Anyone tried Carley Xenon Star Bulbs?

[AlexGT]

Hello guys!

Visited http://www.carleylamps.com/home.htm and the Xenon Star bulb got my attention, it reads pretty impresive, and could be something worth having, can someone who has it on their flashlight answer a couple of questions regarding this bulbs?

Are they really better than ordinary bulbs? I mean is the beam brighter, whiter, more focused, more rugged, more durable, and do you percieve a noticeable difference from using it.

Would the lamps work on 4 recheargable 2000 Mah Nimh AA? It reads C or D on their specs., If I use AA I think the worst that could happen is less run time.

Would they damage a plastic reflector? If I use a low Amp bulb would it be ok?

Who sells them? how much do they cost? Carley´s page didn´t specify cost or if they are willing to sell under 5 bulbs. And finally, Pics! Any pics of this impressive bulbs in action? Are there other manufacturers that make good bulbs?

Thanks in advance for your help! I am almost sure they have been discussed before but nothing came up on a quick search.

Alex

 

[AlexGT]

Duh! the dates on the search were wrong, I found some info. but any aditional is welcome.

Thnx!
Alex

 

[Nerd]

Depending on which lamp you buy, they either good or very good. Most appear to be whiter (those with higher efficacy) That is compromised by a short lamp life.

If you gotten the bulb for 4 C/D cell lights, they ought to work with 2000 mah Nimh AA.

Depending on how high power the bulb is and what torch you use, it may or may not damage the plastic reflector. Anything above 5 watts needs some caution though.

Carley sells their bulbs themselves. E-mail them or call them to order. No minimum order.

www.walamps.com is another place for bulbs. But they have a $100 minimum order (I think, maybe more, maybe less)

 

[Illuminated]

I've recently received several custom-potted lamps from Carley. I ordered mostly based on lumens vs power consumed, and made my selections optimized for use on NiMH's and NiCad's.

I have #816 Halogens for 3-cell NiMH AA or PWM-regulated 4-cell applications. About 6 lumens for just under 3-watts. I like 'em for AA use and longer runtimes.

I have #817 Halogens for straight 4AA NiMH use, and I like them also. About 7.3 lumens for just above 3 watts @ 4.8V.

I have #805 Xenons for use in the 2D Mag with 3x1/2D NiCads. This lamp has an unusually long envelope, and initially wouldn't focus in the Mag. I disassembled the lamp holder and drilled/tapped a new hole for the little reflector cam roller, at about .12" closer to the lamp end. Now it focusses properly. Should be putting out more than 10 lumens from 3.6 volts at around 5.5 watts. It is nice and white, and should still have a life well in excess of 25 hours of use since it is slightly under-driven. I'd say that it puts out more total light than an over-driven 3-cell Krypton or Xenon standard lamp.

I tried running the #1057 in a 4D Mag with 6 x 1/2D NiCads at 7.2 volts. The output compares roughly with that of my Tiger Light, but at close to 16 watts, the Mag's plastic reflector can't take the heat.

I believe Lemlux posted in another thread where he has used the #808 at about 11 watts safely with the stock Mag reflector and 3 x 123's.

In general, I think the Carley lamps are pretty decent overall. I'm not sure whether or not the Xenons excel over the Halogens, or whether it varies from application to application. I like them both when properly selected for their intended use.

I chose not to buy the standard Xenon stars for flashlights for a couple of reasons. 1)I didn't want the lens-end lamps (didn't think to ask if I could choose). 2) I was looking for higher wattages and lower wattages for my specific applications. 3) It seems that I could not find full specs on all the Xenon Stars for flashlights (might just be me?).

There is no minimum for Carley orders, though there is a 2.5% charge for credit card orders. Patty Taylor at Carley was very pleasant to deal with. When asked, she included several of the focussing spacer shims with my order at no charge, since they are normally included with the standard Xenon Stars.

Call or send e-mail request for pricing and availability. I would recommend these lamps to others, and will purchase more myself in the near future.

Hope all this helps a little.

John

 

[Nerd]

Illuminated, it's not lumens you are quoting, it's candle power. Multiply that by 12.57 to get lumens.

 

[Illuminated]

Nerd,

Having...difficulty...functioning...brain not working...

Duh! I'v been working long hours and driving 3 hours each way all weekend - the brain's fried. I just realized what I had done, but you caught my mistake before I could correct it. Thanks just the same - I wouldn't want to confuse anyone else those misleading figures.

Thanks again - John

 

[Gene]

I have a 3 cell Carley Xenon in my 4 cell Mag. So far so good and it is an improvement and brighter but don't expect miracles.