best flash to use with cactus V2s?

i'm using a 430ex flash currently with my new cactus v2s units and am getting very unreliable and unsatisfying results. will the vivitar 285HV flash give me more reliablility? thanks!

I think if you do a search on the cactus v2s you will find that unreliable is the most often word associated with them. But they are inexpensive and if you can live with the occasional misfire and not so good performance outdoors, they are the best bank for the buck. I don't think changing the flash will make that big of a difference. You may also want to try looking at the antenna modifications that are posted within these forums.

Indoors the V2s are very reliable with my Vivitar 285's. However with my 580 EXII they tend to randomly fire.

i have no problems firing 580exII, 580ex, 540ez, sunpak383, some old vivitar...and some older starblitz

yeah, these things definitely fall into the "you get what you pay for" category. but since i'm just starting to get into the flash realm, i think it's a good first step. i've been looking at all these different threads about cactus triggers, and it seems that the worst performance is when they're paired up with the 430ex. my next step will be doing the antenna mod, as it seems to cut the unreliability in half.

Someone did a great test on changing the frequency to alleviate these issues... the test is here but the net result was to use "0110" as that was one of four 'safe' frequencies the tester found. Being a symmetrical number on the dip switches it has the benefit of being impossible to bugger up!

I'm using the V2s with Sunpak 383s. Indoors they aren't really that bad. I shot with them for the first time outdoors last night, and for every 7 shots...they would misfire.

They ARE unreliable in stock form, but they are a VERY inexpensive way to learn off camera flash.

If I had to do it all over again, I would still start with the V2s. Just know what you're getting into beforehand and they become GREAT learning tools.