LQ Promax in portrait mode

I haven't had much opportunity to use the Lumiquest Promax System since I got it, and when I did it was in landscape orientation with flash on camera. Used the 80/20 on Saturday night at a party with friends. In LS orientation obviously it's fine, but when rotate to portrait mode the 80/20 pointing the wrong way even thought the flash is pointing up at the ceiling. Assume it's ideal to use on a bracket so the flash is always over lens and you don't get that problem, but I don't have that type of bracket with me usually.

Now because it's being used in E-TTL mode, I'm assuming that there was enough power for the 80% of bounce light to still work and the 20% reflected at 90 degrees to the subject, and hence just wasted. That sound right? What's your experience?

So I'm thinking I should get a bracket so the flash is always over the lens. Downside is weight and cost.

I note the Demb Flip-it is mounted on the short sides of the flash, so no matter whether you're portrait or landscape orientation, without bracket, you get some forward light as well as bounce. But the flash is still a little to the side you could get side shadows? Or does the bounce overpower the side shadows from the reflector?

Sounds like I know the answer (get a bracket), but want to hear that you can get acceptable results using the speedlight on camera with bounce in portrait mode.

Any thoughts?

I have used mine in portrait mode with a bracket, and it worked great. If you don't have a decent ceiling in proximity for the bounce, you can use a bounce card to deflect that 80% toward the subject..and the diffuser on the front to soften the light, if you need it. With my bracket, I can adjust the height of the flash over the camera somewhat too, in order to get different effects.