Pocket Wizard PLUS III User manual

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 ashes and cameras. It requires
at least one other PocketWizard radio for wireless triggering. It
can be connected to almost any remote ash or camera with the
proper connecting cable. See the cable nder at PocketWizard.com
to nd the correct cables for your ashes 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

Internal Antenna
(PG. 12)
Backlit LCD
Test Button
(2 Stage Trigger)
(PG. 12)
Power On/Off and
MODE Button (PG. 5)
Zone Toggle
Buttons
(A, B, C, D) (PG. 11)
Status LED
(PG. 12)
Channel Up/Down Buttons
(PG. 11)
Hot Shoe with
Locking Ring
READ ME FIRST:
Transceiver
• 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 rst.
• You will need a PocketWizard Transceiver/Receiving PocketWizard radio
for each remote ash.
• Set all radios to the same channel.

INCLUDED IN BOX:
Lanyard Loop
USB Connector
Flash/Camera Port
Battery Door Latch
Battery Door (PG. 4)
1/4 - 20 Mount
Transceiver
• Plus III Transceiver
• PC Sync Cable
• 3.5mm (1/8” Miniphone) Cable
• 6.35mm (1/4” Phone) Adapter
• Lanyard
• Quick Guide
3

Transceiver
Battery Level
Channel
Triggering
Mode
Half/Full Press
Indicator Selected Zones
Illustrations FPO
• Always turn OFF all equipment (PocketWizard radios, electronic ashes,
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
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 ashes using a connecting
cable (see PocketWizard.com/support/cable_nder). 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 III’s 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.
Plus III Transceiver Basics
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
hot shoe and tighten the locking ring
Connect the receiving Plus III to your ashes
with the appropriate sync cable

Triggering a Remote Flash with your Plus®III Transceiver
Remote Flash Triggering
1. Connect a Plus III to your remote ash via the appropriate sync cable.
2. Attach a Plus III to your camera’s hot shoe. You may also connect the Plus III
radio to your camera’s PC sync port using the included cable.
3. Select the Channel and Zone A, B, C, or D via Channel Up/Down
Buttons < > and Zone Toggle Buttons. Set any other PocketWizard
radios to a matching Channel and Zone. (See the “Using Zones” section for
more information)
4. Take pictures normally at or below your camera’s X-Sync speed.
 MomentarilypressingtheTESTbuttonwilltesttriggertheash.
Camera with Plus III in Hot Shoe
(Transmitting)
Any PocketWizard receiver
connected to remote ash
(Receiving)
NOTE: With the transmitting and receiving PocketWizard radios set to the same channel and
zone, remote ashes will be synchronized with the camera. To nd the right sync cable for your
ash visit the Cable Finder at PocketWizard.com/support/cable_nder

7
Remote Camera Triggering
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 < > and Zone Toggle Buttons.
3. Press the TEST button on the PocketWizard radio in your hands. The remote
camera will trigger.
If the PocketWizard radio in your hands is also a Plus III, you can
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/
Camera in hand OR Plus III
(Transmitting)
Remote Camera
(Receiving)
NOTE: The transmitting PocketWizard radio triggers the receiving PocketWizard radio, which res the
remote camera via a remote camera cable. To nd the right remote camera cable for your equipment
visit the Cable Finder at PocketWizard.com/support/cable_nder

Using Auto-Relay Mode
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 III’s Flash/Camera port to the remote camera
triggering port of the camera via a remote camera cable.
4. Slide the relaying Plus III into your remote camera’s hot shoe.
5. Connect your remote ash 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.
Plus III
(Transmitting)
Remote Camera
(Receiving & Transmitting)
Remote Flash
(Receiving)
Channel 1
Channel 2
NOTE: Auto-Relay Mode allows you to trigger remote ashes 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 ashes in sync
with the remote camera.
Auto-Relay Mode

Triggering Modes
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
ash 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 ashes 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 ashes 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
99

Triggering Modes
radios. Use this mode when triggering remote cameras at
greater distances. It can also be used with remote ash,
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 ash 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 ash 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 ashes at higher FPS (frames per second).
For more information about triggering modes, visit
wiki.PocketWizard.com

Channels
Using Zones
The Plus®III Transceiver supports 32 different standard channels. Each standard
channel represents a digital code transmitted on specic 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/
Zones can be used to toggle remote cameras or ashes on or off from a
transmitting PocketWizard radio. Zones can also be used when sharing ashes
with another photographer so only some of the remote ashes are shared, even
when using the same channel.
Zones A, B, C, and D are selectable via the Plus III’s 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.
11
ChannelsChannels and Zones 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 ash 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.

Other Functions
Status LED
Test Button (Two Stage Trigger)
Reset
The Plus III’s status LED will blink in three different colors: Green, Red
and Amber.
Green Blinking indicates good battery life
Amber Blinking indicates the batteries are getting low or when test button is
half-pressed
Red 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.
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 ashes.
Fully pressing < > the test button res any remote cameras or ashes
connected to receiving PocketWizard radios set to the same channel and zones.
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.

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 Transceiver’s antenna is fairly omnidirectional and its orientation
should not signicantly 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.
Wireless Basics
Orientation of transmitting and receiving
Plus®III’s for optimal radio reception
Keep radios away from metal, concrete, or
high water-content objects
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.

Specications
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
70KHz Transmit
230KHz Receive
Maximum FPS: TBA
Operating Temperature: Above -15 C (5 F) and below 50 C (120 F)
Always use fresh batteries in cold temperatures.
Storage Temperature (without battery): Above -30 C (-22 F) and below 85 C
(185 F) without batteries.
Flash/Camera Port Sync Voltage Tolerance: 300 Volts
Red LED’s 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
Information in this Quick Guide is subject to change. For current
operatingdocumentation,features,specicationsandcompatibility,
visit wiki.PocketWizard.com.
© 2011 LPA Design. All rights reserved. Product features and specications 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
Warranty
This PocketWizard®product is covered under a two-year limited manufacturer’s
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 manufacturer’s warranty on this
PocketWizard product, e-mail us at [email protected] or write to us at
LPA Design, 21 Gregory Drive, Suite 140, South Burlington, VT 05403, United
States of America, Attn: Warranty.
15

10937 v1.0
WARNING
The FCC wants you to know:
Changesormodicationstothisunitnotexpresslyapprovedbythe
partyresponsibleforcompliancecouldvoidtheuser’s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