Paul C. Buff, Inc. Technical Forum

Hello, I'm considering upgrading the Vagabond - II battery to a higher capacity one, as well as buying the inverter+bag combo make more energy dense Vagabonds.

Only a standard OEM replacement battery is sold by PCB, so I was wondering if you have any specifications that I should consider when looking at third-party battery suppliers. Minimum and maximum ratings, size data, as well as your preferred battery manufacturer recommendations would be greatly appreciated.

As I consider this project, I assume that your battery is not a custom pack, but one that can be purchased off the shelf. Don't get me wrong, it is not my intent to save money by not purchasing from PCB, I just want to see if a higher capacity alternative is available for me to make the Vagabond II even nicer.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated! :geek:

You can use any 12V Sealed Lead Acid battery up to car battery size. Vagabond's built in charger is designed for a 20AH battery, so using a much high capacity battery will take longer to charge. Make sure you use heavy gauge wires and clean, tight connections as the battery current is close to 60AMPs. Loose connections or light gauge wire can cause a fire.

Hi Luap, thank you for the quick response. How much charging current does the Vagabond II provide in charging mode?

Hey Luap! Luv the vega II use it on all shoots.. just curious though.. why does the green light stay on all the time on the unit? does that drain battery life? or is it soo negligible no biggy?

also check out this vid using two AB800s and a AB1600 i always love your products :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YNQNcz6ugaw

shenanigans,
the output of the charge is 13.85V and about 4A

Jacob,
the green light is an LED, and the draw is negligible, With it, you can tell that a-the battery is connected, b-the fuse is good, and c- there is at least some charge on the battery.

Hi Luap - like Shenanigans I am interested in a revision to the Vagabond II battery - but I am interested in going to a lower capacity battery.

I currently use the standard Vagabond II setup and it is great, except I need a full lighting setup on some remote location shoots where all gear is carried in - obviously the battery weight is a key factor in transportability.

Are there any minimum requirements for the battery? I am considering a 12v 8ah sealed lead acid battery - will this work?

Obviously capacity will be limited, but the shoots are low volume (in terms of shots / flash use) and this would bring the weight of the battery down to about 6lb.

Finally, if I am considering a second setup for the battery, will buying the inverter be sufficient to give all the features of the full Vagabond II (i.e. charging, plug-ins, etc)?

Thanks for your help
Dave

I assume that all the announced PCB products (yet to be shipped) will exceed our expectations substantially. I hope PCB has the ambition and inspiration to build and offer a lightweight battery pack that offers 100 shots full power Einstein in a <6lb package.
until then there seems to be a thriving cult of battery builders sharing info and parts sources.

I've used a Vagabond II and its does a great job of holding my lightstand and 86" PLM down. Last a long time with a AB800 too. Would it be possible to upgrade the Vagabond II with a lithium type battery in the future. Here is a application with an BIG price :shock: . Vagabond III for $2700 less :D

http://www.libertypak.com/little_genny.html
http://www.libertypak.com/product_comparison.html

we do not recommend using a battery less than 11V (*edit-sorry, 11Ah*). Anything smaller could yield issues IN performance, and very small would kill the battery.

TS