Jusoljoe Loc: Texas

Information from both trigger and flash/camera makers seems lean to non existent at least on the low end. As a trial, I have a set of Wansen triggers (4 & 16 channels, very cheap) for manual flash only, but cannot make them work with either a canon 580EX or Sigma EF-500 DG Super. I have tried every setting I can find on both the flash and the Canon 7D without a single flash. This system works well using IR sync. but no radio (which is the original idea). Is the problem the triggers or flashes or camera compatibility? For my purposes the manual triggers would suffice. Any ideas or sources would be appreciated.

Wansen 4 channel trigger

MT Shooter Loc: Montana

Have you checked their batteries?
I have the same set and they work great, full manual, but they work. I do prefer the Yongyuo 603II system though, close to the same price, but 16 channels and they are transceivers so you can use them anywhere, and they operate as a remote wireless shutter release also.

Jusoljoe Loc: Texas

Fresh batteries all around. I think it is something to do with the camera not talking to the radio system. I just found that the camera apparently refuses to recognize the transmitter when attached in the hot shoe. This was a trial to avoid buying better wireless if my camera could not be made to sync by radio.Thanks for the reply!

MT Shooter Loc: Montana

They made these in Canon specific, Nikon specific, and Universal models. I have found the universal models to be very skittish in operation and un-trustworthy. The brand specific units usually work quite well.

Reinaldokool Loc: San Rafael, CA

I use the Yongnuo 603s to trigger a full five flash portable studio set up.
Lights for background, main, fill and hair light (Or whatever.) They work well.

Elliott Design Loc: West Tennessee

I believe you'll have to use the patch cord from the transmitter to the camera. The transmitting unit only has a single center contact and doesn't know what signal is coming from the camera. If you bought the triggers new there should be a little cable about a foot long that plugs into the side of the trigger and into the camera sync port.

BigBear Loc: Northern CT

The 580ex will only work with IR.
I have an ST-E2 that fires my 580ex and 430exII from about 50'.

big-guy Loc: Peterborough Ontario Canada

Put the flash on manual and choose 1/16 power just to save battery and recharge times. If you press the button on top of the transmitter (with everything turned on) does the flash fire? This is the first thing I do when connecting mine and I have several of these units. If the flash fires then the only problem is in the connection to the hotshoe. Is the center post actually making contact with the landing connection on the hotshoe. You may have to jiggle/wiggle it and then screw it down to hold that connection. I have not had this experience but is what I would do if I did. If all else fails... The transmitter comes with a pc cord that you can use instead of the hotshoe mount. Good luck, I thoroughly enjoy mine.

big-guy Loc: Peterborough Ontario Canada

Wrong! Mine works just fine with rc.

Jusoljoe Loc: Texas

As a matter of curiosity, are we all talking about the 7D???

klaus Loc: Guatemala City, Guatemala

I use these radio triggers on two different cameras and have multiple 4-channel transmitters (3) and receivers (5) which all work together just fine.

Here are a few suggestions:
I assume the batteries in both transmitter and receiver are good? Have you set the DIP switches on both the transmitter and the receiver, so they both work on the same channel? The LED on the receiver should light up when you push the transmitter test button. If not make sure the receiver turned on with the small black switch. Have you tried a flash in manual mode mounted on the camera to see if the camera triggers the flash directly ? Are you using a mix between 4 and 16 channel equipment? Maybe they are not compatible.

Jusoljoe Loc: Texas

You appear to be using Nikon....a different animal, but thanks for response.

blackest Loc: Ireland

have you got a multimeter ? your hot shoe should look like 4 pads in a square and a bigger pad above that in the middle (thats the flash trigger) lets investigate the 4 pins use the hotshoe frame as ground and turn the camera on you may need to half press the shutter and try each pad in turn but i think you should find the bottom right pin of the square has around 3volts while the camera is ready to take a shot. this pin we will call the wake up pin.

now examine the trigger on its own.
The corresponding pin on the trigger should be the wake up pin on the trigger so put the meter in diode mode connect the part of the foot that connects to the frame to the - probe and use the + probe to examine the 4 pins of the trigger (ignore the central trigger pin). one of those pins should make the trigger ready to transmit. the test button should fire the remote flash on the receiver.

does it work?

chances are that the wake pin on the trigger is not matching the wake pin on the hotshoe you need to mod the trigger so they do.

if you havent found a voltage on any of the 4 pins on the hotshoe it maybe the hotshoe is damaged. (maybe from an old slr highvoltage flash) even then you might be able to mod the trigger with a switch between the + of the trigger battery and the wake pin of the trigger.

klaus Loc: Guatemala City, Guatemala

This simple radio trigger is universal and the brand or type of camera should not matter as long as it has a standard hot-shoe mount.

The large contact in the center of the hot-shoe of your Canon should trigger pretty much any flash with a standard hot-shoe mount in manual mode. The only exception would be some older (film era) flashes but only because their higher trigger voltage could fry the more delicate electronics of modern cameras.

This flash system has been around a long time, is universal and is used on many types of cameras including most Canons and Nikons.

I still have an old Vivitar flash from my Canon A1 days and that will fire just fine on my Nikons or these radio triggers.

BigBear Loc: Northern CT

The 600 is the only one that works with RC.
All previous models are strictly IR.