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Battery for Quasar Tubes Q-LED X CrossFade


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I've run them on a department store inverter plugged into a cigarette lighter and a jump start battery.

I called quasar about this and they didn't have any real guidance on other than an inverter and battery should work fine.

Edited by JB Earl
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Considering how ridiculously expensive they are to buy in Europe, I was thinking of the same thing: buying the US version and an inverter + v-mount or a 220v to 110v step down for inside use.

 

My only concern would be regarding flicker (step down would still be running at 50hz) and cheap car inverters might be PWM based.

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  • 3 weeks later...

Ok so I cant find a V Mount battery inverter. But what if I used a power pack with its 100w AC invter like this one to power 2 50w quasars tubes? https://www.amazon.com/50000mAh-Portable-Generator-Rechargeable-Notebook/dp/B06XBPQKTR/ref=sr_1_13?ie=UTF8&qid=1514581004&sr=8-13&keywords=power+pack+ac+inverter

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I got one with an interocitor. The original machine had a base plate of prefabulated aluminite, surmounted by a malleable logarithmic casing in such a way that the two main spurving bearings were in a direct line with the pentametric fan. The latter consisted simply of six hydrocoptic marzlevanes, so fitted to the ambifacient lunar waneshaft that side fumbling was effectively prevented. The main winding was of the normal lotus-o-delta type placed in panendermic semi-bovoid slots in the stator, every seventh conductor being connected by a nonreversible tremie pipe to the differential girdlespring on the "up" end of the grammeters.

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It's a bit daft there's no battery option. LEDs are low voltage devices, usually.

From their website:

 

"Many modern LED lamps run on 12volt which can be very useful especially on battery packs however 12volts is highly problematic when powering large scale arrays with multiple lights or when needing to cable more then 12 feet / 3 Meters from the power source where line loss effects the output and performance of the LED luminaire."

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Sure, but that all applies to every 50W light out there.

 

Although on second thoughts, while it'd be wasteful, if their electronics don't deal with slightly variable input power, there's stuff wrong.

I'm not taking sides, just drawing attention to what they said.

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Almost forgot - check the specs on the inverter - I saw Alexander's other post. Some of the ultra-cheap inverters can't go above like 15v without frying, and a fresh brick can be 17+.... so either check the specs or put a small voltage regulator inline on a good heat sink to dissipate a couple volts.

 

As for voltage - all of the strip/tubes I've taken apart have been relatively high voltage internally, like 90+vdc. Not sure on quasar but one of my 4' died so I'll pop it open and see.

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I'm not taking sides, just drawing attention to what they said.

 

Oh, quite, I'm just querying what they said, which translates in my head to "we don't have that and we don't want to be criticised for not having it."

 

Also Yuji has some rather similar things which are much (much (much, much)) cheaper. Though they're still mains-only.

 

https://store.yujiintl.com/products/bc-series-high-cri-t12-led-tube

 

Litegear actually advertise their small-diameter fluorescent-style strips as being made using their VHO strip, which really, I mean, you could make. In the shed. In ten minutes, using some sticky tape and plastic tube.

 

Edit: I called the company "literibbon," for reasons of the brainworms.

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In fairness to QS, they do have battery powered 2ft bi-color tubes available, they're just a lot more expensive again.

 

If those Yuji tubes are dimmable, and as color accurate as they say, they could be an interesting choice. Shame they're not bi-color.

 

Litegear equipment is crazily overpriced in my opinion.

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Almost forgot - check the specs on the inverter - I saw Alexander's other post. Some of the ultra-cheap inverters can't go above like 15v without frying, and a fresh brick can be 17+.... so either check the specs or put a small voltage regulator inline on a good heat sink to dissipate a couple volts.

 

As for voltage - all of the strip/tubes I've taken apart have been relatively high voltage internally, like 90+vdc. Not sure on quasar but one of my 4' died so I'll pop it open and see.

I am going to give it try with these parts this weekend.

 

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00CNXLDCQ/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003SGJIRO/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

Also got a hold of this power pack with inverter and is working so I have something for now. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06XBPQKTR/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

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  • 2 weeks later...

Some updates on this. I got my Quasar tubes today. 1x 2ft and 2x 4ft cross fades. My V-mount to 12 volt car inverter with a 12 volt regulator in between works but only half the time. The Car inverter I bought said 150 watts but it only work with the 1 4ft 50w tube before tripping the inverter.

 

What is working is a 1 2ft and 1 4ft about 75w worth with the Imuto power pack and its inverter. https://www.amazon.com/50000mAh-Portable-Generator-Rechargeable-Notebook/dp/B06XBPQKTR/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1516307116&sr=8-6&keywords=imuto+power+pack

 

I will test later today to see how long a full charge will last with these. It claims to be 185wh which would be 2.4hr at 75wh but seemed to be draining to fast on its level meter.

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Some updates on this. I got my Quasar tubes today. 1x 2ft and 2x 4ft cross fades. My V-mount to 12 volt car inverter with a 12 volt regulator in between works but only half the time. The Car inverter I bought said 150 watts but it only work with the 1 4ft 50w tube before tripping the inverter.

 

What is working is a 1 2ft and 1 4ft about 75w worth with the Imuto power pack and its inverter. https://www.amazon.com/50000mAh-Portable-Generator-Rechargeable-Notebook/dp/B06XBPQKTR/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1516307116&sr=8-6&keywords=imuto+power+pack

 

I will test later today to see how long a full charge will last with these. It claims to be 185wh which would be 2.4hr at 75wh but seemed to be draining to fast on its level meter.

I got with the 4ft 50w and the Imuto Power pack 3 hr and 25 min. In theory I should of got 3 hr and 42 min looks like a 10% difference, could be the power loss from the DC to AC inveter. Cool that I have a battery option now. Sad I cant get the V mounts to work as well.

 

Side note has anyone had issues plugging these into a GFCI outlets. Mine keeps instantly tripping the ones in my bathroom and kitchen.

Edited by Alexander Sutton Hough
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