Paul C. Buff, Inc. Technical Forum

Hi all, I'm new to the forum and have arrived here because I really like the look of the Vagabond Mini Lithium as a way of powering my Profoto D1s. Now I know that in the past a few people had trouble with the two together, with the heads crashing, but that when the heads were put on Bat (for battery) mode the problem seemed to be solved. My D1s ( 2x 500 and 1x 1000) are over two years old and do not have the firmware upgrade required to enable Bat mode and I'd have to send them off to upgrade them (which is expensive and time consuming). But I have just talked to someone who says his D1s (2x 500 out of one VML pack) seem to work fine both with and without Bat mode enabled. Which begs the question, why did they crash before when other people tried them.

So... does anybody use Profoto D1s with the VML, do they work when not in Bat mode, and how does the D1 1000 perform with the VML (I'm anticipating getting one pack for each head, not running them all out of one head).

All advice very much appreciated

Thanks

Rob

http://www.robscottphotography.com

The 500 we tried did not function with the VML, and it did not have Bt mode. The reason for the crash is due to the current limiting of the inverter (i.e. it reduces voltage during high draw) until it catches up to the recycle of the flash unit. Why some would and some would not crash is unknown, really. Most likely it could be a difference of power settings, or possibly component or manufacturing tolerances in the head and/or VML.

We cannot speak of each individual light out there, but the one we tested did not work. Others may have different experiences.

Thanks for that. Not sure what to do about this. I think I may have to order one and try it out, and if it doesn't work then return it under the 60 day return terms. Don't think it's financially viable to upgrade the units on top of the cost of the packs here in the UK.
Do you happen to know whether the 1000 head will draw more power than the 500 when recycling, and therefore be more likely to crash, possibly even after the upgrade?

I understand that third party heads are not supported by Paul C Buff, but the VML is an elegant solution to using one set of heads for inside and outside work on location, so I very much appreciate any advice that I can get on this. Thanks

The peak draw will either be higher or last longer, or a combination of the two. I do not know specifics about the Profotos. But, all else being equal, if a 500 is on the threshold, a 1000 could very easily be prone to crash.

We have also seen auto voltage switching lights flake on 230VAC VML's, but not on 120VAC VML's. This would be due to the voltage dropping to the point the light switches from 230 to 110, then switch back as voltage increases.

Bottom line: it is hard to predict without the two secific units being used together.