Quick Guide 340.00 - 354.00 MHz, US FCC/IC 433.42 - 434.42 MHz, CE The Plus III is a radio transceiver, capable of acting as a transmitter or receiver for triggering remote flashes and cameras. It requires at least one other PocketWizard radio for wireless triggering. It can be connected to almost any remote flash or camera with the proper connecting cable. See the cable finder at PocketWizard.com to find the correct cables for your flashes and cameras. Please read this Quick Guide thoroughly before operating. Visit wiki.PocketWizard.com for complete operating information. IMPORTANT: US FCC/Canada frequency radios are NOT compatible with CE frequency radios and vice versa. For more information on frequency, please go to: PocketWizard.com/
wheretobuy/frequency Status LED
(PG. 12) Power On/Off and MODE Button (PG. 5) Zone Toggle Buttons
(A, B, C, D) (PG. 11) Transceiver Internal Antenna
(PG. 12) Backlit LCD Channel Up/Down Buttons
(PG. 11) Test Button
(2 Stage Trigger)
(PG. 12) Hot Shoe with Locking Ring READ ME FIRST:
All equipment should be turned OFF when making connections. Otherwise unwanted triggering or erratic behavior may occur. If operation is erratic, check batteries in all equipment first. You will need a PocketWizard Transceiver/Receiving PocketWizard radio Set all radios to the same channel. for each remote flash. Transceiver 3 Lanyard Loop Flash/Camera Port USB Connector Battery Door (PG. 4) 1/4 - 20 Mount Battery Door Latch INCLUDED IN BOX:
Plus III Transceiver PC Sync Cable 3.5mm (1/8 Miniphone) Cable 6.35mm (1/4 Phone) Adapter Lanyard Quick Guide Transceiver Battery Level Selected Zones Triggering Mode Half/Full Press Indicator Channel Illustrations FPO Always turn OFF all equipment (PocketWizard radios, electronic flashes, cameras, etc.) before making connections or replacing batteries. The Plus III will operate reliably using almost any pair of ~1.5 volt AA
(IEC:LR6) batteries. Rechargeable batteries will work, though operation time may be reduced and battery level display may not be as accurate. See wiki.PocketWizard.com for more information. Using your 5 NOTE: The Plus III slides into hot shoe with the LCD screen facing the side of the camera. See diagram below. Connect the transmitting Plus III to camera Connect the receiving Plus III to your flashes hot shoe and tighten the locking ring with the appropriate sync cable Plus III Transceiver Basics Connecting:
Connect a Plus III to your camera via the hot shoe. This will be your transmit-
ting radio. Connect a Plus III to each of your remote flashes using a connecting cable (see PocketWizard.com/support/cable_finder). These will be your receiving radios. Powering On:
Install batteries noting the proper polarity. To turn on your Plus III, hold down the Power On/Off and MODE Button < > for about two seconds. The Status LED blinks green every few seconds to indicate normal operation. It will blink red in sync with a trigger. Hold down the Power On/Off and MODE Button for about two seconds to turn off your Plus III. Channels & Zones:
Your Plus III needs to be on the same channel as other PocketWizard radios. Channels can be set via the Plus IIIs Channel Up/Down Buttons <
>. Any transmitting PocketWizard radio can trigger a receiving Plus III and a Plus III can trigger any receiving PocketWizard radio. When using Channels 17-32, you can specify Zones A, B, C, and D. See Channels and Zones section for more info. Remote Flash Triggering NOTE: With the transmitting and receiving PocketWizard radios set to the same channel and zone, remote flashes will be synchronized with the camera. To find the right sync cable for your flash visit the Cable Finder at PocketWizard.com/support/cable_finder Camera with Plus III in Hot Shoe
(Transmitting) Any PocketWizard receiver connected to remote flash
(Receiving) radio to your cameras PC sync port using the included cable. Triggering a Remote Flash with your Plus III Transceiver 1. Connect a Plus III to your remote flash via the appropriate sync cable. 2. Attach a Plus III to your cameras hot shoe. You may also connect the Plus III 3. Select the Channel and Zone A, B, C, or D via Channel Up/Down Buttons <
more information) 4. Take pictures normally at or below your cameras X-Sync speed. Momentarily pressing the TEST button will test trigger the flash. radios to a matching Channel and Zone. (See the Using Zones section for
