Profoto Air System: Relays?

[JoeKitchen]

So I am considering adding the Profoto Monolights to my kit, which means that I would need abandon the Pocket Wizards and go with their Air system.  

Something that I really like with the Pocket Wizard Plus III's is that you can set up one (or two or how many you need) as a relay in case you are placing a light where the signal will not reach.  

Is this possible with the Air system?  

If not, how well does the air system work when shooting interiors where there are many obstructions (like walls, cubicles, glass pains) to block your signal?

[david.fuller.3576]

Just a note here--you don't have to abandon the pocket wizards if you don't want to. They'll fire the Airs just fine. They won't control power levels like the Air controller, of course, but that's a different matter.


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[gazwas]

As far as I know, Profoto Air triggers have to be set to transmit or receive where Pocket Wizards are a little more clever in how they work.

[JoeKitchen]

Well it is good news to hear the PW will trigger the Air remotes. 

Also, I do like the idea of controlling the heads' power remotely. 

[ACH DIGITAL]

Two of my friends just jump into Prifoto monolights. One got the self battery model and the the other just the regular ones.
We try them here and had some fun.
They're not so light or small though.

[David Eichler]

Well it is good news to hear the PW will trigger the Air remotes. 

Also, I do like the idea of controlling the heads' power remotely. 

I don't believe they will work with the receivers in the Profoto Airs, if that is what you inferred from a previous comment. I believe you need to use PWs on the strobes to receive. At least that is the way it works with my B1s.

[david.fuller.3576]

Yes, that's correct. The pocket wizards and the airs do not talk to each other.  But you can use the  pocket wizard receivers with air strobes just like any other strobe.


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[gazwas]

Also, I do like the idea of controlling the heads' power remotely. 

That's not all its cracked up to be (not just Profoto) as the remotes have no info of what power the lights are set to or by how much you are adjusting. All you can do is count the button presses and listen for the recycle beep to know the setting has been received by the head which in a noisy environment or if the heads are in a different room or outside is impossible. You also have to keep a judicious eye on which number lamp head you place where so you know which head you are adjusting - something which I always forget.

[Conner999]

I used PW and moved to AiR, keeping some of my PW units. Like most newer systems, the AiR system operates on a much higher frequency range than does PW (and thus will not talk to one another).

As a result I've found the AiR system much more reliable (never, as in ever, fails to trigger) despite distance, obstacles or orientation of the radios.  AiR units do not have a 'relay' function, but you may not need it.  

Profoto lamps can be triggered by a PW (or any radio) via their sync port. You can also connect (via a cable) PW and AiR units so that one can trigger the other. All AiR radios (the simple transceiver and full remote power control transceiver) save the TTL-N/C transmitters (which are transmitters only) have input and output jacks.

You can control the power of a Profoto AiR lamp with an AiR remote while triggering it with a PW or any other unit at same time (via its sync port). 

[JoeKitchen]

Good information and (disappointing) to know the Airs will not talk to the PWs.  However, being that the frequency is much higher, traveling through corridors and cubicles may not be an issue. 

However, I would feel safer if they could relay. 

[Chris Barrett]

I've almost never had an issue with them syncing.  There used to be an awesome app to control output (see my blog).  They dropped development of that and the current version sucks ass.



cb

[JoeKitchen]

I've almost never had an issue with them syncing.  There used to be an awesome app to control output (see my blog).  They dropped development of that and the current version sucks ass.



cb

Thanks Chris, I know you shoot some pretty large spaces, so good to hear you rarely have a problem.

With the PWs, I often have an issue with the signal traveling down hallways and around corners, but that now seems to be a frequency issue. 

Enjoy the trip.