Pocket Wizard Plus II - killing batteries in off-camera flash - output too strong

I have a set of pocket wizard plus II transceivers.

I've used them for 2 events and both times the output of light coming from the off-camera flash unit is putting out so much light that it won't recycle fast and its killing the batteries. The batteries are even hot to touch when trying to replace them.

my setup:

Canon 5D Mark II
580 ex ii flash on camera with a pocket wizard plus II transceiver strapped on connected to camera via sync cord

Off camera I have used 2 different flashes with the same result. First event I used a 580 ex II as the off-camera flash with the other pocket wizard plus II transceiver connected to it. Too much output and kills the batteries.

Second event I used a 430 ex II with a pocket wizard connected to it via a hotshoe adapter w/ sync cord.

At both events I even lowered the power of the off-camera flash units to -3 which is the lowest I can turn down the flash and even then it's firing too much.

Any advice?

When you talk about dialing in -3, it indicates to me that you have left the flashes in eTTL mode. The PW +II units do not support eTTL. The flashes will fire at full power just like you state. You are going to have to set the flashes to manual mode and adjust the power yourself.

Thank you dedsen, I will take your advice and try this for the next event.

fineline-multimedia wrote in post #12057067
Thank you dedsen, I will take your advice and try this for the next event.

It's not so much trying it... manual mode is the only way your flashes will work the way you want them to.