PW's to 580ex/430ex

So I got my pocketwizards and I have 2 hotshoe adapters that take 1/8" mono plugs. I tried using a 1/8" mono to 1/8" mono cord to connect my PW to the hotshoe adapters but the flash freezes up. I can't change the power, etc. I know it's not the adapter because when I use the pc to 1/8" mono sync cord to just fire the 580ex from the camera it works just fine. Do I have to use the provided cord from the PW's or did I just get bad sync cords?

Please realize these stabs at identifying the problem are nothing more than that, stabs.

Is there any possibility that an incorrectly wired 1/8 STEREO adapter, cord, or jack has made it into the mix somehow.

These hotshoe to 1/8 mono plug adapters you mention, did you buy or make them?

If you bought them can you highlight a web link?

It is unlikely you have two bad cords (or two bad commercial hotshoe adapters). From you copy it seems that you are talking about two of each (but I am not sure).

Does the flash act badly with only the cord is in the hotshoe adapter, when the other end of the cord is not attached to the Pocket Wizard? If it does not act badly, can you short out the two connectors on the free end of the cord and get the flash to fire (this will not damage anything)?

Another shot, do these hotshoe adapters also have an optical slave built in?

Do they freeze up when only activating one flash.

Give us a pic (or a link to a pic) of one of those hotshoe to mini plug adapters.

Enjoy! Lon

Yeah, a pic would help. Mine is a Paramount Cords unit and it works like a charm:
http://www.paramountco​rds.com/proddetail.asp​?prod=pw-mhsf1

You can actually buy it from B&H at a discount.