Paul C. Buff, Inc. Technical Forum

Hello,

I have a few questions pertaining to my Vagabond II. Bear with me while I give a little back story first to set the scene.

I bought this Vagabond years ago. I can't remember the actual date, but it was quite some time ago. I've used it frequently since it was purchased and was relatively good about keeping it plugged it, but as can be expected there have been periods of time when it wasn't being charged and just sat idle.

On the last photo shoot that I went out on, after some time on the charger, the Vagabond II would not power my (2) AB800s. It would give me the audible low-power warning indicator and the flashes would not fire, but if I let it sit for some time, it would fire once, before warning me again that it didn't want to function.

I dismissed the Vagabond II as dead, and left it unplugged for quite some time. Today I decided to try and troubleshoot a little bit. The Vagabond was completely dead, as flipping the power switch did not result in any lights. After some time on the charger, I was able to get some lights on, but the second I flipped the power switch to on with the unit unplugged, the unit died. With the unit plugged in the same experience as my last shoot occurred. It would beep at me, but allow me to fire a single AB800 intermittently. I tried using the included *Alligator* clips to jump power from my car battery directly to the inverter and everything functioned as it should. Which leads me to my questions:

Would this suggest to you, that the battery is unable to hold charge? And would a battery replacement remedy my issue?

Is there a chance that the charging circuit in the inverter is damaged? Or is the charging circuit and the inversion circuit one in the same?

My concern is that if I purchase a new battery and the charging process is damaged on the inverter, after some use I'll be stuck in this same position, just a few pounds lighter in the wallet.

Any suggestions or advice would be greatly appreciated.

Without any testing, I cannot say there are no problems in the charging circuit (which is different than the inverter circuit). However, the likelihood that it is anything more than the battery only is fairly low.

If you are comfortable with using a multi-meter (or know someone who is), you can detach the battery and connect the charger to the wall, as though you are charging the unit. You can then meter the terminals on the back of the inverter and test the voltage. The voltage should be around 13.85VDC. If it is, then the charger is good and a battery will likely get you going.

Any battery will have a finite life span, and it is quite possible it has reached its natural life.

That'll kill the battery if idle is more than a month...

Thank you very much for the reply. I will check with a multimeter and report back.

Checked with a multimeter, read 13.85, so I guess I will purchase a new battery.

On question though, If I am certain that I will not be using the battery for an extended period of time, can I disconnect the battery from the inverter after a full charge? On the website, it says "can be kept, charged, as a spare" but I wasn't sure if that is nullified after the first charge cycle?

Thanks for all the assistance.

All batteries have an inherent self discharge property to them. Even if charged, the battery will drain and start to sulfate over time. By disconnecting the battery, this rate will slow, but occasional charging is recommended. Once every 2-3 weeks if connected, and maybe once every couple of months if disconnected. It is also wise to exercise the battery occasionally. This could be simply connecting the battery and running a lamp off of it for a few hours, then recharging.