Paul C. Buff, Inc. Technical Forum

Would it be possible to hook the Vagabond II Inverter up do a much smaller (lighter battery) and could you recommend one that would get atleast 100 full power pops out of an AB800 but wouldn't weigh as much. Recycle time could also be less than great...but it would also have to be a sealed battery

As the the 20aH battery gets about 1200 flashes, mathmatically, a 1.6aH battery would give 100 flashes. However, we do not reccomend anything lower than an 11aH battery, as anything lower could damage the inverter. As for a specific reccomendation, we dont have one, but make sure any battery you use is a deep cycle battery, and we suggest an SLA type.

TS

Correction to Tech Support. A small battery such as 1.6AH has much higher internal resistance than the 20AH battery. It won't harm the inverter, but you won't get the predicted 100 flashes because a large amount of the stored power would be lost in the battery as heat. This could overheat and damage the battery.

Ok, what would happen with a SLA 12v, 7.5 aH battery that is not deep cycle?

Found one and it's 6 pounds, looking to package the inverter with a batery and get it in under 10lbs as I will be carrying it in a back pack and holding a camera with a ABR800 on it.

A non deep cycle battery subjected to repetitive deep discharges will damage the battery. As well, as Paul stated in his correction of my statement, the battery can heat up, and as result of the heat, damage the battery (not the inverter). It very well could work, but how long it would do so is uncertain.

TS

Last question, will the Inverter charge the low aH non Deep Cycle battery?

Alos the overheating, would that be something to be worried about having it in a backpack? If the only side effect is I only get a few outtings with the battery, I am fine with that as a cost of the project....I just don't want to risk body harm :)

The charger is sized for the 20AH battery. Using it on a 7.5AH battery will exceed the battery's recommended charging rate and will shorten the battery life and overheat it.