All X990 owners please respond.

[KartRacer31]

Hi - I just got my new X990 today from Proxenon. I'm a bit concerned about a few things, and I'm hoping that you guys can help me out. I'll be calling them tomorrow, but I'd like to hear from other owners as well.

First off when I called Proxenon to order the light they told me that the X990 was no longer sold under the McCulloch name, that I would be getting a Bohmen BF990, which was the same thing but better. The better part was that it had a few upgrades, including a better ballast and brighter color bulb. The light they sent me says McCulloch on it. Can anyone tell me how I can tell the difference between an older version and a newer one?

OK, here is a big problem as far as I see it on a $400+ light. When I adjust the beam into the flood position, the bottom of the beam has a yellow tint to it. I assumed it was picking up the yellow tint from the yellow trim ring around the lense. However I've since traced the problem to some yellow "goop" inside the bulb. Is this normal? Does anyone else see the yellow in the bottom of the beam pattern when in flood?

Also, all I got as far as directions/information was a cheesy tri-fold pamphlet, which doesn'e even tell me how long the battery needs to charge for.

I'm kinda not real impressed so far for a $440 light. I could really use some help from other X990 owners. Please help me out with my questions and concerns if you can.

Thanks -- Tim

 

[Zeppert]

KartRacer31, I don't know what the differences (upgrades) are in the BF990 vs. X990. I bought an X990 back in the Spring and enjoy it quite a bit. I am extremely impressed with it for the price. Do you know how much $ the "Super Lights" go up to? Waaaay up there.
BTW I don't have any yellow tint when I focus to flood position. Just pure white light all the way around. Is your ballast/bulb centered?
Well I would definately call them tomorrow and ask them some questions. If they said you were getting a BF990, I wonder why they sent you a X990.

 

[KartRacer31]

Zeppert - Thanks for the quick response. Yes, I'm familiar with the value of the X990 vs the KK, NH and others. However, I think my disapointment comes from my unit possibly being defective and possibly not running all that well. Upon closer inspection I show a hint of yellow even in the spot mode. My flood mode is just horrible. Because you've mentioned that you don't see any yellow in your beam pattern, it leads me to believe that mine is somehow defective. I guess your right about the bulb being off somehow. On a $40 or $50 flashlight I'd take it apart and try and fix it, however on a $440 light It should come correct, and I'm not messing with it. I think I'll be sending it back.

 

[Zeppert]

You have a problem on your hands. There shouldn't be any color even remotely close to yellow in that beam.

You just got it today huh. Did you charge it fully before using it?

 

[KartRacer31]

Actually got it yesterday, but didn't have a chance to check it out until today. I charged the batteries to full. I don't think it's a battery problem tho, I think your first comment about the bulb position being off is closer to where the problem is. (I've since found a yellow "goop" inside the bulb to be the culprit). There is a little yellow in spot and much more in flood, making me assume that it's something to do with the bulb position. BTW - I just had it outside, did a quick comparison with my brightest spotlight (a Vector VEC137CO "Banana" with an upgraded bulb, and the X990 despite it's problem was quite a bit brighter. The yellow tint is so bad I could even notice it outside when I shined the X990 on a light brown house. The rings in the outer spill light were less noticable outside, yet could still be seen.

 

[Zeppert]

Well I'm sorry to hear about your misfortune with that light. I guess that'll happen sometimes (usually we don't want it to happen to us though). They should pay for your return shipping and swapping it out for a better unit that will make your jaw drop every time you look at the beam.
I have used mine all summer and I still say wooow. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/ooo.gif

 

[KartRacer31]

Thanks, I plan on calling them 1st thing tomorrow. It just stinks that I waited so long for it, and now I have to send it back and wait again.

Do me a favor and look at your bulb. Does it have some yellow "goop" inside of it in about the middle? I was just looking at mine, and noticed this. I have never seen another HID bulb, so I don't know what they are suppose to look like, but I'm thinking this yellow stuff inside the bulb may be whats giving me that yellow tint. The yellow "goop" inside my bulb is in the middle of the bulb area, and concentrated on the bottom side of the bulb, leading me to believe thats why the yellow tint is there on the bottom of the beam pattern. This yellow "goop" seems to melt and reform as the bulb gets hot and cool. If I keep the head horizontal it settles on the side of the bulb and gives me yellow tint at the bottom of the beam pattern, if I keep the head verticle the "goop" settles more into the center and gives me a yellow ring around the beam pattern. Does anyone else have this or is mine a real P.O.S.?

 

[Zeppert]

Mine has none. That sounds strange. What does the "goop" look like, some type of epoxy/adhesive?

