Portable AlienBees w/Vagabond battery

The whole Vagabond thing is very expensive. Does anyone know of a cheaper
alternative?


Patrick

"Patrick L." wrote:

The whole Vagabond thing is very expensive. Does anyone know of a cheaper
alternative?

Patrick

You could look for a used power pack. Find something that can connect to your
existing lights, and make a deal. Unless you really want something new, there
are often good used deals to be found.

Ciao!

Gordon Moat
Alliance Graphique Studio
http://www.allgstudio.com

"Gordon Moat" wrote in message
...
"Patrick L." wrote:

The whole Vagabond thing is very expensive. Does anyone know of a
cheaper
alternative?

Patrick

You could look for a used power pack. Find something that can connect to
your
existing lights, and make a deal. Unless you really want something new,
there
are often good used deals to be found.

Ciao!



Well, AlienBees run on AC power, no DC input jack, so just a DC power pack
won't do, that is why I asked.

The Vagabond system is a battery, and another inverter thingy which converts
it to AC 120 volts, or something like that.


Patrick

On Wed, 07 Jan 2004 18:42:13 GMT, "Patrick L."
wrote:

The whole Vagabond thing is very expensive. Does anyone know of a cheaper
alternative?


Patrick

Seems to me that all they're using is a 12V DC/AC converter (inverter)
to supply 110V power to the flash. Can't you find something like this
at Radio Shack or elsewhere? Just make a compact bundle out of a
lead-acid 12V battery (the kind used in UPS units) and the inverter,
that's all there is to it.

"Bobs" wrote in message
...
On Wed, 07 Jan 2004 18:42:13 GMT, "Patrick L."
wrote:

The whole Vagabond thing is very expensive. Does anyone know of a
cheaper
alternative?


Patrick

Seems to me that all they're using is a 12V DC/AC converter (inverter)
to supply 110V power to the flash. Can't you find something like this
at Radio Shack or elsewhere? Just make a compact bundle out of a
lead-acid 12V battery (the kind used in UPS units) and the inverter,
that's all there is to it.

No, that's NOT "all there is to it". It is, indeed, an inverter that is
necessary but garden variety "Radio Shack" inverters are not true sine wave
inverters.

The electronics in Alien Bees require true sine wave input power. These
inverters are available, but cost more than the cheapos you find at Wal-Mart
and Radio shack. Do a Google search as I don't have time now to look up
sources of supply... but they are not hard to find.

Tom

Bobs wrote:

On Wed, 07 Jan 2004 18:42:13 GMT, "Patrick L."
wrote:


The whole Vagabond thing is very expensive. Does anyone know of a cheaper
alternative?


Patrick


Seems to me that all they're using is a 12V DC/AC converter (inverter)
to supply 110V power to the flash. Can't you find something like this
at Radio Shack or elsewhere? Just make a compact bundle out of a
lead-acid 12V battery (the kind used in UPS units) and the inverter,
that's all there is to it.


Read Tom's post. I heartilly concur. The P/S in monolights (in fact
many electronic products) do not handle the power generated by a
'chopping' inverter. Sine only.

The thing they (Alien Bees, et al) don't tell you is that they could
design their P/S to handle choppers (bigger P/S caps, isolation
trasformer, better P/S design), but it would drive up the size, weight
and cost of the unit. In the end this is the right decision as most
strobe shooting is in a studio.

http://www.ecovantageenergy.com/cata...s/item1410.htm these go up
to 600 watts which might not be enough for two AlienBees when they recycle.

http://www.ecovantageenergy.com/cata...s/item1395.htm is a lot more
$ but can probably handle a couple AlienBees 800's.

Cheers,
Alan.

--
e-meil: there's no such thing as a FreeLunch.

"Alan Browne" wrote in message
...
Bobs wrote:

On Wed, 07 Jan 2004 18:42:13 GMT, "Patrick L."
wrote:


The whole Vagabond thing is very expensive. Does anyone know of a
cheaper
alternative?


Patrick


Seems to me that all they're using is a 12V DC/AC converter (inverter)
to supply 110V power to the flash. Can't you find something like this
at Radio Shack or elsewhere? Just make a compact bundle out of a
lead-acid 12V battery (the kind used in UPS units) and the inverter,
that's all there is to it.


