LiteLink Trigger System

[Photodawg1]

I am just starting to play with flash and off cam lighting and am gearing up to get some remotes.
PW are great but big $$.
I haven't been able to find much on here about the http://www.calumetphoto.com/item/CE1560/ which looks like an nice affordable setup. The skyports are also appealing.
I will use them for on location sports shooting and learning studio work. Appreciate feedback.

UPDATE: I did find these reviews which weren't so favorable: http://photosig.pcphotoreview.com/cat/photographyreview/flash-and-lighting/flash-accessories/calumet/PRD_288714_4275crx.aspx

[markhyo]

Linda my main question for you would be what type of flashes do you plan to use them with? If you work with studio strobes and monolights they will probably be ok triggers for you. If you plan to use them with hotshoe flashes... well I wouldn't necessarily recommend them!

I actually own 5 of them and I use them with Vivitar 285HV's and a 430Ex. I have had these units for about 5 years and got them back when I was still shooting film. The problem that you will have with the hotshoe flashes is that any setting typically below 1/2 power, when triggered the receiver will fire twice. This double pop is quite annoying. Calumet/Bowens refuses to support the problem. Their tech support states that they're only meant to work with study strobes. When I purchased mine they were not advertised that way.

I have found a solution to the problem but it will in fact void your warranty. The problem is that the center pin of the hotshoe pics up radio interferance/static electricity from typically metal objects it is near (ie. you lightstand). If you trip the transmitter the receiver will trigger twice (again with low power settings on the flash). If you hit the test button on the receiver itself then you don't the problem. What I found to fix the problem was on the receiver unit, remove the four screw of the foot and cut a white wire off the center post. By doing this the unit will no longer operate as a trigger on a camera's hotshoe. You can still use it to trigger plugging into the camera sync in jack and your camera pc socket. After doing this a receiver unit will work fine. I did this mod on 3 of my 5 units and it's worked perfectly fine. Why bowen could figure out a solution I don't know but mine has been working great. I've used these at weddings with no problems and the range is excellent. Since doing the mod I have had no double flashes but I have an occasional random triggering. This may be due to picking up other radio signals.

If I had to do it all over I would invest in pocket wizards or skyports. I am patiently waiting to see what will happen with radio poppers and may perhaps change over to them. So there you have it, my review of them. I can honestly say due to the lack of support I've had from Calumet/Bowens, I will probably never buy another Calumet/Bowens product. BTW bowens actually makes the calumet litelink. In the UK they call it the pulsar and it has a few more channel/group options.

Also if you check out bowens user forum there are many posts in reference to this problem. Some of them I have posted myself as well as this fix.

[Photodawg1]

Linda my main question for you would be what type of flashes do you plan to use them with? If you work with studio strobes and monolights they will probably be a good triggers for you. If you plan to use them with hotshoe flashes... well I wouldn't necessarily recommend them!

I actually own 5 of them and I use them with Vivitar 285HV's and a 430Ex. The problem that you will have with the hotshoe flashes is that any setting typically below 1/2 power, when triggered the receiver will fire twice. This double pop is quite annoying. Calumet/Bowens refuses to support the problem. Their tech support states that they're only meant to work with study strobes. When I purchased mine they were not advertised that way.

I have found a solution to the problem but it will in fact void your warranty. The problem is that the center pin of the hotshoe pics up radio interferance/static electricity from typically metal objects it is near (ie. you lightstand). If you trip the transmitter the receiver will trigger twice (again with low power settings on the flash). If you hit the test button on the receiver itself then you don't the problem. What I found to fix the problem was on the receiver unit, remove the four screw of the foot and cut a white wire off the center post. By doing this the unit will no longer operate as a trigger on a camera's hotshoe. You can still use it to trigger plugging into the camera sync in jack and your camera pc socket. After doing this a receiver unit will work fine. I did this mod on 3 of my 5 units and it's worked perfectly fine. Why bowen could figure out a solution I don't know but mine has been working great. I've used these at weddings with no problems and the range is excellent. Since doing the mod I have had no double flashes but I have an occasional random triggering. This may be due to picking up other radio signals.

If I had to do it all over I would invest in pocket wizards or skyports. I am patiently waiting to see what will happen with radio poppers and may perhaps change over to them. So there you have it, my review of them. I can honestly say due to the lack of support I've had from Calumet/Bowens, I will probably never buy another Calumet/Bowens product. BTW bowens actually makes the calumet litelink. In the UK they call it the pulsar and it has a few more channel/group options.

Thanks very much markhyo! I have ordered from Calumet a couple of times and have been very happy, but then again never had a problem with anything I ordered. Think I will steer clear of of the LiteLinks based on your feedback and the other review I could find.