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|| SportsShooter.com: Member Message Board
Get the most out of your pocket wizards
Jens Dresling, Photographer
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Copenhagen | Denmark | Danmark | Posted: 10:45 AM on 09.21.08 |
->> Remotes is a fantastic tool for sportsphotography. One or more cameras in the right place can mean everything for a good coverage of a game. Pocket Wizard radios are standard in the market. It's just not always acting as photographers want them to do. When you go throw so much trouble, with hauling all the gear needed, get permits, etc., it should indeed work.
Here in Denmark I use the remotes mostly for soccer. I like to sit at one end of the field with two handheld cameras with a 400 mm and a 70-200. My two remotes is behind each goal. That means one remote is close to my transmitter, the other about 100 metres away. After several matches with very mixed results I did something all the photographers should do more - I read the manual! In that LPA design - who make pocket wizards - writes that the 1600 feet the Pocket Wizards should range, is if they are 3 feet (or more) above the ground. It is also a good idear if the PW´s are isolated from the ground - and the photographer! Photographers consists of a lot of water (!) And the water is a poor manager of radio signals. So forget about having the transmitter in your hand if your remotes are far away.
My solution is simply to mount a manfrotto 122B extencion pole on my OverXposed Pro Platform (www.overxposed.com) and in the top mount a MB4 Isolation Mounting bar from LPA design(www.pocketwizard.com). And then a small hotshoe on top. Now the Pocket Wizard is 3 feet above the ground and isolated from the gound with the small MB4. On my hand-held camera, with 400 mm, I have made a mountingbar also with a MB4 to isolate the Pocket Wizard from the ground and the photographer.
I release my remotes with either a footpedal or a releasebutton from Michael Bass (http://michaelbass.blogspot.com) , which are mounted on the camera with velcro and gaffetape.
You must also ensure both radios have their antennas parralelle, it provides better reception.
The result is a much better reception, particularly at the camera in the other end of the field. Now, there is almost no lost images.
No one, neither the officials, judges or players have yet complained that the radio is a little higher up, and yet none of them have been hit by a ball or players, but it is perhaps because Danish players usually affect the aims .....
Pictures of the setup: www.sportsshooter.com/dresling/pw/ |
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Daniel Bates, Photographer
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Fayetteville | NC | | Posted: 12:56 PM on 09.21.08 |
| ->> Now this is why I still visit SportsShooter! Thanks for the very informative writeup, Jens. |
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Adam Cairns, Photographer
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Columbus | OH | USA | Posted: 1:07 PM on 09.21.08 |
| ->> I second what Daniel said. Very informative! I've had similar issues firing remotes behind soccer goals with the Pocket Wizard receiver sitting on the ground. I'll definitely try your elevated method next time I'm out. |
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Curtis Clegg, Photographer
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Belvidere | IL | USA | Posted: 1:32 PM on 09.21.08 |
->> Thanks for taking the time to post the results of your findings Jens!
I also learned a lot about remotes in the article about you on Rob Galbraith a couple years ago:
http://www.robgalbraith.com/bins/multi_page.asp?cid=7-7893-8285-8286
The whole article is well-worth reading and re-reading. |
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Peter DaSilva, Photographer
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Oakland | CA | USA | Posted: 6:13 PM on 09.21.08 |
->> Jens,
Great to see the other mounting holes on my plate getting some extra use. Manfrotto also has a short telescoping post that will get you about a 10" rise off the plate or the mount you can up with on the camera. Bogen / Manfrotto 259B Extension Column for 209 Tabletop Tripod - 10". That's if you don't need all that extra height. Just a thought.
Oh, did the risers you ordered show up yet?
Cheers Peter |
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Aaron Rhoads, Photographer
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McComb | MS | USA | Posted: 6:53 PM on 09.21.08 |
->> We're suppose to read the manuals?
Do I still have mine?
Very informative post. |
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Charles Mann, Photographer
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Rising Sun | MD | USA | Posted: 7:54 AM on 09.23.08 |
->> Jens,
I thought I was the only one that read the manuals. And for those of you that have misplaced yours. You can download them from http://www.pocketwizard.com/HTML/manuals.asp .
I also talked to the PocketWizard reps at Photo Plus East in New York a couple years ago and they confirmed what Jens has said. With my equestrian photography and wanting to set up low remotes at the water jumps and having very little results until I raised the receiver off the ground. Either by something similar to Jens rig or just by using an audio extension (Model: 42-2562) cord from Radio Shack. This cord is 20 feet long so I can almost run the receiver anywhere.
