580EX Ii and Cactus triggers - strange happenings...

I bought a second 580EX II and started to experiment with master/slave settings on remote triggers but I'm experiencing problems. My next step is to upgrade the triggers but I've never had an issue with the Cactus remotes and (1) 580EX. Here is my set-up and then the issues.
• Both lites off camera, modes set to manual
• Light A set to master and connected to Cactus receiver with sync cord
• Light B set to slave
• Cactus transmitter on camera

Issues -
1. The master flash won't fire on the sync cord. If I turn the master/slave system off, it will fire on the sync cord. Does using the master/slave settings disable the sync cord or is it the cheap Cactus receiver?
2. If I connect the Cactus to the flash directly using the hot shoe, the flash will fire (and the master will trigger the slave) but the shutter sync speed goes way down to 1/60, sometimes a little higher, but very inconsistent. Strange that it will fire on the hot shoe but not with the sync cord.

Are these problems strictly caused by the cheap Cactus remotes or am I doing something wrong?

I would also like to know these answers...
I have a 580 II and its triggering a 430 and i get the same issues. Also about 1 in every 4 shots the flashes actually fire...very annoying. I also get very slow sync speeds, 1/60-1/100 if I'm lucky but they are not consistent at all. I even have the sync speed problem if I'm only using one flash on the cactus connected via hotshoe.

BTW i am using 40D-v2 triggers-430ex and 580ex II

I'm planning on doing the antenna mod to my cactus triggers and hopefully this increases the reliability of the sync speed and at least the consistency that the flashes will actually fire every time.

I'm running into similar problems, I have the 430EX and 420EX, and i was actually just trying to trigger one flash off-camera, and i put it into "slave" with no sync cord whatsoever, so it's purely wireless, and the flash would fire on its own!.. without me taking any pictures.. and it doesn't always fire with the shot taken, strange happenings indeed.

I'm am using the XSi, Cactus V2 (V2s?) trigger, and 430EX. (unfortunately, my camera and flash does not have pc sync cord capabilities unless I buy the appropriate adapters)

The sync port is disabled in master mode for the 580II.

When using the 580 as master in manual mode, the sync speed is limited to 1/125, the eBay trigger adds 1/3 stop of delay to the combo. So 1/100 is what I use, and if the max sync speed drops below that, usually means the receiver needs new batteries.

If you are using radio triggers on the flash units the flash units should all be set to plain old manual mode. Not slave, not master, manual.

The Master/Slave designation on Canon flash units has to do with the ETTL wireless system, not radio transmitters, flash position, or what function the flash is performing.

My caveat to this is the 580EX II which has some strange operation involving the PC port that Canon finally put on one of their EX flash units. Even that they seem to have complicated.

I agree with Dave, use radio triggers or wireless ETTL, not both. While it might work it'll be problematic. Just put a radio slave on each flash, I do this all the time with my skyports and speedlites (in manual) and they work great. One advantage of manual flash is consistency.

Thanks all for the explanation. Tim, what is you top sync speed when your using the skyports and manual mode?

I can usually get 1/250th with the 40D. Generally I only expect to get 1/125th with radio triggers, anything better is good luck.

Okay... here's my problem. One, I am out of money so I bought the Cactus V2. I got it today and, following instructions, hooked it up. I have the Rebel XSi and used the hot shoe set up. The receiver is synched and confirmed via the test button. The flash activates when the camera trigger is pushed. So, all seem to work as it should except...
when the receiver is left attached to the flash and the flash left on, the flash will recycle (recharge) and then self activate and the flash goes off. It will continue to, repeatedly, do this (recycle/flash) as long as the two are conected and the flash is left on.
Anyone have this problem... more important, anyone have a solution?
Thanks,
Rob

4Bucks wrote in post #6839984
Okay... here's my problem. One, I am out of money so I bought the Cactus V2. I got it today and, following instructions, hooked it up. I have the Rebel XSi and used the hot shoe set up. The receiver is synched and confirmed via the test button. The flash activates when the camera trigger is pushed. So, all seem to work as it should except...
when the receiver is left attached to the flash and the flash left on, the flash will recycle (recharge) and then self activate and the flash goes off. It will continue to, repeatedly, do this (recycle/flash) as long as the two are conected and the flash is left on.
Anyone have this problem... more important, anyone have a solution?
Thanks,
Rob

One of the thorny problems found with the Cactus triggers. Try a different channel and then try a longer PC cord connecting the flash to the receiver.

This has, unfortunately, been reported many times on the forum.