizard products, please check out our website for information on where to buy: http://www.pocketwizard.com/wheretobuy/

The hot-shoe on my radio broke off! How do I get it fixed?

Contact PocketWizard tech support. Warranty and repair inquiries are handled by the distributor in the region in which the radios are purchased, so please include this information in your message. You can either send your radio in for repair or request a replacement hot-shoe to do the repair yourself.

If your radio is out of warranty, you can purchase a hot shoe directly from http://shop.pocketwizard.com and do the repair yourself or you can send it into us and we will do the repair for you. Please contact us at info@pocketwizard.com.

Our radios are made from a glass-reinforced resin material, and shouldn't break with normal usage. However, the hot-shoe mounts are designed to break on serious impact. We found replacing an inexpensive hot-shoe preferable to a lengthy and potentially costly camera or speedlight repair.

Why is my remote flash not firing after 30-40 seconds?

While our FlexTT5 and Standard Channel radios don’t go to sleep, your flash does! Please be sure to set the sleep timer on your flash to either a fairly long period of time or just plain “off”. In Nikon, this setting is called STBY mode in the menu, for Canon it is in the Custom Functions.

I'm trying to remotely trigger my camera and flash but they don't seem to sync!

This setup is called relay mode. The trick is that you need to set the radio with your remote flash to receive on a different Channel. Here's how it works:

• The radio in your hand sends signal on Channel 1 (for example) to the radio attached to the camera. That radio triggers the camera through the remote port.
• When the shutter fires, the radio gets a signal through its hot shoe. The radio knows it needs to relay a signal one Channel higher than the one it received, so it will send a trigger on Channel 2. (or whatever is one higher than the one you chose).
• The receiving radio (attached to the flash) receives the signal on the higher Channel and fires the flash.

If you set all the radios to the same Channel, the flash will fire before the camera opens its shutter. The flash just needs the radio to tell it to fire and it does. The camera gets the signal and then needs to confirm focus and exposure before firing, even if everything is set to manual, so there is a slight delay. Relay solves that problem.

Questions about your specific radio?

Check out our other FAQ pages for more information on your radios:

Plus III FAQ

PlusX FAQ

MultiMAX FAQ

MiniTT1 and FlexTT5 FAQ

PowerMC2 FAQ

PowerST4 FAQ

PocketWizard Utility FAQ