Alienbee + Motomaster = Problem

Hey guys, I want to use my studio setting outside. I bought a motomaster battery and a motomaster inverter but I cant use my flashes. When I put them to ON I hear a little tik tik tik from the Flash and the converter stop working...

This is strange because I can even use the Washing Machine with the inverter...

Here some pics and a video ;

http://www.youtube.com​/watch?v=gcP6qDiTzas

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You must use a sine wave inverter.

that inverter is the wrong type and will damage your strobe, do not use it

There is a lot more to getting an inverter to work with a studio flash, than just buying the one that is the lowest cost. The board has lots of posts with DIY solutions, and almost without fail the ones that will get you in trouble is the one with the bargain basement price.

I believe there has to be dozens of posts that speak to the peak Transient Current rating of the flash. The inverter HAS to be able to handle that, and should be a pure sine wave inverter as opposed to a modified sine wave. (AB lights draw a peak current of about 18A for about 200 milliseconds according to the spec) If you take a look on the forum there should be a number of DIY solutions that have some track history with Alien Bee lights. I could probably rattle off a list of inverters but the one that comes to mind first is a Samlex PST-60S-12A. I believe there is also a 300 watt version that has been used successfully.

Hope this helps,

110yd

Thank a lot guys, I'll take a look a this and take back this inverter to the store. I have 4 alien bee 1600 at 640w each, do this mean I need at least a 2000w inverter to use three of them ?

cedricphoto wrote in post #12537776
Thank a lot guys, I'll take a look a this and take back this inverter to the store. I have 4 alien bee 1600 at 640w each, do this mean I need at least a 2000w inverter to use three of them ?

no, it means buy a vagabond or mini vag from PCB as they are the right ones for your lights, you need a pure sine wave inverter nothing else