| Sign in: |
| Members log in here with your user name and password to access the your admin page and other special features. |
|
|
|
|
|| SportsShooter.com: Member Message Board
Shooting strobes on car power
Chris Parent, Student/Intern, Photographer
 |
Baton Rouge | LA | United States | Posted: 3:27 AM on 11.24.09 |
| ->> Has anyone every tried shooting strobes through a power inverter in their car? I was looking to shoot an AB800 or two off one, but though I would ask first. I don't want to blow up my car. |
|
Israel Shirk, Photographer, Assistant
|
Boise | ID | US | Posted: 3:52 AM on 11.24.09 |
->> They don't handle enough current - you'll (hopefully) just blow a lot of fuses.
I've heard of people having luck using a large inverter attached directly to the battery; however, that's still a bit on the risky side - you're better off just using a car battery on its own rather than attached to the car (in case it has any problems or gets low, you're not stuck).
It's most cost effective to just get one of the AB packs. |
|
Curtis Clegg, Photographer
|
Sycamore | IL | USA | Posted: 7:35 AM on 11.24.09 |
->> I have used my Paul Buff inverter (which is part of the Vagabond system) to power two AB400s for a few portraits. Made specifically, of course, for the Buff brands of lights.
A search on here for "sine wave" will bring up a number of threads like the following which warn against using ordinary inverters for your lighting equipment:
http://www.sportsshooter.com/message_display.html?tid=33483 |
|
Chris Russick, Photographer, Assistant
|
St. Petersburg | FL | USA | Posted: 1:38 PM on 11.24.09 |
| ->> Tried it way back in the day with the biggest inverter I could find. Never worked right with two AB 800's. Vagabond is the only way to go (for the money). |
|
Michael Maano, Photographer
|
Jacksonville | FL | USA | Posted: 1:48 PM on 11.24.09 |
| ->> Find a place that rents the Honda EU2000i generators. There are several places in Jax that rents them so you should be able to find one in Louisiana. Very clean power that's made for sensitive electronics. I rented one for less than $50 and I used three WL heads to shoot an outdoor event. My vagabonds would have never lasted the entire night. No problems at all with the generator. |
|
Tom Story, Photographer
|
Tempe | AZ | USA | Posted: 2:35 PM on 11.24.09 |
->> If you can drive to the location in a car, use the car to haul a Honda generator. They are wonderful devices. Place it downwind and baffle it with an equipment case (both to lessen the noise-though they are very quiet), run a 50 foot extension cord to the strobes and you're in business.
Besides down in LA, having a generator may come in handy in other situations. |
|
N. Scott Trimble, Photographer
|
Lake Oswego | OR | USA | Posted: 2:36 PM on 11.24.09 |
->> The Honda's are the best, and was cheaper for me to buy a Profoto 2400 with two heads and the HOnda than buying a 7b. I lug one thing more, but its worth not spending the extra grands, plus, I can plug in my computer and chargers too.
The best inverter I think goes to 800W, and a standard strobe is as low as 600W, but depending on the output of the strobe you have set, could spike to 1200W, and cause a problem.
Perhaps get the Paul C Buff. |
|
Nick Morris, Photographer
|
San Marcos | CA | United States | Posted: 7:59 PM on 11.24.09 |
| ->> I have one of the older Lumidyne systems that came with a cig lighter converter and I can run two strobes off my Jeep without any issues. If you do go Inverter make sure it puts out pure Sine power and has a steady load rating above your equipment |
|
Patrick Murphy-Racey, Photographer
|
Powell | TN | USA | Posted: 10:21 PM on 11.24.09 |
->> there are some really good inverters made for tow trucks and cop cars that need tons of 110V juice out there, but their cost is prohibitive. I used to have a "phat" Ford F350 with a massive diesel engine and rigged up an inverter I picked up in a pawn shop. I did one shoot one time where I powered a location kit with 3- Dynalite 2000 w/s packs for a 4x5 portrait in a field. If the tank was full on that bad boy, you could shoot for days... but I only used it once... What made it cool was the $50 price tag on the inverter that cost $750 new... the wiring kit from radio shack was around $40!!!
I have a small inverter that runs off of my BMW motorcycle that can charge a laptop as I ride, which is pretty cool, but it won't power up anything in a lightware case...
I think everyone here is on the right track with the VII from Buff... pm-r |
|
Alan Walsh, Student/Intern, Photo Editor
|
Tucson | AZ | | Posted: 10:38 PM on 11.24.09 |
| ->> I used to do that with one AB800 and it worked just fine. I didn't even use a big power inverter. My car didn't die. |
|
Karsten Moran, Photographer, Photo Editor
|
New York | NY | United States of America | Posted: 8:51 AM on 11.25.09 |
->> i'd strongly recommend against it
how much is your car worth? if it's worth more than a generator, or battery pack, it's probably not worth sticking your lights into
as israel and scott noted, if you're lucky, you'll just blow a bunch of fuses
if you're unlucky, you could destroy your cigarette lighter forever... or ruin crucial electronic components in your car (like your starter and solenoid) |
|
Return to --> Message Board Main Index
|