Quantaray 9500a - hotshoe not triggering?

[Erik Leung]

Hi guys,

I recently picked up a Quantaray 9500a flash - hotshoe is enabled within the cam (F717), but the flash is not triggering when taking shots. It's using a Minolta module - could the module be broken?

Thanks!

 

[Mike Fitzgerald]

Well if you're absolutely sure you've enabled the hot shoe in the F717's Setup menu, then it does point to the flash and/or the module.

If the flash can be fired in test mode then I'd be asking questions about compatibility of the module. It's possible that either (a) the module incorporates an interlock that prevents it being fired via its foot unless it's properly attached to a compatible Minolta model, or (b) the hot shoe is shorting out pins that must be left floating electrically.

Scenario (b) is more likely, and you should be able to find out if the flash will fire by using a piece of wire to short the centre pin to the surface of the foot and then, if that doesn't work (e.g. it's plastic), selectively to each of the other pins since one of them may be used for the ground connection instead.

If this works, then cut a piece of thin but stiff plastic strip (e.g. from a blister pack) that will slide into the hot shoe under the flash, punching holes in it so as to insulate all but the centre pin, and any other single pin that you determined to be needed for ground, from the hot shoe.

Mike

I recently picked up a Quantaray 9500a flash - hotshoe is enabled
within the cam (F717), but the flash is not triggering when taking
shots. It's using a Minolta module - could the module be broken?

 

[Erik Leung]

Thanks Mike, I'll give that a try - but I probably end up returning this and getting a 383..

If the flash can be fired in test mode then I'd be asking questions
about compatibility of the module. It's possible that either (a)
the module incorporates an interlock that prevents it being fired
via its foot unless it's properly attached to a compatible Minolta
model, or (b) the hot shoe is shorting out pins that must be left
floating electrically.

Scenario (b) is more likely, and you should be able to find out if
the flash will fire by using a piece of wire to short the centre
pin to the surface of the foot and then, if that doesn't work (e.g.
it's plastic), selectively to each of the other pins since one of
them may be used for the ground connection instead.

If this works, then cut a piece of thin but stiff plastic strip
(e.g. from a blister pack) that will slide into the hot shoe under
the flash, punching holes in it so as to insulate all but the
centre pin, and any other single pin that you determined to be
needed for ground, from the hot shoe.

Mike

I recently picked up a Quantaray 9500a flash - hotshoe is enabled
within the cam (F717), but the flash is not triggering when taking
shots. It's using a Minolta module - could the module be broken?