Luis Solorzano wrote:
I have a 400 and 800 AB set up and am very happy with it in studio shots I have done.  Just got the vagabond 150 power pack for it, and was wondering if anyone has used this set up for outdoor shots of a model or couple under cloudy skies, or by making a covering over the models to give diffused light?

You only need one light and an umbrella for what you want to do.  Place the subject's back toward the light and use the AB as fill, a stop or so down.

Paul

Luis Solorzano wrote:
I have a 400 and 800 AB set up and am very happy with it in studio shots I have done.  Just got the vagabond 150 power pack for it, and was wondering if anyone has used this set up for outdoor shots of a model or couple under cloudy skies, or by making a covering over the models to give diffused light?

Under cloudy skies.
First you want to get a meter reading of the light falling on the model. This will give you a starting point. Say you get f5.6@60.
You next have to ask yourself if you want to darken the skies behind the model, or keep them the same.
If you want to darked the skies then set the AB's at f5.6@80 or f5.6@125. If you want to keep them the same and just lighted the model some then add 1/2 of a stop light or F4. But make sure you use a tri-pod at 1/60. This will be slow but will not darken your background, but blurr it slightly.

One Sunny days do what Paul says.

Mark

Daniel Kwan wrote:
Are there alternatives to the Vagabond battery?

Yes.  Somewhere in the depth of these fora there's a link, but the search is broken, so I don't know what it is.  Anyway, others know better, but it involves any battery with a pure sine wave inverter or something.

Seriously, others know better.

Daniel Kwan wrote:
Are there alternatives to the Vagabond battery?

Elinchrom

It doesn't get much cheaper than the Vagabond.

Daniel Kwan wrote:
I know nothing about electrical stuff, but from what I read, I'm guessing AlienBees B800 monolights should be able to use this [Xantrex Xpower] without problems? Thanks for the responses.

Thats a modified sine wave,,,not a good idea...in fact Xantrex even says on their site someplace not to use their modified sine wave inverters with strobes....

http://www.invertersrus.com/puresinewaveinverters.html   

Daniel Kwan wrote:
I know nothing about electrical stuff, but from what I read, I'm guessing AlienBees B800 monolights should be able to use this [Xantrex Xpower] without problems?

Well, ok, I do know something about electrical stuff (pulling out the electrical engineering degrees).

The AlienBees are monolights but they do not have large transformers like other monolights do.  This makes them more "picky" about their choice of power (see my other post about the difference between modified sinewave and true sinewaves).  The Vagabond system AlienBees sells is a true sine wave converter, which is just like a mains outlet.

Now, even though the AB monolight does not use a large transformer, it must still have a transformer inside its body since flashes work in DC, which makes it likely that it will work with a modified sine wave converter, but it depends on the design of the transformer.  MSW is only harmful if you have a power pack that is transformer-less between your battery and the power source.  Otherwise, you should be ok.

However, the problem with the supply you posted is likely not caused by the MSW, but its limited maximum output current.  Its instantaneous current is only about 5 Amps, which is a little too low to charge most battery pack and even monolights.  It won't handle the current you need.

MSW is cheaper to produce and is a more efficient design.  True Sine Wave converter is more expensive, and to be honest, the Vagabond system is a fair value proposition given its spec.  If you have AlienBees lights anyway, just get the Vagabond; you will have no worries and can retain all your warranty etc.

You can get more power with the larger Xantrex powerpack with the wheels, and that will handle a lot of current.  But for your need and peace of mind, you probably want to stick with the Vagabond.