Best Handheld Spotlight

[BVH]

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I would like a 12v spotlight that is light in weight, lens diameter is up to 240mm (smaller if possible), & I would like it to throw a concentrated beam (pencil beam) to approx 300m. It will be powered from a vehicles electrical system.

I's really going to be difficult to find anything better than the Blitz 240 modded to about 85 Watts (at the bulb) for a tight, far throwing beam in the specific configuration you want - pistol grip. But at that wattage, I would not do extended run times over about 5-7 minutes as some melting of the front lens and/or the black plastic shell above the lamp may occur. If you have not experienced that with your current rig, then I would suspect it is not anywhere near 100 Watts output. Mine produced 84 Watts at the lamp and quite nicely lit up a big tree at 900'. No LED is going to match concentrating 8,500 Lumens that far downrange in a tight beam and spot. Search for "BVH Blitz" or similar and there are some beam shots in that thread.

EDIT: Here's the post. http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb...n-Beam-Shots&p=2853768&viewfull=1#post2853768 Scroll down to the "long Range" Blitz shot marked as about 350 Yards. It's actually about 388 Yards. The hotspot is a bit brighter than in real life but the spill on the tree foliage is very representative.

 

[bykfixer]

Hi again,
I have been looking at all your suggestions,& I can't decide on any clear line of action. However I was talking to a chap today & he suggested I should look into LED instead of HID. I thought that LED was more of a floodlight, rather than a spotlight, but he assured me that they can also be spotlights that will achieve what I mentioned in an earlier post. He suggested I look at a Nordic N400 spot. My motto up till now is "more power is better", but that does not appear to be working for me. Does anyone know about about these lights & is 35w ,which it is, adequate to reach 300m at night & will the beam be reasonably concentrated at this distance.

Newb comment here, so please forgive any erroneous information...

The reflector and lens configuartion also matter as much as power.
Example, I have a 201 lumen adjustable beam flashlight that throws a lot farther than any of my friends non adjustable beam lights at 600+ lumens.
Being new to high performance flash lights myself I cannot explain why out of ignorance. But do know that if power drain and heat are an issue, light can be projected a good long ways with less power than you may think.
The experts here can explain how and why.

 

[Walterk]

Throwing light with a single led can be done, but ackward and disappointing for practical use.

The easiest is a Maxa Beam and make the controls yourself. No electronics in te handle, just momentary switches and any joy-stick you find usuable will do.
Just a matter of opening the unit and connect to the wires colourcoded in the manual.

Remember the Data Bank? A couple of throwing led-lights in a cluster. Thats how ship search-lights are offered nowadays in the led-version. Either reflector, aspheric or plastic TIR reflector will do. The TIR is most common for that application.