Paul C. Buff, Inc. Technical Forum

I was considering getting an Alien Bees 800 and Vagabond mini for a remote camera project. I just need to know a couple things and can't find them on the spec. page.

-Does the Alien Bees (or Einstein) have an auto-power off function, and if so, can the unit be woken up when triggered by a synch chord?

- What's the approximate power draw on a AB 800 when powered on, but not firing? I found the info. about how many flashes the Vagabond mini can provide, but I need to also know how long it can run an idling flash.

- Can the inverter on the Vagabond Mini also power a Paul Buff flash unit off of a 12V SLA battery. For example, if I needed more capacity than the ~8ah of the vagabond, could I run it off something like an SLA or deep cycle battery.

Sorry for all the random questions. Thanks in advance for any help you can provide.

There is no auto off function of any of our lights. Einstein can be turned on and off remotely from the Cyber Commander, but that would be something that required human intervention. There is no awakening of any studio light via the sync cord.

On an Alien Bee with the model lamp off and the capacitors already full, there is still a power draw to run the fan and refresh the charge. However, you will need to consider the fact any time you go from AC to DC or DC to AC, there will be some power loss. The longer the run time lasts, the more energy is lost to the conversion.

Yes, you can run the VML inverter off a 12VDC automotive type battery, or connect two VML batteries to one inverter. Either way will take some custom cables on your part.

How long are you expecting to need the unit to run?

Thanks for the reply. For the project I had in mind, I would need a minimum of 12 hours of continuous operation, but hoping for up to 72 hours. Over that period there would likely be less than 150 flash durations. Sounds like the best idea would be to test out the 8ah Li-ion batteries and use a larger 12V as a fallback if they don't last long enough. As long as I have the option to use a larger 12V I'm OK. Thanks for the help.

I would not be surprised if the battery lasted 12 hours. 72 is not likely. Also remember the extreme heat and cold will affect battery performance, regardless of battery type.

Just need some clarification... the VML's can run while charging, just like the V2 did? For some reason, I had been under the impression that the VML supplied AC only from battery power.

I held onto my V2, but don't seem to be using it. One idea I've had is to mount the inverter permanently in my car, so that strobe power is always available, and to supply some AC power for other things. I've never needed an inverter bigger than 200w or so for other things, so I don't see a capacity problem. One concern is whether I can get DC power leads to it without too much loss. Any thoughts?

The VML would still be supplying AC from the battery. Basically, the charger is charging the battery, and the inverter is pulling from the battery simultaneously. However, it is quite possible to out pace the charging, and the battery can still deplete even if charging.




People permmanently install inverters to thier cars and trucks all the time. I dont think it would be any different to mount the PSI900GF. Not knowing the location you want to mount it, the size fo the vehicle, or location of the battery, it would be hard to make any recommendation.