HID questions from newbie

johnson225ho

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Jan 17, 2007
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Hello, I have been lurking here for about a year and finally registered. I have a few questions on which HID spotlight would be best for my application. I go on several boating trips that require me to run across large expanses of water at anywhere between 30-50mph at night in the middle of nowhere. What i am looking for is an HID light for around $150 or less that has a very long distance tight beam. I have a thor 10m and 15m and they both have a very wide flood and not a very focused beam. My 2Million vector actually throws a tighter beam farther on the water(and is a ton easier to handle) The Thor's actually have such a broad flood that it reflects off the front of the boat and makes it almost impossible to see.
I have been reading and reading about lumens, 4200k vs 6000k bulbs in HID, and the different HID searchlights and am more confused than when i started. Other than recommendations on the tightest spot and farthest throw, just wondering on size comparisons to a 10milliion cp thor also as space is limited and holding the light up above the windshield for 2 hours wears you out. Thanks for helping out and sorry if some of my questions have been addressed and i just missed them, Take care,
Steve
 

Ra

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Hi johnson, Welcome to these forums.

With HID there are a few things to say: Compared to halogen (10m and 15m Thor) HID means more lumens output, better efficiency (longer battery-life) better bulblife and better Throw.

The wideness of a beam is caused by a combination of focal length of the reflector, and the size of the light-producing surface (filament or arc). This only when the reflector is of decent quality and parabolic.

Thors are not always perfectly collimated, this mostly causes the beam to be wider, so you can try to re-position the bulb of the Thor to get a better beampattern (not easy!), but you'll never get a laserlike tight beam!

Ofcource I cannot say if your Thor is collimated or not, what I can say is that the arc-size of 35watt HID is not much different compared to the filament of the halogen-bulb in the Thor. That means that if perfectly collimated, the HID-beam will not be much tighter !

A smaller HID-torch will have a wider beam with more sidespill. Throw will also be less due to the smaller reflector.

As for the colortemperature: Some like the more blueish (>5500K) colortemp, some love the wharm 3000-3200K halogen colortemp. I like the more daylight-like 4300K HID light: Best allround usable.

Only short-arc lights like Maxabeam and Megaray are capable to create very tight, long throwing beams but they are expensive !


I can go on for hours and hours about this, I think it is better for you to ask specific questions we (hopefully..) can answer..


Regards,

Ra.
 

BR549

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Mar 7, 2006
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Houston, Alabama
You might want to check out Bass Pro shop - they have a 500k spotlight that plugs into a Perko type plug. It runs off your nav lights. Even have a remote control version. For years I used a 12 volt Q-beam - works well if you have a 12 volt plug handy, it's light weight also is fairly easy to find clamps to attach to your windshield. I recently picked up one of the 35 W HIDS from Sam's and it really works well. It's heavy but really puts out the light also a plus is the 12v charging jack. I ended up sinking the HID after leaving it on the back casting deck but have picked up another one. The HID outthrows the THOR - some folks don't like the light color but it looks fine to me.
 

johnson225ho

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Jan 17, 2007
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11
Thanks for all of the replies. You never know when you make your first post on a new board if people will jump in and help or just ignore you completely.

BR549-I did look at the spotlight that plugs into the front nav-light, but i really wasn't that impressed with the 400000 candlepower output and for $270 i would much rather spend it on an HID. It seems like all of the actual marine spotlights are always around 250,000 too 400,000 candlepower. Wonder how guys can see anything with those. I have been thinking about the sams HID, harbor frieght, or the one from Amondotech. I am just afraid i will buy one and my $19.95 2 million cp vector will out-throw it just like the thor fiasco. (not a good time in my house since i "had" to have the 10mcp thor at first and the "better half" bought it for a gift and it sucked, then the 15mcp as another gift and it sucked too) Now i just get a look whenever she is in the boat and i pull out the 2mcp vector.

