Paul C Buff RR1TX Photographic Flash Remote Control Transmitter User Manual users manual

Paul C. Buff, Inc. Photographic Flash Remote Control Transmitter users manual

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RR1TX User Manual

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The channel ON and OFFbuttons set each individualchannel state. If a channel isset to OFF, it is taken out ofthe bracketing (ALL) mode, itis not fired by camera syncand all commands areignored except ON.Backlit Liquid Crystal Display (LCD)indicates exact settings of flashpower,bank / channel information,as well as specific model lamp status.Bargraph indicator shows channelflashpower settings at a glance.Pressing a FLASHPOWER but-ton raises or lowers flashpow-er. Increments in 1 f-stop(double-arrow) units or in1/10 f-stop (single-arrow)units.Pressing and holding BANKwhile pressing up/downarrow CHANNEL buttonsselects from Bank 1 to 16.Pressing the up/down arrowCHANNEL button selects 1 of16 possible channels.The MODEL select button scrolls through the three possible model lamp states - ON,OFF or TRACKING mode.The current MODEL status is indicated by theModel Lamp icon in the LCD window.WHITE LIGHTNINGRadioRemote OneWireless Remote Control System(Includes Instructions for RadioRemote One Transmitter and RadioReciever One)10 / 1999Paul C. Buff, Inc. / WHITE LIGHTNING / 800-443-55422725 Bransford Ave. • Nashville,TN 37204 • USAfax: 615-383-0676 • website: http://www.white-lightning.comF-VALUE is a two-digit display showing channel flashpowerin 1/10 f-stop units. Range is from +0.0 to -6.2 f-stops.BANK/CHAN display showscurrent channel.While pressingBANK button,display showscurrently assigned bank.When using (ALL) mode, dis-play shows if a channel is overor under range by indicatinglowest numbered channel out-of-range.ALL channel mode indicatorbecomes active when pressingand holding the ALL button.Used for bracketing sceneswhile maintaining lightingratios.The MODEL lamp icon indi-cates one of three states -ON = blank, OFF = dark,andTRACKING = half-bulb.Pressing the ALL button oncesends the current settings toall lights. Pressing and holdingthe ALL button together withany FLASHPOWER button,rais-es or lowers all channels’ flash-power (unless a channel is out-of-range - see text)Pressing FIRE test flashes the channel number currently displayed in the CHANwindow. Pressing ALL before, either once or holding,thenpressing FIRE test flashes all lights in system.TRANSMITTER

POWER ON/OFFswitch controlseither battery orDC power supply(if connected).CHANNEL selectswitch sets 1 of16 receiver oper-ating channels inselected Bank.White Lightningremote jack con-nects here with RJ-11 type modulartype phone cable.Model lamp blinkswhen receiver isaddressed lettingyou know system isworking.DC POWERconnector is locatedon top apron for easyaccess. Use onlyPaulC. Buff, Inc.approvedDC power supplies.Auxiliary sync con-nector is locatednext to AC powerconnector. Used forflash units notequipped with WhiteLightning remotejack.LOW BAT ledblinks four (4) timeson power up andwhen batterypower has depletedto 1/3 level - about100 hours. Blinksonce each time acommand is receivedfrom the transmitter.BANK select switchsets system bank(1 of 16). All chan-nels are inclusive inthis selected bank.Equipment Supplied:Each RadioRemote One Transmitter comes supplied with the following items:• Two "AA" batteries • Velcro strap • Peel-off Velcro adhesive mounting pad • Stereo mini-plug to 2-prong sync connector • Instruction manualEach RadioRemote One Receiver comes supplied with the following items:• DC power supply • Bank and Channel selection screwdriver• Velcro mounting strap• Peel-off Velcro adhesive mounting pad • 6 ft.modular telephone cable • Instruction manual© Copyright 1999 Paul C. Buff,Inc., Nashville,TN,USA Ref # 112299RR1M R E C E I V E R

