Problems with Wein safesync and Bowens Pulsar

[keithostertag]

I bought a cheap set of Neewer Wireless STUDIO Flash TRIGGER RT-16 for about $20 off Amazon, but I couldn't get them to work at all, decided to return them.

So I happened to be at Chuck Rubins today and saw they had several types of older radio control units, and bought two Bowens Pulsar (radio trigger system) units- no model number, there's a label in the battery compartment that says "version 5". In the store they seemed to work- pressing the 'test' button on one set for TX will light the indicator light on the other one (set to RX).

But getting home, I still can't get them to work with my old Wein safesync (model HSHS B). The Pulsars are marked 50V max, so I think I will need the Wein safesync. I am placing the Pulsar unit into the Wein hostshoe then connecting the Wein to the monolight via a PC-to-1/4" sync cord. With the Pulsar unit switched on, as soon as I plug into the monolight the indicator light on the Pulsar starts blinking, as though there is something wrong, and in fact pushing the test button does nothing- no flash.

Can anyone help me with this? I can't find a manual for the Bowen's Pulsar online- anyone have one? Any ideas?

Thanks,
Keith Ostertag

 

[keithostertag]

I should also say... I used a small old Minolta flash to test to see if the Wein and the Pulsars work, and they do, at least with the Minolta flash.

 

[MattKing]

Are you using the same connectors for the Minolta flash as the Bowens flash?
Or is the Bowens attached through a sync cord, while the Minolta is attached through the hot shoe?

 

[keithostertag]

Hi Matt- good point... the Bowens is attached through a sync cord, while the Minolta is attached through the hot shoe. I have no other way to do it. I bought two new PC-to-1/4" sync cords and have tried them both with the same results.

Are you suggesting that the cables may be bad, or that the Wein works differently in those configurations? Are the Weins bidirectional?

 

[MattKing]

Are you suggesting that the cables may be bad, or that the Wein works differently in those configurations? Are the Weins bidirectional?

I don't know if they are bidirectional, but I wouldn't be surprised if they are not.
Does your Wein unit have another input that would accept a PC cord?

 

[keithostertag]

No, this particular Wein model has one hotshoe on top, one hotshoe on bottom, and only one PC connector.

Because I also have several old style optical slaves, I could use the Minolta setup to trigger the monolight... but that's pretty clunky!

 

[MattKing]

Essentially you have this set up as if the Wein unit was triggering the Radio slave. You want it to work the other way around.
Do you have a PC cord to hotshoe adapter?
You might be able to use the radio trigger's PC cord output with that adapter, and then add the Wein unit to the hotshoe on the adapter.

 

[keithostertag]

Funny, I was thinking the Wein works like a filter (or diode) but not a trigger. (Which is one guess why it may not be bidirectional, hah!) The Pulsar unit is the thing to protect, not the monolight.

Unfortunately I no longer have one of those PC cord to hotshoe adapters. Thanks for giving me some ideas- I'll need to see if I can locate one of those.

 

[MattKing]

The Pulsar unit is the thing to protect, not the monolight.

I definitely knew that. I deal with the same issue, having Bowens units (in a 2 head location kit) that are decades older than yours.
I have a Wein unit with a built in 1/4" "headphone" type plug - it goes directly into the Bowens unit. The other connector on the Wein unit is a PC connector.
Here is a picture (actually an internet image) which shows what my Bowens units look like:

 

[keithostertag]

Yea, your Bowens are indeed older than mine! But much more mobile. It's amazing the capacitors and flash tubes in any of these old units are still good. I haven't used mine in years, just getting around to 'thinking' about using them again, and don't want to have to deal with a sync cord all the time.

I have seen the type of Wein safe sync that you have, but remarkably they still sell for $50! after all these years, and are hard to find used for much less. Your type would be better for my immediate use, but I think the type I have will be more versatile for me in the future if I wanted to move to using speedlights or other types of flash rather than these old Bowens. Well... not necessarily...

Which is kinda moot... since I don't really like using flash and much prefer natural light... but with the winter coming I am thinking to do some more studio work for fun in the evenings.

 

[bdial]

Have you measured the trigger voltage on the flash?

Based on this chart; http://www.camerarepairer.co.uk/FlashSpec.htm it looks like it's only 35V so it should be within the trigger's specs.

 

[keithostertag]

Thanks for the heads up! I had not gotten around to measuring the trigger voltage... I guess that's something I should do.

 

[MattKing]

Have you measured the trigger voltage on the flash?

Based on this chart; http://www.camerarepairer.co.uk/FlashSpec.htm it looks like it's only 35V so it should be within the trigger's specs.

Many of the current triggers specify a trigger voltage of only 6V.
So it would be prudent to check carefully what your trigger is designed for.
EDIT: I also note that that linked to site must be UK oriented, because all the modelling lights seem to be a 240V version. I don't know whether a different mains voltage spec would be likely to alter the trigger voltage, but I would be cautious.

 

[keithostertag]

Yes indeed.

So today I took the time to measure the trigger voltage on the three studio strobes I have:

Bowens 800B: 153VDC
Bowens Mono 4000: 22VDC
Bogen Monolight 200B: 172VDC

Glad I did that!

I had to look up how to do the measurement: just use a voltmeter set to DC voltage (range 200, or maybe more). While unit is on, measure with positive/red meter probe on the sync center pin, and the ground/black meter probe on the outside sync barrel/connector/ground. This is a constant voltage that will dip somewhat when you trip the flash (as the capacitors charge back up). Mine were easy to measure- since all my units use a standard 1/4" phone connector for the sync, I can simply plug any available standard 1/4" (audio) plug into the sync connector and have easy access to the plug blades/tips/conductors.

 

[mweintraub]

I think this was mentioned that you can't trigger the flash form the hot shoe of the receiver/transcever...

Page 3: https://www.manualslib.com/manual/1000880/Bowens-Pulsar.html?page=3#manual

The hotshoe is a sync in.

Sync out is the "Camera/flash" port (or back pc sync) on the right.

 

[keithostertag]

Thank you! I for some reason couldn't find the manual online when I searched! This is very helpful.