Paul C. Buff, Inc. Technical Forum

I have an alien bee that I use a lot. I've never had any issues. I was at a shoot, set everything up and then took a test shot, only the strobe never fired. I hit the test button on the bee, it fires. If I hit the test button on the transmitter, the one that is plugged directly into the bee, it doesnt fire. It does blink green, when I hit test, it blinks red. When I plug the sync cord into the back of the bee, it does trip the flash, so I know it's not the flash, I am assuming it's the sync cord, or the transmitter, is there any way to test the sync cord?

If the power cord AND sync cord are plugged in, press the test button on the receiver (the part on the flash). If the light doies not fire, try removing and reinserting the sync cord to the receiver. If the light does not fire, it is likely the sync cord. You can obtain a regular patch cable from the local electronics department.

Also, be sure this is the round 3.5mm/ 1/8" cord and not the telephone cord.