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Wed Apr 23, 2014 4:48 pm

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Joined: Tue Dec 08, 2009 11:49 am
Posts: 1432

Shipping Lithium batteries and providing warranty service outside the USA is a costly nightmare for both customers and for our company. So we don't intend to produce VLX™ in a 230V version.

Sorry




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Thu May 08, 2014 11:27 am

Joined: Thu May 08, 2014 11:18 am
Posts: 1

rscheffler wrote:
Paul,

Thanks for the reply. I guess what I'm getting at is a LiFePO4 option in addition to the current battery type, for those of us willing to give up some performance in exchange for longer shelf life. As it is now, the VML last a really long time on a single battery for how I use it. I would probably be willing to give up some of that, as well as recycle time, in exchange for longer service life in the current package size.

But that's just me. I'm sure you also have to consider many factors in order to determine whether it's worthwhile to provide such an option, at least for the current VML.



I aso bugh a couple of VML and 2 batteries for each and I did not knew they would not last longer than 3 years.
I would also enter the wagon if open of the new batteries for the VML. Really I love the size and weight of it. And I do not use them much. But wanted to have the option adn sometimes they have been life savers.

Please keep that in mind developers :)




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Thu May 08, 2014 4:10 pm

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Joined: Tue Dec 08, 2009 11:49 am
Posts: 1432

Lithium batteries are fairly new science, and we have communicated with a dozen battery manufacturers. None of them were able to give a definitive answer regarding shelf life of "standard" NMC batteries. I say "standard" because this is the same battery chemistry used in essentially all laptops and cell phones.

It's common for laptop batteries to lose capacity after 2-5 years. Real world life depends on storage temperatures and charge conditions.

We've also all heard the stories about exploding cell phone and laptop batteries, so it's safe to say that companies like Apple, with enormous engineering staff and budgets don't know everything either.

That said, the newer LiFePO4 batteries are universally accepted as far and away the safest, most robust and longest lasting Lithium chemistry now available.

Battery usage in devices like the VLM™ and VLX™ are unusual in that charging flash units requires surges of high discharge currents, unlike the lower, steady current discharges from cell phones and laptops.

High surge currents reduce the available number of charge/discharge cycles from around 800 cycles for low current devices, down to as low as around 150 to 300 for flash charging devices. This depends on the capacity (watt hours) of the battery VS the speed of recycle times they are subjected to . . . using a small watt hour NMC battery operating at fast flash recycle times mandates rather low numbers of charge/discharge cycles. This is why we use relatively large capacity batteries in our Vagabonds.

LifePO4 batteries are not only rated at 10+ years of shelf life, the also offer around five times the number of charge/discharge cycles for a given current draw. The downside is that they cost more initially and are larger and heavier per watt hour than NMC batteries.

We are now exploring the possibility of an LiFePO4 battery for the VML™, but the hard facts are, for the same size and weight, the LiFe batteries will produce only 60% as many flashes per charge, will cost a bit more, and will render the VML™ battery gauge unusable, due to different lower voltage (12.8V VS 14. 8V). So an LiFePO4 VML™ is not on the immediate horizon.

These were the design considerations for the VLX™ . . . double the recycle speeds, much longer shelf life, around five times the number of charge/discharge cycles and long term lower cost of battery replacement.

In short, VLX™ for serious heavy-use professionals and, like the VML™ easily outperforms any other system in the world in every regard.

As an aside, we have bought and tested four Photogenic ION VML™ clones. While essentially a direct rip off, ION's do not have the inverter improvements we worked so hard to accomplish and the result is that ION, by our strict and accurate testing, produces about 25% slower recycle times and about 25% fewer flashes per charge, yet cost 66% more . . . about the same as our VLX™.

Remember, Paul C. Buff was the originator of the portable battery to pure sine wave power pack, way back in the 1990s. BUFF is likely the most imitated company in the industry. Imitation is flattery :)

Sorry to those who don't like our color choice . . . Henry Ford made only black cars until the world discovered color.




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Fri May 09, 2014 8:20 pm

Joined: Sun Feb 28, 2010 12:00 pm
Posts: 12

Like the colors, LOVE the performance!




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Mon Aug 04, 2014 10:27 am

Joined: Mon Aug 04, 2014 9:21 am
Posts: 1

I don't usually comment on "controversial" subjects, but I can't help but make some remarks regarding the color of the new VLX. Just when I thought human behavior couldn't be any more confusing, in literally every comment section I've seen for the VLX (here on the official website and elsewhere) there are people wailing that the color scheme is a "dealbreaker," "unprofessional," and a "sales killer."

Normally I am not one to make accusations against strangers (especially on the internet), but the impression I'm left with from such whining is that the whiners are insecure neophytes. Avedon, Greenfield, and many other legendary photographers used the Broncolor 304 and earlier Bron units, which all looked like giant versions of the new VLX. Broncolor heads were also 100% teal.

I also associate teal with electronic nirvana vis-a-vis the G3 Apple (and current Apple) products.

In summary: all of the best electronics ever have been teal, including the VLX. How sad if the VLX had just been another boring black blob.




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Mon Aug 04, 2014 3:04 pm

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Joined: Tue Dec 08, 2009 11:49 am
Posts: 1432

Attachment:
VLX-gray-PB2.jpg


For what it's worth, we have two tone grey housings on the way and should be offering either Turquoise and Purple, or dark/light grey in about 3 weeks.

We won't do black because it absorbs too much heat out in the sun where these are usually used.

Pre-order info should be posted in a few days.




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Sun Aug 17, 2014 7:25 pm

Joined: Sun Aug 17, 2014 7:20 pm
Posts: 1

Luap wrote:

For what it's worth, we have two tone grey housings on the way and should be offering either Turquoise and Purple, or dark/light grey in about 3 weeks.

We won't do black because it absorbs too much heat out in the sun where these are usually used.

Pre-order info should be posted in a few days.


I'd like to pre-order a couple of these grey units. What is the date, or can I do it now? I couldn't find any info on the sales site.




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Sun Aug 17, 2014 10:41 pm

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Joined: Tue Dec 08, 2009 11:49 am
Posts: 1432

We have them built as of yesterday. Should be able to ship late next week. Check our website in a few days, or call.




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