Vagabond II Portable Power System Specifications
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Weight
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18.6 pounds |
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Dimensions
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10.25" (height) x 8.5" (width) x 6" (depth)
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Shoulder Strap
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adjustable from 28" to 48"
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Battery Lifespan
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500 charge / deep-discharge cycles |
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Battery Weight
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13.25 pounds
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Battery Dimensions
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6.5" (height) x 7" (width) x 3" (depth)
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Vagabond II RECYCLE TIMES: Vagabond II recycle rates are approximately three times as fast as those obtained with typical "150W Pure Sine Wave" inverters, and one and one-half times as fast as typical "300W Pure Sine Wave" inverters. The Vagabond II, with a fully charged battery, will recycle most flash units at a rate between 270 and 400 WS per second. A good rule of thumb for estimating recycle rates with three to five monolights is 335 Wattseconds per second. Larger power packs and larger numbers of monolights may approach the 270 Wattseconds per second range. Recycle rates will become longer when the battery gets low. The recycle rate is dependent on the design of the flash units, the power levels they are set to and the number of flash units connected to a single Vagabond II. Recycle rates will be fastest with a single monolight (such as a single AlienBees or White Lightning flash unit) and slowest with larger power packs (such as Zeus, and others), or with multiple monolights. Of course, recycle rates with Vagabond II can never be faster than the recycle times when the lights are operated directly from power lines. What does this mean? Suppose you have four AlienBees B1600 (640 Ws) or White Lightning X1600 monolights connected to a single Vagabond II, for a total Ws rating of about 2600 Ws. If all units were all set at Full Power, you would divide 2600 by 335, and a recycle rate of about 7.75 seconds would be indicated. If the same four units were adjusted to 1/2 power, the number of Ws being recycled would be 1300 Ws, and the calculated recycle rate would be about 3.9 seconds. Vagabond II BATTERY LIFE: The raw capacity of the battery is approximately 865,000 total Wattseconds. The amount of energy the battery can actually deliver to the flash capacitors is a function of the efficiency of the flash units and is also a function of the discharge rate of the battery. Highest battery life is achieved with the "Slow" recycle position on the inverter and with a single monolight connected to the Vagabond II. Lowest battery life results with high-power packs such as Zeus or with multiple monolights connected. The range of expected battery life in cycling light units ranges from about 250,000 to 450,000 total wattseconds. For example, a 640 Ws flash unit, when operated at Full Power at "Fast" position typically yields about 600 flashes per battery charge. This is a total of 384,000 Ws (640 Ws times 600). By nature of its higher current draw, a Zeus 2500 unit yields about 100 flashes at full power for a total of 250,000 total Wattseconds on the "Fast" position. If battery life is an important consideration, using the "Slow" position will yield more flashes per charge. These estimates exclude the depletion of the battery during periods of non-shooting, when the inverter is switched on and connected to flash units. Typically, the battery will be depleted in 10 to 20 hours if left connected to flash units that are switched on but not being fired. So, it is important to switch the inverter off during periods of non-use to conserve battery capacity. Estimated RECYCLE TIMES and BATTERY CAPACITY Chart: Below is a chart of approximate recycle times and estimated battery capacity for a sampling of light setups operated at Full Power. Recycle times will be faster and the number of flashes per battery charge will increase proportionately in typical uses where the power of the flash units is set at less than Full Power. Recycle times will be slower and battery life will be longer if the inverter is set to the "Slow" position. |
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Light Units
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Total Ws
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Approx. Recycle Time
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Estimated Battery Life ("Fast" setting)
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1 B400 unit
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160 Ws
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0.7 seconds
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2400 full power flashes
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2 B400 units
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320 Ws
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1 seconds
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1150 full power flashes
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3 B400 units
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480 Ws
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1.4 seconds
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800 full power flashes
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4 B400 units
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640 Ws
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1.8 seconds
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500 full power flashes
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1 B800 unit
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320 Ws
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1.2 seconds
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1200 full power flashes
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2 B800 units
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640 Ws
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1.6 seconds
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575 full power flashes
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3 B800 units
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960 Ws
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2.7 seconds
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400 full power flashes
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4 B800 units
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1280 Ws
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3.7 seconds
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250 full power flashes
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1 B1600 unit
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640 Ws
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2.2 seconds
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600 full power flashes
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2 B1600 units
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1280 Ws
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3.4 seconds
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287 full power flashes
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3 B1600 units
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1920 Ws
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5.5 seconds
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200 full power flashes
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4 B1600 units
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2560 Ws
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7.5 seconds
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120 full power flashes
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Zeus Z1250
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1250 Ws
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4.5 seconds
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200 full power flashes
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Zeus Z2500
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2500 Ws
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9 seconds
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100 full power flashes
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Notes: The number of expected flashes disregards the battery drain from the standby power consumed by the inverter and flash units. If units are left connected but not being fired and the inverter is on, the standby power can consume the battery in from eight to 20 hours depending on the number and type of flash units connect. So if the session takes place over a substantial period of time and the inverter is not switched off firing non-shooting periods, the battery life can be considerably less than indicated on the chart. Operating Non Paul C. Buff, Inc. Flash Units: The Vagabond II is designed specifically for powering Paul C. Buff, Inc. products and that we cannot make any claim for suitability with products from other manufacturers, nor can we accept any liability for any damage that might be caused to such equipment. We will, however, warranty the Vagabond II itself as well as any Paul C. Buff, Inc. equipment it powers. |