Help! Strobe problems w/ CP 5000 w/ 6190 and DS50

Hello - I assembled my gear tonight in preparation for a trip to NZ. I have a Coolpix 5000, DS50 (and also an SB105). I have used this camera and flash with a Ike 6190 housing in the past when I was experimenting, but the housing I used was a rental. I finally bought myself a 6190. I assembled everything, cabled the flash, and hit the shutter release, and NO STROBE FIRE.

I then set-up a dual-cord (I have one) to both my Nikonos SB and the DS-50..neither fired. I can test fire the two strobes so I know the problem is not the strobes.

In terms of camera settings, I went to speedlight controls in the menu and set the variable power to -2, and the control to auto. I note that on the Ike website this is supposed to make the "flash in a circle with a line through it" appear in the lcd, but it didn't. I also hit every single flash mode using the button on the camera...nothing.

Thoughts? Suggestions? Help!

I've had a similar issue with a CP5000 and an Ikelite MV strobe (ancestor of the DS50), and the problem was actually the sync cord, which was not the correct type. Check that the one you have is the correct for this strobe/housing combination.

Both cords appear to be correct, but thanks for the suggestion.

You want to set the camera so that it displays the external flash lightning bolt setting. The in-camera flash should have the circle w/ a lightning bolt through it.

So you should see both symbols in the LCD, not just one. Hope this helps.

Cheers

James

Suggested reading was: http://www.ikelite.com/web_pages/gide_n5000.html

Received following from reelbruin:

"The hot shoe connection was the issue (I fixed it). The hot shoe

connector was going fully in without a lot of extra elbow grease... I

was worried to pressure it in as much as it appears to need. Do you have

a recommendation on this? Also, what do you recommend to clean those

contacts?"

the hotshoe connection was my first thought on the miss-firing also. I have the same setup only with the ds125s. this has happened to me also. seems that the connection is a common problem. (extremely hard to slide the connector ALL the way forward to make a complete connection. I wonder if there is some electrical lubricant that can be used to facilitate this proceedure?

Yeah - I emailed Ike directly to ask what they thought about cleaning the contacts, etc. but got no response on that. Toothbrush? Electrical cleaner? I dunno.

Doubt if relevant, but indicative of the little problems that can occur:

http://www.ikelite.com/web_pages/rexdshoe.html

Ike;............ This might help. I just tried the HS here at home and it slides in with just a little coaxing. It usually does that. But sometimes it is an absolute bear to get in all the way (usually on a dive trip). Not real sure why, but your mod. may make it easier. Things always seem to work fine on "the bench", then screw up in the "real world". Just the way the world works I guess