The DIY Vagabond (For Dummies)

2009-02-07T16:26:00.000-08:00

So today we are going to be building a portable power pack from a 12 Volt battery and an inverter. I will try to make this as simple to understand as possible but if you have any questions feel free to ask. I think the design I'm about to propose is about as easy and foolproof as building Legos. I have seen many a DIY Blog on making a Vagabond knockoff and most of them have been a bit tricky to understand. This project is for those photographers who really want it easy, here we go. Clicking the links will take you to the store and product page where I got the parts.

Here are a few things that you'll need to build the pack:

Inverter : (AIMS 300 Watt Pure Sine Wave) You will need an inverter that is pure sine wave. You cannot assume that the inverter that you can find at Walmart is Pure Sine because you will end up damaging your strobes. Samlex and AIMs are a few good ones that I have heard about. I go a 300Watt for $134 from the Inverter Store

Battery: (Triple i 12v 12AH battery) For the battery you will want to find something with F1 or F2 tabs on the battery (see photo below). The largest size battery capacity that I have found with these tabs is 12AH which is kind of a downside, but the 12Ah battery is very small in physical size with a decent capacity. I got mine for $20 plus $10 for shipping from here. I see they don't have anymore 12ah, but the two packs are going for only $34.

Wire: Now this is where it gets a little tricky in most DIY projects, having to solder wires to connectors and terminals. So I went in seach of a solution and ended up at Powerwerx. At Powerwerx they build cords that are based off of a little connector called an Anderson Powerpole. It kind of looks like a lego with a red and black connector. The good news is that you cannot possibly connect the red into the black, they are mated black black red red. Bad news is that they are a little more expensive then building your own. The AIMS inverter is set up for ring-style terminals, so Powerwerx makes a Ring Terminal to Powerpole cord here. As a bonus it comes with a pre-wired fuse holder. For the battery they sell a F1/F2 style connector to Powerpole here. I was amazed. Now I can easily disconnect the inverter from the battery when its not in use. Genius. The cords with shipping came out to $29. Pricey, but you get the convince of the fuses, the connectors, and the fact that you don't have to really build anything.

Charger: Find a good 12 volt battery charger from Home Depot or if you have one, a Harbor Freight Tools. All the charger needs is alligator style clips to clip onto the tabs. I had one, so no cost there.

HOW TO BUILD IT:

1. Connect the Battery to Powerpole connector to the battery.

2. Screw the Ring Terminal to Powerpole cord into the Inverter.

3. Connect the two Powerpole connectors. You're Done.

That's it. Notice the Yellow connector on my Battery to Powerpole. I accidentally slipped the connector that Powerwerx fitted off. So I went down to the auto parts store and got a package of F1/F2 connectors for a whopping $2.

I have hooked 3 flashes with a total of 600WS into the pack and it charges very quickly and I would imagine (from talking to other people) that I will be able to get about 200 full power flashes out of the pack and 3 flash combo. Total cost: right around $200, shipped. That's a savings of about $120 from the Alien Bees, but remember, the battery they've got is bigger and the charger is built in. If you are a real penny pincher, this DIY might be for you. Enjoy!

K626 music video

2008-06-02T15:47:00.001-07:00

Liz Meenan

2008-05-29T16:02:00.000-07:00

Ive been pretty busy lately, so here are a couple that I just edited. Enjoy!

Moi @ Sandals Church

2008-05-27T08:20:00.000-07:00

These guys were really great. Check them out here.

Dan Rogers Photographics

The DIY Vagabond (For Dummies)

K626 music video

Liz Meenan

Moi @ Sandals Church