Cactus troubleshooting help please?

[imahawki]

My Cactus transmitter/receiver combo plus extra receiver arrived today. I can't get the LED on any of the three units to light up. I've replaced the AAAs in the receiver and tried both receivers. The instructions don't even make it clear which position is on for the receiver (red showing or red hidden on the slider). And I can't get the LED to light up at all on the transmitter. I guess before I assume they're defective, I have a couple questions.

1) Will the LED on the receiver light up if it doesn't detect the transmitter, or should it light up when its on, no matter what?

2) What position IS on on the receiver? Red showing, or red covered by the slider?

3) Is there any trick to turning the transmitter on? Do you hold the test button down? Will the transmitter power on when its off the hotshoe or not?

[Kevin Curtis]

1. My transmitter only lights up when i press the test button
2. red should be showing on the receivers when they are powered on
3. the transmitter is on once its connected to the hotshoe

[imahawki]

1. My transmitter only lights up when i press the test button
2. red should be showing on the receivers when they are powered on
3. the transmitter is on once its connected to the hotshoe

OK, none of that's working... but regarding #3, does the transmitter have to be in the hotshoe to fire the receiver? I had assumed you could fire the receiver with the transmitter in your hand, to take reading etc.

Either way, even on the hotshoe I can't get any LEDs at all.

[TMR Design]

The Cactus stuff works well for many people but I have heard a lot of reports of units arriving DOA. If you've done the basic troubleshooting and it's not working then more than likely you have one of those dead units and you should probably just contact the seller and get the wheels in motion for getting a replacement asap.

[mufutau55]

Or just get the Yongnuo CTR-301P. I love those over the Cactus now.

Mufutau

The Cactus stuff works well for many people but I have heard a lot of reports of units arriving DOA. If you've done the basic troubleshooting and it's not working then more than likely you have one of those dead units and you should probably just contact the seller and get the wheels in motion for getting a replacement asap.

[Kevin Curtis]

theres no batteries on the transmitter. how would you be able to use it to fire the flash if it wasn't on the hotshoe? and why would you want to do that anyway? you can fire it as a test with the button on the transmitter but it has to be on the hotshoe to get power

[TMR Design]

Or just get the Yongnuo CTR-301P. I love those over the Cactus now.

Mufutau

Hi Mufutau,

Are the Yongnuo triggers proving to be better and more reliable than the Cactus?

[imahawki]

I'm out and about now but I bought a new battery and put it in the transmitter and the transmitter and receiver LEDs are now both lighting up when I push the test button now. I'll report back if it fires my strobes later tonight.

[mufutau55]

Yes, at least for me.. but then I had the Cactus v2s then even modified with the antenna, I still had some problems like some are still having on the v4
but I have not had any problem on the CTR-301P, and i hope they transfer the new technology (2.4 GHz) of their latest Shutter/Camera Trigger, that may eve solve more frequency problems on all the ebay triggers.

Mufutau

Hi Mufutau,

Are the Yongnuo triggers proving to be better and more reliable than the Cactus?

[imahawki]

theres no batteries on the transmitter. how would you be able to use it to fire the flash if it wasn't on the hotshoe? and why would you want to do that anyway? you can fire it as a test with the button on the transmitter but it has to be on the hotshoe to get power

Not true, there is a battery in the transmitter and it does not have to be in the hotshoe to fire. The reason you would want to do that is to make your strobes fire so you can use an incidental light meter to set your exposure. Like I said a couple posts back, I replaced the battery in the transmitter (an odd size) and now everything works.