36 inch Gorilla

[LightSward]

I won't have much access to the internet, next few days. :thinking: :sick2: 😱 😕 :huh: :ironic: ...back to Vegas for Dad's big Memorial April 25th, 2pm UNLV Alumni bldg. Will try and fit the 36 inch in the trunk of the KIA again, and use the tripod this time for better beam shots. Otherwise I can only fit the 7 inch, 35 watt HID Cyclops wanna be in the car this time.:twothumbs

Oh, wow! 😱

 

[LightSward]

Back from my Road Trip to Vegas.

Got some really good beam shots of the Local Ski Resort just 30 minutes outside of Las Vegas, where I learned to ski as a kid. Beam shots vary in distance from two miles to one mile and a few half mile and quarter mile bright shots. It snowed a little when I arrived late afternoon, a nearly full moon was visible, at night, for the beam shots. (This thing will really light things up when I get the 1000 watt HID.)

Will post photos next few days.

 

[SuperTrouper]

What made you christen this light "Gorilla"?

The fact that it has a red backside seems to suggest Baboon would have been more appropriate

Awesome work though, looking forward to seeing your latest beamshots.

 

[LightSward]

What made you christen this light "Gorilla"?

The fact that it has a red backside seems to suggest Baboon would have been more appropriate

Awesome work though, looking forward to seeing your latest beamshots.

The "Gorilla" name came about for several reasons. The basic look while designing the 36 inch searchlight, in AutoCAD 3-D Modelling, reminded me of a Gorilla I saw while watching a Nature Show. The Gorilla, with it's big round stomach and chest with arms hanging to the side but curled inward like Gorilla's often do...looking like the arbor, while it was doing it's thing, reminded me of the 36 inch searchlight.:naughty:

Overall, the 36 inch Searchlight seemed like a big Gorilla in many ways.


The red color, was to act as a warning of the somewhat sharp jagged finish of the fiberglass, kids kept getting too close...curious...and I didn't have much of other colors left... 😳 ...Plus the time allotment; I could use the shop space, was drawing to a close, and I didn't want to run to the store and use up any more time than needed. :tired:

I really did do this whole sequence of searchlights on a shoe string. I would like to take it to the next level and make these reflectors, lighter weight, smaller, and better optically, but money and the economy are quite a challenge, right now.:mecry:

Thanks for the good word. :twothumbsI will post photos next few days, when my photo buckets allow more photos, (can't afford to go pro yet...).😎

 

[LightSward]

The Latest Beam Shots:

Towering over Las Vegas on the North West side of town, if taking HWY 95, the highway that goes by the "Test Site" and "Area 51"; take turnoff State Road #156 up to the Local Las Vegas Area Ski Resort.

A couple days later, (with nearly a full moon again), The ski resort area was lit up by the Gorilla Searchlight.

Here are some of those results with the 100 watt HID:

:twothumbs

Mummy Mt. & Las Vegas Ski Resort tower above Las Vegas

This is how Charleston Peak and Mummy Mountain, (taller than the Cascade Range volcanoes of Oregon and Washington state), looks from my hotel room in Las Vegas. Here the mountains are about 35 miles away. This is where I first learned to ski...back in the 60's and 70's




Mummy Mt. & Las Vegas Ski Resort fifteen minutes away

This is how Mummy Mt and Las Vegas Ski Resort look from the Tonapah Highway, or about 15 minutes drive. You actually drive past Mummy Mt. to enter the Lee Canyon area and the Ski Resort.


Panoramic Shot of Mummy Mountain and Las Vegas Ski Resort

Las Vegas Ski Resort otherwise known as "Lee Canyon Ski Resort" has three chair lifts. The two main chair lifts are a each 3/4 of a mile long with the base terminal about a quarter of a mile from camera location.

Mummy Mountain couple days before Beam Shots

Mummy Mountain, 11,460 foot tall, as seen a couple days before the Beam Shots were taken. This mountain can be seen over a hundred miles away from an airplane.


Las Vegas Ski Resort in Lee Canyon

This is the Main Upper Parking Lot and Shuttle Bus turnaround. Not much by other resort standards, but in my younger years, this parking lot was a long walk to ticket counter, seemed big enough and being just a thirty minute drive from Las Vegas, is a great place to go. This is where the 36 inch Gorilla was let loose to light up the mountain sides


Here is where I learned to ski as Child

This is the Main Ticket, Bar and Grill, Rentals and Ski Lift Loading Area. Not much by other resort standards, but in my younger years, this place was intimidating, and being just a thirty minute drive from Las Vegas, is a great place to go. :thumbsup:


Beam Lights up top of Main Chair Lift

The 36 inch Gorilla lights the Main Chair Lift Top unloading terminal. The nearly full moon makes the whole mountain somewhat visible. The light beam travels about a mile to this location.


