LightForce SL240 HID Conversion

[Sway]

I have been wanting a HID light for sometime but everything was out of my price range so I was stuck on the bench while many other were in the game having fun. While ridding the pine so to say I had time to think and scheme, I already have a LightForce SL240 Blitz one of the longest throwing off the shelf 100W Halogens but the reflector is a metallised polymer so a higher wattage lamp will result in melt down.

LightForce has an off road vehicle HID system but it's a different animal from the hand held lights and very expensive.

I contacted LightForce and confirmed the reflector was the same in the hand held and off road light so I had to figure out how to convert the Blitz to HID. I ordered a KenRad 35/50W boost ballast, igniter and a Osram D2S lamp. If you are familiar with the Blitz the only thing big about it is the reflector so you don't have a lot of room to work with so the ballast and igniter has to be mounted outside of the light.

It took several hours of trimming and filing to get the socket and lamp base down to size so they would fit inside the handle but I think the results were worth while. I'm still working something's out as far at the ballast and igniter but the performance should remain the same. All HID pictures were made using the 50W boost have a look.



Halogen Blitz around 215 Yds.

HID Blitz

½ Mile white golf ball thingy.
Halogen Blitz (old pic using a little zoom)

HID Blitz

Later
Sway

 

[Ginseng]

That is F$@#*$& insane! I love it! Nice work Sway. So, um, PayPal sent /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Wilkey

 

[AilSnail]

Wow sway!

That looks like a worthwhile upgrade for sure.

 

[Sway]

Thanks Wilkey!!!!

I still have something's to work out the such as rotating the light engine so the shadow of the return wire will be at the top, it really shows up more in the pic's than what you actually see. I just need to find the right project box to house the ballast and igniter to be done with it.

Later
Sway

 

[Sway]

Ail,

It's a monster compared to what I'm use to, you just have to give it a little time to warm up for full out put and I'm not sure that I did that in the 150 yard shot at the church now that I look back as the color is a little off.

Later
Sway

 

[cheesehead]

Hey, excellent work. Also, good point about the return wire, I didn't even notice it at first, but it makes sense to have the bulb flipped the other way. Does that make a difference in how the bulb works or lasts? Seems some sites say it does, but it seems to make more sense that it doesn't.

Looks like a keeper! FANTASTIC!

cheese

 

[Sway]

Thanks Cheese!!!

I need to do more research on the orientation of the return wire right now I don't know /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/icon3.gif

Shovel stuck in the yard duct tape pic, Humm ShovelPod? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink2.gif

Later
Sway

 

[AilSnail]

Holy ballast. what a beamshot.

[ail succumbs]

 

[jtice]

muuuuuuhahahahahahahahahahahahahaha

I feel the power surging through me just looking at that monster!!!!!

EXCELLENT WORK KELLY !!!!

This is truely inspirational.

The ol NELCO is gonna have to meet Mr HID /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif

/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/bowdown.gif/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/bowdown.gif/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/bowdown.gif/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/bowdown.gif/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/bowdown.gif/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/bowdown.gif/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/bowdown.gif/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/bowdown.gif/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/bowdown.gif/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/bowdown.gif

 

[jetweed]

All I can say is;

I'm batman.

 

[Nerd]

Looks like this thing can throw for tens of miles... fantastic work dood! Now pop a 100 watt HID into this light! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[flash....]

If I may ask... How much $$ and where specifically did you get all of the parts to build this AWESOME beast??? (I want one) /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[Sway]

Flash,

Ballast and igniter Model EB035/50G01 175.00
Osram D2S Light Engine came from ebay $39.00
LightForce dealer page SL240 Blitz $129.00
Total $343.00 not including postage on the items. A X990 is $549.00 around $200.00 differnece depending what kind of deal you get.

These prices are retail work your best deal plus you get the fun of pulling you hair out trying to find the best configuration and thats FREE!


I'm going to try another confuguration soon as I don't like the way it looks but with this light anything is going to look tacked on you just have to live with it. I will post some pic's when it's done.
Later
Sway

 

[AilSnail]

can you maintain the seals too?

 

[Sway]

Ail,

Well yes and no the light is not water tight from the start, where the power cord comes in at the bottom of the handle is a weak point. The seals where the reflector screws onto the handle are not affected as I have the light apart right now here is a pic of what the lamp looks like installed in the handle.

Hope this helps /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Later
Sway

 

[AlexGT]

That thing rocks! Congratulations! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbsup.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/buttrock.gif

Will you be making these mods for sale?

Alex

 

[flash....]

Sway...
That rocks... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/buttrock.gif I need to pinch a $ here and there, but your information will help me in my quest to now top my 990!! for a price that won't kill me. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/xyxgun.gif

Thanks again! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbsup.gif

 

[Nerd]

Sway Sway... here I come to clear up the pics again! Your lights are always so bright they always throw off the camera's exposure balance.

Yeah, that's a light sabre reaching for the heavens, and Sway placed his light on a shovel stuck in the ground. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

*edit* dang.. image station is not working...

*edit* Now it's on ticey's server /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[paulr]

Holy moly...

 

[NightStorm]

Sway,

Nasa called and they want you to stop annoying the astronauts on the International Space Station. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif Me likey!! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbsup.gif

Dan