Interesting experience with Pro's Favorite 17.5mcp

[BlueBeam22]

I was just taking apart my Professional's Favorite 17.5mcp, and I took the bulb out and swapped it with a new one. The new one was nice but I decided to put the old one back in.
However, when I put the original one back in and connected the 3 wires to the base of the H4, I turned it on again and its hotspot looked 50% brighter than it used to be.
I then shined it on a wall at the same time with my Power On Board HID and my 15mcp Thor, and its hotspot was MUCH brighter than either of them!
I don't know what happened but I seem to have re-spaced the bulb inside of the reflector so now it is perfectly focused. I can't believe how bright it looks, even other people I have showed it to agree that it blows away the Power On Board HID and 15mcp Thor.
It is very strange that taking the bulb out and putting it back in gave it a hotspot that looks almost twice as bright to me as before.
Its beam should look like a white laser in the night sky.

I just thought I would share this interesting find.

 

[leeleefocus]

It could be that you re focused it. There is a possibility that the contacts were dirty and you cleaned them by removing and replacing the connector a few times(just a possibility).

 

[BlueBeam22]

It could be that you re focused it. There is a possibility that the contacts were dirty and you cleaned them by removing and replacing the connector a few times(just a possibility).

I think you are right that I re-focused it.

It is so bright that when I shine it and the POB HID in the same place, the Pro's Favorite's beam will somewhat "swallow up" the HID's beam, and it does that to the 15mcp Thor too.

It is quite amazing now, IMO it really stomps both the Power On Board HID and the 15mcp Thor. I would like to see how it does against a Costco HID.

 

[Patriot]

It is very strange that taking the bulb out and putting it back in gave it a hotspot that looks almost twice as bright to me as before.

Hmm, really?

I wish my PH50 would do that. 10,000 lumens?

 

[BlueBeam22]

Hmm, really?

I wish my PH50 would do that. 10,000 lumens?

:lolsign: My Pro's Favorite and POB HID together wouldn't stand a chance against your PH50!

 

[Patriot]

I like your old avatar better. Your new one looks like a bunch of micro machines and I can't read it either.

 

[BlueBeam22]

I like your old avatar better. Your new one looks like a bunch of micro machines and I can't read it either.

Today I bought a Brinkmann 3 MILLION candlepower rechargeable spotlight from Target, it is amazingly bright, and I plan to use it for my avatar next.

EDIT: It is rated 3 million MaxPower rather than candlepower, but it still seems to me like they mean candlepower.

Brinkmann used to only make the 2mcp rechargeable Qbeam.

I compared it to my old 2mcp Qbeam and it was quite a bit brighter IMO.

EDIT: I just saw that my Brinkmann Big Max uses a 75 Watt halogen bulb, so it is not exactly a rechargeable version of the Max Million III.

 

[Flashanator]

ahhh now you just need a Mega illuminator, mod it with a 55w 4.3K HID Kit & BAM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It will stomp n stomp n stomp.......

 

[BlueBeam22]

ahhh now you just need a Mega illuminator, mod it with a 55w 4.3K HID Kit & BAM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It will stomp n stomp n stomp.......

Or I could mod the Pro's Favorite to HID, I think it has an even larger reflector than the Mega Illuminator. I wonder if I can get 35W HID bulbs and ballasts from an auto parts store? I bought an H4 Halogen from Pep Boys but I don't know if they carry HID's.

 

[Patriot]

Or I could mod the Pro's Favorite to HID, I think it has an even larger reflector than the Mega Illuminator. I wonder if I can get 35W HID bulbs and ballasts from an auto parts store? I bought an H4 Halogen from Pep Boys but I don't know if they carry HID's.

If you're seriously thinking about doing that, I'd really recommend going for a 50W conversion. The components are more expensive but there isn't any issue with interior space. I don't know...for the time and cost involved I imagine that you'd enjoy something substantially brighter and farther throwing that just sticking 35W guts behind a "better" reflector. Regarding the size of the reflector, you don't have to guess Blue Go stretch a tape measure across the front and know once and for all.

