Paul C. Buff, Inc. Technical Forum

Cyber Commander owners!

Thank you for your recent purchase of the Paul C. Buff, Inc. Cyber Commander! As always, Paul C. Buff, Inc. strives to offer unrivaled support for our products, not only with updates for current products, but looking into the future as well. With this in mind, Paul designed the Cyber Commander (as well as Einstein) to have user-upgradable firmware, which can both fix operational problems as well as add functions to the product.

Today, we are announcing the availability of Cyber Commander version 32 firmware which will enhance the use of your Cyber Commander. For instructions on downloading and installing the update, please visit this link, scroll down and click on the "Firmware Updates" tab. http://www.paulcbuff.com/pcb2009/cyberc ... ons95.html. All you will need to perform the update is a new MicroSD card (2GB or smaller), a computer with internet access, and a card reader capable of reading and writing to the MicroSD card.

We hope you find this update beneficial. As always, if you have any questions, please visit our Tech Forum http://paulcbuff-techforum.com/viewforum.php?f=8 or feel free to contact our Customer Service department at 1-800-443-5542 or email us at info@paulcbuff.com.

To keep confusion to a minimum, There will be two threads, this one for questions and posts regarding the features, benefits and general conversation. The other will be for assistance in updating the Cyber Commander. Please keep the conversation to firmware 22, 27,29 or 32. Please do not discuss any future firmware requests/possibilities in either of these two posts.

So far, I'm happy with V29. I've not run into objectionable range issues, or the problems with the X3200 or 640Ws lights (does that include my Ultra 1200s?)

Is it safe to assume that there's no "hidden" features in this update? Better battery life, compatibility with eneloops or anything like that?

Sorry to ask that, but I'm very used to Nikon, and there's always a lot more fixes in their firmware updates than they tell you about.

All of the updates are listed on the firmware page.

Thanks. So I can hold off on v.32 for a while. Because I can't remember where I put that stupid little Mini SD to regular SD adapter.

This stuff about battery life is way off base. Once you are done playing with CC and learning it, a $5 pair of Ultra Lithium Batteries should last you 6-12 months in normal use . . . about the same as any flashmeter or TV remote or Apple wireless keyboard or mouse. Compare this with the battery life of a PW left on continuously (hours). The only way you should see short battery life is if you continuously leave the LCD active and bright . . . unnecessary in real world use.

What does the .32 update actually include? All it says on the update page is that it includes the other updates and whats in them but not whats included in .32.

"Firmware version 32 updates the Paul C. Buff, Inc. Cyber Commander from version 22, 27, or 29. Version 32 includes the following:

From Version 29 ....27...22"

Hopefully whatever the update is it will help with the cc rebooting, and my ongoing problems with the lights not updating and losing communication. Most of the time when this happens (and it happens most of the time) I have to resort to doing things manually and getting up and down on ladders...Which defeats the purpose of having the CC in the first place. To me the CC is still a beta project.

From the update page...
From Version 29
* Optimizes antenna hardware to increase range by up to 25%.
* Corrects the power range of the White Lightning X3200 1/4 power as displayed on the FLASH screen.
* The -3.7f Ws power rating of 640Ws lights now displays as 9.2Ws (previously displayed inaccurately as 49.2Ws).

I take that to mean that the V.32 makes these updates on top of V.29 firmware.

If you are having that many problems with the CC I would definitely call tech support and see if they can help you out / exchange your unit. I was having trouble with a CC several months ago and PCB ended up exchanging it for a new one that works... it made using the CC go from a PITA to an absolute joy.

Power Engineer is correct. If you whatever version is listed, v.32 adds to your firmware everything that is listed for that version and higher. Since v.29 adds to 27, and 32 adds to 29, 32 includes everything on 29 as well. Perhaps we should specify you do not need to update previous versions before you update with the latest.

As for the rebooting, that is not firmware fixable, however it can be sent in for a mod. Until you get a chance to send it in, you can increase the screen brightness to 40% or higher, and the reboot should go away, though there will be a higher battery draw.

I understand how updates work and that there is no need to get all the other ones in sequence, my question was what specifically does this new update update? The update lists the revisions in all the other updates but doesnt say whats NEW in this one.

"From Version 29

* Optimizes antenna hardware to increase range by up to 25%.
* Corrects the power range of the White Lightning X3200 1/4 power as displayed on the FLASH screen.
* The -3.7f Ws power rating of 640Ws lights now displays as 9.2Ws (previously displayed inaccurately as 49.2Ws)."

Thats fine and dandy but its from V29....and the others are from the others versions...Whats NEW in V32?

Customer service and tech support are very nice, but unfortunately that alone doesn't solve my issues. Ive had my CC exchanged 4 or 5 times. My older ones didn't reboot at all but had other issues, including draining the battery without even touching the CC in less then 30 minutes (and this was a replacement!). None of these returns ever solved the problem that my lights kept not responding after some time shooting. The red light of death & phhht noise when fired, as I call it, would happen on 1 or 2 lights. Sometimes if I was lucky unplugging them, or the connectors, or both, and refreshing the CC many times may bring them back to normal after 15 minutes of bother and having the client wait and the flow of the shoot get destroyed....until it all happened again. Unplugging the "remote" cord changes the red light of death back to green right away and doing it manually completely solves this problem...plugging the cord back in turns the light red again :( .

Ive changed freq and swapped controllers more times then I can remember. Ive plugged the lights into 3 different sources of electricity, same problems. Unless all the remotes I have ALL have problems and Im just that unlucky I dont know what else to do...Its frustrating! When it works its truly great, really! But when it starts to breakdown its a nightmare.

The only reason I bought into the entire PB wireless system instead of going with another brand is the CC & its promise never to climb a ladder again. I had even packed my ladder into the garage, only to haul it out and put it back in its place in the studio. I swear I hear it laughing at me at times.

I have been waiting (and waiting...did I mention waiting?) on my Einsteins to test them with my current setup. After that I will talk to tech support again and try again for some sort of solution.

Unfortunately I am not the only person with problems with the CC, so to me, and many others, its still beta. And I was hoping for an update that would actually make the CC usable. Even an update that included something so mundane as 1/3, 1/2, and full F-stops would be welcome. (I understand that the European standard is more accurate. I dont hate a 10 decimal system, I even use millimeters to measure all the time. I also love European TV, its all I watch actually. But I, and many others I believe, would just love the option to have a standard we, and other Americans, have been use to using for many many years.)

Sorry to take up the time and vent in this thread....please feel free to move it to its own if needed. I know that tech support is really on top of this forum so I also don't need a call from tech support at this time. I will call you when (if) my Einsteins arrive. Did I mention that I've been waiting?

-Steve

The items listed under "from v.29" are what you get when you upgrade "from v.29". Those are the items new to v.32 and not contained in any other version.

As for the reboot, try increasing the back light to 40% or higher and see if the problem persists. If the problem goes away, then we can likely make it work at any brightness level, but it will need to come in for that.

Other culprits are a corrupted card (which can be isolated by removing the card to see if problems persist), and electrical supply anomolies (improper grounding, hot/neutral reverse, noise/trash, etc.).

I presume previous conversations with CS/TS had you try different frequencies?