Strobist Gear: Tunning the Ebay triggers

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Originally uploaded by flashyfeliz

All the pictures of the first Lighting 102 assignment were made with the gear of the first picture. My trusty Canon Powershot G-5 bought in 2003, a Metz 45 CL-3 strobe (which is about twenty years old) and the in-famous e-Bay triggers: I have used them for almost a year now and I have found the same realibility problems many people have found. But Pocket Wizzards, despite the last offers, are still very expensive for me.
For me, the weakest point of the EBT is the CR-2 battery: it lasts only a hundred photos. After that, it starts to give random faulty flashes and some sincronization problems.
As CR-2 batteries are expensive (6€ per unit) I have "tunned" my EBTs using 3 Ni-MH AA elements (3,6 Volt). The experience has been completely satisfactory.
You can see my modification in the next picture: I have removed the screw that locks the trigger "shoe mount" as I use only the Sync Cord connection (I have found, also, that the hotshoe is not very reliable)

Barbara is posing for me :)

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Originally uploaded by flashyfeliz

My favorite model, Barbara (Barbie for her friends... lol ) has been in my studio, posing for me.
I needed her to start the Lighting102 exercises proposed by David Hobby (a.k.a. Strobist).
In my flickr photostream you can find what you can achive with only one flash, moving it arround your model.