Overvie wThe RadioRemote One systemprovides full wireless remote controlof all Paul C. Buff,Inc.White LightningUltra, UltraZap and X-Series flashunits via the "To Light" jack.Most flashunits from other manufacturers maybe fired, but not adjusted, from thereceiver's auxiliary sync jack via asuitable cable to fit the specific flashunit.C a u t i o n : The RR1 re c e i ver isdesigned for modern flash units withlow current, low voltage (50V max)sync.Some older flash units have volt-ages as high as 400 volts at the syncterminals and could damage the unit.SetupIn a typical lightning setup, thetransmitter and all receivers shouldbe assigned the same Bank number,with each receiver set to a differentone of the 16 Channels. If there ismore than one lighting setup in thesame area, assigning a different Banknumber to each lighting setup elimi-nates any interaction between thesetups.Thus, as many as 16 photog-raphers can each operate up to 16light units in the same area withouti n t e r a c t i o n . It is important toremember that flash units with builtin slave trippers will fire one another,re g a rdless of Bank and Channelassignments, if the slave function isnot disabled.This is accomplished inWhite Lightning units by inserting anunconnected sync cord or a blank"1/4" Stereo Phone Plug" (available atRadio Shack stores) into the syncjack of the White Lightning unit.If you are operating in a studioenvironment you might choose tonot disable the built in slaves. Thiswill assure that if one receiver hap-pens to miss a fire command its lightwill fire anyhow via the flash receivedfrom the other flashes.This methodwill, however, not allow you to testfire individual light units from theRR1 transmitter.Camera SyncThe transmitter should be con-nected to the camera sync jack viathe cable supplied. Cameras withfocal plane shutters should be set to1/60" or slower shutter speed, whileleaf shutter cameras may be set to1/125" or slower. (An optional hotshoe adaptor may be required forcameras lacking a sync output jack).Operating Rang eTypical operating range should befrom about 100' up to 400' or moreand may be affected by a number offactors, including buildings, vegeta-tion, bodies of water and interfer-ence from other radio transmitters.Antennas should be kept verticaland the receivers should be mount-ed away from large metal, concretepage 1

ics stores) into the sync jack of eachunit.If you do not disable the built inslaves you will not be able to test fire anindividual light using the remote trans-mitter without firing other lights in thestudio.Operating Protocol of theRadioRemote OneTransmitterAll operational functions of theRadioRemote One transmitter are indi-cated by icons, numerical representationand bargraph metering on the backlitLCD display.These functions consist of the following:1.The 32-segment vertical bargraph onthe left side of the display indicates a reso-lution of 2/10 f-stop per division. Twosteps in change of flash power are requiredfor an increase or decrease in the bargraphreading.2.The BAT indicator is a low-batteryindicator and begins to blink when the bat-teries have depleted approximately two-thirds of available power. The anticipatedbattery life under normal circumstances isapproximately 400 hours of active use.3 . The F - VA L U E t wo-digit display,which is the numerical equivalent of thebargraph, has a resolution of 1/10 f-stop.This display increments or decrements onevery step of change in flash power. Whenthe ALL button is pressed this displayindicates simultaneous modifications of allchannels (See "Bracketing" )4. The BANK/CHAN two-digit dis-play indicates to which Bank and Channelthe system is currently assigned.The dis-play will indicate the current channel asthe default mode.Pressing and holdingthe BANK button will display the cur-rently assigned Bank.5.The ALL channel indicator is activeonly when the ALL button is pressed.See "ALL" Functions below.6. The MODEL icon symbolizes thecurrent state of the model lamp modefor the currently accessed channel andrepresents one of three possible modes:Full,Off or Tracking mode (half-bulb sym-bol).7. The CAMERA SYNC JACK islocated on the top apron of the trans-mitter. An accessory cable is suppliedwith the RadioRemote One for universalconnection to most makes of cameras.Note that operating a camera connectedto this jack always fires all Channels inthe selected Bank, except for thosewhich are programmed to OFF (inac-tive) mode.Firing via the camera syncjack occurs immediately even if thetransmitter is asleep.The response time from the transmit-ter's receipt of a camera sync signal tothe actual firing of units by the receiversis approximately 3 msec (1/333 second).This allows for sync speeds up to 1/60"for focal plane shutters and up to 1/125"for leaf shutters.page 3

8.The LCD display has a backlight fea-ture which may be activated by pressingand releasing the BANK button. Thebacklight remains illuminated for 10 sec-onds after the last button press.Factory SettingsAs supplied from the factory, t h etransmitter default settings are set to thefollowing:•All channels are set to -2 f-stops .• Channel 1 is set to "ON" .• Channels 2-16 are set to "OFF" .These default settings may be recalledfrom the internal memory at any time bypressing and holding the BANK buttonthen pressing the ON button. Whenperforming this function,the bargraph onthe LCD will instantaneously "kick"upwards.Last Scene Memor yThe RadioRemote One transmittercontains EEprom memory which auto-matically stores the current settingseach time the transmitter goes into"Sleep" mode (after two minutes ofnon-use). Thus, if the batteries fail orneed to be changed during a sessionyou will not lose the settings.If you desire to force the storageof current setting (for instance whenchanging batteries in a hurry) thiscan be accomplished by pressing andholding the BANK button whilepressing the single arrow FLASH -POWER UP button.Recalling the settings stored inmemory is accomplished by holdingthe BANK button while pressingthe single arrow FLASHPOWERDOWN button. Recalling the previ-ously stored settings in this mannercan serve as an "UNDO" functionin the event you make a serious pro-gramming mistake (but you must doso within two minutes or the mistakewill be stored as the current setting).When loading a scene to memoryor recalling a scene, the bargraph onthe LCD display will instantaneously"kick" upwards to indicate this func-tion.The batteries may be re m ove di n d e f i n i t e ly from the transmitterwithout erasing the last scenestored in EEprom.Setting the Transmitter Bank1.While holding down the BANKbutton,press the CHANNEL up ordown buttons to cause the desiredBANK number to be indicated inthe BANK window of the display.This Bank setting will remain onceyou release the Bank button. Notethe transmitter and all associatedreceivers must be set to the sameBank number for proper operation.page 4

