- Joined
- Dec 16, 2003
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- Edmonton
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- www.mikehodson.ca
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I made my own ghetto Vagabond (portable battery for powering a studio strobe).
Not really anything to 'make'...I just bought a pure sine wave inverter and a battery and hooked them together. The idea was to have something that is lighter than the Vagabond, which is something like 18 lbs. I haven't put mine on a scale, but I'd guess that it's less than 10lbs.
I bought a tool bag to hold it. I like the bag because I can store the battery charger in there and also coil up the power cord when using it. It could also keep some rain off of the electronics if it starts to rain. I took the bag over to the fabric factory here at work and had them put some grommets in the ends for ventilation.
So how does it work? Fairly well so far.
I plugged in an AlienBee B800 and it fired it over and over again with pretty good recycle time. I didn't bother to see how many shots it would take to kill the battery...I'd guess at least a couple hundred.
One issue is that the inverter gives me a beep every time the light is fired. I'm guessing it's a low voltage warning. It beeps longer for a full power shot and just barely beeps for minimum power. Not something I'd want to have beeping during a wedding ceremony but perfectly fine when used outside.
I tried a B400 and it still beeps throughout the power range.
I tried an old Medalight 150Ws strobe that I have. It worked without beeping but the recycle time was a lot slower than with the AB lights.
Another thing was the electric fan in the BEEs. When the strobe fires and it draws all that power, the fan slows right down...then gradually speeds back up as the light recharges. I think some studio strobes have fans that can be turned off, or are on temp sensors and only turn on when needed...I wish mine were like that.
Not really anything to 'make'...I just bought a pure sine wave inverter and a battery and hooked them together. The idea was to have something that is lighter than the Vagabond, which is something like 18 lbs. I haven't put mine on a scale, but I'd guess that it's less than 10lbs.
I bought a tool bag to hold it. I like the bag because I can store the battery charger in there and also coil up the power cord when using it. It could also keep some rain off of the electronics if it starts to rain. I took the bag over to the fabric factory here at work and had them put some grommets in the ends for ventilation.
So how does it work? Fairly well so far.
I plugged in an AlienBee B800 and it fired it over and over again with pretty good recycle time. I didn't bother to see how many shots it would take to kill the battery...I'd guess at least a couple hundred.
One issue is that the inverter gives me a beep every time the light is fired. I'm guessing it's a low voltage warning. It beeps longer for a full power shot and just barely beeps for minimum power. Not something I'd want to have beeping during a wedding ceremony but perfectly fine when used outside.
I tried a B400 and it still beeps throughout the power range.
I tried an old Medalight 150Ws strobe that I have. It worked without beeping but the recycle time was a lot slower than with the AB lights.
Another thing was the electric fan in the BEEs. When the strobe fires and it draws all that power, the fan slows right down...then gradually speeds back up as the light recharges. I think some studio strobes have fans that can be turned off, or are on temp sensors and only turn on when needed...I wish mine were like that.