Read Tom's post. I heartilly concur. The P/S in monolights (in fact
many electronic products) do not handle the power generated by a
'chopping' inverter. Sine only.

The thing they (Alien Bees, et al) don't tell you is that they could
design their P/S to handle choppers (bigger P/S caps, isolation
trasformer, better P/S design), but it would drive up the size, weight
and cost of the unit. In the end this is the right decision as most
strobe shooting is in a studio.

http://www.ecovantageenergy.com/cata...s/item1410.htm these go up
to 600 watts which might not be enough for two AlienBees when they
recycle.

http://www.ecovantageenergy.com/cata...s/item1395.htm is a lot more
$ but can probably handle a couple AlienBees 800's.

Cheers,
Alan.

--
e-meil: there's no such thing as a FreeLunch.


They're more than the Vagabond, which was designed for AlienBees, and so I
guess I will have to go with the Vagabond.

Thanks, all.


Patrick

On Fri, 09 Jan 2004 02:47:59 GMT, "Patrick L."
wrote:


"Alan Browne" wrote in message
.. .
Bobs wrote:

On Wed, 07 Jan 2004 18:42:13 GMT, "Patrick L."
wrote:


The whole Vagabond thing is very expensive. Does anyone know of a
cheaper
alternative?

I've often thought that these Vagabond gadgets could be easily cobbled
together from a common DC-AC converter, and a great many of them now
produce quasi-sinewave output, so should in theory work all right.
The problem that I see with these is the very large inrush current
that occurs during the first period following each flash. Studio
flashes can draw upwards of 80 amps and more during these short
transients--usually to short a period to blow fuses, unless you fire
in quick succession. So my concern would be that an inverter of this
type may need to have higher capacity than expected in order to handle
these transient inrush currents. I'd be anxious to hear if anyone has
any luck with this.

Also consider that D-size NiMH cells having a 9 amp-hour capacity and
solder tabs are available (on eBay and elsewhere), and 10 of these
might make an ideal battery for this.

If you look at the details on the Vagabond you'll see that its a 15AH 12
volt battery and either 1 or 2 true sine wave inverters. The inverters are
coded CU150 - so that may mean 150 watts.

If you look around you may find 150 watt true sine wave inverters for $150
or less and 12 volt lead acid batteries 12AH less than $50 or 18 AH at less
than $75 but then you'd have to add some kind of charger.
As an alternative you might try something like this:

http://www.xantrex.com/products/product.asp?did=565

for as low as $100. The caveat is that it is a modified square setup. I've
not seen any definitive answers as to whether Alien Bees or for that matter
any AC flashes require true sine wave input or may run on modified square
wave.



"KBob" wrote in message
...
On Fri, 09 Jan 2004 02:47:59 GMT, "Patrick L."
wrote:


"Alan Browne" wrote in message
.. .
Bobs wrote:

On Wed, 07 Jan 2004 18:42:13 GMT, "Patrick L."
wrote:


The whole Vagabond thing is very expensive. Does anyone know of a
cheaper
alternative?

I've often thought that these Vagabond gadgets could be easily cobbled
together from a common DC-AC converter, and a great many of them now
produce quasi-sinewave output, so should in theory work all right.
The problem that I see with these is the very large inrush current
that occurs during the first period following each flash. Studio
flashes can draw upwards of 80 amps and more during these short
transients--usually to short a period to blow fuses, unless you fire
in quick succession. So my concern would be that an inverter of this
type may need to have higher capacity than expected in order to handle
these transient inrush currents. I'd be anxious to hear if anyone has
any luck with this.

Also consider that D-size NiMH cells having a 9 amp-hour capacity and
solder tabs are available (on eBay and elsewhere), and 10 of these
might make an ideal battery for this.

Subject: Portable AlienBees w/Vagabond battery


The whole Vagabond thing is very expensive. Does anyone know of a
cheaper
alternative?



buy a UPS battery backup system to power your AC lights, though I'd like to
find one that didn't shreek the warning beep.

or find a Norman 400b and use an LH head with a modeling light.

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