Flash'ard - wireless flash trigger (yes, another one!)

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Flash'ard - wireless flash trigger (yes, another one!)

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tankslappa

I know, BennyJo is going to be most upset I didn't call it SPOTsomething... Maybe I should call it JeeSPOT :o)
Anyway, I've built a similar device to BennyJo for wirelessly triggering, and controlling the power, of old camera flashes (like the Vivitar 283 and 285) with some Jeenodes, some optoisolators and a crash course in C programming!
Many thanks to JC for his patience, I know I asked far too many questions, but it now lives! It works! I will add some pictures of the TX unit with its 2x16 LCD display driven menu and config system when it looks a bit more presentable.
Maybe one day I will let someone else see my source code... Then again, maybe it's best I don't!
But here is the remote end being triggered to light its own picture. Staring Jeenode (V4), Jeelabs 3xAA battery holder and Jeeplug board with the optoisolators.
Flash'ard on flickr

Posted 03/05/2010 02:31:23
edwardhorsford

Hey tankslappa,
Very happy to see someone on here working on flash triggering! My project is currently just in the planning stage, though a breadboard version has been happily syncing at 1/250.
I'd be very interested in your source for the project. Even if it's buggy, I'm sure it would be useful for dealing with the flash power (I plan to control the power of each flash individually).
I'm specifically working on high-speed triggering, which is considerably more challenging than just syncing at 1/250. I've got the jeenodes communicating down to 373µS, though now need to recode chunks of the library to work reliably (for my specific needs).
My original topic on Jeelabs
My high-speed shots on flickr

Posted 03/05/2010 09:45:29
tankslappa

Hi Edward, I'm more than happy to share my code, it'll probably be the strangest C code you have ever seen, and will make you scratch your head a few times though! I'm a Delphi (object Pascal) programmer, so C, especially its string handling, has been a bit of a shock! To me it feels like programming with one arm tied behind my back! Oh well, it's a learning curve, but I think I might have been quicker to just use assembly code!
I'll drop you a line via your flickr account.

Posted 03/05/2010 21:08:32
tankslappa

Well I've finally used them in anger... Two Jeenode V4s as remote flash triggers with quench power control on some 20 year old Vivitar flashes which cost a total of £35 Another Jeenode V4 connected to my camera with an LCD screen and a couple of buttons to let me remotely configure the power.
Here's one of the results. http://www.flickr.com/photos/stevesnaps/4591905523/
6 hours of shooting and not a single miss fire or failed fire. Only problem I had was I pulled the trigger wire from my camera out of the controller, but that's a production fault, not a software/Jeenode one. Luckily I had some tools and insulating tape with me so I was up and running again within 5 minutes :-)

Posted 10/05/2010 09:12:53