How-To . . . Vector Twin 100W HID Pictures

[Essexman]

Hi Essex

I got mine from America via eBay and the postage was as much as the lamp.

It is also branded Black & Decker VEC192 in The States but not available as far as I can tell in the UK - the top heavy one, VEC158BD, is a slightly smaller unit.

This page from boatandrvaccessories.com has most of the hosts out there in one place and this was the company I got mine from, but via eBay listing.
Ask about postage and description to UK as some sellers can be helpful. :thumbsup:

Cheers
Pete

Thanks for the info Pete, the worst luck ever, when I was looking at the build pics/beam shots (again), the wife walked by......

:tsk:

 

[2xTrinity]

btw, what (k) is best for human eyes? sunlight is 5.5-6k, so I thought white light gives better visablity then lower 4.3k???

The surface temperature of the sun is about 6000 Kelvin, but what we actually see on earth is highly variable, depending on time of day and latitude. Much of the light from the sun is scattered by Rayleigh scattering, so the result is a blue sky, and a (relatively) yellow looking sun. This is why our sensitivity to blue light occurs more in the peripheral vision, and red/green sensitive cones are dominant in the fovea, or central vision used to discern details. The lumen scale is based strictly on central vision. On an overcast day, color temp can be higher, around 7000k. In direct sunlight, during most of the day, color temp will be closer to 4000k.

Another reason this logic (pick the color tmep closest to the sun) isn't always the best is that our eyes work differently depending on the amount of incident light -- generally preferring lower color temperatures as illuminance gets lower. At noon on a sunny day, color temp will be about 6000k, but illuminance will also be as high as 100,000 lux everywhere. One of the common complaints about 6000k+ color temperature bulbs for indoor lighting is that they make things look dreary or dull at the few hundred lux of most homes, they require more lux compared to really look "right". I personally like 5000k at around 1000 lux for task lighting indoors, this is much brighter than most homes and workshops.

Also, the reason why blue light does a poorer job at penetrating fog is actually not due to rayleigh scattering (which is scattering due to particles smaller than the wavelength of light), but due to the fact that our eyes shift toward being more sensitive to blue light at night, and that most objects outdoors preferentially reflect red and green, few things in nature reflect blue. However, fog reflects everything indiscriminantly, so contrast ratio between the illuminated fog and your illuminated object will be much worse.

 

[TorchBoy]

... the fact that our eyes shift toward being more sensitive to blue light at night, ...

You're talking cone cells vs rod cells, yes?

 

[LuxLuthor]

Great topic! The XeRay 50W D2S (or D1S) are 4200°K bulbs. Assuming same is true with Philips DL-50 FatBoy. Polarion uses 4300°K

It appears that 4300°K is the sweet spot....but I did notice this site also has 5,000°K, and described up top as "very light blue hue."

Wonder if any have tried that temp? From their site:

3000K = Great light output (3400 lumens), Yellow, excellent for bad weather.
4500K = Great light output (3400 lumens), White, best performance
5000K = Great light output (3200 lumens), Pure white, very light blue hue. Light still white on the road
6000K = Good light output (3000 lumens) , White with blue/purple hue, best looks
8000K = Good light output (2800 lumens), White with more pronounced blue color
​

Also is there a guide to the "H" sizes, wondering why only H-7 is being used....if different focus would be affected by "H" size, but I know nothing about what the "H" parameter describes yet.

 

[superjoe83]

Also is there a guide to the "H" sizes, wondering why only H-7 is being used....if different focus would be affected by "H" size, but I know nothing about what the "H" parameter describes yet.

H7 basically means that the HID bulb is made/re-based to fit halogen H7 sockets

also, i would like to add that the kit that the OP got is using 35w bulbs overdriven by the 50w ballasts, i have yet to see a true 50w bulb come from china, the only true 50w D2S base bulb that i know of is the Philips DL-50

 

[LuxLuthor]

But don't you use the new HID kit sockets that come with them for these mods? If so, wondering if focus might be better with other bulb size kit.

 

[petrev]

But don't you use the new HID kit sockets that come with them for these mods? If so, wondering if focus might be better with other bulb size kit.

Hi Lux

H7 is the exact fit for these Vector Twins and POB HID.

Hx defines bulb height and base size - shape - tabs/orientation devices and base thickness etc. . .

