Need help with Sony A7C II + Backscatter Smart Control Trigger + AOI P1 strobes (No flash in M with Wireless ON, Black picture in TTL)

Hi everyone,

I'm having a frustrating issue with my underwater lighting setup and hope someone here can explain the technical reason behind it or offer a solution.

My Setup:

• Camera: Sony A7C II

• Trigger: Backscatter Smart Control Trigger for Sony

• Strobes: AOI P1 Strobes (connected via fiber optic cables), Mode set to Sony

Note: This combination was recommended to me by an underwater camera shop, and I also read a forum post online claiming that the Backscatter Sony trigger is compatible with the AOI P1 strobes.

The Issues I'm Experiencing:

1. TTL Mode (Camera: Wireless Flash OFF):

   • The trigger fires and the AOI P1 strobes flash, but the resulting image is completely black.

   • Camera settings: Mechanical Shutter, Shutter Speed 1/125s, Fill-Flash.

   • It seems like the strobe flash timing is completely out of sync with the shutter.

2. Manual Mode (Camera: Wireless Flash ON):

   • The strobes do not fire at all.

   • When looking directly at the trigger output, the LEDs do not emit any optical flash signal upon shutter release.

   • When setting Wireless Flash to ON, the P1 strobes flash, however image is also black

What I’ve already checked & verified:

• Shutter Type: Set to Mechanical Shutter (Silent Shooting is OFF).

• Shutter Speed: Set to 1/125s (well below max sync speed).

• Release without Lens: Set to Enable.

• Hot Shoe Fit: Trigger is fully seated in the Multi-Interface Shoe and tightened.

• Fiber Cables & Strobes: Cables are good; strobes fire normally when manually testing light signals.

• Trigger Battery & Mode: Fully charged

Any help, insights, or workarounds would be greatly appreciated! Thanks in advance!

Kind regards

Fabian