USL Field Test Thread, Pt 3

[Fat_Tony]

Cool. I'm gonna have to play around with this effect with my Beast!! Thanks, Larry.

 

[KevinL]

Heh, moths!!

Larry, you desperately need to find a focusing fresnel lens and attach a coaxial, very low power (1mW is fine, anything you can see is good enough), visible red laser pointer to your USL together with a couple of low-power 5mm LEDs. See, that way you can spot the moths and line them up before you light up the USL. The laser is needed to target accurately so that you don't blast holes in the walls unnecessarily /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif

Nice shot of the beast with the Beast. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Wishing I had real Quality Dark to play with....

 

[JanCPF]

[ QUOTE ]
KevinL said:
Wishing I had real Quality Dark to play with....

[/ QUOTE ]
Hey Kevin, who are you to complain. As far as I remember you live somewhere in SE Asia with a reliable 11-12 hours of daily darkness. Up here in the north, we are rapidly approaching summer, where the sun sets at about 11 pm. and rises again at about 5 am. It's becoming increasingly difficult to get quality darkness here and I may *need* a USL just to be able to "wash out" some of that dusk. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/banghead.gif

Oh well it's nice for other reasons though /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif.

Jan

 

[KevinL]

I live in SE Asia with 11-12 hours of darkness. I also happen to live in a place which has very efficiently provisioned *EVERY* last square inch of road with brilliant sodium vapor lights, and since it's so heavily urbanized, it's hard to even find an unlit spot..... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Oh well. At least they did a really good job on the infrastructure /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbsup.gif

And I'm sure I just need to keep looking..

 

[JanCPF]

Yikes! Sorry to hear about the sodium lights Kevin. I just hate that orangie/pinkish color, and I can see why you need all those high powered lights /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif. We have sodium street ligts here as well, but I'm able to get away from them, so I guess I'm privileged after all. Perhaps you can do a little 'Urban Exploring' then.

Sorry for going of topic. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/rolleye11.gif

Jan

 

[bwaites]

Just an update:

Bodies have gone to the machine shop.

Cans for the sockets should be done this week.

I'm still waiting for word back on more bulbs, but they are ordered.

Tritons will be ordered as soon as I have an idea about batteries, since I don't need more boxes sitting around for weeks.

Reflectors have been promised for this next week and are supposedly at the coating plant.

The march goes on!

Bill

 

[MR Bulk]

Cross-pin switch? Hmmm...

Hey, what about a switch Cover like in the fighter jets with their machine-gun triggers? You know, a hinged cap you have to Lift before hitting the real switch underneath...?

 

[bwaites]

I thought about it Charlie, but the manufactured ones are just HUGE, but someone with the skills is attacking the problems as we speak.

Bill

 

[Codeman]

Thanks for the update, Bill!

I'm still waiting for my camera to come back. Sigh...

 

[KevinL]

[ QUOTE ]
MR Bulk said:
Cross-pin switch? Hmmm...

Hey, what about a switch Cover like in the fighter jets with their machine-gun triggers? You know, a hinged cap you have to Lift before hitting the real switch underneath...?

[/ QUOTE ]

I can actually buy a switch similar to that style at a local auto parts shop, with the cover on top. Problem is it sticks out about an inch, thus dispelling the illusion of the Ultimate STEALTHLight /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif

Good for 20 amps 12VDC too.

 

[BVH]

Please make any switch cover optional. I don't want to destroy the stealthiness of the USL.

 

[tvodrd]

BVH, that will complicate Bill's life somewhat, and I hope he will put up with the complication. It would require two, slightly different switch-machining configurations (x how many colors) for the bodies. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif I'm hung up for ordering an allen key to disassemble my proto, as absurd as that sounds, and I will not let my delays delay the project! If I can't have something ready by when the time comes, It won't happen. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif The guard I have in mind should not detract much from the "stealthiness," and pictures will be posted. (If I can get to it! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/rant.gif )

Larry

 

[js]

[ QUOTE ]
tvodrd said:
BVH, that will complicate Bill's life somewhat, and I hope he will put up with the complication. It would require two, slightly different switch-machining configurations (x how many colors) for the bodies. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif I'm hung up for ordering an allen key to disassemble my proto, as absurd as that sounds, and I will not let my delays delay the project! If I can't have something ready by when the time comes, It won't happen. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif The guard I have in mind should not detract much from the "stealthiness," and pictures will be posted. (If I can get to it! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/rant.gif )

Larry

[/ QUOTE ]

/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/bowdown.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/bowdown.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/bowdown.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbsup.gif

 

[bwaites]

Thanks Larry!!

I doubt that the machining process is going to be the holdup, as it now appears that batteries will not be available until early next month, though that could be a bit sceptical.

