Comments on: GI Cactus V2s Wireless (Ebay) Triggers Modification http://www.deciacco.com/blog/photography/gi-cactus-v2s-wireless-ebay-triggers-mod/ my stuff online Thu, 18 Feb 2010 20:03:18 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Chris http://www.deciacco.com/blog/photography/gi-cactus-v2s-wireless-ebay-triggers-mod/comment-page-1/#comment-2136 Chris Thu, 18 Feb 2010 20:03:18 +0000 http://www.deciacco.com/blog/?p=173#comment-2136 This is a great improvement. It wasn't easy to fit everything in the litlle housing but it was worth the effort. Looks cool too, with the antenna attached. All receivers fire proparly. In the beginning there were a lot of no-fires. (bought the unit second hand for € 20,= with 2 receivers)Thought it was worth to try. Thanks for the great tutorial/modification This is a great improvement.
It wasn't easy to fit everything in the litlle housing but it was worth the effort.
Looks cool too, with the antenna attached.
All receivers fire proparly. In the beginning there were a lot of no-fires. (bought the unit second hand for € 20,= with 2 receivers)Thought it was worth to try.

Thanks for the great tutorial/modification

]]> By: deciacco http://www.deciacco.com/blog/photography/gi-cactus-v2s-wireless-ebay-triggers-mod/comment-page-1/#comment-1622 deciacco Mon, 30 Mar 2009 22:03:45 +0000 http://www.deciacco.com/blog/?p=173#comment-1622 Thank you very much for taking that time to respond. I enjoyed working on this project and I'm very glad to know that this helped you! Thank you very much for taking that time to respond. I enjoyed working on this project and I'm very glad to know that this helped you!

]]> By: Chris http://www.deciacco.com/blog/photography/gi-cactus-v2s-wireless-ebay-triggers-mod/comment-page-1/#comment-1621 Chris Mon, 30 Mar 2009 20:54:18 +0000 http://www.deciacco.com/blog/?p=173#comment-1621 I just stumbled on this a few weeks ago after some headaches with my Cactus V2s.. and have to offer a big thank you for posting this. I found it was actually quite easy to do, and got my set of 'helping hands' from the free standing cold shoe plate that came with my 430EX (made soldering a TON easier). Range is better, but above all else, reliability and repeatability have been the two biggest improvements. All three of my receivers fire 99% of the time now, as opposed to only a random mix. I definitely recommend this mod to anyone who opted for the cactus wireless triggers. I just stumbled on this a few weeks ago after some headaches with my Cactus V2s.. and have to offer a big thank you for posting this. I found it was actually quite easy to do, and got my set of 'helping hands' from the free standing cold shoe plate that came with my 430EX (made soldering a TON easier). Range is better, but above all else, reliability and repeatability have been the two biggest improvements. All three of my receivers fire 99% of the time now, as opposed to only a random mix. I definitely recommend this mod to anyone who opted for the cactus wireless triggers.

]]> By: deciacco http://www.deciacco.com/blog/photography/gi-cactus-v2s-wireless-ebay-triggers-mod/comment-page-1/#comment-1421 deciacco Thu, 18 Dec 2008 16:15:57 +0000 http://www.deciacco.com/blog/?p=173#comment-1421 I hope your experience with this mod is a good one. Like I said, I've had two successful modifications, and for the price, I'm quite pleased. Let me know if you have any questions when you start your mod. Thanks for stopping by and your nice comment. Good luck!! I hope your experience with this mod is a good one. Like I said, I've had two successful modifications, and for the price, I'm quite pleased. Let me know if you have any questions when you start your mod. Thanks for stopping by and your nice comment.

Good luck!!

