Anyone heard of the HB1?

I'm trying to find more info on this light. I did a search but nothing came up. Just read the new issue of Wired Magazine and they mention the HB1. They don't mention who makes it, just a website, group5.com, which is under construction. Here's the blurb from the Magazine:

"The HB1 flashlight kicks out over 5,500 lumens. It uses a filament-free xenon HID bulb - the same kind used in airplane landing lights. Power from its lithium batteries gets amplified way up to 24,000 volts, and the light ricochets off a rhodium plated reflector designed by an academy-award winning lighting designer."

24,000?:shrug:

Perhaps for the starting pulse 24K is not uncommon but it wouldnt run continuously with that power. Then you'd need a BIIIG battery pack.

I belive this is it:

http://www.wired.com/gadgets/gadgetreviews/multimedia/2007/09/pl_fetish?slide=2&slideView=2


Could it be automotive HID driven at 50W, that would give 5000+ lumens. When I look at the picture I think it would certainly be enought to tie your shoelaces in the dark...

Sounds interesting. Don't understand why they are using a rhodium reflector, kinda unnessescary for an automotive D2S based light. I also don't see why it takes an academy-award winning lighting designer to design a parabolic reflector.

That_Guy said:

I also don't see why it takes an academy-award winning lighting designer to design a parabolic reflector.

Click to expand...

That piece was written by an idiot copy writer, as is about 80% of what you read on glossy pages. All the info was taken from marketing materials.

Still, it looks to be an interesting light. I don't know what kind of HID capsule can punch out 5,500 lumens though. Group 5's Web site doesn't work either. Might be vaporware, but I'm sure the CPF DIYers will try to introduce their own lights in that form factor.