Surefire Hellfighter (picture intensive)

[Rat]

WOW Mac did you need to modify the hellfighter at all be sides pulling it off the handle mount?
What batteries does it take ?

cheers

[jamesmtl514]

that is madness. and I expext no less from you.
Excellent work.

[Triode888@hotmail.com]

Why fight it you know you want one

Hi Mac,

How much does the battery tube costs & what type of battries does it use? Im interested mate.

Thank you.

[cmacclel]

No modifications whatsoever. Just unscrew the Hellfighter from it's carry handle / mount and screw on the 4x 26650 battery handle for 1+ hour runtime.


Thanks Mac

WOW Mac did you need to modify the hellfighter at all be sides pulling it off the handle mount?
What batteries does it take ?

cheers

[Rat]

No modifications whatsoever. Just unscrew the Hellfighter from it's carry handle / mount and screw on the 4x 26650 battery handle for 1+ hour runtime.


Thanks Mac

Wow 4x 26650 1hr run time is great. I do not plan to use the current Hellfire I have much. But if I can score a user this could come in handy. With an added shoulder strap it would be quit manageable.

cheers

[Rat]

Hey Mac your PM's are full
I will take one of those cables off you n about 2 weeks.

Cheers

[Steve in SoCal]

Awesome, very tempting...

[Solscud007]

Im working on getting a Hellfighter. Im interested in getting 12v car cables and that beast like handle.

[oal]

Thanks for the photos, I have been drooling over the hellfire on surefires website for a while. I thought it was bigger than it is. I thought it was at least 6" across. I love the pic with the handle. I wonder if I could carry it as an EDC.

[Solscud007]

My Hellfighter showed up. Thanks Kif!! Here i'm testing out the feasibility as a weapon light. It should handle the recoil of a 12 gauge right? haha

[cmacclel]

Lucky dog with the Kel-Tec KSG......how did you score one of them Hook a brother up!

[Solscud007]

Simple. Pay out my rear. Srsly I sold a crown jewel in my toy collection to partially pay for it on gunbroker.

[Solscud007]

Well there is a new HF coming out. It has high low and strobe!!! that is just unfair for the opposing force. Strobing at 3K lumens is just mean.

[ShortArc]

The rechargeable Hellfighter 4 has been in the works for a while. I am not holding my breath for a ship date
I am dying to see the new reflector design.

[BVH]

Is it still going to be just 35 Watts to the bulb?

[Solscud007]

In the picture you can see a new mount. It has a picatinny mount build into the HF mount. I called SF and it is almost $400.

[ShortArc]

Is it still going to be just 35 Watts to the bulb?

Don't know, looking into ordering one....but the older HF have been pushing 45-50W to the bulb.

[BVH]

That's good to hear!

[ev13wt]

Neither do I. I use a 15" screen laptop. but I can understand that connection-wise, large images take a LONG time to load for some people.

Only if they are big in file size.

Jpg compression can make a fullhd or bigger size pic under a megabyte.


Awesome light! I want one mounted on my truck.

[Solscud007]

Mac's custom handle is gorgeous. Here is my HF with handle #2.

[Solscud007]

Oh yeah, I forgot to mention. We measured the SF HF and it was putting out 5,000 lumens!!

[warubozu]

What's the cost for one of Mac's custom HF handle?

[Solscud007]

What's the cost for one of Mac's custom HF handle?

$300. And well worth every penny. Actually I believe it was $250 for the handle and then $50 for the cerakoting. The craftsmanship of this handle cannot be overstated. It is a piece of art. The SW01 style tailcap is just too cool.

[warubozu]

Indeed, pure eye candy and great functionality.

[whatthe?]

Mac's custom handel
Hello,

In referecne to Mac's custom handel.

First, Great engineering work / modifications for more applications with the Hellfighter... AWESOME!!!!!!!


It says there are a few models of this handel for the Hellfighter? I am very interested....

Where can I see the other handels and what is the price/ prices? Is there a price list?

Do they come with power supplies also? different battery packs? rechargable?

Please let me know I am very interested like I said.


Thanks in advance.

Have a great day, "whatthe?"

[Specialops]

Hi

Would realy like to know were i could get me the lego handle you but on your surefire hellfighter light?

Very light weight and compact - no battery ofcourse!



















Surefire Lego




Cheers.

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Here are two more showing the reflector and side view with tape measure for size reference.



Approx Dia: 4 inches.




Approx lenght: 7.75 inches overall.
Approx weight: 4.25 lbs.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Hellfighter w/ Beast II head. Kind of interesting looking...ready for another episode of...





