My H7 fit perfectly and focus is probably as designed - a very thin, 1-2mm, shim might get a measure of hyper-focus for ultimate throw.

Plasmaman found that D2S are the same size fitting but have a thicker base so he had to reverse his spring retaining clip - I think D2S are upside down re-H7 so the return wire is at the bottom not the top (maybe?)

Cheers
Pete

 

[M@elstrom]

You're talking cone cells vs rod cells, yes?

Yes... basically rod (cells) are for peripheral vision & sensitive to what we refer to as night vision (shades), whilst the cone (cells) are primarily central of our scope of vision (colour & definition) :thumbsup:

 

[TorchBoy]

Yes...

But you weren't the one talking (typing). :thinking: I presume that's what he was referring to, but how do you know?

 

[2xTrinity]

But you weren't the one talking (typing). :thinking: I presume that's what he was referring to, but how do you know?

For the record, yes, that's what I was talking about. Athough full adaptation only takes place after being in the dark about 20 minutes, in full-moon and twilight conditoins the eyes operate in what is caleld "mespoic" mode which is a blend between input from cones, and rods, with rods becomign progressively more dominant the darker things get, and those have sensitviity peak shifted down into the blue-green, as opposed to yelow-green region.

 

[TorchBoy]

in full-moon and twilight conditoins the eyes operate in what is caleld "mespoic" mode

I got all of one result on Google for mespoic. Mesopic works, though.

 

[M@elstrom]

But you weren't the one talking (typing). :thinking: I presume that's what he was referring to, but how do you know?

School & previous medical back ground... don't they have health & science subjects in NZ schools?


Hey remember when your mother told you to eat up your carrots so you could see in the dark? well carrots and many vegetables (to varying degrees) contain carotene which the body converts to Vitamin A, this amongst many uses within the body aid the health & formation of those 'rod' cells

 

[LuxLuthor]

We had some nice rain here in CT over last few days. Supposed to be warm this weekend. Probably a good time to cut the grass.

 

[TorchBoy]

School & previous medical back ground... don't they have health & science subjects in NZ schools?

I guess not. I read just this morning that NZ needs 200 more surgeons pretty urgently.

... carotene which the body converts to Vitamin A, ...

using fat as a catalyst (otherwise the conversion is really slow and inefficient). One more reason to enjoy BBQs. :wave:

 

[LuxLuthor]

Anyone going to the Podunk Bluegrass Music Festival this year?

 

[Flashanator]

Pete can you give measurments to how much room there is for a battery in the Twin HID Mod? As I dont have mine yet.

You can fit a SLA 7ah in right? Much more then that?


I have a 8.5ah Li-Ion pack I wouldnt mind using, but it would prob give cheap runtimes. These Li-Ion packs are expensive.

Im going with 4.3K now. seems like the right thing to do.


:thumbsup:

 

[petrev]

Pete can you give measurments to how much room there is for a battery in the Twin HID Mod? As I dont have mine yet.

You can fit a SLA 7ah in right? Much more then that?


I have a 8.5ah Li-Ion pack I wouldnt mind using, but it would prob give cheap runtimes. These Li-Ion packs are expensive.

Im going with 4.3K now. seems like the right thing to do.


:thumbsup:

Hi

Std. 7Ah SLA still fits 65 x 95 x 150mm

25mm extra length if you hollow out the tailcap - easy to just remove some fillets.

Maybe up to 80 x 120 x 175mm if you take a chisel to the fillets and guides in the battery compartment and use the tailcap space. Quite a lot of work.

Thumbnail


Hope that gives you an idea of the space available but probably best to wait and see for definite !

cheers
Pete

p.s. 4300ºK looks good to me
:thumbsup:

 

[LuxLuthor]

I think I'm gonna order a set of 5000°K just to be churlish. 4300°K seems so pedantic now.

 

[petrev]

I think I'm gonna order a set of 5000°K just to be churlish. 4300°K seems so pedantic now.

Hi Lux

Not sure if it is pedantic but may well be pedestrian ! !! !!!

:wave:

Cheers
Pete

 

[LuxLuthor]

Hi Lux

Not sure if it is pedantic but may well be pedestrian ! !! !!!

:wave:

Cheers
Pete

Yeah, I meant pedantic in the context of going beyond the banausic warmth of my 4300°K photonic arsenal...up to that murky edge of 5000° 'Kelvinic' abyss! I'll let you know.