Questions about 3 different spotlights

Hello everyone:wave:

UPDATE: I now know how the X990 and Costco/Harbor Freight HID compare to my Pro's Favorite. I am still wondering how the LightForce SL240 compares to a 15mcp Thor, POB, or Pro's Favorite 17.5mcp in terms of hotspot brightness.

I have several questions about 3 lights I know of, the "Acro 990" (a.k.a. "X990"), the "Lightforce SL20 Blitz", and the "Costco/Harbor Freight HID".

So my main question is: does anyone have one or more of the lights mentioned above AND a 15mcp Thor and/or a Power On Board HID? If so, how does the Power On Board HID or 15mcp Thor compare to it in hotspot brightness?

The reason why I am asking is because I have a Professional's Favorite 17.5 million candlepower spotlight and its hotspot looks about 30% brighter to me than both the Power On Board HID's hotspot and the 15mcp Thor's hotspot.
I am trying to get a feel for how my Pro's Favorite would compare to the 3 lights I mentioned exclusively in terms of hotspot brightness.

From what I have heard, the Costco/Harbor Freight HID would have the brightest hotspot, then the SL240, and then the X990. But I don't know how they would compare to the Pro's Favorite, so it would be very helpful to know how they compare to a POB HID or a Thor (or a Pro's Favorite if you have one).

I once got to compare my Pro's Favorite to what I believed at the time to be an SL240 Blitz, but now I think it was only an SL170 or some other light. What ever it was, the Pro's Favorite had a MUCH brighter hotspot and completely smoked it.

Thanks!

Who makes your Pro spotlight? Never heard of it I think a SL240 HID would have the best focus since their reflectors seem to be top notch, member Sway made one a while back and the spot looked like a laser.

AlexGT

Blue, I have all the lights you mentioned except the 240.

They line up like this with regards to the hotspot/throw...

Costco
POB
"15mcp" Cyclops
X990 focused to spot.


Your Pro's favorite would almost certainly out throw the X990 although the X990 would produce more overall light.

From my understanding the "Harbor Freight" is no longer available. Instead there's the Mega Illuminator, very similar & better IMO. And it would have the tightest hotspot out of those 3 you mentioned. Considering you're Pros Fav (which Id assume has a 130w? & under driven too? + Plus short runtime) The MI would have a brighter hotspot, plus descent runtime.



I saw the beam from my standard MI straight up on a clear night sky from about 150meters away & it was very tight & noticeable, more then any Incan I have seen. And I have used it to spot objects 400+ meters away with ease. (Not shore what its throw limit is). Its amazing for a cheapo Light. Just a little biGGGGG

Flashanator 500mW said:

I saw the beam from my standard MI straight up on a clear night sky from about 150meters away & it was very tight & noticeable, more then any Incan I have seen. And I have used it to spot objects 400+ meters away with ease. (Not shore what its throw limit is). Its amazing for a cheapo Light. Just a little biGGGGG

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I've found the Costo to throw fairly well beyond 800 yards on a black night. I'm guessing the Ti Mega, would be good for a bit more than that due to the color 4200K temperature.

AlexGT said:

Who makes your Pro spotlight? Never heard of it I think a SL240 HID would have the best focus since their reflectors seem to be top notch, member Sway made one a while back and the spot looked like a laser.

AlexGT

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The Professional's Favorite seems to be a line of products carried only at Advance Auto Parts, here is a link http://www.professionalsfavorite.com/

I have seen the thread about Sway's HID Blitz, but the pictures were not showing up. It souds like an amazing light with the HID bulb, I can imagine how it would have laser like throw.

Speaking of laser like throw, the Professional's Favorite's beam looks more like a white laser than any of my other lights, and seems to throw the farthest.

Patriot36 said:

Blue, I have all the lights you mentioned except the 240.

They line up like this with regards to the hotspot/throw...

Costco
POB
"15mcp" Cyclops
X990 focused to spot.


Your Pro's favorite would almost certainly out throw the X990 although the X990 would produce more overall light.

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Thanks Patriot36,

That is very interesting to hear the X990 wouldnt throw as far as the Pro's Favorite, I have always wondered about that. It must look AMAZING on flood mode though!

