Sort of. The charger terminates in Tamiya, so if you choose Deans for the pack, you'll need to make or buy a Deans->Tamiya adapter. Then there are a few options for attaching to the VB inverter. It helps if you can solder and just buy a two pack of male Deans.
I haven't moved the outlet and switch to the outside yet, but I got the spigot mounted so I can put it on a super clamp. As mentioned, the super clamp isn't the lightest solution, but it's super solid and I can mount it quickly to just about anything, like a lightstand leg, lightstand column, painter's pole, etc.
16ga. It's the perfect balance between resistance and flexibility, IMO. 18ga is a little small for attaching to Deans and 14ga is a bit unnecessarily thick. Considering the voltage and amperage and length (under 1 foot), you'd technically be fine with 18ga, but 16ga is a good choice. And if you're buying loose cable, get the flexible type (sometimes called Wet Noodle), it's much easier to work with than the cable used in the VB2, for example.
I've got mine all assembled and I love it. I moved the outlet to the outside, but kept the switch on the inside. What are people thinking about ventilation for cooling? I think I'll run it a bit and check how warm it's getting inside with no ventilation. A few strategically placed holes should remedy any heat if it's getting warm.
I like mine being sprinkle proof for now. Come summer, you could drill some holes on the other side of the case and then get some rubber fittings that can slide in during winter/rainy season.
brett maxwell wrote:
I've got mine all assembled and I love it. I moved the outlet to the outside, but kept the switch on the inside. What are people thinking about ventilation for cooling? I think I'll run it a bit and check how warm it's getting inside with no ventilation. A few strategically placed holes should remedy any heat if it's getting warm.
When I was stress testing mine (full 300WS flashes every 15 seconds for over 250 pops) the inverter got VERY hot. Under more normal usage conditions, my inverter has hardly gotten warm.
Bumping this thread for a question regarding the use of a similar pack (minus the inverter) to use with a Lowel ID video light. Can this be done? Thinking about grabbing a video light for wedding use and this might be a good lightweight replacement for the Bescor packs.
This is fantastic guys! Would it be possible to put together a list of all the lights that work with this power system, just as reference for other people.
You can theoretically plug in any strobe that works on the first or second Vagabond version. Recycle time will be similar to the original Vagabond with the 150W inverter.
Will def look into this as I'm after purchasing some studio lights but didn't want to be limited by having to just use them in the house and I can't really afford the Quadras! Being in the UK we don't tend to have the range of lights that you guys do, ala the AlienBees!
You can, but I didn't because of the increased size and weight. I'm essentially using the inverter exactly as it was designed to be run, plugged into a 12V cigarette lighter outlet. And the Aims 180 has a fuse inside.
Being in the UK we don't tend to have the range of lights that you guys do, ala the AlienBees!