Miscellaneous Tips
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Miscellaneous Tips & Answers to Frequently Asked Questions
Tip / Question: Antenna Placement
Does the antenna have to point straight up? No. You will achieve the greatest range with both antennas pointed
straight up. However in most common shooting situations, the radio signal reflects around the environment enough
that either antenna can be pointed any direction and still reliably operate. Pointing the antennas straight up is more im-
portant at longer ranges and in wide open areas (where there are no walls or buildings for the signal to bounce off of).
The P1 Transmitter antenna emits the least amount of energy straight down. If you tilt your camera to the left for a
vertical shot, a P1 Receiver placed on your right may loose the signal as the transmitter signal must go through your
flash and camera body. You’re only likely to experience this in wide open areas and at somewhat longer ranges.
Tip: Getting Maximum Range
If you really want to maximize range for an exceptionally long shot, set your flash in a manual mode (no ETTL or iTTL,
eliminating the need for the camera to see a “pre-flash”). Point the P1 Transmitter antenna straight up. Point your P1
Receiver antenna straight up and check that it is on the same side of the flash as the side you’re shooting from (so the
signal doesn’t have to travel through the flash itself to reach the antenna), and attempt to elevate both transmitter and
receiver off the ground a bit. You may also order a high gain Dipole antenna from our online store for your P1 Receivers
which will give you a bit more range.
Tip: Maximizing Radio Performance
Radio signals sometimes behave in strange ways - understanding how your radio system works will help insure
predictable performance. Generally, radio signals emit in every direction and bounce off of surrounding structures
such that little care is needed in the placement or orientation of your hardware, but certain situations will require more
consideration.
Particularly in wide open spaces with little or no metallic objects (cars, siding, structures, etc.) the radio signals emit
outward and have nothing to “bounce off of”. In these situations some care must be taken to avoid placing dense objects
between transmitter and receiver, particularly groups of people, tile, and concrete structures.
For example, in an open field, placing a P1 Receiver behind a brick and concreate wall - even just a few feet away may
lead to spurratic radio performance as the radio signals won’t penetrate the wall. If on the other hand this same scene
was set next to a parking lot with lots of metal cars, the radio signal would ‘reflect’ off those cars and likely bounce back
to the other side of the wall.
If there are no dense objects between the units, it is possible to achieve ranges of 300+ ft in open spaces that are clear of
background radio interfearance.
Generally in enclosed environments this is not an issue as there is sufficient structure to reflect radio signals in every
direction.