When I shine my lights on the ceiling the Pro's Favorite has the brightest hotspot and it takes my eyes longer to adjust than when looking at the POB or 15mcp Thor.

Since both the Pro's Favorite and Costco have brighter hotspots than the POB, I wonder if they would be about the same in throw/hotspot brightness? I would expect the HID to be brighter, but the Pro's Favorite is unbelievably bright. When you shine both the POB and COSTCO together, does the Costco's hotspot hurt your eyes a lot more to look at?

From my understanding the "Harbor Freight" is no longer available. Instead there's the Mega Illuminator, very similar & better IMO. And it would have the tightest hotspot out of those 3 you mentioned. Considering you're Pros Fav (which Id assume has a 130w? & under driven too? + Plus short runtime) The MI would have a brighter hotspot, plus descent runtime.



I saw the beam from my standard MI straight up on a clear night sky from about 150meters away & it was very tight & noticeable, more then any Incan I have seen. And I have used it to spot objects 400+ meters away with ease. (Not shore what its throw limit is). Its amazing for a cheapo Light. Just a little biGGGGG

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Flashanator,

The Mega Illuminator sounds extremely powerful! I know what you mean about beam visibiliy of the HID, my POB's beam is quite a bit more visible in the night sky than my Pro's Favorite, even though when shining them at objects the Pro's Favorite looks brighter. I enjoy shining my POB up in the sky and walking far away to look at the beam!

My Pro's Favoite uses a 120 watt H4 bulb, and for some reason produces much whiter light than the 15mcp Thor. It appears to put out more light than the POB, which I think is simply because its beam is so white.

I've found the Costo to throw fairly well beyond 800 yards on a black night. I'm guessing the Ti Mega, would be good for a bit more than that due to the color 4200K temperature.

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Patriot36,

What is the farthest away object you have ever illuminated with the Costco? The Pro's Favorite easily illuminated trees and other objects at over 800 yards. I have shined the Pro's Favorite at trees that appeared to be about half of a mile away and it lit them up. I will be taking it out to some big fields soon to test its throw. Its beam is laser like, it will put a small super bright spot on something hundreds of yards away.

When I first bought it it seemed almost Maxabeam like, and that was before I refocused it.

It is probaby very similar in performance to your Costco, but the Costco would most likely be better.

I just tested the Pro's Favorite out in a big field at dusk. I shined it at some trees that were about 500 yards away, and it put a very bright spot on them which was so small it lit up only part of the tree I was shining it at.

I then shined it at some trees that looked about half a mile away and I could see that it was illuminating them faintly, which was amazing considering it was still dusk.

At night it has illuminated the 1/2 mile away trees quite brightly.

Here is a great thread with beamshots of the X990 and Lightforce SL240:
https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/56155

Now that I have any idea about how far the X990 throws, I believe my Pro's Favorite would out throw the SL240 judging by the beamshots in the thread I posted a link to. The Pro's Favorite looks brighter and more powerful to me than the SL240.
Also note the beamshot where they are shining up into the sky (SL240 on right), when I shine my Pro's Favorite in the sky its beam looks even more laser like to me than the SL240's beam.
EDIT: I just went out and shined the Pro's Favorite in the sky, it was like a white pencil of light that went on forever. It looks a lot more laser like to me than the SL240. When shined in the sky the Pro's Favorite's beam appears not to diverge.

I am now guessing the Pro's Favorite and Costco HID have equally bright hotspots and equal throw.

By the way, :thumbsup: to pyro for the great beamshots in the Lightforce SL240 vs. McCulloch X990 thread! I really like the X990.

I think it is awesome that you like your Pro's Favorite so much. I feel the same way. :twothumbs


Now that being said, my HF HID MURDERS my Pros Fav, in both throw and light output. Both of my POB HID's do a number on it as well.

I really could not tell until the 4th of July I was out at the in-laws and they have 11 acres of mostly flat land. I was about 150 yards from the house and took turns shining the HF, PF, and POB at the house. Each time I could tell the HID's were brighter, but it took my eyes so long to adjust to the Light-Dark-Light cycle that I really couldn't say how much brighter.

