how would you trigger a flash without terminal.

[Liquid Artist]

I just got a new to me lens, on a Alphax shutter. This shutter of course has no PC socket, or any other type of electrical plug.

So, I am wondering what others do to trip their flashes in this case.
Please post your solutions.
Thanks.

[lenser]

You can also mount the lens in front of a synced Packard shutter, leave the Alphax shutter on the lens wide open and use the Packard for the exposure. Of course, you can find these on this site and ebay, but Packard is still very much in business.

[Mark Sawyer]

Helpful hint: In a pinch, sticking a ballpoint pen into the PC socket end of a flash cord fires the flash. But I usually just used the flash meter to set it off.

[Liquid Artist]

Thanks everyone,
Mark, I never would have though of that if you hadn't mentioned it.
I am suddenly thinking that I may be able to use a dual shutter release cable. One to trip the pc, and one to trip the shutter.

[BrianShaw]

I just got a new to me lens, on a Alphax shutter. This shutter of course has no PC socket, or any other type of electrical plug.

So, I am wondering what others do to trip their flashes in this case.
Please post your solutions.
Thanks.

In that particular kind of case I generally don't use flash, but choose a different lens that has a flash-appropriate shutter. One option I use, though, may or may not work for you: flash bulbs in a Graflite handle and a synchronizing solenoid to trip the shutter.

[Jim Jones]

Thanks everyone,
Mark, I never would have though of that if you hadn't mentioned it.
I am suddenly thinking that I may be able to use a dual shutter release cable. One to trip the pc, and one to trip the shutter.

This may trigger the flash before the shutter opens.

When electronic flash was becoming popular a few photographers mounted contacts that the cocking lever closed at the right moment.

[E. von Hoegh]

Paramount used to sell a momentary contact pushbutton switch that connected to the flash, for using open flash in nthe studio. They still might have them.

http://www.paramountcords.com/default.asp

[Richard Rankin]

I used my Nikon digital. I'd test and see the lowest flash setting I could use that would trip the strobes, and use that, pointed as far off the main image area as possible. Worked for me, but I eventually got a sync'ed packard and used that.

[Tin Can]

I have found I can set the shutter to 1 sec and while it is open, hand fire the flash. I use a China remote trigger. Actually I can do it with 1/2 sec.

I did a lot of digital testing first, as I always do.

[Carsten Wolff]

Apart from the obvious answer (to your problem, but not to your question): i.e. replacing your shutter with an Alphax - Synchromatic version, all above answers can work. You can also get your shutter converted (not worth it), sound-trigger, or sensor-trigger the strobe (rarely worth it) in DIY fashion. Making a circuit is relatively easy, e.g. see something like that here:
http://www.diyphotography.net/universal_sound_and_optical_slave_flash_trigger.
Using a photo-diode to catch trigger-light reflecting off the film-plane would also give you the needed input, provided there is enough incident light.
I suspect though that you're after something simple. in that case you could get e.g. get a micro-switch and make an adjustable jig to optimise the timing. NB this will probably only work across some of the shutter speeds and is a rather inelegant "solution". Also note that (esp. older) electronic strobes can have trigger voltages of several hundred volts across the terminals, so extreme caution is advised. Darwin's Law applies here, too. Happy soldering.