Beam Lights up top of "Extreme Vertical Drop" ski run

This little seen ski run is seen much better than in photos when the Gorilla was aimed elsewhere. This little run, lit up by the Gorilla, is a Black Diamond run for this resort, (intermediate for other ski resorts). First time I skied that run, I was terrified.


Beam Lights up Main Hiking Chute above Main Chair Lift

Here is one of the 'Slide Paths' the Las Vegas Ski Resort would like to expand the #1 Main Chair Lift to. This patch of snow is 1-1/2 mile(s) distance from the 36 inch Gorilla. The beam lights up a good Extreme out of bounds Ski Run and is a good Summer hiking area.


Avalanche path above Chair #2

Here is one of the 'Slide Paths' the Las Vegas Ski Resort would like to expand the #2 Chair Lift to. This patch of snow is 1-3/4 mile(s) distance from the 36 inch Gorilla, and is almost completely darkened by the shadow of the upper mountain ridge as seen in other photos of this location.



Gorilla Lights up Mummy Mountain, LightSward checks focusing plate

Even though it was below freezing in this photo, I was actually sweating, I am well bundled for this Beam Shot series, having been a Ski Bum for many years and skiing all the Black Diamond runs I could find. I am attempting to adjust, the beam, focus, a little better in this photo.


2 Beams compare near top of "Mummy Mountain"

The 36 inch 100 watt HID Gorilla is to the Left and the dimmer beam to the right is the 7 inch 35 watt HID Cyclops, compare near the top of Mummy Ridge. Imagine the 36 inch Gorilla with a 1,000 watt HID.


Beam Lights up Mummy Mountain, assistant moves light for me

Here the 36 inch Gorilla is aimed near the top of Mummy Mountain, over a mile beam travel distance. My assistant is keeping watch over the Gorilla, while I operate the camera.



Beam Lights up near top of "Mummy Ridge"

Here the 36 inch Gorilla is aimed at a Ridge, over a 2/3 of a mile away. This is a ridge I took many hikers on Mountain Tours several decades ago.



A thousand foot beam lights up the nearby hillside

To get an idea of how bright this beam is, I aimed it to a nearby point on the hill, about 1,300 feet away. Remember, this is only a hundred watt HID.



Beam Lights up Mummy Mountain, Assistant aims light for me.

My assistant didn't dress well for the cold and had to 'layer up' several coats and pairs of pants. It was below freezing at this time.


LightSward inspecting the 36 inch Gorilla Searchlight

Here I am checking on the 100 watt HID, 36 inch Gorilla's focus at Mummy Mountain and Ridge, over a mile away. I need to adjust the 'focus', it seems to be focused at about the half mile point here, and spreads a little, as it reaches over a mile in length to target. The light is competing with a nearly Full Moon, which helps light up the surrounding landscape.


North Mummy Mt. Ridge

Here the 36 inch Gorilla is aimed near the top of Mummy Mountain, over a mile beam travel distance. My assistant is keeping watch over the Gorilla, while I operate the camera.


Beam Lights up near top of "Mummy Ridge"

Here the 36 inch Gorilla is aimed at a Ridge, over a 1/2 of a mile away. This is another ridge I took many hikers on Mountain Tours several decades ago.



Beam Lights up near top of "Mummy Ridge"

Here the 36 inch Gorilla is aimed at a Ridge, over a 2/3 of a mile away. This is the ridge I took many hikers on Mountain Tours several decades ago.



Beam Lights up Lower "Mummy Ridge"

Here the 36 inch Gorilla is aimed at a Ridge, over a 2/3 of a mile away.


Beam lights up frozen water fall.

This frozen patch of snow and ice is sometimes a small waterfall in the Spring and early Summer. The beam travels a mile and a half, (1-1/2 miles) from Searchlight to target here.



Map of Beam Paths in Horizontal distances only

Map shows approximate horizontal distances from 36 inch Gorilla Searchlight location to various points on the surrounding mountain locations. Searchlight is at about 8,600 feet elevation and the highest point is around 11,450 feet elevation or about 2,850 foot difference. Basic Trigonometry shows the beams travel about 25 percent average farther than the indicated horizontal distances, (the farthest horizontal distance about 9,600 feet, total distance around two, (2), miles.



