300 Watt HID. The "Locator" - Blackhawk Targeting Light

[JetskiMark]

Hello BVH,

Wow, that Locator is impressive! Thanks for the comparison photo. Now I want one with a handle and a LiPo pack for portability.

Regards,
Mark

 

[LuxLuthor]

WoW! So much for the 747 landing light. I'm amazed how much brighter that Locator is.

**must resist temptation.....must resist....**

 

[Designer]

This is a bright little pod light! I would describe the beam style as similar to my Helios - It very slightly favors a flood style and its transition/cone is extremely smooth versus having a very bright center spot and a noticeably dimmer corona. The VSS-3 is definitely a more collimated beam. To my eye, the Locator beam appears to extend out the same distance as the VSS-3. In the next couple of weeks when I have a new camera, I will take these lights to a better spot where I can actually place the spots on a target over a mile away - or attempt to. I'm extremely pleased with my POD light. For a little fan, it is fairly loud and the casing just below the lens got somewhat hot after about 25 minutes of running. It probably relies on forward motion of the helicopter to help keep it cool. I can't run that fast.

Locator on the left and VSS-3a on the right.

Locator is the lower beam.

Locator is the lower beam.

Locator beam on the right.

Locator in action.

Locator is the lower beam. Look closely above for the Barn Burner beam.

Barn burner spot on the house.

Locator spot on the house.

The HB-300 is a search light unit based on contemporaneous 300 W lamp.
(see www.hbeamtech.com) , "PROTOTYPS".

 

[ShortArc]

BVH,
Could you share the specifics on the joystick and where you bought it? Great price!
Thanks,
Willem.

 

[LuxLuthor]

It is interesting to see that company's history, having made that light in 1970-71 of such high quality that it looks so pristine today....how they received an Academy Award for lighting, into pcb printing, and how they moved into medical contact lenses and intraocular lens implants over time.

Where in the world did you ever find that baby?

I wonder if you could adapt this remote control device used here.

 

[BVH]

Here's the website:

.hvwtech.com/products_list.asp?CatID=99&SubCatID=217&SubSubCatID=0

I'm not really sure what "Hotlinking" is but I know we're not supposed to do it so I left off the Http:// etc.

There's 7 wires in the lights wire loom. The two large red and black wires (14 or 16 awg) want to see 24-28 Volts from your power supply. The small red wire carries system voltage back out from the "insides". Connecting the small red to the small white triggers the ignition sequence. The small red wire is also used to provide power to the 4 remaining wires, Blue & Green (one for each direction of one axis) and Yellow & Orange (one for each direction of the other axis) So I ran the small red wire to one side of the on/off switch and the small white to the other side along with a continuous pigtail loop to the input of all 4 micro switches. The Blue, Green, Yellow & Orange wires are each individually connected to the outputs of the 4 micro switches - Blue opposite Green and Yellow opposite Orange. Wired in this way, the axis movements will not work until the lamp is on. If you want axis movement with the lamp off, then connect the pigtail loop to the same terminal on the on/off switch as the red wire. The micro switches have three terminals: Input (one spade by itself) and then normally open and normally closed spades. You'll want the normally open spade which is the closest to the input spade. By the way, the spades are the small ones (maybe 3/16") not the normal size (1/4", I think) automotive connectors.

Lux, just got lucky searching Ebay one day. Right place at the right time.

 

[ShortArc]

Thank you Bob! Just ordered the joystick!
Willem.

 

[aerosimon]

Great beamshots and showing of some super lights Very impressive.. Dont set the house on fire.. Any idea of the heat emitted out the front of the locator? I dont own a HID and have only observed a PL24 style light and UK light cannon.. At the time I wasnt paying attention to whether HIDs emit heat and will in gereral set newspaper on fire like the incans i've seen in videos?

Also do you have a rough dimension of the length of the arc gap on the locator? Finally, what is the distance of the lights in the garage to the door?