Setting the Cur rent ChannelThe current Channel is always indicat-ed in the Channel window of the dis-play (except when All or Bank buttonsare held down).The transmitter remainsset to the same Channel until a differentChannel is selected. To change the cur-rent Channel, press the Channel up ordown buttons.Setting the Active ChannelsA Channel must be be made activein order for it to respond to the var-ious commands. You can tell if aChannel is active by looking at thebargraph and F-Value display areasas you scroll through the Channels.The absence of these displays indi-cates the Channel is not active. Tomake the current Channel active,press the On button. To make thecurrent Channel inactive, press theOff button.To make all the Channelsa c t i ve or inactive simu l t a n e o u s ly,hold down the All button whilepressing the On or Off buttons.Visual VerificationWhen an active channel is selectedor sent data, the model lamp on theassociated light unit will blink onceto verify it is receiving data and tos h ow you which unit is beingaddressed (unless the modeling lampis in Off Mode ).The LED light onthe associated re c e i ver will alsoblink. This feature can help alleviatethe need to remember which lightsare set to which Channel numbers.By simply scrolling through theChannels while watching a particularlight unit until you see it blink, youcan identify which Channel it is setto.Refresh All SettingsEvery time the ALL button is pressed,all settings for all active Channels in theselected Bank are resent.Thus you maybe certain that the settings shown on thetransmitter display have been received byall the receivers by simply pressing theALL button and observing the lightunits. All the modeling lamps (unlessturned off) should blink to acknowledgethey have received the current data.Allthe active receiver LED lights should alsoblink. To further verify the system, afteryou press the ALL button, press theFIRE button. This should fire all of thelights. If either of these tests fail to pro-vide the expected response you shouldtake steps to determine why a particularreceiver is not responding.Setting Model Lamp Modes1. Setting the model lamp mode forthe curre n t ly selected Channel isachieved by operating the MODEL iconb u t t o n . The M o d e l icon will cyclet h rough the three possible modes:OFF (icon black), ON (icon white) andProportional to Flash (icon half black,half white).2 . P ressing the A L L button whilescrolling through the three states of thepage 5

model lamp modes using the MODELicon button will select the same modelmode for all channels simultaneously.It isrecommended that you choose thetracking mode (Model Icon half-active)so that flashpower ratios and changesmay be observed via the modeling lamps.In order to achieve "what-you-see-is-what-you-get" modeling, each light unitmust produce the same ratio of model-ing lumens to flashpower lumenseconds.(That is to say a unit with more flash-power must have a brighter modelinglamp than a unit of lower flashpower iscorrect visual preview is to result).The operating manuals for all WhiteLightning Ultra, UltraZap and X-Seriesunits contain detailed instructions onhow to accomplish this when mixing thedifferent models and units of differentflashpower ratings within a lighting setup.Test-FiringTo Test-Fir e the currently selectedChannel, press the Fir e button. (Note -firing of individual units is not possibleunless built-in slave trippers are disabled- see Setup Section above.)To simultaneously Test-Fir e all activeChannels, first press ALL ,then pressFIRE (or press FIRE while holding inthe ALL button.Adjusting Individual Flashpo werSettings1.With the desired Channel selected,press the up or down FLASHPOWERbuttons to increase or decrease theChannel's flashpower by either 1/10 f-stop (single arrow buttons) or by 1 f-stop (double arrow buttons). The modellamp brightness will (when model is setto tracking) follow any change in theflashpower setting.The range of adjustment is from FULLPOWER (Display = 0.0 and all bargraphsegments are dark), through 1/74 power(Display = -6.2 and only one bargraphsegment is dark).2. In the same fashion, set the flash-power of the remaining channels in yoursystem.3. You may now quickly review theexact flashpower to which any of thevarious channels are set by pressing theup or down CHANNEL buttons toscroll through the channels while watch-ing the LCD display to indicate the f-stopsettings.The model lamp of each flash unitwill blink each time it is addressed,indicating which light is which number,and verifying that the system is com-municating.Modify ALL Flashpo wer SettingsSimultaneously (Bracketing)1. Press and hold the ALL button -the F-VALUE display will read 0.0,indicating no modification has beenmade to the individual channels’ flash-power. The ALL segment of the LCDdisplay will also become active and thepage 6

