Portable power: vagabond mini still good?

Are vagabond minis still a good option for portable power?

I've got two 600RX and two D-lite 4 (non-ITs). I believe at least the 600RXs are compatible with the VM and actually was tested by Paul himself when it was launched but not sure if anything changed since then.

Thanks!

The VML does not play well with monolights that have duel voltage power supplies.
If you have all Elinchrom monolights you might find this innovatronix inverter better suited. http://thelightingacad​emy.com …-portable-battery-review/

dmward wrote in post #15037220
The VML does not play well with monolights that have duel voltage power supplies.
If you have all Elinchrom monolights you might find this innovatronix inverter better suited. http://thelightingacad​emy.com …-portable-battery-review/

I don't need to power all my elinchrom's, just the 600RXs.

Do you happen to know which ones have duel voltage power supplies?

Thanks!

Either its in your 600RX manual or on the Elinchrom website.
I use E640s and VMLs. Great combination.
If the 600RX is a single voltage power supply the VML should work.

Hmm, not sure about your non-IT Dlites, but the 120 version VML will run two Dlite 4 ITs at all power levels up to both at full power. Strangely, I've noticed the recycle time doesnt vary much from one strobe to two. Number of pops is definitely affected though, and modeling lights are a no no.

The dual voltage strobes are Dlites and BxRi, as far as I know. Elinchrom is releasing a bunch of new monolights according to their website, so you would have to check them for voltage comparisons. Style RXs are single voltage, and can handle the VML. No personal experience with the 600s, but these are some good videos to check out.

http://www.youtube.com​/watch?v=iD-1rbtaOu8 - VML + two 600RXs
http://www.youtube.com …W2BCUFwEE&featu​re=related - VML + four 600RXs.

People always seem surprised that VMLs work with Elinchrom, but I've never had an issue with mine. Solid gear.

trainwrecker556 wrote in post #15053459
Hmm, not sure about your non-IT Dlites, but the 120 version VML will run two Dlite 4 ITs at all power levels up to both at full power. Strangely, I've noticed the recycle time doesnt vary much from one strobe to two. Number of pops is definitely affected though, and modeling lights are a no no.

I'm not sure why the # of pops would be affected whether you have 1 or 2 plugged into your VML... If you really think about it, I'm sure the number of pops is equal, or very close regardless of whether there is 1 or 2 strobes plugged in...

The VML works fine with non-IT DLites.

Some people are experiencing better results from dual voltage strobes by using the 220 VLM instead of the 120, the power drop is less noticeable and so the lights function smoother.

Nothing should of changed, i'll ask someone with the 600RX and VML to chime in for you when they get around.

trainwrecker556 wrote in post #15053459
Hmm, not sure about your non-IT Dlites, but the 120 version VML will run two Dlite 4 ITs at all power levels up to both at full power. Strangely, I've noticed the recycle time doesnt vary much from one strobe to two. Number of pops is definitely affected though, and modeling lights are a no no.

The dual voltage strobes are Dlites and BxRi, as far as I know. Elinchrom is releasing a bunch of new monolights according to their website, so you would have to check them for voltage comparisons. Style RXs are single voltage, and can handle the VML. No personal experience with the 600s, but these are some good videos to check out.

http://www.youtube.com​/watch?v=iD-1rbtaOu8 - VML + two 600RXs
http://www.youtube.com …W2BCUFwEE&featu​re=related - VML + four 600RXs.

People always seem surprised that VMLs work with Elinchrom, but I've never had an issue with mine. Solid gear.

Nice test... thanks for posting

SMP_Homer wrote in post #15053616
I'm not sure why the # of pops would be affected whether you have 1 or 2 plugged into your VML... If you really think about it, I'm sure the number of pops is equal, or very close regardless of whether there is 1 or 2 strobes plugged in...

You're kidding, right?

Two strobes will consume twice as much power as one. Theoretically, the battery will only last half as long.

Curtis N wrote in post #15053815
You're kidding, right?

Two strobes will consume twice as much power as one. Theoretically, the battery will only last half as long.

I suspect it is you that is kidding...

time-wise, yes, the battery will need to be charged sooner, but it will still give you the same amount of work

maybe if I explain... say the battery gives 1 strobe the ability to pop 500 times... adding a 2nd stobe will divide those 500 pops, still giving you 500 pops... but now instead of having 500 pops spread out over 500 shots, those 500 pops are spread out over 250 shots...

the # of strobes will still give you the same # of pops, this is assuming no misfires...

running off a battery pack, 2 strobes cannot use more power than one.... whether you drain the battery with 1 or 2 strobes, you've used the exact same amount of power (i.e. limited by the battery pack) and generated just as much light as you would with 1 strobe... the only different is the amount of light (or power used) by frames captured

You guys are saying the same thing but in different terms.

A battery contains a finite amount of energy, so if you're using 1x500ws strobe, you can get X number of pops at 1/1, if you're using 2x 500ws, you'll get X/2 number of pops at 2x 1/1 since you are using twice the amount of energy per pop.

Csae wrote in post #15053994
You guys are saying the same thing but in different terms.

A battery contains a finite amount of energy, so if you're using 1x500ws strobe, you can get X number of pops at 1/1, if you're using 2x 500ws, you'll get X/2 number of pops at 2x 1/1 since you are using twice the amount of energy per pop.

sorta... he seems to indicate he prefers to measure in time, and I'm not sure that's the proper way to think about that...
if I'm going onsite with strobes, I'll be thinking about how often I can trigger them on my packs, not how long it will last... if I know I'm going to need xx number of shots, lit by x number of strobes, then I can figure out if I'll need 1 or both my VMLs, or find an alternate power source...

When your read post #5 where this started, my presumption is he defines one "pop" as one shutter cycle, with one activation of the strobe (or strobes), regardless how many strobes are in use. With that presumption, his post makes sense.

Curtis N wrote in post #15054763
When your read post #5 where this started, my presumption is he defines one "pop" as one shutter cycle, with one activation of the strobe (or strobes), regardless how many strobes are in use. With that presumption, his post makes sense.

anything could be twisted into making sense

aIpha wrote in post #15037122
Are vagabond minis still a good option for portable power?

I've got two 600RX and two D-lite 4 (non-ITs). I believe at least the 600RXs are compatible with the VM and actually was tested by Paul himself when it was launched but not sure if anything changed since then.

Thanks!

I have used this VML with my Eli BXRi250, and I must tell you, it recycled slower than what is advertised on their website, I do not know whether it is because I have a different Flash brand and VML's were made to work with Alienbees brand only, but bottomline is, I got this Tronix Explorer Mini, and as compared to VML, this gear works flawlessly with Elinchroms, cause I do also have BXRi500.