]]> By: Alan Rossiter http://www.deciacco.com/blog/photography/gi-cactus-v2s-wireless-ebay-triggers-mod/comment-page-1/#comment-1420 Alan Rossiter Thu, 18 Dec 2008 14:48:35 +0000 http://www.deciacco.com/blog/?p=173#comment-1420 Nice tutorial. I've been looking at these for a couple of weeks now and yours seems the most concise and best displayed tutorial out there. No jargon just the real deal. I've a set coming in so can't wait to get the mod done and just get out there. Instant bookmark, by the way! ;-) Nice tutorial. I've been looking at these for a couple of weeks now and yours seems the most concise and best displayed tutorial out there. No jargon just the real deal. I've a set coming in so can't wait to get the mod done and just get out there.
Instant bookmark, by the way! ;-)

]]> By: deciacco http://www.deciacco.com/blog/photography/gi-cactus-v2s-wireless-ebay-triggers-mod/comment-page-1/#comment-1319 deciacco Fri, 27 Jun 2008 15:45:59 +0000 http://www.deciacco.com/blog/?p=173#comment-1319 wow, that seems like quite a bit of trouble. for me it was a little difficult to get the top to close, but I just gently worked the wire out of the way until I could easily close it. if you look at step 8 you can see the wire is not curled really nicely, in fact, the curls on the wire instead of being vertical they pretty much went sideways, one tucked under the other and one curl went around the screw hole. (if that makes sense...) you might want to take a look a this mod if you havent' already: http://www.flickr.com/photos/25797462@N07/2429504694/ personally, i like the antenna look, makes it look more professional IMHO, but you might have better luck with this method. wow, that seems like quite a bit of trouble. for me it was a little difficult to get the top to close, but I just gently worked the wire out of the way until I could easily close it. if you look at step 8 you can see the wire is not curled really nicely, in fact, the curls on the wire instead of being vertical they pretty much went sideways, one tucked under the other and one curl went around the screw hole. (if that makes sense...)

you might want to take a look a this mod if you havent' already:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/25797462@N07/2429504694/

personally, i like the antenna look, makes it look more professional IMHO, but you might have better luck with this method.

]]> By: adam http://www.deciacco.com/blog/photography/gi-cactus-v2s-wireless-ebay-triggers-mod/comment-page-1/#comment-1318 adam Fri, 27 Jun 2008 13:49:57 +0000 http://www.deciacco.com/blog/?p=173#comment-1318 ok so it wasn't as easy as i thought. first i used 18 gauge wire and about 6.5in+extra for solder...soldered and couldn't get the top back on because of the coil of wire. then i used i think 20 gauge wire and still couldn't get the top on but this time it just wouldn't screw on. the screw will screw into the hole without the top on, but with it on, i just don't think it's long enough, i may have rounded out the beginning of the threads a little bit. no big deal though. so i tested it that way and it was very unreliable with less reach than with stock. so this time i went back to the 18 gauge wire and went with just a little over 6in. used a dollar bill(6in) and left about 1/4 inch on each side(didn't have a ruler and i'm a little too lazy to look). anyway, this time i still couldn't get the top screwed on....so i did what any texan would do...i zip tied it. so i go outside and try it out. this time it won't fire at all. it just won't. i take the antenna off and it will fire reliably up to about 50ft. put the antenna on and nothing. so i guess with the antenna on, there's metal touching part of the wire inside. so i decide to take the zip ties off, connect the antenna, and let it hang. so with the top off and the wire hanging out and the top/antenna hanging away from the transmitter, i started walking down the road and was getting 100% reliability up to about 150-175ft. i had two flashes about 10ft apart so it was easy to tell where i lost reliability. once i walked back in the 150ft range it was back to 100% was very happy with how well this worked. a little frustrated with trying to get the top on and not damage the wire. i don't think i wanna retry it just yet but i'm ordering another set for backup and i'll try again when it comes in. thanks again for the help. ok so it wasn't as easy as i thought. first i used 18 gauge wire and about 6.5in+extra for solder...soldered and couldn't get the top back on because of the coil of wire. then i used i think 20 gauge wire and still couldn't get the top on but this time it just wouldn't screw on. the screw will screw into the hole without the top on, but with it on, i just don't think it's long enough, i may have rounded out the beginning of the threads a little bit. no big deal though. so i tested it that way and it was very unreliable with less reach than with stock. so this time i went back to the 18 gauge wire and went with just a little over 6in. used a dollar bill(6in) and left about 1/4 inch on each side(didn't have a ruler and i'm a little too lazy to look). anyway, this time i still couldn't get the top screwed on....so i did what any texan would do...i zip tied it. so i go outside and try it out. this time it won't fire at all. it just won't. i take the antenna off and it will fire reliably up to about 50ft. put the antenna on and nothing. so i guess with the antenna on, there's metal touching part of the wire inside. so i decide to take the zip ties off, connect the antenna, and let it hang. so with the top off and the wire hanging out and the top/antenna hanging away from the transmitter, i started walking down the road and was getting 100% reliability up to about 150-175ft. i had two flashes about 10ft apart so it was easy to tell where i lost reliability. once i walked back in the 150ft range it was back to 100%

