Manually triggering pc sync?

[alphavalues]

Is there a handheld switch that would allow me to fire a signal via pc sync cord and/or female hotshoe adaptor to the male adaptor on a CactusV?

I want to experiment with long exposure and multiple flash, but I'd like to be able to trigger different sets of flashes at various intervals. My idea is that I'd start the exposure via remote trigger to the camera, then fire off flash group 1 at a certain time, flash group 2 at another time, and finally flash group 3. I would assume that I'd need a different trigger for each flash group, of course.

I'd like to start with a manually actuated switch to see if I want to spend the money later for a TriggerTrap.

My google-fu has failed me. I've found plenty of cables, splitters and hotshoe adapters, but it seems that all the gear I've been able to locate assumes that the initial trigger is actuated by a camera. I want to isolate the camera from the flash triggering process, and instead actuate the flash by hand.

Thanks!

[RLucas]

You can build or buy delay circuits fairly cheaply. Here is a link that may be able to get you started. As for intervals, you may want to make a trigger that you can actuate by hand, and then have the rest of them set up as optical triggers. You should be able to set whatever intervals you choose. Hope this helps!
High-speed photography with a digital camera

[alphavalues]

Thanks for the tips. I feel confident building breadboards, but I can't read schematics very well - I need instructions along the lines of "solder part A so that part B is connected". I was able to find several devices by surfing off the link you provided, and at some point in the future I'll probably invest in a controller device, but that's a bit out of my scope right now.

Also, I'm not trying to do high speed (yet), so I don't want to use optical slaves.

I found a reference that indicates I should be able to build a simple switch by shorting the pc sync cable. I'm going to try that on a dying flash when I get home, and see if I can make that work.

Thanks!