Sorry for the 20Qs, but looking forward to any info.. again, very cool collection. thankyou
aerosimon

 

[BVH]

HID's don't generally emit as much heat watt for watt as incans but there is a very fair amount of heat from these 300 Watt lamps. One needs to also consider the UV emitted and not expose their skin for any lengths of time. I would be very surprised if these would not set newspaper on-fire - maybe not with the glass dome installed. Not sure of the gap but will check out a replacement lamp and report back. It's very difficult to see it when installed. The distance to the door was about 12'.

 

[missionaryman]

now I would have really liked one of those mounted to my roof when I was pizza delivering...

 

[LuxLuthor]

now I would have really liked one of those mounted to my roof when I was pizza delivering...

 

[BVH]

I just figured out that my Locators are focusable and that the one I used in Shootout IV was not focused as tight as it could have been. It a distance of about 20 feet, the corona was about 4' in diameter. After focusing, it is now about 3'. I'd love to make another identical beamshot as in shootout IV. Next time there's a Socal shootout, I'll bring it.

 

[Patriot]

Can't wait to see that monster again. It has to be my all time favorite HID I think.

 

[Illum]

Any updates?:nana:

 

[roadie]

plse dun tell us that u plan to mount it on the roof of yr car?

 

[BVH]

Update. Thanks to some wonderful work by Modamag, I now have adapters that allow me to use the obsolete, but available GE Marc300 EZS bulb in my Locators. However, I was disappointed to find that although many sellers advertised the EZS as 5000K, it is actually a 3500K temp bulb, as marked on the bulb. The Locator is just not the same at 3500K . Does anyone have experience with the GE Marc 300 EZM or other EZx Series bulbs? Some of them are advertised as 5000K but I tend to doubt that figure.

A huge "THANK YOU" to Modmag for making the adapter for me!!

Pic of adapters coming soon.

 

[mtbkndad]

I just figured out that my Locators are focusable and that the one I used in Shootout IV was not focused as tight as it could have been. It a distance of about 20 feet, the corona was about 4' in diameter. After focusing, it is now about 3'. I'd love to make another identical beamshot as in shootout IV. Next time there's a Socal shootout, I'll bring it.

That would be fun. I found out the rating for my tripod head is actually 54lbs so we could get the same angle with it too.

Take Care,
mtbkndad :wave:

 

[BVH]

Another update: I've now found actual GE data sheets on their obsolete Marc 350 EZT arc lamp. It's a 45 Volt, 7.5 Amp bulb - which exactly matches the output of the Locator. That makes it a 350 Watt bulb which is what I measured from the Locator. (Actually, 360 Watts) All GE data sheets indicate a 5000K color temp for the EZT. It comes already mounted in a dichroic, 3" reflector. What's confusing is that in all GE data sheets, it shows a Lumens rating of 50 Lumens! This does not make any sense. A 350 watt arc tube bulb producing only 50 Lumens?

By comparison, the EZS which I tried in the Locator a few days ago is rated at 300 Watts and is putting out a blinding amount of light.

Well, the only way to find out what's up with this is to get one. I've located one and am having it shipped. Hmmm, may need new adapters....again.

I went to advanced edit and changed the title of this thread to show "350" Watt but the change doesn't show. Maybe a mod can perform an edit?

 

[larryk]

Update. Thanks to some wonderful work by Modamag, I now have adapters that allow me to use the obsolete, but available GE Marc300 EZS bulb in my Locators. However, I was disappointed to find that although many sellers advertised the EZS as 5000K, it is actually a 3500K temp bulb, as marked on the bulb. The Locator is just not the same at 3500K . Does anyone have experience with the GE Marc 300 EZM or other EZx Series bulbs? Some of them are advertised as 5000K but I tend to doubt that figure.

A huge "THANK YOU" to Modmag for making the adapter for me!!

Pic of adapters coming soon.

Locators ??? meaning you have more than one ?

 

[M@elstrom]

I'll do that. I've been a little gun-shy with my powerful lights since the episode with the VSS-1.

I'm gonna' have to plead ignorant on that topic... what happened did a 747 try to land on your house? :thinking: