I was going to get one of those HID flashlights that are on ebay...
But I read from more than one user, that they do not have very good throw, and are mostly a 'flood' type.
So I set my mind to trying to make an HID light that I could adjust the spot, and see if I could get some throw...
My mod is built around this relatively cheap 75 Watt ballast and HID bulb: ($31 bucks)
Notice the connection points if you decide to DIY...
This bulb is 8000K color temp, but I contacted the seller, and they told me that they can custom build the ballast/bulb combo with a 4300K bulb. So I ordered a couple of the 4300K ones to try out!
Parts:
* 75 Watt ballast and HID bulb
* Voltage monitor
* 3 X Feilong 32650 Li-Ion batteries
* Aluminum reflector
* Borofloat glass lens
* Custom glow ring from Fiddy
* 2" Aluminum tubing (1/8" wall)
* 1 3/4" Aluminum tubing for shim piece to mount the 2" material (1/8" wall)
(tubing is the order size - it is then machined to the fit needed)
A custom tail cap mod was needed in order to fit the 3 Feilong cells:
Just enough room to fit 3 of the Feilong 6000mAh 32650's into a 3D Mag...
Switch mod:
Here's the rest of the pictures of the build:
For more details on the voltage monitor install, see this thread...
Notes:
I ran several 10 minute test runs, and the ballast stays surprisingly cool. (well not cool, but only warm after 10 minutes)
The HID bulb however, gets very hot. Thus the Borofloat glass lens is needed, as well as the aluminum reflector...
* Current draw - I measured an initial 7.5 Amps battery current draw on start up, and the ballast quickly brings the HID bulb into full power within about 8 to 10 seconds. At that point, it draws 5.5 Amps steady. So I anticipate about 1 hour run time between charges. Or a little more...
* Comparison - It's considerably brighter than my 1000 lumen XM-L Mag mod. But not as good for a 'user' light. Because it will get pretty warm after about 10 minutes. Plus it will probably need charging of the batteries every hour or so.
My XM-L build has three modes, and is over 3 hours on high. (9 hours on medium – about 350 lumens) 40 hours on low.
Plus the XM-L mod is a 2 cell size. So it's a much more practical light in many ways.
So all things considered, I don't think you can beat my 1000 lumen XM-L Mag mod.
But I still like the HID build just for the cool factor...
Here's some interesting information on HID vs Halogen:
Lighting from an HID bulb is up to 10 times more durable than halogen. Vibrations can cause damage to a halogen filament, but there is nothing to break inside an HID bulb. Instead of using a filament as it's source of light output, an hid bulb generates a xenon arc that jumps between two diodes to emit its light output. This electrical arc is similar to the lighting in the sky, so in a sense, hid xenon bulbs are what you might call "lightning in a bottle!" Pretty cool huh?!! These light sources also produce a white to blue-white light in the 4300K to 6000K color range that is safer due to the fact that it is closer to the color of natural daylight.
The color temperature of daylight is close to 4300K, which is why we as human beings that see best during the daylight are able to see more vividly with a 4300K hid kit compared to 2300K from halogen bulbs.
The light output from a 35W 4300K HID Xenon lamp is about 300% more visible light than a 55W halogen bulb.
And this build is 75 Watts HID!
HID also consumes much less power, and generates much less heat during operation...
Hope you like the build!
But I read from more than one user, that they do not have very good throw, and are mostly a 'flood' type.
So I set my mind to trying to make an HID light that I could adjust the spot, and see if I could get some throw...
My mod is built around this relatively cheap 75 Watt ballast and HID bulb: ($31 bucks)
Notice the connection points if you decide to DIY...
This bulb is 8000K color temp, but I contacted the seller, and they told me that they can custom build the ballast/bulb combo with a 4300K bulb. So I ordered a couple of the 4300K ones to try out!
Parts:
* 75 Watt ballast and HID bulb
* Voltage monitor
* 3 X Feilong 32650 Li-Ion batteries
* Aluminum reflector
* Borofloat glass lens
* Custom glow ring from Fiddy
* 2" Aluminum tubing (1/8" wall)
* 1 3/4" Aluminum tubing for shim piece to mount the 2" material (1/8" wall)
(tubing is the order size - it is then machined to the fit needed)
A custom tail cap mod was needed in order to fit the 3 Feilong cells:
Just enough room to fit 3 of the Feilong 6000mAh 32650's into a 3D Mag...
Switch mod:
Here's the rest of the pictures of the build:
For more details on the voltage monitor install, see this thread...
Notes:
I ran several 10 minute test runs, and the ballast stays surprisingly cool. (well not cool, but only warm after 10 minutes)
The HID bulb however, gets very hot. Thus the Borofloat glass lens is needed, as well as the aluminum reflector...
* Current draw - I measured an initial 7.5 Amps battery current draw on start up, and the ballast quickly brings the HID bulb into full power within about 8 to 10 seconds. At that point, it draws 5.5 Amps steady. So I anticipate about 1 hour run time between charges. Or a little more...
* Comparison - It's considerably brighter than my 1000 lumen XM-L Mag mod. But not as good for a 'user' light. Because it will get pretty warm after about 10 minutes. Plus it will probably need charging of the batteries every hour or so.
My XM-L build has three modes, and is over 3 hours on high. (9 hours on medium – about 350 lumens) 40 hours on low.
Plus the XM-L mod is a 2 cell size. So it's a much more practical light in many ways.
So all things considered, I don't think you can beat my 1000 lumen XM-L Mag mod.
But I still like the HID build just for the cool factor...
Here's some interesting information on HID vs Halogen:
Lighting from an HID bulb is up to 10 times more durable than halogen. Vibrations can cause damage to a halogen filament, but there is nothing to break inside an HID bulb. Instead of using a filament as it's source of light output, an hid bulb generates a xenon arc that jumps between two diodes to emit its light output. This electrical arc is similar to the lighting in the sky, so in a sense, hid xenon bulbs are what you might call "lightning in a bottle!" Pretty cool huh?!! These light sources also produce a white to blue-white light in the 4300K to 6000K color range that is safer due to the fact that it is closer to the color of natural daylight.
The color temperature of daylight is close to 4300K, which is why we as human beings that see best during the daylight are able to see more vividly with a 4300K hid kit compared to 2300K from halogen bulbs.
The light output from a 35W 4300K HID Xenon lamp is about 300% more visible light than a 55W halogen bulb.
And this build is 75 Watts HID!
HID also consumes much less power, and generates much less heat during operation...
Hope you like the build!
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