So I lined all four (two POB's) up and shined at the house. I could make put the HF and the two POB beams perfectly. Unfortunately the Pros Fav was just completely outclassed and I really couldn't tell there was a fourth light on just looking at the beam on the house.

I still really like my Pro's Fav though, I love the instant on and color of the incan. And the way the body is built with the rubberizing on it is awesome, I have considered stuffing the guts of the HF inside the PF more than once.

Thanks for your reply Beer,

The Harbor Freight HID sounds like a real champion!

I recently refocused the bulb inside my Pro's Favorite, so now it has a brighter hotspot than my POB. It didn't used to have such a bright hotspot before I refocused it.

So my Pro's Favorite is probably right in between the POB and Harbor Freight HID in throw and hotspot brightness.
I know for sure now that the Costco/Harbor Freight HID has at least a slightly brighter hotspot than my Pro's Favorite.

I refocused it by taking off the front reflector ring, and then I took the bulb out and put it back in (which seemed to put it into perfect focus). The hardest part was getting that metal clip in and out.

bluebeam
Since both the Pro's Favorite and Costco have brighter hotspots than the POB, I wonder if they would be about the same in throw/hotspot brightness? I would expect the HID to be brighter, but the Pro's Favorite is unbelievably bright. When you shine both the POB and COSTCO together, does the Costco's hotspot hurt your eyes a lot more to look at?

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Given that they both have similarly sized reflectors the PF would be out thrown by the HF by a noticable margin. The HF has about a 800 lumen advantage and the arc has higher surface brightness.

bluebeam
What is the farthest away object you have ever illuminated with the Costco? The Pro's Favorite easily illuminated trees and other objects at over 800 yards. I have shined the Pro's Favorite at trees that appeared to be about half of a mile away and it lit them up. I will be taking it out to some big fields soon to test its throw. Its beam is laser like, it will put a small super bright spot on something hundreds of yards away.

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About 950 verified yards against a treeline of Pinetrees. It wasn't quite pitch black that evening but it was near the edge of the light's effective range. Without a way of verifying the distance Bluebeam, it's really pointless to guess beyond a couple hundred yards, especially at night. You might use Google maps or get a rangefinder if you really want to nail down some numbers for your test purposes. One of these days you'll have to take some pictures of you tests.

Hello Patriot36:wave:

I am convinced now that the Costco HID has a brighter hotspot and throws farther than the Pro's Favorite.

It seems to me the Pro's the Favorite is just the most powerful and longest throwing Incan spotlight on the market.

The best way to describe the hotspot brightness of the refocused Pro's Favorite would be to say it's brighter than the POB but not as bright as the Costco HID.

And one more question about the X990: Do you find its flood mode to be extremely impressive? I ask because my rechargeable Brinkmann 3 million MaxPower Qbeam has a flood mode that is much more impressive to me than anything about the Pro's Favorite or POB.
My Brinkmann probably only puts out just over 1500 lumens, and your X990 would be around 3500 lumens.:duck::thumbsup:

Patriot36 said:

Given that they both have similarly sized reflectors the PF would be out thrown by the HF by a noticable margin. The HF has about a 800 lumen advantage and the arc has higher surface brightness.





About 950 verified yards against a treeline of Pinetrees. It wasn't quite pitch black that evening but it was near the edge of the light's effective range. Without a way of verifying the distance Bluebeam, it's really pointless to guess beyond a couple hundred yards, especially at night. You might use Google maps or get a rangefinder if you really want to nail down some numbers for your test purposes. One of these days you'll have to take some pictures of you tests.

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I'll second that. The farthest I have ever been able to shine the HF at somthing was 1,100 yards across a lake at some trees. At that point the light is not usefull in the sence or illuminating enough to see anything. But you can still tell with the naked eye that it is putting light on the target.

would love to see some lux readings of the Costco Or MI at those far distances. How many lux would you need to light up a newspaper enough to read?? 3-4Lux? Seems lux is the most accurate way to see how the Incan throwers stack against the HIDs.

I would get a Lux Meter, but I don't own a Maxabeam:shakehead..... yet.

