Paul C. Buff, Inc. Technical Forum

Most old packs and flashes are pretty dangerous to hook to sync ports directly ;-)
Some of the older 240x blackline packs have a crazy sync voltage of 300V which is even higher than what Pocketwizards are rated for :-)

But yes, the brownline w/ stepped inverter compatibility I confirmed directly w/ Speedo tech support. They're not very adjustable, but workhorses like the rest of the Speedo gear (not that I've had any problems w/ my AB gear either but I don't shoot professionally)...

I am not sure if it's the right place to ask, but since it's come off topic about the inverters, I have a problem.
I live in Europe, so I figured that the best solution would be to build one myself, I bought the 150W pure sine inverter, connected it to 12V 12Ah sealed lead acid battery, but something is wrong, I am not sure what. I tried it with 1 AB400, and if the power is more than 1/16 after firing one flash, it doesn't recharge. The inverter shuts down and the red light(Protection) turns on. If I turn the inverter off and on, while leaving the flash unit ON, it charges and I can fire again, but only for 1 shot every time.
Do you have any idea what could be the problem? I thought 150W would be plenty, for powering 1 flash unit (even the B800, though I tried it only on B400).
Could it be the wiring? (not perfectly attached to the battery maybe?)
Could it be, that the inverter just says that it is pure sine wave on the case, but it's not?

BTW the modeling lamp isn't consistent at all either. It just keeps blinking, like there isn't enough power, but maybe that's usual when powering it from the battery.

Thanks.

1. The inverter detects the initial surge and shuts down.

2. Wires connecting the batteries have too much resistant and lowers the voltage enough to trigger low voltage shutdown.

solution?

If the inverter detects the initial surge and shuts down, which is likely, then you need a bigger inverter or one that is current limited. Also, try with the model lamps off.

TS

I tried with model lamps off. Still the same. But 150W should be enough, shouldn't it? I thought the older vagabond used 150W inverters.

and should the modeling lamp light smoothly like from the AC outlet, or is it normal to have some blinking? Especially it darkens when I am setting up more power

The older vagabonds did use 150W inverters. However, after the flash fires, there is a peak draw of 18A or so, and the voltage drops. The duration of this draw depends on the amount of Ws you are recycling. Some (most) inverters shut down as they reach a certain voltage. Current limited inverters, such as those found in the Vagabonds, can lower thier voltage and stay on. As the draw lowers, the voltage goes back up, and the lights recharge fully. This drop in voltage is part of why recycle time slow down using the Vagabond.

With the model lamps, there is flickering, usually becuse the model lamps have a significant draw themselves. The inverter and battery are trying to keep up the supply to the lamps, as well as the capacitors, fans, etc.

TS

Thanks! That's the best answer, I could expect. Finally, I got it, well I hope the shop will replace my inverter with the current-controlled one.

Ok, so something weird happened.
I have connected the 200W modified sinewave inverter to the battery, and then a 60W lamp in serial connection between the inverter and the flash unit. And it seems to be working perfectly. Is there something I don't understand, or should I just be happy and use the new battery pack?

Not a bad solution - the series lamp will protect the flash from damage and keep the inverter happy. The problem is you are limiting the charge power to 60W. so recycle will be very long. Might try going up to 100 - 150W series lamp to speed things up.