> and Zone Toggle Buttons. Set any other PocketWizard Remote Camera Triggering 7 NOTE: The transmitting PocketWizard radio triggers the receiving PocketWizard radio, which fires the remote camera via a remote camera cable. To find the right remote camera cable for your equipment visit the Cable Finder at PocketWizard.com/support/cable_finder Camera in hand OR Plus III
(Transmitting) Remote Camera
(Receiving)
> and Zone Toggle Buttons. Triggering a Remote Camera with your Plus III Transceiver 1. Connect a Plus III to your remote camera via the appropriate remote camera cable. 2. Select the Channel and Zone A, B, C, or D via the Channel Up/Down Buttons <
3. Press the TEST button on the PocketWizard radio in your hands. The remote camera will trigger. pre-release the remote camera by pressing the TEST button half way < >. This wakes up the camera and lets it respond more quickly and consistently. It can also engage autofocus. To read more about remote camera triggering visit the PocketWizard wiki at http://wiki.PocketWizard.com/
If the PocketWizard radio in your hands is also a Plus III, you can Auto-Relay Mode NOTE: Auto-Relay Mode allows you to trigger remote flashes in sync with a remote camera and requires only three PocketWizard radios. A Plus III Transceiver attached to a remote camera can receive on one channel and then transmit on another channel to trigger remote flashes in sync with the remote camera. Channel 2 C h a n n el 1 Plus III
(Transmitting) Remote Camera
(Receiving & Transmitting) Remote Flash
(Receiving) Using Auto-Relay Mode triggering port of the camera via a remote camera cable. 1. Set the transmitting PocketWizard radio in your hands to a desired channel and zone. 2. Set the relaying Plus III for your remote camera to the same channel as the radio in your hands and set Triggering Mode to TxRx. 3. Connect the relaying Plus IIIs Flash/Camera port to the remote camera 4. Slide the relaying Plus III into your remote cameras hot shoe. 5. Connect your remote flash to a PocketWizard receiver via the appropriate sync cable and set it to one channel higher than the transmitting PocketWizard radio in your hands. 6. Press and release TEST on the PocketWizard transmitter in your hands to begin the sequence. Make sure your transmitting and relaying PocketWizard radios are set to the same zone. Triggering Modes 99 Modes of Operation Your Plus III Transceiver supports six modes of triggering for different applications. You can switch between modes by pressing and quickly releasing the MODE button. TxRx Mode allows the radio to be used as a transmitter attached to a camera or as a receiver connected to a remote flash or remote camera. It automatically switches between transmit and receive. This is the default mode. Tx ONLY Mode disables all receiving (Rx) functionality and allows you to use your Plus III as a transmitter only. Use this mode when sharing remote flashes with other photographers. This mode will prevent the other photographer from triggering the Plus III on your camera. Rx ONLY Mode disables all transmit (Tx) functionality allowing you to use your Plus III radios as receivers for remote flashes or remote cameras. Use this mode when you do not want a remote Plus III to perform relay functions when mounted in the shoe of a remote camera, or to prevent a remote Plus III from triggering other radios when its TEST button is pressed. LR (Long Range) Mode doubles the maximum range of a radio in a given shooting environment. Long Range Mode must be enabled on both transmitting and receiving Triggering Modes radios. Use this mode when triggering remote cameras at greater distances. It can also be used with remote flash, but there may be a reduction in maximum X-sync speed. RP (Repeater) Mode automatically retransmits any triggers received on the selected channel. Use this mode to increase the maximum triggering distance for a remote camera or flash by placing a Plus III half-way between a pair of transmitting and receiving radios. This mode is recommended for use when triggering remote cameras, though it can be used with flash with a reduction in maximum x-sync speed (this is not the same operation as Auto-Relay Mode). Note: You may use multiple radios in repeater mode for extremely long distances. Make sure that each repealing radio can only receive the signal from one other radio, otherwise an endless trigger loop may occur!