Beer said:

I'll second that. The farthest I have ever been able to shine the HF at somthing was 1,100 yards across a lake at some trees. At that point the light is not usefull in the sence or illuminating enough to see anything. But you can still tell with the naked eye that it is putting light on the target.

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That is exactly what it is like when I shine the Pro's Favorite at those 1/2 mile away trees. It lights them up and appears that it could throw even farther, but beyond a certain point it is not useful to see exactly what is being illuminated.

Flashanator 500mW said:

would love to see some lux readings of the Costco Or MI at those far distances. How many lux would you need to light up a newspaper enough to read?? 3-4Lux? Seems lux is the most accurate way to see how the Incan throwers stack against the HIDs.

I would get a Lux Meter, but I don't own a Maxabeam:shakehead..... yet.

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I think thats an awesome idea. :twothumbs

I think you would have to have some place REALLY dark though to get a good measurement.

Flashanator 500mW said:

would love to see some lux readings of the Costco Or MI at those far distances. How many lux would you need to light up a newspaper enough to read?? 3-4Lux? Seems lux is the most accurate way to see how the Incan throwers stack against the HIDs.

I would get a Lux Meter, but I don't own a Maxabeam:shakehead..... yet.

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I'll bet that a newspaper could easily be read from a Costo/MI 1000 yards away. I don't know how many lux a person would need but one of the light brainiacs like Ra or Lux Luthor would know.




Blue,
I always think the the X990 looks the most impressive when it's in the spot setting. The beam isn't quite as nice and the wire shows a lot more at the wide setting. The adjustment range is fairly good though. Regarding the output, it's probably not over 3200 lumens. I can't believe how far ahead of it's time the X990 was and how well it has aged. Li-ion would make it a perfect light. Oh well. Once the L35 is release, I don't think I'll be using my X990 much. As it is, I only use it for hunting trips while plugged into the 12V lighter socket. Actually, it's a nearly perfect vehicle light because of the angle head.

Blue,
I always think the the X990 looks the most impressive when it's in the spot setting. The beam isn't quite as nice and the wire shows a lot more at the wide setting. The adjustment range is fairly good though. Regarding the output, it's probably not over 3200 lumens. I can't believe how far ahead of it's time the X990 was and how well it has aged. Li-ion would make it a perfect light. Oh well. Once the L35 is release, I don't think I'll be using my X990 much. As it is, I only use it for hunting trips while plugged into the 12V lighter socket. Actually, it's a nearly perfect vehicle light because of the angle head.

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The X990 sounds like a very nice light! I will like to hear about how you like the AmondoTech L35 and how it performs.

The X990 interests me because my Brinkmann 3 million Qbeam is much like the X990, the way it throws so far on spot mode (about as far as my 10mcp Thor) and it is so impressive on flood mode. It is my favorite light to use plugged into the 12V DC lighter socket since the battery can be taken out to make it extra lightweight.

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Now that being said, my HF HID MURDERS my Pros Fav, in both throw and light output. Both of my POB HID's do a number on it as well.

I really could not tell until the 4th of July I was out at the in-laws and they have 11 acres of mostly flat land. I was about 150 yards from the house and took turns shining the HF, PF, and POB at the house. Each time I could tell the HID's were brighter, but it took my eyes so long to adjust to the Light-Dark-Light cycle that I really couldn't say how much brighter.

So I lined all four (two POB's) up and shined at the house. I could make put the HF and the two POB beams perfectly. Unfortunately the Pros Fav was just completely outclassed and I really couldn't tell there was a fourth light on just looking at the beam on the house.

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Beer,

Does the Harbor Freight HID out throw the POB by a large margin? Is there any distance at which the HF HID can light up objects but is too far away for the POB?

Honestly I could not say. I havent had the chance to shine them both at anything far enough away that I could not see one or the other.

I usally only have one or another with me, and the time I was at the lake I had not purchased a POB yet. :green:

I will say this though, when I was shinng them both at the house on the 4th. The HF still had a sharp star beam pattern and a tight hot spot. The POB still had a hot spot, but it was dimmer.

For the Aussies that might be interested in the Pro's Favorite I think this is the same light HERE. What do you think of the reflector in yours BlueBeam22 ? I want to order this light if the reflector is good as I get wholesale pricing from them.