Beam Lights up Lower "Mummy Ridge"

To get an idea of how bright this beam is, I aimed it to a nearby point on the hill, about 1,500 feet away. Remember, this is only a hundred watt HID.

:tired: :naughty: 😎

 

[DM51]

EXCELLENT!!

 

[LightSward]

EXCELLENT!!

Thank You. Due to some recent good news, I may now be able to purchase and install a 1,000 watt HID, and take the project to the next level. :thumbsup: 😀

 

[LightSward]

I've made some 'Big' changes to the 36 inch Gorilla light...a much higher wattage light bulb with a 4 mm arc area, a special Electronic Ballast said to make bulb 20 to 30 percent brighter, and supposedly last longer. I hope all works, and I have something to show at this weekend, Washington, C.P.F. get together. Fingers crossed...lots of reconfiguring, UV and ozone concerns with this Hot Re-strike, fast start capable bulb, installing cooling fans etc.... :naughty: :thinking: :twothumbs

 

[petrev]

:devil:

 

[LightSward]

:thumbsup: Did a bit of a quick installation of the high wattage bulb, about twenty hours work, building UV protection, added forced fan cooling through the bulb area, and being a double ended bulb allows for almost instant re-strike ignition.

😎 Beam looks great, a bright greenish blue. Beam needs more focusing, which I didn't do, because, Bulb starts up just fine, brightens quickly, but after the bulb reaches almost full brightness, it starts flickering, and the arc starts wandering around to different parts of the electrodes, making it too hard to focus precisely. :candle: I think the ballast is putting out the wrong voltage and current for this type of specialty bulb. I purchased a ballast that was suppose to automatically adjust to a wide range of bulb types, plus it has various output settings that did seem to help minimize the "flickering". Ballast stayed cool during the run. I may have a way to reduce this flickering. Overall, impressive, lights up objects a mile away on a hill top overlooking my home.

Maybe at this weekend's Washington get together, someone can shed some 'light' on this issue, but I may have to get a more 'bulb' specific ballast for a 700 watt:

OSRAM, SharXS HTI 700 W/D4/75.

Technical - Electrical Data
Ignition voltage 3.0/25 kVp
Construction voltage 70 V Lamp voltage 70/73 V 2)
Construction current 10 A Rated wattage 700 W

Suppose to act like a brighter bulb, literature claims. 😗

 

[dwminer]

Fun on the dark side. The gorilla at work, North West Flashoholic's Get Together.

 

[LightSward]

:thumbsup: Had a good night looking at all the lights at the C.P.F. North West get together Saturday. Amazing how far LED technology has come...some really bright new lights.

Fired up the Gorilla with a 700 watt small arc HID. Made a nice beam.

I need to adjust the focus, once the flickering subsides. I have to work on the ballast issue, the bulb only likes 70 volts, but the "auto-adjust', "Lumatek" ballast is pushing 90 volts or more, which make the light flicker a little bit...eroding the electrodes...???

I'll post a couple photos later today/tonight...😗

 

[LightSward]

:twothumbs Here are just a few of the installation and reconfiguration photos of the 700 watt HMI short arc HID, along with Beam Shots from the CPF get together in Renton, Washington. Even though there are some ballast/bulb matching issues, the light was impressive...I didn't expect the brightness I obtained.


Osram Sharx 700 watt HMI short arc HID

Osram Sharx 700 watt HMI short arc HID in it's shipping plastic wrap envelope



Osram Sharx 700 watt HMI short arc HID socket

Osram Sharx 700 watt HMI short arc HID required an innovative socket design to meet the rigorous demands of the 36 inch Gorilla.




Osram Sharx 700 watt HMI short arc HID test install

The new 700 watt HMI Osram short arc HID bulb, required UV light protection, Ozone handling and light socket construction along with the required housing, to provide a safe yet powerful and economical searchlight to draw in the crowds.


Test of Osram Sharx 700 watt HMI short arc HID

The new 700 watt HMI Osram short arc HID bulb, required UV light protection, Ozone handling and light socket construction along with the required housing, starts up for the first time during the initial testing.




Beam Shot 700 watt HMI short arc HID Gorilla

With newly installed Osram Sharx 700 watt HMI short arc HID, the 36 inch Gorilla lights up the night during the CPF gathering @ Renton, Washington, May 8, 2010.

😀

Power Supply used to power the 700 watt HMI short arc

A large 1,300 Watt power converter was provided by chizel. My converter only goes up to 400 watts.

Beam Shot 700 watt HMI short arc HID Gorilla

With newly installed Osram Sharx 700 watt HMI short arc HID, the 36 inch Gorilla lights up the night during the CPF gathering @ Renton, Washington, May 8, 2010.



