The RadioRemote One
Wireless System
The RadioRemote One is
designed to provide wireless
remote control operation
for photographic flash units
manufactured by Paul C.
Buff, Inc., including all AlienBees
units and White Lightning
UltraZAP, Ultras, and X-Series units.
A
complete setup includes one RadioRemote One Transmitter and a separate
RadioReceiver
One for each light in that setup (for example, to remotely operate
a
three light setup, you would need one transmitter and three receivers).
Features and Functions of
the RadioRemote One System:
•
remote function and a fully functional radio slave
•
adjustable flashpower and modeling of up to 16 lights on 16 banks
•
900 MHz system firing at long distances, around obstructions, with a range from
80 to 400 feet, depending on conditions
•
controls flashpower from -0 to -6.2 f-stops in 1/10 or full f-stops, with
modeling settings of Full, Off, or Tracking
•
convenient glow-in-the-dark keys and back-lit display
•
non-volatile memory to record the last scene
•
low battery indicators
•
blinking modeling lamp serving to indicate the initial data up-link success
The
RadioRemote One system provides full wireless remote control for Paul C. Buff,
Inc. Flash Units. The remote system
combines the convenience of both remote function as well as that of a fully
functional radio slave. The RadioRemote
One System allows the photographer to adjust the flashpower setting as well as the
modeling mode of each light in a setup.
Metering is made easy with the ability to test fire all or individual
lights. Exposure bracketing can be
adjusted from the remote transmitter, instead of adjusting at the camera
position, to maintain depth-of-field. By
not allowing over-range or under-range bracketing of a light, proper ratios
between the lights are maintained by the system. The RadioRemote One is not to be confused with
cheap infrared remotes that require a strict line-of-site from the transmitter
to the light and don't allow camera sync.
The 900Mhz system in the RadioRemote is consistently reliable for firing
at longer distances, and will transmit around obstructions.
Each
Transmitter arrives with:
a
PC to 1/8-inch stereo plug sync cord
•
short, 4-foot sync cord
•
plugs into the receiver, then into the PC outlet on your camera
two
AA 1.5 volt alkaline batteries
•
400+ hour lifespan in your transmitter
camouflage
case
•
an open-ended case for attaching your sync cord and keeping the antennae in an
upright position
velcro
strips
•
for mounting and attaching your receiver to your camera’s tripod
Each
Receiver arrives with:
two
AA 1.5 volt alkaline batteries
AC
power cord (grounded, 3-prong)
•
gives you the option to use either an AC or DC power supply
25-foot
telephone cable (RJ-11 modular)
•
connects from the flash unit to the “To Light” jack on the receiver
dummy
plugs
•
to disable the built-in slave tripper
velcro
strips
•
for mounting the receiver
one
mini flat head screwdriver
•
to adjust the channel and bank dial
Controls:
Back-lit Liquid Crystal
Display (LCD)
indicates
the exact settings of flashpower, bank/channel information, and specific
modeling lamp status
Bar graph (on the LCD)
displays
channel flashpower settings at a glance
F-VALUE display (on the
LCD)
a
two-digit display showing channel flashpower in 1/10 f-stop units (0 to -6.2
range)
BANK/CHAN display (on the
LCD)
shows
the current channel when nothing is pressed, and shows the current bank when the
Bank button is pressed; when using the All mode, the display shows if a channel
is over or under range by indicating the lowest channel which is out of range
ALL indicator (on the LCD)
becomes
active when the All button is pressed, indicates all channels within that bank
are being adjusted
MODEL icon (on the LCD)
indicates
one of three modeling lamp modes:
1. clear = the modeling lamp is ON at Full Power
2. dark = the modeling lamp is OFF
3. half-bulb = the modeling lamp is set to TRACKING
scrolls
through the three modeling lamp modes
buttons
serving to raise and lower flashpower:
double arrow: 1 whole f-stop increments
single arrow: 1/10 f-stop increments
pressed
once, this button sends the current settings to all lights, pressing and
holding this button together with any flashpower button raises or lowers the
flashpower on all channels
selects
one of sixteen possible channels
when
pressed and held, using the Up/Down Channel arrows will select one of sixteen
possible banks
sets
each individual channel to be active or inactive
test
flashes the channel, or test flashes the entire bank when the All button is
pressed and held
turns
the unit off or on
selects
the channel and bank, turned with a mini flat head screwdriver
remote
jack connects with RJ-11 type modular telephone cable
turns
red and blinks four times when the unit is powered up and the battery supply is
low
(located
on top of the unit, next to the antenna) for connecting only the Paul C. Buff,
Inc. included DC power supply
Note:
The flash unit’s On/Off switch and Model/Ready switch are not remotely
operable, and must be set as desired on the individual units.
To
save battery life, the transmitter "sleeps" after two minutes of
non-use. While in Sleep Mode, it still
fires when the shutter is used, as long as it is still connected. If you wish to make adjustments after the
sleep mode has begun, you will need to touch the channel button to
"wake" the transmitter up. The
batteries powering your remotes are standard AA, 1.5 volt alkaline batteries,
providing approximately 400 hours of typical use in the transmitter (with a
three month standby), and approximately 100 hours of typical use in the
receiver. The Low Battery light
indicators will turn red when they are near the end of their lifespan. Standard AA 1.5 volt alkaline batteries or
rechargeable AA alkaline batteries must be used.
Operating Range:
Typical
operating range should be from about 80 to 400 feet or more. This range may be affected by a number of
factors, including buildings, vegetation, bodies of water, and interference
from other radio transmitters. Antennas
should be kept vertical for the best transmission, and the receivers should be
mounted away from large, metal, concrete, or water-filled objects, with line of
sight orientation yielding maximum range.
