Flash fires when sliding onto Godox X1R-C receiver, then test button stops working
Asked 11/8/2022
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2 answers
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I have three Canon 580EX II flashes, three Godox X1R-C receivers, and one X1T-C transmitter. All three flashes work normally when mounted directly on the camera hot shoe.
The problem is with two of the X1R-C receivers: whenever I slide any 580EX II onto them, the flash fires during attachment, before it is fully seated. After that, pressing the receiver’s TEST button will not fire the flash. A third X1R-C behaves normally: no flash during attachment, and the TEST button works.
Even with the receivers turned off and batteries removed, those same two receivers still cause the flash to fire while being attached. These two receivers also do not seem to work properly in manual mode, only TTL.
What would cause a flash to fire while being mounted on a receiver, and is that likely related to the manual-mode problem?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
3y ago
2 Answers
2
Why? Because something is shorting the center pin of your flash's hot foot to the ground contacts on the hot foot.
That something seems to be two of your three Godex X1R-C receivers.
External flashes do not draw any energy to power the flash from the hot shoe to which they are attached. The energy is either self-contained or provided by a separate power source independent of the camera's. Back when electrical flash units first came into wide usage, most cameras were strictly mechanical devices that had no electronics or power sources. Even the ones that had very small batteries to power built-in light meters couldn't possibly provide enough energy for even a single flash discharge. The flash contacts merely provided a connection to a switch that closed mechanically in sync with the shutter fully opening which allowed energy to flow from the flash, through the switch, and back to the flashtube.
It seems your X1R-C units are defective. I'd consider returning them if that is practical. It's also possible attaching/removing them with the flash powered up and charged could have damaged them. ALWAYS turn off a strobe before connecting/disconnecting it from the hot shoe on a camera or receiver. Ditto for any PC connections between a flash and camera/receiver.
Originally by user15871. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user15871
3y ago
0
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Yes—this strongly suggests a short between the flash foot’s center contact and ground on those two receivers. That short mimics the normal “fire” signal, which is why the flash discharges as you slide it into place.
Because it also happens with the receiver powered off and batteries removed, the issue is almost certainly mechanical/electrical in the hot-shoe contacts of those X1R-C units, not a firmware or power problem.
A normal hot shoe does not power the flash burst; it only closes a trigger circuit. So if the center pin is being unintentionally connected to ground during mounting, the flash will fire immediately.
That fault could also explain why those receivers behave incorrectly in manual mode. Since one X1R-C works normally, the two faulty units likely have damaged, bent, dirty, or internally shorted shoe contacts and should be inspected, cleaned carefully, or repaired/replaced.
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