Early word is that the reflectors are done and on their way back to Carley from the Mexico plant and should be shipped next week, though if someone wants to place odds I may want a piece of the action!

Bill

 

[Codeman]

Just the fact that I'm involved in any way almost assures that the norm won't happen! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif If the batteries aren't last, my money says the bulbs will be.

I should have my camera back on Wednesday. I also got a few items to allow me to use a three-legged monopod to hold the light. Hopefully, the pictures will be much improved with the new setup.

 

[MaxaBaker]

[ QUOTE ]
Codeman said:
I also got a few items to allow me to use a three-legged monopod to hold the light. Hopefully, the pictures will be much improved with the new setup.

[/ QUOTE ]

A "three-legged monopod"? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/duh2.gif

Isn't that...................a tripod? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/au.gif

 

[brightnorm]

LOL!!!

Brightnorm

 

[Dynacolt]

[ QUOTE ]
I also got a few items to allow me to use a three-legged monopod to hold the light.

[/ QUOTE ]

I hope you got the light clamp holding retainer grasping clinch grip device to hold that Lumen Pumper on your 1/2 hexapod /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[Codeman]

I thought that might bring this thread back to life!

Just like any good oxymoron, such as "Jumbo Shrimp", the obsurd-sounding "3-legged monopod" has its roots in reality:

As you can now see, my description was quite accurate! It is a monopod that has 3 legs. When the foot is removed from the monopod, the legs fold up and slide into the monopod. It's one of the handiest gadgets I've ever bought.

Dynacolt (and Bill), you don't have to worry about the USL not being held securely. One of the new items was a Manfrotto SuperClamp. It's my understanding that they are widely used in the motion picture industry. They can clamp onto just about any shape of object up to 2" across and will support a 15 kg load. Two clamps can be connected together, and all kinds of possibilities open up. Generally, they're used to mount lights, reflectors, or hoods onto rigging or whatever happens to be in the right location. Due to good engineering, SuperClamps can be "flipped", so to speak, and used to turn a tripod/monopod into a holder for all kinds of things. Combining a SuperClamp with a quick release pistol grip ball head that I already had, I can now point the USL at a target, release the grip and the USL will stay perfectly on target while I get the camera ready. When combined with a tripod-mounted camera, this should be an ideal setup for shooting beam shots and such. Even with the pod extended to it's full height of about 5 ft, the 3-leg base provides a surprising amount of stability.

The only shortcoming of this setup is the fact that the 3-legged monopod won't stand unless it's on relatively level ground. Good engineering again saves the day. I can use one clamp to grab onto a leg of the tripod I use, and then attach an extension arm to that clamp. Attach a second clamp to other end of the arm, and the USL can be then be held. With the tripod I have, I can handle just about any kind of terrain short of a vertical wall. If I've got level ground, though, I'll use both the tripod-mounted camera and 3-legged-monopod-mounted USL so that I've got maximum control over the position of the camera in relation to the USL.

If this seems like a bit of overkill, maybe, maybe not. We'll see soon. Most of the beam shots I've taken have either been with the USL handheld and the camera on a pod, or the USL stable and the camera handheld. Now, I'll be able to have both completely stable.

One thing I know about digital photography is that much better pictures are the result when the camera is absolutely still. Under low light conditions, the subject also needs to be absolutely still.

Here are a few examples of what you can get by having that level of stability:

<ul type="square">[*]Sweat Bee
[*]FCAS Application, #2
[*]Dandelions, Curlicues, & Color[/list]So, why am I going to such lengths for the USL?

I mean no offense, but I would never have spent the money this setup cost if it wasn't going to be used for more than beam shots. I am by no means a good photographer, but it's a hobby that I'm very passionate about. I may not be a flashlight whiz, like the rest of the USL Team, but I fully intend on contributing something a bit more than the testing I've done and maintaining the list for Bill.

Some "glamour" shots of the USL are in the near future. If the USL isn't in the 2006 CPF Calendar, it will not be due to a lack of effort on my part. The USL deserves to be in the calendar for many reasons! While I hope to be the one to take the picture that Sasha hopefully deems worthy of the calendar, I'll be happy just as long as someone's picture of the USL makes it.

This means we'll have a photo contest thread once everyone has their USL's! Obviously, I'll be ready for bear, so I'm giving everyone else fair warning! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/evilgrin07.gif

The guantlet has been thrown - the challenge issued. Who's gonna give me a run for my money? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[tvodrd]

Ray said:
"The guantlet has been thrown - the challenge issed. Who's gonna give me a run for my money? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif "

Obviously, not me. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/icon15.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif The switch guard proto is almost done- needs the safety pin hole. As soon as I get the weekly groceries, I'll unsolder the switch and throw the body into the mill's vise and mill the flat. Hopefully, pics by this evening.

Larry