As a fellow new owner of Hensel, I can answer your first question easily. The Hensel transmitter is not compatible with anything else, including PWs. The way I do meter readings if I'm alone, is to carry the trigger (with or without the camera) with you when you place the meter in front of the subject, and fire it from there. This is how I did it with my old Wein infared transmitters, and how people without the chip in the Sekonic meter do it all the time. Or have an assistant press the button on the pack....
As for the beauty dish, I must be the only guy on this board that isn't a big fan of them. I have one from Norman, but I only use it with a 22" grid on the front.
Regards,
Andy Pearlman
Andy Pearlman Studio