During the Olympics and the Equestrian events in Hong Kong a lot of the other photographers were complaining that their remotes were not working, yet mine fired almost every time. I told them about the extension cord, the water issue and parallel antennas. My British counterpart went to the local mall and found a one meter extension and tried it with his remote and it worked great.
One other tip if you can’t use a footswitch or other means of isolating the transmitter. At least hold it arms length from your own body and anybody else standing next to you. Like Jens said, Photographers consists of a lot of water (!) |
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Chuck Liddy, Photographer
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Durham | NC | USA | Posted: 9:45 AM on 09.23.08 |
->> read the manuals? hmmmmmm....why didn't I think of that?
great post. that explains why my wizards haven't fired in several different situations. see...you CAN learn something from sportsshooter! |
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Geoff Miller, Photographer
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Portage | MI | USA | Posted: 9:48 AM on 09.23.08 |
->> I'll add some perspective to what Jens said as a amateur radio operator.
1) Getting the PW off of the ground is important because the PWs use the UHF part of the radio spectrum. Frequencies in the VHF/UHF range on up use "line of sight" radio wave propagation since the signal will penetrate the soil instead of reflecting. Therefore, the higher the transmitter, the longer the range.
2) Radio waves have polarization just like light waves. If you want the best reception, the transmitter and receiver antennas should be in the same horizontal or vertical orientation.
3) Here's one more tip that'd be worth trying. The antennas in the PWs are likely either 1/4 or 5/8ths wave vertical antennas. These antennas are the most efficient when they are coupled with a "ground plane". A ground plane for PW antennas would be a round metal disc probably about 9-12 inches across that would be mounted below the PW unit perpendicular to the antenna.
When you place a meter long stick with one end against a mirror, the stick "looks" like it's two meters long with the reflection. Ground planes add an electromagnetic "reflection" to a radio antenna and make them behave as if they were twice their actual size. The vertical antennas you see mounted on top of a car use the metal in the car's roof as a ground plane in order to add "gain" to the signal. |
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Chuck Liddy, Photographer
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Durham | NC | USA | Posted: 10:38 AM on 09.23.08 |
| ->> geoff, you just made my head hurt. |
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Charles Mann, Photographer
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Rising Sun | MD | USA | Posted: 8:27 AM on 09.24.08 |
->> Geoff,
I have a question regarding your "Ground Plane" you said that is needs to be a "round metal disc probably about 9-12 inches across". Could that be something like a aluminum pie plate? Or does it have to be "Metal"?
Also, if you mounted the reciever high with the "ground plane" under the unit and you are kneeling on the ground are you not blocking the signal then?
This sounds like something I will practice with. Thanks in advance for your info. |
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Geoff Miller, Photographer
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Portage | MI | USA | Posted: 9:01 AM on 09.24.08 |
->> Charles,
I think an aluminum pie pan would be worth trying. Ground planes can be as simple as a number of wires buried just under the soil surface in a "spoke" arrangement for a vertical antenna.
Here's a guy that used aluminum foil for a ground plane in his small aircraft: http://www.bowersflybaby.com/stories/antenna.htm
If I understand you, no, you wouldn't be blocking the signal if you were positioned below the ground plane. In the set-up I'm talking about, you'd have the transmitter off-camera, away from your body, and mounted on the sort of arm like with Jens' remote with the ground plane right under the PW. I realize that this may not be the most practical arrangement, but if your goal is to get the max range out of a PW, this would probably help. |
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Christopher Corradino, Photographer
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Wantagh | NY | United States | Posted: 10:21 AM on 09.24.08 |
| ->> Nice informative post Jens. Thanks for taking the time to provide the links, and photos too. Much appreciated. |
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Charles Mann, Photographer
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Rising Sun | MD | USA | Posted: 7:03 PM on 09.24.08 |
->> Thanks Geoff,
I will let you all know if it works. |
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Jens Dresling, Photographer
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Copenhagen | Denmark | Danmark | Posted: 3:55 PM on 09.25.08 |
->> Thank you all, for the positive response. I thought it was time to contribute to this fantastic site, who have inspired me for so long.
And Peter, your risers made it all the way to Copenhagen....
Cheers
Jens |
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Ken Charnock, Photographer
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Mooresville | NC | United States | Posted: 4:34 PM on 09.25.08 |
->> Informative . . . . .
This is what Sportshooters used to be all about. The links were helpful as well.
Lessons learned, I'll be re-thinking my remotes in the future.
Thanks,
Ken |
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Myung Chun, Photographer
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Los Angeles | CA | USA | Posted: 10:55 PM on 09.25.08 |
->> Jens,
Great stuff and pictures too!
Geoff,
Thank you very much for your info. That's certainly worth trying. |
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