Summarized/added info as requested by a few CPF members who are going the HF path

SURFIRE HELLFIGHTER INFO


HellFighter Overview:
“The HellFighterTM target illuminator is designed primarily for use on .50 caliber machine guns. Its shock-isolated 35W HID lamp has an output of approximately 3,000 lumens and is powered by either two 5590 military batteries or the cigarette lighter adapter. HellFighter also can be used as a portable, handheld light by detaching it from the T-mount and using the integrated handle.”: Quote from SF prochure. See SF for more info.
Some measured data:
Runtime on one (1) BB-2590/U battery: 3 hours 54 minutes
Startup current: 7A
Steady state current: 3A
Temperature distribution front to back (at room temp): 145-116 degrees Fahrenheit.

HellFigher Plug , Wiring and cable:
The receptacle on the back to the HF is a Amphenol PTO3E-14-5P.
Essentially it is Class E, size 14, with 5 conductors.
The mating plug is an Amphenol :
PT08E-14-5S (connector, right angle plug, class e, size 14, 5 #16 solder socket contact)
Allied Electronics Part number: 233-6110 (approx $67). This one is on the SF wiring harness.
Or you can get the straight plug for less money
PT06E-14-5S(SR) (connector, metal circ, class e, str plug w/cable clamp, sz14, 5#16 solder socket cont)
Allied Electronics Part number: 714-6228 (approx: $26).

HF has pins labeled A, B, C, D and E. A and C are used for those cables that have Grip switch. B and E are used for battery BB2590 or cigarette adapter. D is not used. In other words: Pin B is + Input and E is - Input 12V-15V DC Pin A and Pin C is for switch. To turn on the HF there has to be a closed circuit between A and C. If you don’t have a switch, jumper.
As the current draw is rather low you don’t need much of a wire.
If you are not going to use a remote switch, I would use 18AWG 2/C SOOW. You could still bring out two leads (connected from A to C) from the plug for later use. I did that with one of my coiled cable assemblies. One source for cable (including coiled) is McMaster Carr. Here is the info for the coiled cable: McMaser Part #7520K51 (Thermoplastic Rubber Jacket Retractile Cord Black SJEOW, 18/2 Awg, 300 VAC, 2' Retracted) $26.11 Each.

A word on Amphenol Class F connectors.
“E/F – Environmental Resisting with Strain Relief – designed for applications where the connector will be exposed
to moisture, vibration, and rapid changes in pressure and temperature.”
The connector comes with a rubber sleeve which fits over the contacts. The idea is to slip the leads through the holes in the sleeve, solder the connections and then slip the sleeve over the contacts. This process requires you to strip back so much of the outer jacket that the strain relief clamp often will catch the wires and not the jacket. I have found two solutions to this problem. One, discard the rubber plug and use hot glue melted over the contacts. Two, use 3m Scotch Rubber Mastic Tape (#2228) to wrap the wire bundle.


Bren-Tronics BB-2590 Rechargeable Li-Ion General Info.
These batteries can be purchased directly from Bren-Tronics (via sales rep) or you can find an alternate manufacture. They all pretty much make the same product and are approx $300-$350 each. Sometimes you can find them on ebay but make sure you know where they have been an how old they are!
SPEC from Brentronics Website:
Description . . . . . . . . Rechargeable, Lithium Ion Battery with “State of Charge Display”
National Stock Number . . . . . 6140-01-490-4316
For Use In . . . . . . . . SINCGARS & ATCS (AN/PRC-104, 119) FALCON (AN/PRC-138
117) KY-57, MXF430 (V), AN/PSC-5, M22.
Replacement for or Compatible with . . . BB-590/U, BB-390A/U, BB-690/Y, BA-3590/U & BA-5590/U.
Nominal Dimensions . . . . . . Length: 4.40 in (111.76mm)
Width: 2.45 in (62.23 mm)
Height: 5.00 in (127.00 mm)
Nominal Weight . . . . . . . 3.10 Lb (1.4 Kg)
MaximumVoltage . . . . . . . 33.0 V, Two (2) 16.5 V Section
NominalVoltage . . . . . . . 28.8 V, Two (2) 14.4 V Section
Nominal Capacity . . . . . . . 6.2 Ah @ 28.8 V — 12.4 Ah @ 14.4 V
Cutoff Voltage . . . . . . . . 20.0 V———-10.0 V
Operating Temperature Range . . . . -20ºC to +55ºC (-4ºF to +131ºF)
Storage Temperature Range . . . . . -20ºC to +55ºC (-4ºF to +131ºF)
Case Material & Color. . . . . . . Modified ABS plastic, Sand Color with Yellow printing.
Connector . . . . . . . . Floating Type Per U.S. Army DWG# SC-C-179495
Recommended Charger s. . . . . . PP-8498/U (SPC), PP-8481A/U (COTM)
Standard Charge . . . . . . . Charge each section independently at constant voltage of 16.5V
3 A (max) for 5 Hr

