Reset backscatter mini flash, anyone know how?

[RogerC 4]

So I'm in the Philippines right now, hopped in the water last night on my first blackwater dive, and both my backscatter mini flash strobes failed. They will  fire like 1 time in 10, sometimes 1 time in 3, it’s random. Never every time. And rarely do they both fire at once.

Both failing makes it seem like a camera or housing issue, but I don't think so. These things have brains that analyze the camera's flash trigger sequence, and this is the second time I've had a failure with them. Anyone know how to do a factory reset on them? The other time I had an issue I had to return the strobe, I had asked about doing a factory reset of the brain, they asked what battery I had, and then told me to send it in. Cryptic, but makes me think there may be a reset that could help me. I've emailed backscatter, but no response yet, time zone issues.

I have powered them off and on many times, that should reset the strobe triggering sequence, no luck.

I have put charged batteries in the strobes.

The modeling light works, the powers and ready light works. 

I have swapped sync cords. 

I am using an oly OM 1 in a nauticam housing and a nauticam flash trigger. I put new batteries in the trigger, no change. I can see the red light from it at the end of both cords. I really thought that was the issue, since both strobes failed, but no luck. The trigger fires every single time without fail.

I have not yet tried them on another housing, there is only one other shooter here (typhoon season) and he hasn't been in the camera room.

Any other suggestions? 

thanks.

[ChrisRoss 150]

Do you have the Oly mini flash, you could try that to see if it helps - if your cables were marginal it might be enough.  You can test the cables/flashes on manual with a TV remote click any button while aiming the LED at the end into the flash cable port.  If it works with this, it indicates you might have a trigger or cable problem.

I understand the flash is Manual output only.  I'm assuming the flash trigger is doing the same thing just emitting a single flash?

[davehicks 89]

I hate to tell you but you likely need to send them in. I have and really like the backscatter mf-1 and use it as a snoot on nearly all my macro dives. But i have had to send it in for repair/replacement three times in three years. They always fix it for free with a 1 week turn around so i am forgiving of Backscatter.

However i would not suggest to anyone that the MF-1 be your only stobe, only an add-on to your primary strobes.

[RogerC 4]

Update, my strobes are working, backscatter sent some helpful info. It was pilot error.

As I said, the strobes learn your camera's flash sequence on the first trigger. What I didn't know is that they are watching for the full first second for the strobe sequence, so I must have jumped in the water excited, fired my strobes several times in less than a second, probably to test exposure, and they learned a crazy trigger sequence. And then from then on, because I was trouble shooting and testing, I'd probably fire a bunch of times in the first second again, and there you go. Pilot error as root cause, which is why both failed.

Thanks for all the help.

ChrisRoss, thanks, changing the internal strobe is a good suggestion, but I didn't bring it, it cycles slower and runs down the camera battery, the nauticam trigger is self powered and always ready.

DaveHicks, what problems have you had, anything to avoid? Hopefully they have quietly made revisions that will make them more robust, I do really like these things. Yesterday I was holding one free handed, with a snoot on, and I was able to turn the power dial while holding it free hand to adjust the brightness. Such a pleasure to use these things.

[davehicks 89]

Do you have your camera set for rapid exposures? It seems odd that you would be shooting multiple frames per second unless you do. Make sure you set the camera to single shot mode. The MF-1 has a slow cycle time anyway.

 

As for issues with the strobe, it is usually a charge cycle error indicated by a flashing red signal. They have made design improvements, so it may be getting better now. It been awhile now since my last failure. 

[RogerC 4]

excellent call, I totally forgot that. Yes, for blackwater, I had set up exposure bracketing, 3 fast shots in a row. I had that on during the dive, got in the water with that on, so that's exactly why the strobes immediately failed on that dive. But I probably was hitting them pretty fast, more than one time in a second, during some testing, to see if they would fire consistently. Man, that should be in the manual, the manual does not go into much detail on how the strobe learns the trigger sequence. It doesn't mention the 1 second, all it says is:

 

Depending on the camera model or settings, the camera’s built-in flash will flash once or multiple times for every photo. The MF-1 will analyze your camera’s flash and automatically synchronize after the first test flash. First power on the strobe and select any power level from 1-6 and take a single test photo. The MF-1 will analyze this test flash and memorize the proper setting for your camera. If you change cameras or flash settings on your camera, simply power off the MF-1, power on and take another test photo to synchronize with your new camera or camera settings.

[TimG 62]

2 minutes ago, RogerC said:

excellent call,

Good call indeed, Dave!  

[bvanant 189]

The recycle time for highest power is pretty slow like 1.5 seconds depending on battery, so trying to get three shots fast is a no go. I always set my camera on manual strobe and so get only 1 flash.

Bill

 

[RogerC 4]

Yeah. If you are playing the multi--shot game, with any strobe,  you must find an exposure that works at lowest power, and even then, you are probably going to get a limited set. Also easier on the wildlife you are photographing.

And more importantly: even if the strobe can keep firing, you gotta give it a rest or you risk overheat. At some point, it's a better game to play with video lights.