DIY Vagabond / power pack parts list

Cesman said:

This model is a Pure/True Sine Wave. But I don't think it will make
any difference in power output, does it? I do understand that I
cannot use a modified sine wave inverter. The strobe requires clean
power. This cost me close to $140 (including shipping).
I just don't understand that a 150watts inverter with 12v 10AH or
15AH will work and mine with 300watts and 12V 18AH don't.

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virtuamike said:

Cesman said:

This model is a Pure/True Sine Wave. But I don't think it will make
any difference in power output, does it? I do understand that I
cannot use a modified sine wave inverter. The strobe requires clean
power. This cost me close to $140 (including shipping).
I just don't understand that a 150watts inverter with 12v 10AH or
15AH will work and mine with 300watts and 12V 18AH don't.

Click to expand...

--
Ramen is how I afford my glass
http://www.blindmike.com

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Cesman said:

virtuamike said:

Cesman said:

This model is a Pure/True Sine Wave. But I don't think it will make
any difference in power output, does it? I do understand that I
cannot use a modified sine wave inverter. The strobe requires clean
power. This cost me close to $140 (including shipping).
I just don't understand that a 150watts inverter with 12v 10AH or
15AH will work and mine with 300watts and 12V 18AH don't.

Click to expand...

--
Ramen is how I afford my glass
http://www.blindmike.com

Click to expand...

The cable that came with the inverter are #10 1/C (stranded). Since
they are side by side, about 18" inches long.

Click to expand...

Cesman said:

No kinks on the cable. I also tried every setting on AB800 and I
did get one flash on 1/16 after I turn the inverter off and then
turn it on again.
What I did not have is the ground. I did not ground it, coz I did
think it will make a difference. Do you think I should?

Click to expand...

virtuamike said:

Sounds like either the battery is low on charge or the inverter
isn't working right.

Cesman said:

No kinks on the cable. I also tried every setting on AB800 and I
did get one flash on 1/16 after I turn the inverter off and then
turn it on again.
What I did not have is the ground. I did not ground it, coz I did
think it will make a difference. Do you think I should?

Click to expand...

--
Ramen is how I afford my glass
http://www.blindmike.com

Click to expand...

virtuamike said:

I figured this would be easier than writing this out every time I
get an email about it.

The functional components are a true sine wave inverter, a sealed
lead acid battery, and a charger. You want to make sure that you're
using a true sine wave inverter. Cheaper modified sine wave
inverters don't put out clean power. If you use a modified inverter
with your strobes, you'll run the risk of either misfiring or
frying your equipment. Blown caps smell bad.

The Vagabond uses this -
http://www.samlexamerica.com/products/productdescription.asp?ProductsID=7013

http://store.altenergystore.com/Inverters/Off-Grid-No-Utility-Needs-Batteries/10-to-299-Watts/Samlex-150W-12V-Pure-Sine-Wave-Inverter/p1043/

It's a 150W Samlex. They're cheap, but anyone that uses the
Vagabond can tell you that the 150W continuous current can be
limiting for recycle times especially for more powerful units
(AB1600, X3200). I strongly recommend stepping up to the 300W
Samlex. It's not that much more expensive, and 300W continuous will
cut down your recycle times.

http://store.altenergystore.com/Inverters/Off-Grid-No-Utility-Needs-Batteries/300-to-999-Watts/Samlex-300W-12V-Pure-Sine-Wave-Inverter/p1044/

If you have a Fry's Electronics locally, they'll have them for $130.

Next you need a 12V battery. Sealed lead acid is cheap so it's the
most economical way to go. The higher the AH rating, the longer
it'll last and the heavier it'll be. It's up to you to figure out
what the best compromise is for weight vs battery life. The
Vagabond uses a 15AH battery. In testing I've found that it's best
to stay above 10AH at a bare minimum. If you need them shipped,
either one of these would work -

http://www.batterymart.com/battery.mv?p=SLA-12V12

http://www.batterymart.com/battery.mv?p=SLA-12V18

If you need something more heavy duty and don't mind the weight,
then pick up a motorcycle or car battery at your local auto shop.
Another good place to check locally would be a hobby shop.

There are plenty of options for battery chargers. If you want to
prolong the life of your battery, then go with a "smart" multistage
charger. They adjust according to what charging stage your battery
is in, and they're safe to leave plugged in to maintain storage
charge. The Battery Tender is a solid unit, and it's international.

http://www.batterymart.com/battery.mv?p=DEL-022-0139-DL-UK

Then again, SLA batteries are cheap and life span is 3 years max.
If you have more than 1 battery to charge at a time, going with
cheaper chargers might be a more practical route.

http://www.batterymart.com/battery.mv?p=ACC-12BC1000D-1

I'd avoid fast chargers though.

Here's a simplified overview of SLA charging -
http://www.rcbatteryclinic.com/lead.html

After that, all that's left is to wire everything up and find
something to store it in. Your local auto or electronic shop will
have all the cables and connectors you need. Wire gauge from your
battery to your inverter will depend on the length of the run. If
it's short then you don't need anything super heavy duty - 14-16ga
will be fine. For smaller capacity batteries, 1/4" spade connectors
(.250) will fit the battery terminals. Bigger capacity batteries
will have ring terminals. It all depends on what you go with, but
it's not hard to find.

NEC requires a ground circuit. Local and state laws will vary, but
the reason the Vagabond comes with a ground is a CYA. The Samlex
instruction manual will show you where to attach a ground cable on
the inverter chassis. Your auto store has ground cables and spikes
for sale. Then again, it's probably a good idea to avoid using
faulty cabling and equipment in the first place.

Toolboxes work great for storage. Walmart has a 22" plastic Black &
Decker for under $10. Anything will work as long as it's sturdy and
waterproof (though I do recommend plastic in order to avoid
shorting anything if your cables come loose).

This is what mine looked like when I got done. The wiring's a
little different because I used 5AH batteries in parallel. I also
used fast disconnects for everything to make swapping batteries and
plugging in chargers easier. They sell them at Fry's.







And that's about it. It's fairly straight forward and it'll save
you money. A DIY power pack with 300W inverter, 12-18AH battery,
charger, and misc parts should run you less than $250 easy
(compared to $350 before shipping for the 150W Vagabond and $500
for the 300W version, which is 2 150W inverters instead of a single
300W).

--
Ramen is how I afford my glass
http://www.blindmike.com

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