 

[KartRacer31]

Yes, it's a yellowish/cream color, and it goes from a harder gel like that does not move when the light is cool, to a more amber liquid-like state when the bulb is hot. When it's liquid-like it will move around inside the bulb, settling with gravity into the lowest spot. I'm very dissapointed, but glad that I know where the problem is coming from. I hope Proxenon has good customer service. I guess I'll find out tomorrow. Thanks for checking your bulb Zeppert. I appreciate it, at least I know it's not a common trait among all of these lights, and it's an issue I need to adress with mine. I'm still curious if anyone else had a similar problem with an X990.

 

[Catdaddy]

Mine DOES have some yellow in the bottom edge when in the flood mode. It seems to vary sometimes with temprature, I think. Maybe I am just use to it. In real word use I never see it.
John

 

[Kiessling]

I had the same strange color problems with my metal halide bulb in a KenRad Divelight, except that there was also some cool reddish tinge.
read this thread for an answer to this question, IMHO it should be normal.
bernhard

 

[Frenchyled]

I have the same problem like Catdaddy says on my McCulloch X990, but it's not a problem for the usage of this light. I am more requiring on small led flashlight like ARc LS or Surefire L4 for a perfect beam. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[KartRacer31]

Thanks for your responses guys. I never bought a $400+ flashlight before and just dont want to get stuck with a bad unit.

I called Proxenon today and here is waht I learned. There are 2 versions of the X990. The older/original version is the McCulloch X990. The newer version can be labeled under more thatn one name, the most common of which is Bohmen BF990. I'm not actually sure of the reason that McCulloch is no longer makeing these units. Anyhow it is important to note that not all McCulloch labled units are the older version. This is because of production reasons they still have McCulloch labled parts and want to use them up. HOWEVER, it is important to note that there is a performance difference between the two versions.

Here is the performance differences between the new and older versions. Tthe newer units use an upgraded ballast and newer bulb with a higher color temp. These changes offer the following: whiter light; quicker and quieter startup time (the old unit would flash twice upon startup, produce a loud whining sound, and take close to 10 seconds to reach max brightness, the new one does not); instant restrike is apparently not a problem; and now the bulb flashes when the battery has reached its cutoff instead of just going out without warning.

So all that is interesting, but waht about my yellow beam pattern and yellow "goop" problem. Well apparently that is normal, and it will burn off and go away after many hours of use. Alex at Proxenon tells me that it is common to all long arc HID systems, even those in automotive applications. He says that Philips states on their website that it may take as many as 100 hours of illumination for the bulb to reach it's true color. Alex tells me that it may take 30-50 hours for the goop to burn off and for the X990 to reach its full color. We'll see, I have it running right now, and I plan to let it run thru 2 sets of batteries and see if it looks like it improved at all. I'll keep you all posted.

By the way, after reading Kenshiros superlights review of the X990 again, it appears that he may have had an older version. And in his beam shots you can see the yellow tint.

 

[FlashlightOCD]

Now this is odd ...

I did not have the yellow tinge on my beam at all when I first got it. Recently I've been storing it in an upright position with the head pointing straight up because it seems more stable [less likely to tip over than when it is at 90 angle].

Now I've got the yellow tinge that you described. I'm wondering if the storage angle has some impact on the beam.

 

[KartRacer31]

FlashlightOCD - I'm guessing it does. When your X990 is off, can you see a yellowish/cream colored substance "goop" in your bulb? If it's there it will be just about in the center of the bulb. It changes color to more of an amber as it gets warm. Also it will move around a little (from top to bottom, side to side etc, settling with gravity to the lowest point - which is why when I have the light with head pointed up I get a yellow ring around the whole hot spot, (the goop sits evenly at the base of its containment area). However when I have it with the head horizontal the goop settles to the side of the bulb, giving me a yellow "U" shape at the bottom of the beam pattern.

I'm very curious as to if anyone had this from day one, and after using the light a lot the goop burned off and now they have a perfect beam?

Also I'm assuming we all have the characteristic "pie slice" out of the beam pattern. Mine is way more pronounced when in flood mode, how about you guys?

 

[Zeppert]

KartRacer31, Interesting statements made by the customer service dept there. They say that the yellow color should go away in about 100 hours eh? Will it burn itself away, I wonder. In theory that might hold true though. Hmmm

 

[Zeppert]

Just FYI - I only store my light laying flat (horizontal). I never keep it upright. It just seems much safer laying flat since I do have kids that can knock it over way to easy.

 

[KartRacer31]

Yep, that's what they told me. I don't know how true it is. I'm hoping to hear back from some of the other forum members that may have a bit more experience then me with this light, and HID in general. But Zeppert you don't have any yellow or discoloration anywhere within your beam in spot or flood mode? Even when you shine it against a white door or ceiling? You do have the "missing pie slice" in your beam pattern, correct?

 

[Zeppert]

No yellow at all, no way, no how, never. But the "missing pie slice"(shadow) - Yes! that I do have.

 

[KartRacer31]

Man that bums me out, I mean it's great for you, but that bums me that I kinda got a bad one. I'm really curious as to how the rest of the X990 owners beams look.