 

[BlueBeam22]

If you're seriously thinking about doing that, I'd really recommend going for a 50W conversion. The components are more expensive but there isn't any issue with interior space. I don't know...for the time and cost involved I imagine that you'd enjoy something substantially brighter and farther throwing that just sticking 35W guts behind a "better" reflector. Regarding the size of the reflector, you don't have to guess Blue Go stretch a tape measure across the front and know once and for all.

Okay, I just measured the reflectors with a measuring tape.

The POB HID has a 5.75'' reflector,
The 3mcp twin Vector has a 6'' reflector,
The Sharper Image 10mcp Thor has a 7'' reflector,
The 15mcp Thor has an 8.5'' reflector,
The Pro's Favorite has an 8.75'' reflector.
The Pro's Favorite's is noticeably larger than the 15mcp Thor's reflector.

Does the Costco HID measure 8.5'', 8.75'', or 9''?

 

[BVH]

Costco measures right at 9"

 

[BlueBeam22]

Costco measures right at 9"

Thanks BVH.

Then the Mega Illuminator would throw just as far as the Pro's Favorite with an HID upgrade.

One thing I would like to know is how far does the N30 throw compared to the POB HID or a 15mcp Thor? Does the N30 have a very intense hotspot? I have wanted to get the AmondoTech Mega Illuminator for a while, but now I want the N30 instead.

 

[Patriot]

My 15mcp Thor is a little over 8.5" but under 8.75"
My Costo is also 9" I guess they're pretty standard.

 

[JetskiMark]

.....One thing I would like to know is how far does the N30 throw compared to the POB HID....

Did you see this thread?

 

[adamlau]

I wish my PH50 would do that.

Same here. Have you tried to unscrew the coupler of the bezel? Hard as nuts I tell you. Was going to take a strap wrench to it, but have not yet done so.

 

[BlueBeam22]

Jetski Mark,

Wow, thank you for the link.

The N30 looks VERY impressive and it will for sure be my next light.

Based on the pictures I saw the Mega Illuminator and Costco HID look about the same in brightness/throw as my Pro's Favorite 17.5mcp.

Patriot36,

That is interesting the Costco HID has a 9'' reflector.

In the picture on the Battery Junction website the TI Mega appears to have exactly the same size reflector as my Pro's Favorite.

From bezel ring to bezel ring the Pro's Favorite's reflector measures just over 10.5''.

EDIT: when I say bezel to bezel I am including the outside rubber ring of the reflector in my measurement.

 

[BVH]

Blue, I'm confused now. In Post 11, you indicate the Pro's Fav has an 8.75" reflector. Now in Post 17, are you saying it is actually 10.5"?

 

[BlueBeam22]

Blue, I'm confused now. In Post 11, you indicate the Pro's Fav has an 8.75" reflector. Now in Post 17, are you saying it is actually 10.5"?

I'm sorry about the confusion:

I meant that the actual silver mirror measures 8.75'', but when I include the outside rubber bezel ring around the reflector in my measurement it measures just over 10.5''.

 

[BlueBeam22]

I just did a special test to help describe how bright the hotspot is of my re-focused Pro's Favorite.

I shined both the 15mcp Thor and the POB HID in the exact same place on the ceiling, and then I shined the Pro's Favorite next to the combined hotspot of the POB and Thor. If I had to give a rough estimate I would say the Pro's Favorite's hotspot looked about 60-75% as bright as the combined hotspot.

Please note that this was only done on my high ceiling and does not really reflect the actual performance of the lights outside at night or in a different place, just an interesting comparison.

Patriot36,

If you get the chance I would like to hear how your Costco HID does against the combined hotspot of the POB and 15mcp Thor.

BVH,

Does the N30 have a very concentrated hotspot that hurts to look at when you shine it on a wall inside your house?

UPDATE:

My Pro's Favorite just went out of focus and the beam was sloppy again, so I took it apart and I had it on while I was holding the main connector wire that splits into 3 and goes to the bulb. What I found is that when the bulb is pulled closer to the back of the reflector its hotspot get more concentrated. Now I just have to figure out a way to keep that bulb down because it keeps going out of focus. I might try some tape.

UPDATE: I just managed to get the beam focused again by adjusting the clip on the H4. I realize now that I was incorrect saying it looks almost twice as bright, but having it well focused makes a HUGE difference. I just compared it to my POB HID and the Pro's Favorite's hotspot hurts more to look at and appeared brighter