BAR STOOLS WITH WHEELS

I needed portable strobe power, so I tried the Innovatronix Explorer with my Dyna-Light kit. It worked ok with one pack, if you consider a 9+ second recycle time "ok". Not for shooting people it isn't. And it wouldn't power my other pack at all. So I started this little project.

It began with thinking about the pricey but great Dyna-Light XP1100. I bought an 1100-watt Exeltech inverter (pure sine wave), then experimented with a few battery configurations. Settled on using an Optima deep cycle marine battery. Put it together with 150-amp fuses and 2-guage battery wire, dropped it all into a wheeled 40-quart cooler for easier carrying.

Will bolt the fuse holders to the side and probably paint some lightning bolts on the side. It's PERFECT. Should last all day, but haven't field tested it yet. Can't wait to, as well as testing it with a 2000 watt-second pack, it should handle the power since it's peak, not continuous.

*Update* I just tested it in the studio. 650 flashes at full power with 3 seconds between (recycles in 1.8 seconds) before it was too low to handle that speed of recycle. More than I'd ask for it on a shoot day, there would be more rest as I adjusted lights, etc. Very good performance.

I'll get a chance to try it in the field tomorrow on a test and next week on an ad shoot.

I needed portable strobe power, so I tried the Innovatronix Explorer with my Dyna-Light kit. It worked ok with one pack, if you consider a 9+ second recycle time "ok" Not for shooting people it isn't. And it wouldn't power my other pack at all. So I started this little project.

It began with thinking about the pricey but great Dyna-Light XP1100. I bought an 1100-watt Exeltech inverter (pure sine wave), then experimented with a few battery configurations. Settled on using an Optima deep cycle marine battery. Put it together with 150-amp fuses and 2-guage battery wire, dropped it all into a wheeled 40-quart cooler for easier carrying.

Will bolt the fuse holders to the side and probably paint some lightning bolts on the side. It's PERFECT. Should last all day, but haven't field tested it yet. Can't wait to, as well as testing it with a 2000 watt-second pack, it should handle the power since it's peak, not continuous.

*Update* I just tested it in the studio. 650 flashes at full power with 3 seconds between (recycles in 1.8 seconds) before it was too low to handle that speed of recycle. More than I'd ask for it on a shoot day, there would be more rest as I adjusted lights, etc. Very good performance.

I'll get a chance to try it in the field tomorrow on a test and next week on an ad shoot.