HSR (High Speed Receive) Mode shortens the contact time of the FLASH/CAMERA port, allowing for triggering of remote flashes at higher FPS (frames per second). For more information about triggering modes, visit wiki.PocketWizard.com Channels Channels and Zones 11 11 NOTE: Some PocketWizard radios, like the MiniTT1 of FlexTT5, operate on Standard channels as well as ControlTL channels. ControlTL channels work with TTL or remote flash power control. This Plus III can work with any PocketWizard radio transmitting or receiving on Standard channels, not ControlTL channels. Visit wiki.pocketwizard.com for more information. Channels The Plus III Transceiver supports 32 different standard channels. Each standard channel represents a digital code transmitted on specific PocketWizard radio frequencies. This enables many photographers to work in the same area or for one photographer to exclusively control different sets of receivers. A Plus III will trigger any number of receiving PocketWizard radios set to the same channel. Radios set to different channels will not trigger each other. Press the Channel Up/Channel Down Buttons to change channels. Features that use Zones are only available on channels 17-32. Visit the PocketWizard wiki for more information about channels at http://wiki.PocketWizard.com/
Using Zones Zones can be used to toggle remote cameras or flashes on or off from a transmitting PocketWizard radio. Zones can also be used when sharing flashes with another photographer so only some of the remote flashes are shared, even when using the same channel. Zones A, B, C, and D are selectable via the Plus IIIs Zone Toggle Buttons when using channels 17-32. The enabled Zones are displayed in a box on the right side of the LCD. You can enable any combination of all four Zones. A receiving Plus III will only trigger if the transmitting PocketWizard radio has at least one matching zone enabled. Other Functions Test Button (Two Stage Trigger) Half-pressing < > the test button on a transmitting Plus III pre-releases a re-
mote camera connected to a receiving PocketWizard radio with a remote camera cable, waking up the camera if it is asleep and making it respond more quickly and consistently, but also reducing battery life. Half-pressing this button does not affect remote flashes. Fully pressing < > the test button fires any remote cameras or flashes connected to receiving PocketWizard radios set to the same channel and zones. Status LED The Plus IIIs status LED will blink in three different colors: Green, Red and Amber. Green Amber Red Reset To reset your Plus III Transceiver back to the default setting, hold the TEST button as you power the radio on. The default mode after a reset is TxRx on Channel 17 with all Zones enabled. Blinking indicates good battery life Blinking indicates the batteries are getting low or when test button is half-pressed Blinking indicates batteries are critically low and should be changed immediately. The status LED turns solid red when Plus III is transmitting or receiving a trigger. Sustaining High Performance 13 NOTE: Your PocketWizard radios use the environment as a medium for transmitting and receiving radio signals. The performance of your radios depends on their placement in the environment, nearby radio interference, and the radios orientation and position relative to each other. Orientation of transmitting and receiving Plus IIIs for optimal radio reception Keep radios away from metal, concrete, or high water-content objects Wireless Basics Whenever possible, try to maintain a line of sight between the radios and keep the antennas parallel. Make sure they are not near any large metal, concrete, or high water-content objects. People and trees are mostly water! Make sure they are not blocked by these objects or by hills. The Plus III Transceivers antenna is fairly omnidirectional and its orientation should not significantly impact performance in most shooting scenarios, but optimizing for radio reception will always improve the maximum range. Maintain at least 12 distance between antennas. Avoid direct antenna contact with anything metallic. Dead spots have a number of causes, but the solution is usually the same: move the radio a few inches or feet away from the problem area. Specifications Technical Information Frequency: 340.00 354.00 MHz Transmit Output Power: Less than 1 milliwatt (1/1000th of a watt) Batteries: 2 x AA (IEC:LR6) Triggering Delay: 1/2000th of a second Bandwidth: Narrowband Maximum FPS: TBA Operating Temperature: Above -15 C (5 F) and below 50 C (120 F) Storage Temperature (without battery): Above -30 C (-22 F) and below 85 C Flash/Camera Port Sync Voltage Tolerance: 300 Volts Always use fresh batteries in cold temperatures. 70KHz Transmit 230KHz Receive
(185 F) without batteries. Red LEDs are used for dim light application and do not indicate a hazardous status. CE Directive This product conforms to council directive (1999/5/EC). RoHS This product is RoHS compliant. PocketWizard.com 15 Warranty This PocketWizard product is covered under a two-year limited manufacturers warranty. For warranty details, and to register your product, please go to PocketWizard.com/support or contact your local PocketWizard Distributor. Distributor contact information can also be found at PocketWizard.com. To receive a copy of the two-year limited manufacturers warranty on this PocketWizard product, e-mail us at warranty@lpadesign.com or write to us at LPA Design, 21 Gregory Drive, Suite 140, South Burlington, VT 05403, United States of America, Attn: Warranty. Information in this Quick Guide is subject to change. For current operating documentation, features, specifications and compatibility, visit wiki.PocketWizard.com. 2011 LPA Design. All rights reserved. Product features and specifications are subject to change without notice. PocketWizard, ControlTL, MiniTT1, FlexTT5, HyperSync, Plus II, Plus III and MultiMAX are either trademarks or registered trademarks of LPA Design. All other trademarks contained herein are the property of their respective owners. To view patents go to: www.pwpatents.com The FCC wants you to know:
WARNING Changes or modifications to this unit not expressly approved by the party responsible for compliance could void the users authority to operate this equipment. NOTE: This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in a residential installation. This equipment generates, uses, and can radiate radio frequency energy, and, if not installed and used in accordance with the instructions, may cause harmful interference to radio communications. However, there is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular installation. If this equipment does cause harmful interference to radio or television reception, which can be determined by turning the equipment off and on, the user is encouraged to try to correct the interference by one or more of the following measures:
1. Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna. 2. Increase the separation between the equipment and the receiver. 3. Consult the dealer or an experienced radio or television technician for help. This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC rules and also with RSS-210 of Industry Canada. Operation is subject to the following two conditions: (1) This device may not cause harmful interference, and (2) This device must accept any interference received, including interference that may cause undesired operation. Plus III FCC ID Number: KDS-PW3-100 Plus III IC ID Number: 2170A-PW3100 10937 v1.0