XLR Battery Power Adapter for 500 LED Light Panel

• • 28 Comments

500 LED light XLR adapter 12V batteryXLR battery 500 LED Light

I still get questions about affordable LED light panels, and these 500 LEDs are still a good option. The only problem is that the cheaper versions were never offered with a battery power solution, so they can be used off-the-grid on location. That's a huge part most people consider when shopping for LED lighting. Some of these 500 LED light panels (above) use an XLR DC power adapter that connects to AC (wall outlet). So it is very possible to run them from a battery, but the trick is finding the correct XLR DC power adapter cable.

If you didn't catch it in one of the comments, Derek shared that the Jag35 XLR cable is indeed a good fit. He was able to power through the XLR using a simple Canon LP-E6 battery (for about 30 minutes). Of course once you have the proper cable, there's no reason you couldn't use a coupler + Tekkeon Battery pack to give you much longer portable run time. Much like the Tekkeon + Coupler setup I used to power a camera. Just make sure that your LED light has the XLR input as seen in the back (above).


Jag35-XLR-Cable
find-price-button Jag35 XLR Power Adapter cable

These lights were once very popular, but haven't been since the release of the newer 600/900/1200 LED panels, so you'll often find these older 500s on auction with low starting and no reserve pricing (click here).

500 LED light XLR adapter 12V battery
find-price-button 500 LED Dimmable Video Light Panels

28 thoughts on “XLR Battery Power Adapter for 500 LED Light Panel”

  1. Mark

    There's some confusion about "12V" batteries. Professional video "!2V" lithium batteries (I'm talking about the big Anton Bauer, IDX V-lock and knockoffs) are actually 14.4V.

    Even that is a "nominal" labeling. They actually put out about 16V when they come off the charger, then settle down to about 15V until just before they are depleted, when they rapidly fade to about 11V. So the Cinecity batteries are probably designed for those types of power sources. Hope that helps clarify.

  5. Emm

     Post author

    @Paul - Hmm. Doesn't sound like you can use DC battery power for any of those options. The CFL bulbs require AC current. You can try using a portable battery with a built in AC inverter for either of your lights, but that's about all I can think of.

  6. Paul

    So...I excitedly purchased two of the Takkeon packs in the hopes of powering a bunch of camera equipment. I figured I'd just figure out how to connect them to the lights I have. I have the 1000led panels and also the 2-bank and 6-bank flo lights from Cowboy studio. They all have the traditional AWG power cord plug on them. What's your recomendation on powering them? What plug converter do I need? THanks for your time!!!

  8. austin

    Oh okay, thats where i got confused, I was thinking of trying to find the 12v DC battery pack that was posted on the blog a while back and giving it a try as a cheap alternative to the Tekkeon

  9. Emm

     Post author

    @austin - He also used a Jag35 LP-E6 battery plate, but I don't think that will get you very far, or give you full power.

  13.

    @Alex: I can confirm the Paul Buff batteries will power LED lights as well. From a full charge, I ran an IKAN 500 LED light for a little over two hours using that battery.
    As Pops mentioned, you may not can use it on a quiet set as the batter's fan will eventually kick on.

  15.

    I agree with John. $30 is insane. You can find 4 pin XLR tips on amazon for less than $4. I'm going to look for a cheaper and smarter DIY option

  17. ronn

    I have 2 of those 500s. I made an adapter cable to go from the Tekkeon to the 500 (as per https://www.thec47.com/gearbox/red-black-white.html) and it did not work. I can however power an Ikegami field monitor with the cable and Tekkeon. I soldered it to the standard 1-4 pins. Wondering if the 500 is wired differently. The Tekkeon also powers my EX-1 just fine.

  18. Austin

    I have one of the 500 LED panels and its nice but doesn't give as much light as I wished for. Now its just debating should I go with a 1000 LED panel or just spend the same amount of money and get some hotter lights like red heads.

  19. Pops

    @ Alex - I can confirm the pcb Vagabond Mini can be used for double duty. I have used the Mini's with the 500, 600, 700 LED's, and of course the Einsteins. They work very well however at the expense of a slightly larger form factor if compared to the tekkeon option. I hope this helps! Oh if you run two lights off 1 mini the internal fan will kick on after a while. This may need to be avoided if on a quiet set.

  20. John

    According to Jag35: Pin 1=(-) Pin 4=(+)

    Couldn't you just make your own xlr cables? They sell the plug online, all you need is to solder them.

    $30 + Jag35 outrages shipping price = rip off

  21. alex

    Has anyone tried these types of LED lights with the Vagabond (Paul C Buff) batteries? I'm wondering how well they would work and how long they would last on full power?

  24. Emm

     Post author

    @Alberto De Jesus - If I remember correctly, the 500 LED requires 12V, so yes I think it's possible. Not sure about total run time, but I would guess maybe 30-45 minutes full power.

  26. Alberto De Jesus

    Do you think these 500 led & adapter will work with the 12v CCTV batteries in the below article httpss://cheesycam.com/12v-dc-battery-with-5v-usb-port/

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