ShortArc- The Harbor frieght one is still on the table and i actually want one with the tightest spot possible. Nothing is more uncomfortable than running wide open expanses of water with a spotlight that doesn't reach shore in any direction when you think you are not that far away. Water resistance would be a factor since the light may be up above the windshield in a rainstorm with rain pelting it at 40mph.

RA- Thanks for the explanations. I did look up those expensive lights that you mentioned and man, you weren't kidding around. I was expecting $500 and had no idea there are lights out there that cost THAT much. Safe to say, those aren't in the budget...Unless i could figure out how to hide 2K from the "warden" Right now i can't even hide $15. So i guess i would be looking at the Amondotech HID, Sams HID, or the Harbor frieght HID; Do you know of any other comparable ones that i am over-looking?

Out of these options, where would they rate in categories of :
Farthest throw
tightest spot with least overflow
overall size and weight
Run-time
Durability and weather resistance

Thanks again guys for any and all help
Steve
 

BVH

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Sep 25, 2004
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My opinions:

Out of these options, where would they rate in categories of :
Farthest throw............................Harbor freight, no question
tightest spot with least overflow....Harbor freight
overall size and weight.................Amondotech and Sam's Club
Run-time...................................All about the same IIRC - an hour +-
Durability and weather resistance...None of them for driving rain in a speeding boat, held above the windshield.

I understand your budget restraints but to me, you're talking "waterproof" lights for the use you describe. The Xeray is exceptionally water resistant and the Helios is waterproof down to 165 feet IIRC
 
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Ra

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QUOTE: (Johnson225ho) "Thanks for all of the replies. You never know when you make your first post on a new board if people will jump in and help or just ignore you completely." END QUOTE..

(sorry,, every time I quote someone by clicking the quote-button and deleting some of the text, my computer locks !!! VERY FRUSTRATING !!!)

OK, That said.. On CPF you'll find many good people, always willing to answer questions, and helping with problems !

What I forgot to say earlier:

The candlepower ratings of military lights you mentioned propably are calibrated measurements, just the way I like them.

YOU MAY NOT AND CANNOT COMPARE THOSE TO THE CP-RATINGS OF THE CONSUMER SPOTLIGHTS !!!

The 2Mcp, 10Mcp, 15Mcp and even 30Mcp values are HIGHLY, HIGHLY exaggerated !! Only to grab your attention !! They are wrongly used to say something about the overall output of a spotlight. WRONG..: For that we have lumens-output !!!

With the laws of light in my hand, I can say: Candlepower does say something about the abillity to enlight distance objects. (Throw) It doesn't say anything about the lumens-output.

Reality:

With halogen: (and decent quality, parabolic reflector)

average 2Mcp spotlight: 100,000-125,000cp !

10Mcp spotlight (Thor) : 180,000-240,000cp !

15Mcp spotlight (Thor) : 330,000-410,000cp !

If you would use these spotlights as a host for moddifying to HID, the cp-output will be aprox 3, maybe even 3.5 times higher due to the higher surface brightness of the HID-arc.

With a halogen spotlight, you can also increase the cp-output by overdriving the bulb. However, you will end up with very short bulb-life (5-10 hours..) But it is possible to get a cp-value two times that of the original spotlight this way (and more lumens as well..)

Regards,

Ra.
 

ShortArc

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Dec 8, 2005
Messages
443
Location
Massachusetts
I just thought of another contender, the Havis Shield HID. It is corded and does not have as narrow of a spot as the HF but it is rugged and water resistant

http://www.havis.com/LightingProducts/LightingProducts.html

"A Collins Dynamics handheld spotlight, part number CD-RH-HID35W shall be supplied. The light features a rubberized thermoplastic housing for durability and water resistance. The light features a 35 watt 12 volt HID (high intensity discharge) bulb with an optimized beam pattern utilizing a 6-1/10" diameter reflector and lens. The light shall be powered through an eight (8) foot coiled power cord with a dashboard power outlet plug. An optional battery pack (part #CD-BP-12) shall be available for separate purchase to allow remote usage of the light."

Willem.
 
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