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Comments about Pocket Wizard PocketWizard AC9 AlienBees Adapter Power Control for Nikon:
This works perfect. As stated on the PW website, you need the correct firmware version and for Nikon it's a Beta version. It's not surprising that Nikon and Canon use different versions as their flash systems are worlds apart and function differently.
So in Fred's case, that 4 hours could have been saved by simply taking 30 seconds to read on PW website.
from Rancho Cucamonga, CA on 5/21/2011
Comments about Pocket Wizard PocketWizard AC9 AlienBees Adapter Power Control for Nikon:
I feel Fred's pain. It did not work for me either. You need the Beta firmware version V2 Build 123. To get the Beta versions you have to change the settings on the firmware update for it to look for Beta versions. If you do a simple firmware update the Beta version won't show up.The following link has very good instructions on setting up the TT5 to work with the AC[@]Be sure to tell the utility what Alien Bees flash you using at the Sync timing tab. It seems to work for me now and the AC3 adjusts exposure up and down. I have not done a full studio shoot yet with the new setup
[1 of 2 customers found this review helpful]
from Atlanta, GA on 5/3/2011
Comments about Pocket Wizard PocketWizard AC9 AlienBees Adapter Power Control for Nikon:
I ordered two of these from Adorama and tried them with my existing FlexTT5 and Alienbees B1600 setup. Despite reading the quick start and following the directions exactly, I couldn't get them to work. The Alienbees B1600 wouldn't trigger from the test button on the TT5 connected to the AC9, or the test button on the TT5 on camera. It also wouldn't trigger when the shutter was tripped. The receiver on the light blinked signaling it received the signal from the transmitter on camera. Power control also didn't work.
I tried two different AC9s on 3 different Alienbees B1600s with two different TT5's. Same results. I wasted 4 hours of my life that I'll never get back updating firmware, double checking that I followed the instructions, and fiddling with settings in the Pocketwizard utility trying to get these to work.
The Alienbees B1600s triggered from the TT5s fine with the regular sync cord. My Nikon speedlights also triggered fine, so the TT5s were not at fault.
In short, the title says it all - these absolutely don't work.