was very happy with how well this worked. a little frustrated with trying to get the top on and not damage the wire. i don't think i wanna retry it just yet but i'm ordering another set for backup and i'll try again when it comes in.

thanks again for the help.

]]> By: adam http://www.deciacco.com/blog/photography/gi-cactus-v2s-wireless-ebay-triggers-mod/comment-page-1/#comment-1317 adam Thu, 26 Jun 2008 21:03:10 +0000 http://www.deciacco.com/blog/?p=173#comment-1317 sounds good. i'll be installing the new antenna tonight and i'll post back up tomorrow on my length and results. thank you for the help. sounds good. i'll be installing the new antenna tonight and i'll post back up tomorrow on my length and results.

thank you for the help.

]]> By: deciacco http://www.deciacco.com/blog/photography/gi-cactus-v2s-wireless-ebay-triggers-mod/comment-page-1/#comment-1316 deciacco Thu, 26 Jun 2008 20:59:02 +0000 http://www.deciacco.com/blog/?p=173#comment-1316 so far it has been very reliable and very consistent. the tests showed the first mod to be a little shorter in range than the second, but for the distances i have used them in they are fantastic! if you don't mind re-soldering then try 6.82 and see what you get. you might get a slightly longer range than i did. i don't know if you can tell from the photos, but I got pretty far ( at least with the test button ) I think once you can get around the distance that I got a few 1/8th inches difference are not going to matter. the important thing is that they are reliable for the majority of the situations you are going to use them in. i think this mod gives you that. so far it has been very reliable and very consistent. the tests showed the first mod to be a little shorter in range than the second, but for the distances i have used them in they are fantastic!

if you don't mind re-soldering then try 6.82 and see what you get. you might get a slightly longer range than i did. i don't know if you can tell from the photos, but I got pretty far ( at least with the test button ) I think once you can get around the distance that I got a few 1/8th inches difference are not going to matter.

the important thing is that they are reliable for the majority of the situations you are going to use them in. i think this mod gives you that.

]]> By: adam http://www.deciacco.com/blog/photography/gi-cactus-v2s-wireless-ebay-triggers-mod/comment-page-1/#comment-1315 adam Thu, 26 Jun 2008 20:43:08 +0000 http://www.deciacco.com/blog/?p=173#comment-1315 thanks a lot. are you still getting consistent results? would you suggest an exact length of wire or for me to go to 6.82 and back off from there? thanks a lot. are you still getting consistent results? would you suggest an exact length of wire or for me to go to 6.82 and back off from there?

]]> By: deciacco http://www.deciacco.com/blog/photography/gi-cactus-v2s-wireless-ebay-triggers-mod/comment-page-1/#comment-1314 deciacco Thu, 26 Jun 2008 20:40:54 +0000 http://www.deciacco.com/blog/?p=173#comment-1314 Adam, I'm glad you found it! I was just thinking today that I wasn't getting many hits on this article. If you have any questions shoot me an email. Good luck! Adam,

I'm glad you found it! I was just thinking today that I wasn't getting many hits on this article. If you have any questions shoot me an email.

Good luck!

]]> By: adam http://www.deciacco.com/blog/photography/gi-cactus-v2s-wireless-ebay-triggers-mod/comment-page-1/#comment-1313 adam Thu, 26 Jun 2008 20:24:28 +0000 http://www.deciacco.com/blog/?p=173#comment-1313 thank you very much for the detailed tutorial. i'll be doing the mod tonight. thank you very much for the detailed tutorial. i'll be doing the mod tonight.

]]>