Powering studio lights outdoors

[achee]

Hi all!

I'm considering a battery pack to power 240V lights outdoors...

I think this product from Innovatronix is at the low end of the market:
http://www.innovatronix.com/detailpage.asp?productid=388&categoryid=42

Is there any difference between this and a car (or 24V truck) battery and an inverter? Could I do that myself? It doesn't need to be a pure SINE wave inverter, does it?

(I'm still really just dreaming about the possibilities at the moment...)

[jjphoto]

It does need to be a pure sine wave converter but there's another good reason not to build your own. Units like the Innovatronix and Alien Bees Vagabond (110Volt) are designed to keep the voltage up during very heavy initial current draw which doesn't happen with the typical inverters you'd buy at Jaycar or similar places (where the voltage can drop so much that the flash can have problems with it). They might work fine with some flashes but not with others. The innovatronix is a better bet over all and it's actually a very good product from what I've read about it over the years, never owned/used one however.

JJ

[Doninoz]

Hi all!

I'm considering a battery pack to power 240V lights outdoors...

I think this product from Innovatronix is at the low end of the market:
http://www.innovatronix.com/detailpage.asp?productid=388&categoryid=42

Is there any difference between this and a car (or 24V truck) battery and an inverter? Could I do that myself? It doesn't need to be a pure SINE wave inverter, does it?

(I'm still really just dreaming about the possibilities at the moment...)

I have an account with Image Melbourne that offer a lot of equipment at very reasonable prices...Image Melbourne (http://www.##############.com.au).

Innovatronix Explorer XT SE is a really great unit that I have used before (hired) but I know you can get it for under $500.00.

This portable power supply is designed to run one or many flash units with a combined power rating of up to 2400Ws. Innovatronix are famous for their Pure Sine Wave battery powered inverters that supply 240V of smooth clean power.

Visit this link for the Explorer torture test & other videos Innovatronix (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lf0qjRZ1h-c).

This unit can also be used for powering continuous lighting with a maximum load of 350W, or just about any other 240V appliance such as laptops, printers etc.

The two 240V power sockets on the front of the unit will accept Australian / EU / UK / US style plugs, and a power board can be used to run multiple flashes or other appliances. Check overseas appliances are 240V compatible before connecting them to the Explorer.

The Explorer has a built in international charger (100-240V), and an Australia power cable is included (adapters are needed to charge it overseas). The Explorer also accepts top up charge from the included 12V cigarette lighter cable but cannot be fully charged from 12V.

This unit will run all LumOz flashes supplied by Image Melbourne, and almost all other monoblock studio flashes.

Specifications :
· Capacity : Approx. 1000 full power flashes for 300Ws flash unit OR 50 mins runtime for 150W lights OR 35mins @ 225W
· Charging time : 3 - 5 hours
· Weight : 8 kilos
· Two universal 240V power supply sockets
· Includes Australian 240V power cable
· 12V cigarette lighter cable (for top-up charge only)

The Explorer is NOT suited to powering floorpacks (large floor standing units that run mutiple flash heads). The Explorer is designed to run monblock flashes i.e. individual flash heads that plug straight into a 240V socket.

Replacement batteries are available from Jaycar electronics, you'll need 2x 12v 7.2ah batteries : CAT. NO. SB2486 @ approx $30 each. Replacement takes 30-45 minutes, instructions are provided with the units.

NB : Most other inverters and generators supply "modified sine wave" 240V which will damage the sensitive electronics in studio flashes and many other modern appliances.