bargraph is turned off.2.While continuing to hold the ALLbutton, press either the double-arrowup or down FLASHPOWER buttons(for full stop adjust) or the single-arrowup or down FLASHPOWER buttons(for 1/10 f-stop adjust). The displayshould increment up or down witheach button press, indicating the exactmodification which is simultaneouslybeing made to the flashpower of allactive Channels. For instance, a displayvalue of -0.7 indicates that the flash-power of each unit is being reduced by7/10 of an f-stop,as is the intensity ofeach modeling lamp (assuming themodeling lamps are in the model track-ing mode).When you release the ALL buttonthen look at the flashpower settingsyou will see that the flashpower of eachindividual channel has been reduced byexactly 0.7f.Thus, you have reduced theexposure by 7/10 f-stop while keepingexactly the same ratio between lightunits.3. If you were to then press the ALLbutton a second time,the display wouldagain indicate 0.0,allowing you to make afurther modification to all channels bypressing the appropriate up or downarrow keys and again releasing the ALLbutton.Over-Range/Under-Rang eIt is of great importance when brack-eting exposures that one does not alterthe ratio between flash units, as thiswould alter what the scene actually"looks" like. Accordingly, it is importantthat using the ALL function does notcause any one flash unit to try to gobrighter than Full P ower (-0.0f),or dim-mer than it’s Minimum po wer (-6.2f).Visualize a scene where one light is atFull Pow e r ( - 0 . 0 f ) , one light is atMinimum po wer (-6.2f) and the rest ofthe lights are at some value in between.In this scenario, it would be impossible to"bracket" up or down without alteringthe ratio between the lights, as thebrightest light cannot produce more thanFull P ower , while the dimmest one can-not go below -6.2f without going Off.The RadioRemote One keeps youfrom making this mistake. Here’s how:1.When using the ALL button togeth-er with the FLASHPOWER up/downbuttons, attempting to cause any onechannel to go higher than 0.0f or lowerthan -6.2f will cause the system to stopincrementing or decrementing and todisplay the Channel Number whichhas reached either M a x i m um orMinimum P ower.2. In the event that more than onechannel has reached Full or MinimumPow er and the channel number firstindicated on the display has been individ-ually adjusted to allow further bracket-ing,the next Channel which is at Full orMinimum Pow er will now be indicatedin the display.page 7

For example, if channels 1 and 2 are at aFull Power (-0.0f)and the ALL function isused to try to "move’ the entire scene to ahigher power setting the system will notincrement any of the units. The CHANdisplay will first read "1", indicating thatChannel 1 is an over-ranged channel. Byusing the individual flashpower channeladjustment pro c e d u re and decre a s i n gChannel 1 to less than 0.0f,the system willnow indicate "2" in the CHAN displaywhen attempting to use the ALL functionto increment up.Channels Pr ogrammed OFFChannels that are O F F during thebracketing procedure will not be changed.When any Channel is switched tothe OFF state, then returned to theON condition,the previous flashpow-er and modeling lamp states arere s t o red by memory in theRadioRemote One transmitter.Accordingly, if it is desired to bracketonly certain lights, the user may tem-porarily make the remaining lights inac-tive (OFF ) while the bracketing adjust-ment is made, then turn them back ON.Assigning a Channel to the OFF modeturns off the associated modeling lamp andprevents the unit from responding to anytype of sync signal.Battery Saving FeaturesThe RadioRemote One hand transmit-ter utilizes software routines which, whenleft idle for more than two minutes,put itto "SLEEP" to save valuable battery power.All that is required to "WAKE" the trans-mitter is to press any button. Pressing abutton serves only to wake the transmitteras indicated by the LCD display.The func-tion associated with the first button presswhen asleep is not executed - a secondbutton press is required to execute thefunction. Operating the camera, however,immediately fires the lights even when theunit is asleep.General Care Issues•Avoid exposure to moisture.•Avoid temperatures in excess of 110degrees F or below freezing.•The batteries should be re m ove dfrom the transmitter for long termstorage.•The usage of alkaline batteries are rec-ommended for optimum performance.•When powering the receivers from bat-teries,the receivers should be turned offwhen not in use.Radio TransmissionCharacteristicsAll radio communication links are sub-ject to external interference and environ-mental operating conditions which mayimpede system performance in certain cir-cumstances. ‘Multipath’ reception, whichcan occur when signals arrive via differentpaths from the same transmitter, is char-acterized by "dead zones" in the receptionarea.The proximity of various items suchpage 8

