Anyone that has Cybersyncs and Genesis lights Help!!

[alabama1980]

Just unboxed my Cybersyncs. RTFM even though everything is fairly self explanatory.

I got them on my Genesis 400 lights. They will fire ONCE and then the light locks up....it won't even fire via the test button on the back of the strobe....I can change power and all the other stuff, but it simply will NOT fire....

Anyone else run in to this or have any suggestions?? I tried this on both units and get the same results!

I've been lookiing forward to cybersyncs for a while now, and this feels kind of like when you were young and got socks for christmas....

[slivr]

I use Genesis lights with Elinchrom Skyports so it's not an exact match, but I've never experienced a lockup or hiccup using the Skyport. That means nothing though, since we aren't comparing apples to apples.

Have you tested to make sure a sync-cord doesn't lock up the light as well? I.E.: If up to now you've used your Genesis in slave mode and fired them by using the on-camera flash ... you should get a synch-cord and run from camera to one of the lights (take it off slave mode) and see if the Genesis still locks up when you release the camera shutter. I dunno - just taking a stab to help identify if its the lights ... the cybersync ... or the combination that's the culprit. Got a buddy with a different studio light you can try your camera/your cybersync/his-light with? That would also narrow down the issue.

[alabama1980]

Have you tested to make sure a sync-cord doesn't lock up the light as well?

Yip. Works just fine. I called PCB and was told that some of the CS units are "finicky" with the Calumet lights. He said they had a Calumet 200 in the office and he would test several CSRB recievers on it and see if one would work and send me that one.

And my friends are lame...I'm the only photographer of the bunch...so no other lights to try it on.

[Mac]

Interesting. I have a pair of 200's and I have no issues with the cybersyncs.

Both of the lights do this? Do you have multiple cybersyncs, if so do all of them do it?

[alabama1980]

Originally Posted by Mac

Interesting. I have a pair of 200's and I have no issues with the cybersyncs.

Both of the lights do this? Do you have multiple cybersyncs, if so do all of them do it?

Yip, have two and it does it on both. I just have the one receiver with intentions of adding a few more. What sort boggled me more than anything was that it would fire once, then lock to the point that the test button wouldn't do anything.

[alabama1980]

Update to this....

To try to keep this easier to follow we will say I have light "a" and light "b".

OLD RECEIVER

Using the mini to mini the original receiver will fire either of the two lights only once and then they lock up and have to be turned off then back on. If, however, I use the 1/8" to 1/4" cord with an adapter to revert it to 1/8" I can get the original receiver to fire both lights (I have to hold the adapter a certain way, but I think the adapter is the problem there). So that leads me to think it was the mini to mini cord....

NEW RECEIVER
The new receiver, however, will fire light "b" all day long without missing a beat using the mini to mini cord. So now I know the cord is not bad after all. If I use the mini to mini on light "a" with the new receiver, it fires once...locks the light up, and it has to be reset. It will fire with the other cord setup though.

So...its not the triggers....the lights....or the cord......it's just certain combinations of the three...

Anyone have a white jacket and a padded room for me? Or maybe a suggestion of some variable I overlooked? This is driving me insane....

[mufutau55]

If you have to go thru white jacko jacket.. simply just return the DAMN thing and get Skyport.. there are alternatives.. Skyport and Cybersync they about the same price.. I hate it when you can't diagnose the cause of the problem.. I once had a car like that.. frustrating.

Mufutau

Originally Posted by alabama1980

Update to this....

To try to keep this easier to follow we will say I have light "a" and light "b".

OLD RECEIVER

Using the mini to mini the original receiver will fire either of the two lights only once and then they lock up and have to be turned off then back on. If, however, I use the 1/8" to 1/4" cord with an adapter to revert it to 1/8" I can get the original receiver to fire both lights (I have to hold the adapter a certain way, but I think the adapter is the problem there). So that leads me to think it was the mini to mini cord....

NEW RECEIVER
The new receiver, however, will fire light "b" all day long without missing a beat using the mini to mini cord. So now I know the cord is not bad after all. If I use the mini to mini on light "a" with the new receiver, it fires once...locks the light up, and it has to be reset. It will fire with the other cord setup though.

So...its not the triggers....the lights....or the cord......it's just certain combinations of the three...

Anyone have a white jacket and a padded room for me? Or maybe a suggestion of some variable I overlooked? This is driving me insane....

[alabama1980]

Yahtzee!!

Ok...Can't explain why, but turned out it was the damned cable....

I snagged a couple of pc to mono cords, snipped em, soldered them up and that cable works on all my lights....

I still can't figure out why the cable that PCB sent worked with two out of three lights I tried it with, but not one.....Oh well....Im a happy camper now anyhow

As far as Skyports go, they were considered, but I personally like the design of the Cybersyncs better.

[djtrackie]

you got me scared now, my Genesis 200 kit AND cybersyncs were delivered to my door TODAY!!!

[slivr]

Sorry - "Finicky" is just another way saying "I dunno what's wrong ... I've looked at it but can't figure it out". Sending replacement parts that exhibit the same problem is embarrassing quality control.

I promise I'm not ranting against CyberSyncs. Any manufacturer sweeping a production issue aside deserves consumer backlash. Hope it works out for you.

[BigBlueDodge]

My Cybersync's and Genesis 200's work flawlessly together

[alabama1980]

you got me scared now, my Genesis 200 kit AND cybersyncs were delivered to my door TODAY!!!

don't worry...like i said it ended up being just the cord. there are WAY more post about successful uses of cybersyncs and genesis lights than the threads like this.

I think it was just a fluke, and their customer service was top notch as far as im concerned!