At long distances, you may have to move the receivers all to one side of
your shoot to overcome "dead spots."
Factory Settings:
As
supplied from the factory, All Channels are set to -2 f-stops, and Channel 1 is
set to "On" (with Channels 2-16 set to "Off"). These default settings may be recalled from
the internal memory at any time by pressing and holding the Bank button, then
pressing the On button. When performing
this function, the bar graph on the LCD display screen will instantly kick
upwards.
Last Scene Memory:
The
RadioRemote One transmitter contains EEprom memory that automatically stores
the current settings each time the transmitter goes into "sleep mode"
(after two minutes of non-use). Thus, if
the batteries fail or need to be changed during a shoot, you will not lose your
settings. Further, if your shoot lasts
multiple days, or you take breaks between shots and wish to return to the same
settings, they will remain. If you
desire to force the storage of a current setting (for instance, when changing
your batteries in a hurry), this can be accomplished by pressing and holding
the Bank button while pressing the Single Arrow Flashpower Up button. Recalling these settings can be achieved by
holding the Bank button while pressing the Single Arrow Flashpower Down button.
Visual Verification:
When
an active channel is selected or data is sent, the modeling lamp on the
associated light unit will blink once to verify that it is properly receiving
data. This can also serve as a reminder
of which flash unit is on which channel.
This only works, of course, when the modeling lamp is set to be on, in
full or tracking mode. The LED light on
the receiver for that unit will also blink twice.
Sync Speeds:
Before
using the RadioRemote One, you will need to look at your camera's operations
manual to discover the sync speed that your camera allows.
Refreshing All Settings:
Every
time the All button is pressed, all settings for all of your active channels in
the selected bank are re-sent. When this
All button is pressed, all LED lights and modeling lamps (if turned on) should
blink. After pressing the All button,
press the Fire button to test fire all of your lights. If any of these tests fail to provide you
with the expected response, you will need to troubleshoot the system by first
checking your connections and batteries, then check to see that you have selected
the proper bank and proper channels.
Common Modeling Lamp Mode:
Rather
than selecting individual modeling lamp modes for each channel, if you wish to
have all modeling lamps in your bank set in one mode, press the All button as
you scroll through the options.
Regardless of what channel you are setting the flashpower in, pressing
this All button will immediately make the modeling lamp mode you select the
same in all active channels, even those you
are
not currently dialed to.
Bracketing (Modifying ALL
Flashpower Settings Simultaneously):
It
is of great importance when bracketing that one does not alter the ratios
between flash units, as this would alter what the scene actually "looks"
like. Accordingly, it is important that
in using the All button, the individual flash units do not go brighter than
their Full power or dimmer than their Minimum power. To keep this from occurring, the receivers
will not register changes that ask the flashpower to be raised or lowered
outside of the -0 to -6.2 f-stop range.
FCC Regulations:
This
equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limitations for a Class
B digital device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC rules and regulations. These limits provide reasonable protection
against interference in a residential installation. This equipment generates, uses, and can
radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in proper
accordance with the provided instructions, may cause harmful interference to
other radio communications. However,
there is no guarantee that the interference will not occur in a particular
installation. If this equipment does
cause harmful interference, the user is encouraged to reorient or relocate the
receiving antenna, increase the separation between the equipment and the
receiver, and/or consult the dealer for help.
General Care
Recommendations:
1.
Avoid exposure to moisture, as this may damage the unit.
2.
Avoid exposure to temperatures above 110º F, or below 32ºF.
3.
For long-term storage, remove the batteries.
4.
Always use alkaline AA 1.5 volt batteries from a reputable manufacturer.
5.
Turn all remotes off when not in use.
Troubleshooting:
problem: the
bracketing function (all up or all down) will not work
Most
likely, one or more of the channels is at Full Power or Minimum Power. To correct this problem, turn off all
channels not in use.
problem: another
photographer in the area is setting off your lights
Is
another photographer also using a Radio Remote One, and in the same bank that
you are? If so, simply change what bank
you are working in. Are your slaves
disabled? The slaves are disabled
whenever a sync cord or blank “dummy plug” is inserted (please call us if you
need any dummy plugs; we have both 1/4-inch and 1/8-inch plugs to disable the
slave).
problem: one receiver
is not responding, though the other(s) are
Is
the non-responsive receiver turned on? Are the batteries still good? First check that all connections are tight,
and that your batteries are good. Make
sure that the individual receiver is turned on, and set to the proper channel
and bank. Then check that the
corresponding channel on the transmitter is on, and all channels not in use are
turned off.
problem: none of the
receivers are working
First
check to see that the transmitter's batteries are good, and that the bank is
correctly set. Then check that the
proper channels are selected, and that they are turned on.
problem: the
transmitter fires the lights, but the camera will not
If
the camera sync cord has reversible connections, try reversing them. If you are using a hot shoe adaptor, make
sure that the cord comes out of the back end of the camera, not the front, and
check that the hot shoe is well-locked in place. Try unplugging the sync momentarily, and
short the sync cord contacts together with a metal object, which should fire
the system.
For
further problems, please call our technical services department to assess your
needs, diagnose the problem, and decide whether you need any repairs or
replacement. We are available Monday
through Friday, 9:00am-5:00pm (CST).
This
equipment is covered under a two year factory warranty. This warranty is limited to the repair or
replacement of the unit that fails during the period stated. The warranty shall exclude the replacement of
batteries, as these will become exhausted over time based on normal use. Should warranty service be required, you
should first contact our Technical Support Team on our Toll Free Customer
Service Line, 1-800-443-5542. Thank
you! Enjoy your RadioRemote One!