Elinchrom D-Lites and 300 RX used with PCB Vagabond II (Test Videos)

Ok... So I have been reading in multiple forums about people asking if Elinchrom Strobes are compatible with Paul C Buff Vagabond II Portable PowerPack. Some say it works, some say it doesn't... some say it will work with one but as soon as you plug 2 then you will blow up your fuses and you can kiss your strobes bye bye.

Well I have been using the Vagabond for about 1 year now and I can say it works like a charm! Last summer I tried the Tronix XT from a friend of mine and it also works but not as fast nor are the recycling of the strobes "in sync" as with the Vagabond.

And trust me I am not a PCB fan boy by any means, as a matter of fact I don't like the AlienBees nor the White Lighting strobes (the ABs were my first strobes but the inconsistency in color temp, flash output, recycling times and flash duration quickly made me jump to better quality strobes). Having said that the Vagabond II is an amazing portable powerpack (and doubles as my sand bag when shooting on location).

So I decided to put up some videos on YouTube to help others with Elinchrom strobes make up their minds about the Vagabond II, and also to prove those skeptical guys out there that 2 strobes work like a charm and even 3 strobes can be plugged in without blowing any fuses.

Here are the links:

Vagabond II and Elinchrom DLite 4: 2 Strobes
http://www.youtube.com​/watch?v=jsxktBqKBu8


Vagabond II and Elinchrom Style RX 300 (Part 1): 1 Strobe
http://www.youtube.com​/watch?v=7TKU3mXE54Y


Vagabond II and Elinchrom Style RX 300 (Part 2): Powerpack vs Wall Outlet comparison
http://www.youtube.com​/watch?v=FRlaIXbmSts


Vagabond II and Elinchrom Style RX 300 (Part 3): 2 Strobes
http://www.youtube.com​/watch?v=h27SkxBerjY


Vagabond II and Elinchrom Style RX 300 (Part 4): 3 Strobes
http://www.youtube.com​/watch?v=TUWT3Uws-kE

Good info to know. Thanks for doing this.

This helps me out in a debate to buy it for use with my Genesis 400's. I at least have the confidence to give it a shot anyway. Thanks for posting this!

alabama1980 wrote in post #9724449
This helps me out in a debate to buy it for use with my Genesis 400's. I at least have the confidence to give it a shot anyway. Thanks for posting this!

There have been reports of incompatibilities with multiple Genesis 400's and the Vagabond II. The Innovatronix Explorer XT SE is compatible with the Genesis 400's.

I have zero troubles using my Vagabond II with two Elinchrom D-Lite 4s. ZERO!! Two of them work perfectly, even when set at full power.

However, if I plug a THIRD D-Lite 4 into the Vagabond II, things start to get dicey if I put any one of them up near or at full power. Before that third D-Lite 4 fully recharges, it will trip and fire on its own.

If I keep the power on all three D-Lite 4s at least a full stop below full power, I can power all three from the Vagabond II.

This is one of the reasons I eventually want to get some RX strobes.

Mark

excellent video that clearly shows you don't need a more expensive inverter just to perform the same task.

Mark Booth wrote in post #9724644
I have zero troubles using my Vagabond II with two Elinchrom D-Lite 4s. ZERO!! Two of them work perfectly, even when set at full power.

However, if I plug a THIRD D-Lite 4 into the Vagabond II, things start to get dicey if I put any one of them up near or at full power. Before that third D-Lite 4 fully recharges, it will trip and fire on its own.

If I keep the power on all three D-Lite 4s at least a full stop below full power, I can power all three from the Vagabond II.

This is one of the reasons I eventually want to get some RX strobes.

Mark

Hey Mark,

Yes, the D-Lite 4's don't seem to present a problem but the Genesis 400's do and that has to do with the bi-voltage circuitry of the Genesis.

Hmmmmmmm but D-Lite 4's are multivoltage as well.

http://www.adorama.com​/EL20812KIT.html

i'm guessing the internal circuitry is slightly different in the genesis line which is why there are issues when using a genesis strobe with the vagabond.

Gaussian_Blur wrote in post #9724860
Hmmmmmmm but D-Lite 4's are multivoltage as well.

http://www.adorama.com​/EL20812KIT.html

Correct, and they operate differently than the Genesis. It has to do with the initial draw of the strobe. The D-Lite's have fairly stable circuitry so they draw a consistent number of amps. The Genesis bounce around and unpredictably draw different amounts from pop to pop. When you plug in 2 Genesis 400's the same unpredictable behavior occurs but the sum of the amps needed exceeds the deliverable power of the inverter. Not all bi-voltage strobes behave the same way.

Is it possible to use your modeling lamps when using the D-Lite 4's with the Vagabond?

irishman wrote in post #9725188
Is it possible to use your modeling lamps when using the D-Lite 4's with the Vagabond?

Sure! But the Vagabond II will run out of juice MUCH more quickly with the modeling lights on!

Mark

as does the XT (I know from experience).

Modeling lights are a heavy continuous draw on the batteries in units like the V2 and XT(SE). I can't speak for Paul Buff as far as what he recommends or what is safe, but I do know, based on firsthand information from the Innovatronix engineers, that they don't recommend using modeling lights.

There are two reasons. One is because it will deplete the battery much faster, and the other is because of thermal overload. With one strobe and one modeling light it's not a problem and you'll just give up battery life. Once you start adding one of two more modeling lights the draw is very high and the heat generated is considerable.

The XT(SE) has thermal shutdown circuitry that will kick in if temperature goes too high and you'll have to wait until the unit cools before you can power up again but the bottom line is that you won't (or at least shouldn't) damage or fry the battery or inverter.

Does not make sense using a modeling light when using a powerpack. To be honest most of the time I shoot outdoors I only shoot using 1 light (just twice i have used 2 lights... is hard to be carrying a lot of gear to a remote location). Secondly, I normally shoot when the sun is out; only once have I used strobes without any sun and that time I did use the modeling light at the lowest setting to help me out with the auto focus (I had zero issues with the powerpack but I do realize the battery was getting drained at a quick pace).