Can I overdrive this HID? **PICS added**

[sed6]

I have a Cyclops 18 million CP spotlight which I modded last year with a 35W automotive HID. It was a fun mod and puts out lots of light. Looking at some of the other HID's like the POB, Twin Vector and Maxabeam's I wonder if it's enough? Well of course it isn't and I want it to be more powerful. I've read about overdriving various HID's, like Mac's 10W to 14W or some 35W to 50W applications. Is overdriving an HID as simple as supplying more voltage to the ballast?

Here are the specifics about the HID light and ballast I have in my Cyclops:

CERTIFICATION: E-MARK AND ISO9001
POWER CONSUMPTION: 35WATTS
VOLTAGE: 85 +/- 17V
LUMINOUS FLUX: 3200
BALLAST CONSTRUCTION: INTERNATIONAL IGNITER
SERVICE LIFE: APPROXIMATELY 3000HOURS
INPUT VOLTAGE: 9V-16V
WORKING CURRENT (Steady state): 3.5 A nom
IGNITION VOLTAGE: 24kV Peak Max, 18kV Peak Min
LAMP FREQUENCY: 450 Hz

Right now it's powered by the 12V 7Ah SLA which came in the Cyclops. Am I likely getting 35W from it now? If I up the voltage to 14.8 will it be brighter? Can I push the voltage past the specified 16V? If so how much? I don't have a power supply which I can use to supply a gradual increase in voltage. As such, bumping up the voltage would require an investment of time and money in a battery. Therefore I'd like to get it right the first time. I appreciate any input you have!

Here's link on eBay to a similar HID as mine. I have the H4 style in the 5000k temp.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=350095828815

Added these pics...click any pic for larger version.






The black mass is some sort of thick, pliable, rubberish compound. It was clearly poured in after the circuit board as evidenced by how it leaked through the board side. Can I, could I remove the black stuff?

 

[Patriot]

Re: Can I overdrive this HID?

A regulated ballast supplies a steady voltage to the bulb regardless of the battery voltage. So whether it's 10V or 16V it really has no bearing on the output. This also means that as the voltage drops the light will not begin to dim, it just shuts off when the minimum voltage is reached. the The ballast requires a certain voltage range to operate though. Below that voltage it can't maintain an arc in the bulb. Above that voltage can damage the ballast. The Asian ballast which are rated at 35W typically fall a little short of 35W actual.

 

[Patriot]

Re: Can I overdrive this HID?

Morepower is overdriving his light by replacing resistors:

http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?t=204342

 

[Morepower!]

Re: Can I overdrive this HID?

What Patriot36 said is correct, they are all fairly well regulated. The ballast in this POST(#10) had a very small gain with increased voltage, but not really worth it IMO. I also noticed in the Specs you supplied it says "Power Consumption" 35W. If this is the case it is definately falling short of 35W output, it would be aound 80-85% of that figure. I have really only had 2 different ballast types to play with so far so I really don't have a clue if your ballast could be modded. But by all means take both covers off and take some good pics of both sides of the board and post it.

 

[sed6]

Re: Can I overdrive this HID?

Great information guys, thanks! I guess to overdrive the light I need to up the ballast output. So when I see other overdriven lights, I don't think the ballasts are all modded, so how's that done?

Anyone have any idea as to how my 35W Cyclops HID compares in lumens or throw to say a POB or Boxer 25W or Polarion? I know it blows away my mini-HID by Mac (not taking anything away from Chris, cause I LOVE that light). Beamshots?

I'll take some pictures of my ballast internals and post them here soon.

 

[Patriot]

Re: Can I overdrive this HID?

Great information guys, thanks! I guess to overdrive the light I need to up the ballast output. So when I see other overdriven lights, I don't think the ballasts are all modded, so how's that done?

I'm not sure what you mean by overdriven with regards to other lights in general but it's simple to overdrive LED's and incans if that's perhaps what you're referring to. There are a hand full of HID ballasts around that aren't regulated so they dim as the batteries are depleted. I much prefer regulated myself but unregulated lights light the Jil Eznite 10W is still and interesting and impressive light.

sed6
Anyone have any idea as to how my 35W Cyclops HID compares in lumens or throw to say a POB or Boxer 25W or Polarion? I know it blows away my mini-HID by Mac (not taking anything away from Chris, cause I LOVE that light). Beamshots?

Your light would compare similarly in lumen output to the POB at around 3000-3200 lumens. The Boxer 24W is around 1300-1400 bulb lumens and falls rather short in throw compared to the other lights. The Mac is around 600 bulb lumens. The Polarion is around 5300 lumens and the throw is impressive considering its small reflector.

Your 35W Cyclops mod will throw farther than any of the lights mentioned above and would be on par with the Costco/Harbor Freight HID, or possibly the Titanium Mega with is the improved version of the two lights just mentioned.

 

[sed6]

I posted several pics of the HID ballast up in the first post, here's a few more of the light...

 

[sed6]

Re: Can I overdrive this HID?

