Paul C. Buff Vagabond Mini

[jstevensphoto]

I recently broke down and ordered this thing and it seems to work great. My concern is some batteries like this get "memory lock" meaning you must be sure to fully drain the charge before recharging. Does anyone out there own this thing and know if I should drain the charge before hooking up the charger? It was a bit pricey and I don't want to ruin the battery.

[Dobick]

I think (not a battery expert) that the lithiums do not suffer from battery memory problems.

[Redneck]

There comes a "manual" with the Vagabond II stating that there is no such thing as memory effects anymore with this type of battery. I've been using mine for about 4 months and I'm very pleased with it.

[Coelus]

I ordered one and a spare battery. Came in last week and seems like it's going to be a good system. Definitely easier to pack than my Tronix XT was.

[brad]

Its not pricey... its downright cheap for what it is... and getting fantastic reviews.

[Coelus]

Originally Posted by brad

Its not pricey... its downright cheap for what it is... and getting fantastic reviews.

Yep. I figure I'll try mine out for a couple months and see how it holds up. If it's as good as promised I'll probably get a couple more and just run one on each light for convenience.

[jstevensphoto]

So far I am really impressed. This thing just works and works good.

[brad]

And yes, Lithium battery technology doesn't suffer from "memory" like the old rechargeables did... and battery technology has gotten so good that even those that use NiCad tech don't have the memory issues as bad as they did 15 years ago.

And if only I could convince my wife of that...

[Village Idiot]

Originally Posted by Coelus

I ordered one and a spare battery. Came in last week and seems like it's going to be a good system. Definitely easier to pack than my Tronix XT was.

The Tronix just provides more power for bigger lights. I'm thinking of picking up a cheap monolight or two and VMLs to power them to compliment my pack and head system. Two cheap 150w/s-600w/s Flahpoints and a VML strapped to each head will make for a very nice and compact high power OTG lighting kit.

I wonder if I can attack one to my hot shoe.

[Coelus]

Originally Posted by Village Idiot

The Tronix just provides more power for bigger lights. I'm thinking of picking up a cheap monolight or two and VMLs to power them to compliment my pack and head system. Two cheap 150w/s-600w/s Flahpoints and a VML strapped to each head will make for a very nice and compact high power OTG lighting kit.

I wonder if I can attack one to my hot shoe.

I had the old Explorer. It might have had a tad more power to shorten the recycle time, but it didn't last as long. I use this on a single 750ws Travelite or a pair of cheepo 400ws Impact monolights.

[BrassPremier]

I have the vagabond II. not using it at all killed the battery. these new minis are supposed to last nearly forever, even if not in use

[Village Idiot]

Originally Posted by BrassPremier

I have the vagabond II. not using it at all killed the battery. these new minis are supposed to last nearly forever, even if not in use

An SLA battery has to be plugged in when not in use to keep the battery life.