BB-2590/U Connector Info.
You can purchase separate BA5590/u connectors, model BAI-10G, at: http://www.battaxx.com
Jay Willmott is the President of the company and is very helpful.
“Pins 1 & 2 are Ground (-15VDC); pins 4 & 5 are Positive (+15VDC). In BA-5590/U (non-rechargeable) batteries, pins 3 & 6 are -not- connected.
Wiring the connector in parallel will provide nominally 15 volts (for a fresh battery); wiring in series will provide nominally 30 volts. The "old school" method of wiring in parallel dictates installing diodes for each leg, to prevent possible self-charging between the cells (something that may cause the cells to burst), but this was more of an issue for earlier generations of BA5590s, and really should not be a concern for you in your application.
The easiest way we have found to wire in series is to simply solder on a buss wire jumper between pins 1 & 5. We use a pair of round-nosed wire- forming pliers to create a loop in the wire, which may then be slid over the pins, then soldered in place. This works well for the power hookups, too.
Most applications are fine using ~22 gauge wire, but larger diameters will fit. For assembly, we recommend using a ~650 degree soldering iron and thin-gauge rosin core solder. It's best not to let the iron dwell for too long, otherwise the shell material will soften. Some of our customers use a "dead" (make sure!) battery as a fixture for soldering, to serve as a heatsink as well as to ensure that the pins remain aligned during assembly.
After assembling and verifying correct polarity and voltage, we usually recommend potting the soldered connections with hot melt glue. We usually also suggest filling the backshell ~2/3rds full with hot melt glue, then quickly installing it onto the connector; the glue will flow around the inside and bond the backshell to the connector, as well as provide a vibration-resistant and watertight seal for reliable operation, even in tactical applications.
Other, more sophisticated (and, more expensive!) potting compounds are available (Devcon makes some) but hot melt glue is commonly available and seems to be working just fine for most of our customers. If for some reason you decide not to pot the assembly, a small drop of cyanoacrylate ("super glue") on each of the backshell's four plastic pins should retain it securely; this technique -sometimes- permits removal for later rework, too.”. Information provided by Jay WIllmott of Battery Axxessories Inc.

Brentronics BB-2590/U Charging Info.
Regarding charging of BB2590-- there is a trick to it. The Brentronics batteries have a text on their side telling you how to do it, but it is a little cryptic. What you need to do is the following:

The battery has two separate sides as we know. Each side should be charged separately since you cannot be sure that the 2 sides are equally discharged or that they will take the charge at the same pace. So, charge them one at a time, or with 2 separate power sources.
Yes, you could probably get away with hooking them up in parallel and charging them together most of the time. But, the operative word(s) here are "Most of the time"!.
Here is the trick:
- To allow charging, a separate +5VDC supply must be connected to the pad labeled SW through a 470 ohm 0.25W resistor. The SW pad is one of the 3 pads below the main connector. NOTE! THE 5V MUST BE CONNECTED BEFORE YOU TURN ON THE 16.5v SUPPLY IN THE NEXT STEP!!!
- Connect a 16.5VDC power supply between pin 1(-) and 4(+). Turn up the current limiter (yes, you should use a power supply with an adjustable current limiter) to a max of 3A.
- Terminate the charging when the current drops to <100mA.
ANOTHER NOTE: Do NOT disconnect the 5V supply to the SW pad while charging. Something really weird happens to the voltage and though I am not sure what is going on it cannot be healthy!
To secure that the +5V is constantly connected to the SW pad, you should make some sort of device with a spring loaded connection point that applies pressure down on the SW pad.

************* More info to follow as I have time ****************

[Illum]

you don't have to quote the whole post

Well there is a new HF coming out. It has high low and strobe!!! that is just unfair for the opposing force. Strobing at 3K lumens is just mean.

How the hell did they come up with a strobe mode on an HID?!

[benm11]

Would realy like to know were i could get me the lego handle you but on your surefire hellfighter light?

That is the handle for the Surefire Beast II. I really doubt you will be able to find one without buying the entire beast II which will set you back at least 2 grand.

How the hell did they come up with a strobe mode on an HID?!

That's is exactly what I thought when I saw the specs on the new hellfighter. I feel like that would put a lot of stress on the ballast and bulb. So I am curious as to how they managed that and keep the reliability that everyone expects from surefire and especially the hellfighter.

[cmacclel]

Color Temp was 4364k at 3731 Lumens We ran the light for 15 minutes and the output only varied 1.5%

[ABTOMAT]

What is it with Massachusetts and Hellfighters? Couldn't let you guys have all the fun. I'll be back to this thread in about a week. Got something in the mail.

What have I gotten myself into... Drooling over those Mac handles, too.