RF-602 firing issues

Checked around through other threads but couldnt find similar situations described, so here goes.

Shot some pictures last week Thur using one RF-602 on a Vivitar 285HV (my Viv 283 wouldnt fire off the 602 so I used an optical slave) without problems. I had used it to fire flashes, and i connected the trans to my Minolta IV-F by way of PC cable to meter my lights. Put everything away and havent used until I tried this morning.

Viv285HV and SunpakPZ42X will not fire off the 602. the little lights on both trans. and receiver show green at half press and red at full. 285 will not even fire using the little red button on the flash unless unattached from the 602, when off it works no problem.

I attached one of the included cables to the receiver and attached it to my camera (50D) and tried to use the trans. as a remote trigger. half press would auto focus, but no shutter release at full press.

changed out all batteries (trans., receivers, flashes) but with no positive effect. i have tested using different channels with no positive effect.any thoughts? anyone else have similar issues? I have read other threads where things wernt working and one/some of the units needed new batteries or the battery connections were not sufficient, but i have tested these.

any insight would be greatly appreciated, i hope i dont have to replace anything. on that note, anyone know of any retailers in SoCal that stock 602 trans/receivers? i know i can get online, but i am going down south next week, nothing of these here in the biggest little city.

thanks and cheers

I am sorry that this happened. I have been looking all around to see if the 602s were compatible with 285HVs and found a few different things 2 threads I read said their 602s couldn't fire off a 285 at all and 2 threads speak of working then not working anymore and I thread said that the 285 HV puts out too many volts and its past the amount that the 602 can handle and was fried. I currently have ordered 2 more 602s this week and was going to B&H to pick up 2 285HVs on friday but now I am rather scared to because of your thread. What connection are you using to trigger the 285HV just hot shoe or with pc sync cable? How many times have you used your 602 and 285HV together before they stopped working please tell more then once?

I apologize for not being any help and I know how frustrating it is to find an answer cause I've been looking for a week to see if the 2 were compatible.

On a side note does anyone know of a flash in the same price range that works well with 602s and has similar performance to the 285HV?

I have used the 602s with my 285HV for about a year without problems. Like I stated, I just used them together to do a shoot last Thursday. I suspect it is a transmitter issue as it wouldnt fire the flash, nor the camera. but then it could be that the receivers are still picking up the signals but something was fried and cannot pop the flash.

if there was an issue with high voltage and being fried, it could have been from my 283 flash.

I would say that they are safe together with my experience.

I have also seen people talking about re soldering the hot shoe connections and that eliminated the problem. That is in a flickr thread along with a picture. When triggering your 285HV with the 602 do you use a pc sync cable?

no cord with the 285HV, straight onto the receiver hotshoe. i dont think that i will put the 285HV on my camera (just to be safe with the voltage), but i figured it would be okay on the receiver. the more i think about it, it was probably my 283 that fried the receiver. i am going to get another set and then test all the different possibilities, without connecting the 283.

Good luck. Keep us updated.

Just found this.
https://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthre​ad.php?t=825059

i ordered a new set of the 602rf (a little different than my existing set, but i will start a new thread for that) and got it today. after a quick test it looks like i did fry my receivers with the vivitar 283 NOT the 285HV.

note to self (and others that care): DO NOT put the 283 on the 602 receivers.

Sucks you had to learn the hard way though but I'm glad you found out what caused the issue.

Glad to say my 285HVs work flawlessly with my 602s

thalo wrote in post #12165472
i ordered a new set of the 602rf (a little different than my existing set, but i will start a new thread for that) and got it today. after a quick test it looks like i did fry my receivers with the vivitar 283 NOT the 285HV.

note to self (and others that care): DO NOT put the 283 on the 602 receivers.

thanks for the warning