anyone using Vagabon power for other brands of lights?

[photomatt8]

Is anyone using the Vagabond power system for any other brands of lights other than Alienbees or Paul C Buff equipment?

[TMR Design]

Is anyone using the Vagabond power system for any other brands of lights other than Alienbees or Paul C Buff equipment?

At one time I owned a Vagabond II and used two Elinchrom D-Lite 2's (200Ws) with it and it worked very nicely.

Which strobes do you want to use with a Vagabond II? All analog and most digital strobes will work but the Elinchrom multi-voltage strobes with power levels of 400Ws or more will present a problem.

EDIT: I see you have Genesis 200's in your sig. I don't think you'll have a problem with them but I haven't seen any confirmation from a Genesis/Vagabond owner to know for sure.

[photomatt8]

Yes, I am using the Genesis 200 strobes.

[GenuineRolla]

I think the main thing you have to worry about is if your lights can handle voltage drops.

Alien Bee strobes are made to handle voltage drops all the time....

[TMR Design]

It's not that Bees are made to handle voltage drops. Bees are analog strobes and analog circuitry is very forgiving when it comes to changes in voltage. This is true of any analog strobe. Digital strobes are much less forgiving and can glitch, causing the power relays to flip, but the other issue is with multi-voltage digital strobes which are even less forgiving. I can use two Elinchrom 600RX (600Ws, total 1200Ws) strobes on my Tronix Explorer XT but I can't use two 400BX (400Ws, total 800Ws) strobes because they are multi-voltage.

[pepperoni]

Have you tried the 600RX's with the VB?

[pepperoni]

Sorry for the bump.. just trying to see (without starting a new thread) if anyone has tested the 600RX's with the Vagabond.

[TMR Design]

Hi pepperoni,

I've only tested the 600RX's with the Tronix so I'm not sure if they will behave and perform the same with the Vagabond II.

[pepperoni]

Thanks. I've just now been looking at the Tronix.

Warning...OT:
How long does shipping take, and does the battery last a decent amount of time?

[RacingMoose]

Bump...just wondering if anyone can confirm the Vagabond II or Tronix will work with the Genesis 200 lights or the Flashpoint lights?

[TMR Design]

I don't think we've ever gotten confirmation but since the Genesis lights so closely resemble Elinchrom D-Lite's I think it's safe to say that you shouldn't have any problem. There are several D-Lite 2 and 4 users that have confirmed complete compatibility with both the Vagabond and Tronix Explorer XT portable batteries.

[RacingMoose]

Rob, thanks for the information. I'm leaning towards the Genesis kit, so that's good to hear. I always look forward to your informative posts.

[vadim_c]

Yes, I am using the Genesis 200 strobes.
Once I called to AB and they said it is not compatible. I would gues they are extra precausios and one Genesis 200 would work but as you add more you are guarateed to run into issues.

[TMR Design]

There are 2 things to consider in all of this...

1. Somewhere along the line, a design change or modification to the Vagabond II was done that made it possible to use many of the strobes that were originally incompatible. One such change was with the Elinchrom D-Lite 4 multi-voltage strobe. Originally when I had teo D-Lite 4's and a Vagabond II it was not possible to power both strobes without glitching. Now that same scenario works fine.

2. Paul Buff maintains a policy (like many manufacturers) or supporting his products and indicating compatibility with the products he designs and manufacturers. Until recently it was next to impossible to have PCB discuss third party strobes and compatibility with the Vagabond II. Now the Vagabond II is very popular and it's widely used with huge numbers of third party strobes but I think it's good policy for PCB to support and give advice or recommendations for his own products and not discuss what other products will or won't do. He certainly doesn't want to be responsible for issues you may have with other products.

There are enough threads and users of third party strobes and the Vagabond II to have some assurance that these strobes will work, although there are no guarantees.

Since PCB has an excellent and liberal return policy I would give it a try before concluding that there is no compatibility. The worst that can happen is that you discover a glitch but you can't damage either the battery or the strobes by trying.

[slivr]

I've been corresponding with the manufacturers of the Tronix Explorer XT regarding compatibility with Genesis lights, but the definitive answer to date is "We aren't sure" (I'm just paraphrasing here). Actual tests have not been completed by Innovatronix, but as many forum posters have pointed out ... the Genesis are quite similar in performance & feature-set to Elinchrom D-Lites so its reasonable to expect similar results from the Genesis when connected to an Explorer XT, as has been reported about D-Lites. I've provided Inovatronix with every specification I could glean from Calumet's manual, online documentation, discussions with Calumet, etc. and even contacted their management to request more details, but particulars can be hard to come by and Calumet seems to keep their cards close to the chest on this one. :)

I've been interested in the Explorer XT and am just about ready to purchase & try one ... but I wouldn't know what tests to conduct with this combo other than to see if the tubes flash once plugged into a properly charged Explorer XT unit. :rolleyes: And I suspect there's far more to it than that involving tube lingevity, power thresholds, inverter sine-wave, multi-voltage, maximum drain, digital requirements, etc. I'm no electrical engineer so I'd rather hoped Calumet's Genesis manufacturers and Innovatronix could validate their compatibility, but the latest response from Explorer's manufacturer was:

From: Sheryll Ann Francisco [mailto:SAFrancisco@innovatronix.com]
Sent: Wednesday, April 15, 2009 11:11 PM
Subject: Re: Genesis 200 Lights - Explorer XT

Dear Jason,

Good day and thank you for your email.
Our engineers say that the Genesis 200/400 light could possibly be compatible with Tronix Explorer XT.
I also watched a review of Genesis 200 light and YouTube and I think it is compatible with Tronix Explorer XT however there's a big chance that it is not compatible with Tronix Explorer 1200ws.

Should you have any questions please do not hesitate to send me an email.
Thank you.

Regards,

Sheryll Francisco
T +63 2 645 1592
F +63 2 645 1903
safrancisco@innovatronix.com
www.innovatronix.com


Sheryll has been a joy to speak with and write to, but as you see there's little definitive information to provide as yet. And when talking with Calumet's uppers - they don't disclose the manufacturer behind the Genesis and simply indicate they're working on a portable power solution for their lights as well. Sigh ...

[slivr]

Here's the last email I received from Calumet when asked for details:

From: Website Post Office [mailto:website@calumetphoto.com]
Sent: Thursday, April 16, 2009 7:29 AM
Subject: RE: Calumet / Genesis 400 Studio Light Question (Calumet # CF0514)

The Genesis lights are not approved for battery use, at least not currently.

We are told this option is “under development” (hate to use a vague term, but that’s how we received it!) with our product marketing group.

It is known that folks will use generators out in the field, though for these lights they are not recommended. There are many variables, and any data may not be 100% accurate- this information is not provided to us.

There is no timeline at the moment for the Genesis portable option, but we’re told it is progressing beyond the drawing board- hopefully sooner rather than later.

Hope this helps.

Steve Smith
Internet Sales
890 Supreme Drive
Bensenville, IL 60106
www.calumetphoto.com