as automobiles,bodies of water, metal lightstands, vegetation, window screens andsuch can cause unwanted loss of signalsfrom transmitter to receivers.Best performance is achieved whentransmitter and receiver antennas areoriented vertically.To alleviate loss of signal because ofthese effects it might only be necessary tomove the location of the transmitter orreceiver from a few inches to several feetin any direction.The RadioRemote One transmitter andreceiver operate in the 900MHZ radiospectrum.This frequency range is capableof longer distance reception than lowerfrequencies. There is still, however, thepossibility of interfe rence from nearbystrong signals such as radio/television tow-ers, police radios, pager transmitters, etc.,as is the case with all low power radiosys-tems. TroubleshootingThe RadioRemote One system has beendesigned for years of trouble-free perfor-mance.There are no user-serviceable com-ponents inside and any malfunction whichcannot be attributed to incorrect batterypolarity or exhausted batteries should beaddressed by the manufacturer.Always observe correct battery polarity.The insertion diagram is contained in thebattery well on each unit.Always make sure you have fresh orknown-good batteries in the transmitterand in the receivers,if you are not using theDC power supplies.Frequently Asked QuestionsProblem:Bracketing function (All up or Alldown) will not work.Check: Most likely one or more of theChannels is at Full Power or at MinimumPower.Turn Off Channels not in use. SeePage 8.Problem:Another photographer in the area issetting off your lights.Check: Are your slaves disabled (SeePage 1). Is the other photographer alsousing a RadioRemote One?If so, changeyour lights and transmitter to a differentBank (Page 1)Problem:One Receiver not responding,otherreceivers ok.Check: Is receiver turned On and bat-tery good? Is AC power adaptor con-nected to receiver but not plugged intoan outlet? A re re c e i ver Bank andChannel set properly? Is the problemChannel set to On mode at transmitter?Is receiver out of transmit range?Problem:No receivers working.Check: Is transmitter battery good? Istransmitter Bank set correctly? Are theChannels in use in On Mode?Problem: Camera does not fire units buttransmitter buttons do.page 9

C h e c k : If camera sync cord hasreversible connections, t ry reve r s i n gthem. If using a hotshoe adaptor, makesure the cord comes out the back end ofthe camera,not the front.Try unpluggingsync cord from camera and momentarilyshort the sync cord contacts togetherwith a metal object (this should fire thesystem) if so, check camera and hotshoe,if not,either the sync cord or the trans-mitter have a defect.Problem:Receiver won't work with anotherbrand of flash.Check: Make sure the flash unit's syncvoltage is less than 50 volts.See Cautionon Page 1.Problem:White Lightning modeling lights don'tblink when I send data.Check: Modeling lamps will not blink ifthey are in Off Mode.Problem:Receiver LED blinks when I senddata,but flash unit doesn't respond.C h e c k : Is flash unit connected toReceiver? If so,try another connectingcord,or try another flash unit.WarrantyThe RadioRemote One System carriesa 2 year factory warranty covering partsand labor on manufacturing defects. Seeour website for additional shipping instruc-tions.The obligations of Paul C. Buff, Inc. islimited to repair or replacement only, andno other warranty is expressed or implied.C a u t i o n : Changes or modificationsmade to the equipment, not expresslyapproved by the manufacturer couldvoid the users authority to operate theequipment.Note: This equipment has been testedand found to comply with the limits fora Class B digital device, pursuant to Part15 of the FCC Rules. These limits aredesigned to provide reasonable protec-tion against harmful interference in aresidential installation. This equipmentgenerates,uses and can radiate radio fre-quency energy and, if not installed andused in accordance with the instruc-tions, may cause harmful interference toradio communications. However, thereis no guarantee that interference will notoccur in a particular installation. If thisequipment does cause harmful interfer-ence to radio or television reception,which can be determined by turning theequipment off and on, the user isencouraged to try to correct the inter-ference by one or more of the followingmeasures:-- Reorient or relocate the receivingantenna.-- Increase the separation between theequipment and receiver.-- Connect the equipment into an outleton a circuit different from that towhich the receiver is connected.-- Consult the dealer or an experiencedradio/TV technician for help.page 10

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