Beam Shot 700 watt HMI short arc HID Gorilla

With newly installed Osram Sharx 700 watt HMI short arc HID, the 36 inch Gorilla shines it's beam over onlookers, during the CPF gathering @ Renton, Washington, May 8, 2010.


Beam Shot 700 watt HMI short arc HID Gorilla and other lights

The Osram Sharx 700 watt HMI short arc HID, makes the 36 inch Gorilla light bright. You can see several other CPF member light beams to the Left of the photo. :twothumbs

This event was informative and a lot of fun, plus I won a great flashlight! lovecpf
May 2010 Pacific Northwest Get Together

 

[petrev]

😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀

 

[LightSward]

Hope the 700 watt HMI Osram short arc bulb Beam Shots are fun and interesting to look at.

The ballast and bulb are not a perfect match, and thus I was 'aging' the Osram Sharx HMI bulb quickly to the point of early retirement. Hopefully I put the bulb back in the box before total death. :sick2:

For now, I have installed a shorter arc version of a standard HID Metal Halide "GROW-MASTER", 'Deluxe Blue' 600 watt, bulb, from the local indoor nursery supply,...lots of blue light like the Osram Sharx 700 watt HMI bulb. (arc on the Osram is listed as: 4mm, Temporary Replacement bulb; Grow-Master bulb: is 55mm...much bigger arc area. Actually makes a very bright, blue and fairly narrow beam, Lumen wise, the small arc 700 watt HMI puts out about the same lumens as the 600 watt HID standard arc bulb. It makes a very similar beam, just not quite as well focused and penetrating as the Osram, but very similar in appearance, and bright! 😎

the 700 watt Osram and the 600 watt Grow-Master; are so bright, the 35 watt HID Cyclops that I use as a comparison light, is virtually invisible next to the Gorilla with these higher powered bulbs.! Eventually I do want to put back in the Osram Sharx bulb, or a 1,200 watt HMI bulb, (short arcs basically don't come in 1,000 watt), but for now, the performance of the Grow-Master bulb is quite impressive, less expensive, less problematic, doesn't require a cooling fan, (but I use one anyway)...:twothumbs :naughty:

In the next few days I'll post some Beam Shots of the 600 watt HID and compare to last weeks CPF Washington get together shots of the 700 watt HMI.

Next week or so, I plan to fire up the;

. 7", 35 watt HMI, HID Cyclops,
. 24", 100 watt HID LightSward,
. 50", 400 watt HID Monster,
. 36", 600 watt HID Gorilla,

....and compare all these in a photo shoot.

I'll post these soon.:twothumbs

 

[LightSward]

For several reasons, I've temporarily installed a 600 watt HID 55mm arc sized bulb, to get me by; until I resolve the 700 watt small arc ballast matching issue. As you can see the beam is a little wider, and fades a little bit faster throughout it's length. ...Still impressive to see this thing. The photos are from automatic setting, manual hardly shows beam, no matter the adjustments...max, etc. I will do some distance shots soon.

Also: I finally did some Beam Shot Comparisons of the; 35 watt HID, 7 inch, Cyclops, to the 100 watt HID, 24 inch, LightSward, and the 50 inch, 400 watt HID, Monster, to the newly lit 600 watt HID 36 inch Gorilla, and got some good beam shots. Here are some of them.
😀
600 watt Gorilla slices the night

Here are great perspective shots of the 600 watt HID Gorilla. I recently manufactured an all steel 'Yoke" to replace the wooden one seen here....I'll show photos when I photo graph the next set.

600 watt HID Beam Shot

This photo shows the 600 watt HID beam pointed away from the viewer, you can see the planet Mars, near the Beam Tip. Searchlight is a hundred feet away from camera, other side of trees.

This photo shows the 600 watt HID beam pointed away from the viewer. Searchlight is a two hundred feet away, behind trees.

The 600 watt HID Sun Master bulb, nice job lighting sky and some clouds, with the blue-white beam. In the grainy sky photo, shows the 600 watt HID beam shining over head.



Brand New 600 watt HID Sun Master

Photo of the Reduced sized arc tube and outer globe, of the regular style 600 watt HID brand new, out of the box Grow Master bulb; almost ready for it's first fire-up and "seasoning"! Took some unique primary reflector angle designs to help make the beam as narrow as it is, for such a big arc area!

Price of the Sun Master is about half that of an HMI short arc, or about twice that of a regular HID of same wattage. The physical size of this bulb is smaller than a regular 600 watt HID and thicker outer bulb glass, makes this more robust for the abuse it may endure.


