Impressed with the Vagabond Mini Lithium!

The documentation above is what I have been through. The continuous and peak numbers are absent. The documentation for an Alien Bee AB800 says:
"The units are rated at 6 amps average current, and may briefly peak at nearly 18 amps input current at the very beginning of the recycle period".
Using one strobe per VML might work out, but I would be careful. I was on the verge of ordering a unit, but don't feel comfortable with the specs...

Regards,

110yd

You're looking for a spec that don't exist for the VML. It has a max continuous load that is stated, 120 watts, beyond that it goes into current limiting and the voltage is dropped, allowing you you recycle multiple lights while the inverter keeps itself within its range. It's in the manual.

This thing doesn't act like a typical inverter does. Without current limiting you would need a rather large inverter just to recycle one light without tripping the breaker.

110yd wrote in post #14348520
I am a little underwhelmed with the specs on the mini. I was close to buying, but I have looked for info on the output power, and can not find info on the web that lists the continuous or peak power. To state that something will power from one to four lights is a bit of specmanship. If I look at the documentation on a relatively name brand inverter, they will clearly call out a continuous and a peak power rating.

See page 30 of the document below
http://www.samlexameri​ca.com …2A_24A_Manual_D​ec2006.pdf

Or take a look at the summary specs of any of the following inverters:
http://www.donrowe.com​/inverters/puresine.ht​ml

That is because it does not matter that much. Salmex and Donrowe are selling inverters that .... who knows what they will be powering. They are general purpose and intended for general use, and spicifics are needed. The VML is soley intended to run Buff lights. Sure it "can" be used for other things. But it is created, made, and sold to be a power source for Buff lights. And they state it as such.

That said, you do have a good point!

K.C. wrote in post #14344738
It is poor build quality. Everything he makes is targeted to the "good enough" market. He's got your number and you're drinking the Kool-Aid. There's nothing wrong with that, at least you're admitting it.

Not so much of drinking the cool aid, but more of understanding what it is before I bought it. Or simply expecting less than I got, (considering the Buff reputation of quality that you mention). Rather than expecting great and getting average.

My VML arrived today, just in time to charge it up and shoot a baseball team + individual shots out at the ole' ballpark this afternoon.

I gotta say the portability factor of this thing is sweet! Clamp it to the light stand, plug it in and you can carry the whole works with one hand! Prior comments in this thread notwithstanding, I don't see any problems with the build quality either. It seems constructed well enough to get the job done. I did read the complaints/warnings about the wimpy clamp on the VML and secured the connection with a bungee strap. No worries.

This is the first time I have used one of my Alienbees outdoors, and the lack of an audible recycle indicator is a pain. You can't even see the ready light in the sun. I guess it's time to start lobbying for a couple Einsteins.

Anyway, the bottom line for me is it's a great one-light power source. That's all it can really do, though. The recycle time gets impractically long when you go beyond 640ws. If you want to use more than one monolight out in the sun, I definitely recommend a separate VML for each light.

Once home, I did a little measurebating, using the following high-tech equipment:
1) A consumer-grade digital multimeter, plugged into the spare outlet on the VML to measure voltage
2) A consumer-grade clamp-on amp meter, stuck through a split power cord to measure current
3) A consumer-grade digital wristwatch to measure recycle time

No-load voltage on the VML was right at 121 volts. Take this data with a grain of salt. It may be statistically significant, but I wouldn't call it precise.

Check this for better ideas than the silly plastic clamp thingy. I think I may go with the truss clamp method.

http://robgalbraith.co​m …p?cid=7-11667-11915-12108

Curtis, the recycle beep on the Einstein is virtually not there. Seriously, it's so quiet its not practical.
You'd be better off wiring a relay and a beeper into the modeling light.

KinoC wrote in post #14344330
Same here! I love it! I bought the Joe Jack Photography "tuxedo" for the VLM ( http://www.vmlbracket.​com/ ) and it looks awesome and works perfect!

Thanks for the kudos on the VML Bracket, KinoC! It has become quite popular among Vagabond Mini users all over the world, and for good reason...it's the ultimate way to mount the VML to any light stand safely and securely.

For those that don't know much about it, Bud over at SOPHA just put out this great little video on the VML Bracket: http://www.youtube.com​/watch?v=UfaGS4nWF-8