I'm not sure what you mean by overdriven with regards to other lights in general but it's simple to overdrive LED's and incans if that's perhaps what you're referring to. There are a hand full of HID ballasts around that aren't regulated so they dim as the batteries are depleted. I much prefer regulated myself but unregulated lights light the Jil Eznite 10W is still and interesting and impressive light.

I'm starting to think I don't know what I'm talking about. I swore I saw lots of posts about overdriving HIDs here in the past. Now I can't find one...

Your light would compare similarly in lumen output to the POB at around 3000-3200 lumens. The Boxer 24W is around 1300-1400 bulb lumens and falls rather short in throw compared to the other lights. The Mac is around 600 bulb lumens. The Polarion is around 5300 lumens and the throw is impressive considering its small reflector.

You are full of great information Patriot, thanks!

Your 35W Cyclops mod will throw farther than any of the lights mentioned above and would be on par with the Costco/Harbor Freight HID, or possibly the Titanium Mega with is the improved version of the two lights just mentioned.

Even further than the Polarion? :huh:

Morepower - whatcha think about my ballast?

 

[Patriot]

Re: Can I overdrive this HID?

Even further than the Polarion? :huh:

Absolutely. Throw is all about concentrating as much light as possible into a very narrow angle and larger reflectors accomplish that best. The Polarion is a truly remarkable considering the reflector size but it can't make up the difference to a reflector nearly 3X its size....Unfortunately

http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?t=198645

 

[Morepower!]

Re: Can I overdrive this HID?

Morepower - whatcha think about my ballast?

Sorry sed I havn't seen that one before and couldn't even guess how to tweek it, the black stuff can be removed but there is a high risk of damaging the components underneath.

 

[Holzleim]

One question to the reflector of the Cyclops:

What material is it made of?

Is it aluminium, so would it be capable to deal with much stronger HID, let me say 400W+? In this case certainly with fans cooling it from the back.

Or does anyone know a better host for an 400W+ HID mod that has a good reflector that can deal with the heat and is as large as possible (9'' like the MegaIlluminator would be minimum I think)

By the way: Does anyone know details about the MegaIlluminator's reflector?

Regards,

Holzleim

 

[Patriot]

The heat shouldn't be an issue since they're aluminum reflectors. The Mega Illuminator has a good reflector and seems to throw best in the world of big spotlights.

 

[sed6]

Re: Can I overdrive this HID?

Absolutely. Throw is all about concentrating as much light as possible into a very narrow angle and larger reflectors accomplish that best. The Polarion is a truly remarkable considering the reflector size but it can't make up the difference to a reflector nearly 3X its size....Unfortunately

http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?t=198645

I LOVE that my $130 modded light is as bright or brighter than a $2200 light! :rock:

Thanks for the cool link too!

Sorry sed I havn't seen that one before and couldn't even guess how to tweek it, the black stuff can be removed but there is a high risk of damaging the components underneath.

That's cool, it didn't look like something I should dig into. I think I'll work on fine tuning the focus instead. Something like Ra did on his Maxablaster.

 

[Patriot]

Re: Can I overdrive this HID?

I LOVE that my $130 modded light is as bright or brighter than a $2200 light! :rock:

Well, we say that it "throws" further but to say that it's brighter isn't quite correct. Brightness is generally a term referring a light's overall lumen output. The Polarion still throws to about 85% the distance of a 9" reflectored 35W hid but it's 1/3 the weight, a 1/4 of the size, waterproof to 200 feet, 2000 lumens brighter, uses a li-ion quick change battery, and proven by the military to be outstandingly rugged. There are reasons besides throw for the high price tag.

 

[sed6]

Re: Can I overdrive this HID?

Well, we say that it "throws" further but to say that it's brighter isn't quite correct. Brightness is generally a term referring a light's overall lumen output. The Polarion still throws to about 85% the distance of a 9" reflectored 35W hid but it's 1/3 the weight, a 1/4 of the size, waterproof to 200 feet, 2000 lumens brighter, uses a li-ion quick change battery, and proven by the military to be outstandingly rugged. There are reasons besides throw for the high price tag.

Not as bright, but throws further...I'll still take that! :twothumbs I'd love a Polarion but for that kinda scratch I'll get an AN/VSS-3a 1Kw Tank Light...anyone got one?

No time to mess with focusing the beam tonight but I did take it out for some throw measurements. I lit up the top of a cellular tower at 830 yards and then from a distance of 1024 yards I lit up the side of a water tower. All figures I obtained from Google Earth. Pretty impressive.

One of these nights I'll drag my wife along and have her man the light. I'll then head 800 to 1000 yards out and see if it casts enough light to read a newspaper by. Any guesses?

 

[Patriot]

Re: Can I overdrive this HID?

One of these nights I'll drag my wife along and have her man the light. I'll then head 800 to 1000 yards out and see if it casts enough light to read a newspaper by. Any guesses?

Sure, it would project enough light at 800-1000 yards to read by, but then again, it doesn't take much light to read by.

I've seen the Costco HID illuminate a shooting target at over 700 yards with more than enough light to shoot by, through an optic.