The Future of Radio Slave Technology is Here – Elinchrom Skyport Modules' Features and Facts: What are the Skyport Features?
To begin, the Elinchrom Skyport System consists of four separate modules: Skyport Transmitter, Skyport Transceiver RX, Skyport Universal Receiver and Skyport USB Transceiver RX. The Swiss-designed Skyport System is one of the smallest transmitter/receiver/transceivers on the market today. They can sync up to 1/1000s on electronic shuttered cameras, 1/800s on leaf shuttered cameras and 1/200’s on focal plain shuttered cameras. The operating range is 165 feet indoors and 395 feet outdoors. If further distance is needed the Universal Receiver and Transmitter can be wired together to step and repeat the signal for further distances. Skyports operates at 2.4 GHz. the fastest on the market today. With 40 bit encryption security Skyport provides interference free operation and fewer unwanted flashes. Eight frequencies allow eight photographers to work in the same area without flashing each other’s lights. Each photographer then can break their lights in to four separate workgroups (such as Main, Fill, Background and Hair) and can control each group individually or all units in the setup. The flexible and movable antenna is designed to provide optimal reception, even in confined spaces.

What do each of the Elinchrom Skyport Modules Do?
Skyport Transmitter (SKU Code: EL 19351) : This is the trigger that sits on top of the camera or in combination with your light meter and it is used to fire the lights. The Transmitter provides sync capabilities to most manufacturers flashheads and can control flash power and modeling lamps for Elinchrom RX compacts, Ranger RX’s and Digital RX Packs. The Skyport Transmitter includes a Hotshoe, a test button for manual flash triggering, channel and workgroup selection switches, a long life replaceable readily available Lithium battery (CR2430) which provides 50,000 flashes. There is no limit to the number of lights that the Skyport Transmitter can control at one time.

Skyport Transceiver RX (SKU Code: EL 19353) : This receiver plugs snuggly into a dedicated port on all Elinchrom RX devices including compacts (Style 300RX, Style 600RX and Style 1200RX), generators (Ranger RX and Ranger RX Speed AS) or Packs (Digital 1200RX and Digital 2400RX) and provides communication from the flash device to the Skyport Transmitter and the Skyport USB Computer RX module. This Skyport module has no battery and gets it’s power from the RX device it’s plugged into. Like the Skyport Transmitter and the Skyport Universal Receiver, the Skyport Transceiver RX includes channel and workgroup selection switches.

Skyport Universal Receiver (SKU Code: EL 19352) :
This module is designed to work with almost every studio and battery powered flash on the market other then Elinchrom RX devices, and provides communication from the flash device to the Skyport Transmitter and the Skyport USB Computer RX module. The Universal Receiver uses a long life rechargeable Lithium cell phone battery designed to provide 30 hours of service per charge. It is designed to shut itself off if not used for over 4 hours and can be used while it’s being charged. An LED on the unit indicates charge and operating modes. The Skyport Universal Receiver includes channel and workgroup selection switches and has a built-in replacement braided strap which is used to secure this module to the device it’s plugged into.

Skyport USB Computer Transceiver RX (SKU Code: EL 19354) :
This module plugs into the USB port on a PC or Mac computer and communicates to the Skyport Transceiver RX and the Skyport Universal Receiver when using the free Skyport software, available at www.Elinchrom.com. Skyport software is used to operate flash devices as well as document the position and modifiers attached to them. Once documented, settings can be saved, edited and re-used at the push of a button. When used with Elinchrom RX devices Skyport software provides a completely operational on-screen duplicate of the devices control panel. Everything that can be done at the device can be done on the computer display eliminating the need to raise and lower lights, climb up and down a ladder and/or remove diffusion material in order to adjust their power. When opening a previously saved software setting, RX devices inherit all the panel settings that were saved, making it easy to reproduce complicated shots.

What are the FACTS on the Skyport Modules?
FACT: Lightweight and Small. The Skyport modules are lightweight (.63 to 1.05 grams) and smaller than most other radio slaves systems on the market, yet they are easy to operate even for people with large hands. Unlike other units on the market, the Skyport Transmitter with it’s low profile doesn’t get in the way when talking to your subject.

FACT: Revolutionary Wireless Control: When using Skyport with Elinchrom’s RX devices (compacts, packs and generators), Skyport will allow the photographer to adjust the power of the light 1/10 of an F-Stop at a time and turn on and off the modeling lights. When using a PC or Mac computer with the Skyport USB Computer Transceiver and the free Skyport software the photographer has complete control of heads, packs and generators and can document studio layouts, save, edit and re-use them as needed.

FACT: 8 Photographers Can Shoot Simultaneously with Four Workgroups Each: Skyports allow up to eight photographers to work in the same area without flashing each others lights (eight channels). Plus each, photographer can break their lights into four workgroups such as Main, Fill, Background and Hair and flash each group individually or all lights together. This combination of channels and groups is equivalent to the 32 channels.

FACT: What Scott Kelby Says: Scott Kelby, President of the NAPP and Photoshop training guru, has put the Elinchrom Skyports on his list of “The Five Studio Accessories I Can’t Live Without” saying “They let me control my Elinchrom RX strobes right from my camera—so I can run my whole studio without leaving the back of my camera. "Huge time and frustration saver.”

See what else Scott has to say about Skyports at Day 4: Lighting Gear Week.

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See his video overview of the Skyport system at The Skyport Flash Triggers Live Demo

FACT: Swiss Engineered Reliability and Yet Low Cost: Skyports are designed to work with all major studio and battery powered flashes. They use 40-bit signal encryption, the highest level in the industry today. This design ensures interference free operation. Skyports cost about half the price of other leading radio slave systems and yet include more sync cables then any other radio slave system on the market today.