Using a peanut slave to trigger a radio slave transmitter???

[smieglitz]

I have a dilemma. I'm using a synched Packard shutter to connect to a household plug box. The household cord runs into the 3-outlet box. From there, an extension cord sets off a Speedotron 4800 pack. Another 4800 pack is set off by an old heavy-duty optical slave of unknown manufacture. A 9600ws quad light takes the full load from those packs. I need to fire another 2400 pack as a fill light. (Collodion is slow.)

I tried to use a Wein household peanut slave to no avail. Returned it to the store and exchanged it. That one didn't work either. I tried both in all three packs. Today a Calumet rep asked me if I turned them around, which I didn't. Apparently there is a polarity issue with them. So I've ordered another.

A few days ago I ordered a Calumet 4-channel radio trigger since the listing said the receiver had a pc outlet and I thought I could just use a pc to household into the 3-outlet box to fire the transmitter and the receiver would then synch and fire the 3rd pack. Turns out the outlet is for some micro plug. I do have a household to micro cord. But, the Calumet rep cautioned me about the voltage in linking them - said it might fry the transmitter.

So another idea I have is to use a Wein peanut slave with a pc (rather than household) connection plugged into a pc to micro radio plug cord that fits the transmitter. The receiver is connected pc to household on the 3rd pack.

I figure I can fire the first 4800 pack via cord connected to the Packard, have the second go off with the optical slave, and the peanut slave would fire the transmitter and receiver fire the 3rd pack.

Will that work? Can the peanut slave set off the radio transmitter?

Or, is there any danger in setting off two power packs via a second extension cord linked to the shutter?

 

[cowanw]

This totally does not address your question but in case you don't find a peanut/calumet solution. I run a microsync transmitter of the packard and have microsync recievers to fire the packs/lights
Dead Link Removed

 

[dmdctusa]

I use a Wein model FFA optical trigger (off a defunct Vivitar HV285) to trigger my EBay RF 616 radio trigger. Works perfectly when I want to use my Canon S90 with my studio flash sytem. With the S90 flash on 1/3 power there is no impact of the camera flash on the image. So far this has worked 100%.

I have tried the Wein peanuts and found them to be worthless.

David

 

[ozphoto]

I have found peanut slaves to be very unreliable under almost all conditions; even fired a flash directly at one to get it to fire a 2nd flash unit - no avail.

I now use radio transmitters that I can change the frequency on if needed - have been much more reliable and work at greater distances too.
Pocket Wizards are ideal, but rather expensive; cheaper alternative that I have needed to use when getting these repaired:

http://www.ephotozine.com/article/Pocket-Wizard-Plus-II-versus-the-Seculine-Twin-Link-T2D-12634
http://www.kaiser-fototechnik.de/en/news/produkte/1_1_twinlink.asp