Paul C. Buff, Inc. Technical Forum

I recently inherited a set of White Lightning 1600's 2 are the main lights with a softbox and 2 are the back lights for colored gels along with Cybersync CSR+ receivers and a cyber commander transmitter.

I was able to get everything to communicate on the correct frequency and set each receiver to its own channel, I set the back lights in the own group and then the mains on their group. I'm able to adjust the lights individually or as part of their group so I know that they are able to receive the signals.

If I switch to the main group, or just one of the main lights, the lights will start to fire constantly until I can get to them and turn them off or they trip their internal breaker. Sometimes when I turn the main lights on I get the same issue where it starts firing on its own.

I'm thinking that it may be the transmitter/receiver because if I turn it on with the sync cable unplugged it works fine and then when I have it plugged in it goes off.

There have been a few times where I have gotten them turned on and set and I went to hit meter and they constantly started to fire.

If I am taking a picture from the camera it seems to work fine, I only had once where I took a picture and they started to contently fire.

The constant flashing is indicative of a bad ground. Most likely, it is in the power supply chain of the light that starts the acting up.

This could be the circuit, the outlet (even if only one socket on the outlet), any extension cord or power strip in use (even of another light works fine on it), the power cord to the light, or possibly even the power cord captive to the CSR+. The RJ11 telephone cord may also be at play.

We generally recommend removing any extension cords and power strips for the purposes of trouble shooting and verifying if the problem persists. Then changing outlets, then changing power cords, then swapping the telephone cords. It doesn't really matter what order you do this, but do one item at a time to isolate which is the problem. Swapping items out with a light that is working correctly can help isolate a problem.

Also, inspect the "remote" ports on the light and the receiver. There should be four gold-ish colored contacts, and they should be evenly spaced and at the same height. The telephone cord should also fit snugly, and the retainer clip should be functioning. If the plug is loose, then dysfunction can occur.

Thank You for the reply

I believe I fixed the issue.

When they are solo they all work awesome, the issue was when I added a second one.

I'm not sure if it was the 1/4 plugs were bad, or going bad, but I took a couple of adapters from my stereo and it stopped the constant discharge. It is almost that the cell was really sensitive and when the model lights recovered they discharged again. That is a guess on my part.

I can now switch between individual lights or groups with no issues.

Are you using any led or florescent modeling lights? my old white lightning acted the same way when I used an led modeling light. (and I used the same solution as you and the problem went away as well.)

i''ve never experienced the problem you had when one lights would recycle at different times and trigger one another when the modeling light recycled. can you test by not setting the modeling light to recycle and instead just have it remain on?

I'll give it a try and see what happens.

All I can say at the moment is if I put a 1/4 plug in the sync jack I don't have the issue, but if I remove it the flash will discharge. I can even replicate the issue by going through the menu on the cyber commander and when I get to the channel that controls that light and it turns on poof it is in a constant strobe effect.

I don't think that the modeling light is the issue, I've set it to off except on the main light and I still had the issue.

I'm not discounting that I'm screwing it up somehow, I'm good at that.

I am trying to get them to buy a new set of Alienbees and an Einstein as the main light because the other issue is I have to have a block on the light stand otherwise the clamp can't support the light and soft box. I'm not sure that it is the correct mounting bracket.

Then I just found a white lighting x800 that goes on a boom stand and I'm not convinced it is the proper stand as it bows with the weight on it.