600 watt Gorilla Left side 400 watt Monster Right

Here you can see the Monster and temporary 600 wt. Gorilla battle it out for night time dominance, (100wt. LightSward Beam, can barely be seen intertwined with the 400 wt. Monster Beam. With all the Spring growth on the trees, it is difficult to 'aim' the Searchlights in an even pattern and not bother the neighbors too much).

Here is a great perspective shot of the 600 watt HID BEAM from the 36 inch Gorilla. Though not as well focused as the partly focused 700 Watt HMI, this bulb puts out almost as many lumens as the small arc. Beam does not travel as far, but still puts on quite the show. Some Local High School sport teams may be interested in buying one of these with their LOGo on it!!!


LightSward top, Monster Middle beam and Gorilla Bottom Right

Here you can see the 100wt HID, Light Sward on Top, 400wt HID, Monster middle and the bright blue-white beam, lower right, is from the 600wt HID, Gorilla.


600 watt Gorilla compares to 35 watt Cyclops

The 600 watt HID Gorilla lights up the upper part of a tree that is 450 feet away. The much dimmer 35 watt HID Cyclops is on a closer tree at only 350 feet away!

 

[LightSward]

More comparison Photos and other Beam shots and development photos coming soon! :twothumbs 🙄 :naughty:

 

[LightSward]

Reflector, UV, and ozone collector

The primary reflector has been designed to focus the wasted back light through the middle section of the arc tube, to give it a brighter appearance to the main reflector.



Part of 600 watt Grow Master HID visible

Here you can see the 600 watt bulb, nestled up into the electrically insulated primary reflector, which is designed to reflect and focus the wasted light back through the mid section of the arc tube, to the Main Reflector. This makes the arc center more brilliant relative to the Main reflector, making a slightly thinner, brighter beam.



600 watt bulb is protected by a Coleman Globe

600 watt bulb is protected by a Coleman Globe, which is designed for extreme temperature changes and uneven heating...cost five dollars!!!...works great to shield UV light when using 'unprotected' double ended HMI bulbs.



glowing arc tube, cools down

Here you can see the arc tube cooling down after a hard nights work.


Here are some photos of the three main searchlight I've been working on this past year plus.

Late cloudy afternoon Beam Spot Comparison

600 watt Gorilla to our Left, 100 watt LightSward middle and 400 watt Monster Right.



Gorilla, LightSward and Monster show off

600 watt HID Gorilla to our Left, 100 watt LightSward middle, 400 watt HID Monster to our Right.



Beam Spot Comparison

35 watt Cyclops Left garage, 100 watt LightSward Left middle garage, 400 watt Monster, Right side middle garage. 600 watt Gorilla Right garage


LightSward hit with powerful lighting

LightSward, mesmerized by bright light onslaught.


Gorilla with new 600 watt HID warms up

The Gorilla starts the night with it's new, temporary, 600 watt, HID, large arc bulb.


Gorilla ready for 600 watt Metal Halide Night Light

Gorilla ready to shine the night away. Recently added all Metal Yoke has now replaced the wooded one seen here. Photo soon!

Stay tuned!

 

[DM51]

Magnificent! This just gets better and better!

LOL, is that a modified BBQ stand you have it mounted on?

 

[LightSward]

Magnificent! This just gets better and better!

LOL, is that a modified BBQ stand you have it mounted on?

Thanks for the good words.

😗 It's always a hot new item in the making....I've just finished a new metal Yoke and getting ready to match it to a rotating platform.

Admittedly, this beam from the 600 watt HID and the 700 watt HMI is quite warm from the Infrared Heat radiating from the arc tube. I always think of HID and HMI as not making much heat, which at the 400 watt range and lower, I don't really notice it, but 600 watts and above, there seems to be a lot more I.R. given off.

This light, (600 watt HID or 700 watt HMI or some other bulb version of the Gorilla), will definitely be used, as an advertising Searchlight, at the: "Born Again Sage" Punk Rocker Movie my brother produced, when it opens at the Portland, 'Hollywood Theater', end of Summer,.

I really like the Gorilla, because it combines the strengths of several designs, acts and looks like a bigger light, yet small enough to fit in the back of my compact car for long road trips.


Quiet Hollywood Theater awaits Homemade CPF Searchlights. :thumbsup: :thumbsup:

. :naughty: :candle: 😀 😎 .

The Hollywood theater looks dark and lifeless without Gorilla.

My next light...The Bar-B-Q ??? LOL .