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mvyrmnd

mvyrmnd

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Sep 4, 2009
Messages
3,391
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Australia
I've had a couple of friends ask me to build them a HID Spotlight after seeing mine in action.

I thought I'd introduce them to you all :)

Specs:

Host: Arlec RT3500 (The blue one is a SCA clone of the same body)
HID: 55w DDMTuning slim ballast with 4500K H3 Bulb
Battery: 2x6V 4.2Ah SLA (eventually will go down the LiPo path)

Approx Output as per DDMTuning Specs: 5000 Lumens

4623383653_ca5d0c67e7.jpg


Can my camera handle 15,000 Lumens?

4623399923_94c49a4e25.jpg


On mine, I've added a voltage display on a momentary switch. It allows me to see the loaded and unloaded voltage of the battery.

4624004248_3d5dcf8c9d.jpg


The reading of 12.5 unloaded is about 2/3's charged. Unloaded it's charged at 13.5 and flat at 10-ish. Loaded it settles at 11.9 charged and drops to 9-ish before the ballast starts to flicker.

4623400157_c3774fd667.jpg
 
Very nice! I've been looking at those exact bulbs and ballasts... how is the output and tint?

Also, any info about the voltage readout? I'd love a how-to for that! :grin2:
 
The output and tint are both great. At first the beam is quite blue, but at it warms up, the colour settles nicely.

As for the volt display, I got the meter here.

Basically it has a power input and a measure input. If you attach the +'s and -'s to the same source, it's powered by the battery that it's measuring.

I wired the +ve to the hot side of the main power switch, and the -ve directly the the -ve battery cable via the momentary switch.

You could wire it into the cold side of the main power switch and not use the momentary, which would have the display read permanently on while the light is on. This would not really affect runtime, as it draws very little current, but you would only get to see the voltage under load. Setting it up the way I have allows me to monitor the batteries while charging, and see the voltage while there's no load on them.
 
Last edited:
Clean on the outside, yes. Wiring, no. You'll note the volt display isn't even straight!
 
Nice work! (I've got a 55w set from DDM in my truck right now!)

I didn't see an original thread if you posted one, what's the approx. runtime?
 
mvyrmnd said:
Host: Arlec RT3500
HID: 55w DDMTuning slim ballast with 4500K H3 Bulb
Battery: 2x6V 4.2Ah SLA (eventually will go down the LiPo path)
Click to expand...

I've got one of these Arlec RT3500s at the moment.

I'm a total noob at this game, so could you kindly detail (briefly) how you mod this spotty, and with what sort of parts and their rough AUD pricing. I'm assuming it uses the stock battery, but I'm unclear as to the HID/ballast you mention.

—Thanks, Jack. :)
 
Jack Reacher said:
I've got one of these Arlec RT3500s at the moment.

I'm a total noob at this game, so could you kindly detail (briefly) how you mod this spotty, and with what sort of parts and their rough AUD pricing. I'm assuming it uses the stock battery, but I'm unclear as to the HID/ballast you mention.

—Thanks, Jack. :)
Click to expand...

Here is the HID kit used: http://www.ddmtuning.com/Products/DDM-HID-Kit-Slim-Ballast-35W-or-55W

You use the drop-down menus to pick colour temperature and the bulb (mount) type that you need.
 
mvyrmnd said:
The output and tint are both great. At first the beam is quite blue, but at it warms up, the colour settles nicely.

As for the volt display, I got the meter here.
Click to expand...

Awesome, thanks for the reply. :) I'm glad to hear the colour is good when it warms up; would you say it appears to be a higher temp than 4500K due to the high wattage? DDM mentions that on their website and I wasn't entirely sure what to make of it.

Hopefully I can find a source for a voltage meter like that, it looks great.
 
Jack Reacher said:
I've got one of these Arlec RT3500s at the moment.

I'm a total noob at this game, so could you kindly detail (briefly) how you mod this spotty, and with what sort of parts and their rough AUD pricing. I'm assuming it uses the stock battery, but I'm unclear as to the HID/ballast you mention.

—Thanks, Jack. :)
Click to expand...

Briefly:

1) remove EVERYTHING from the host body.

2) The batteries sit in a plastic holder. Remove it, so the batteries sit deeper in the body. Put the batteries back.

3) Using a hacksaw, cut the middle out of the plastic shield that sits over the batteries. You'll need to keep the outer ring of the shield that the 4 screws go into, as it holds the charging port in place. Because if the shape of the shield, this can be done in one cut, if you attack from the side.

If you need more space, I've found you can safely remove the bottom side of the ring (bottom being the opposite from the charging port) leaving a C shape. It'll hold fine with the 3 screws.

With those done, you'll have room in front of the batteries to fit the ballast and cables. Use a piece of cardboard to cover the battery terminals, than just make it all fit :)
 
Hack On Wheels said:
Awesome, thanks for the reply. :) I'm glad to hear the colour is good when it warms up; would you say it appears to be a higher temp than 4500K due to the high wattage? DDM mentions that on their website and I wasn't entirely sure what to make of it.
Click to expand...

It seems to be true. I had a 35w ballast lying around, and the same bulb looks warmer than at 55W. The 4500K bulb at 55W is probably closer to 5000K, but that's OK.

The 4500K bulb has some yellow salts in the arc chamber that must be responsible for the warm colour. That's why it's cold as it starts, and as the salts vapourise the colour warms up. I'm guessing that the blue colour of the arc is more prevalent at 55W and cancels out some of the warm colour provided by those salts.
 
mvyrmnd said:
It seems to be true. I had a 35w ballast lying around, and the same bulb looks warmer than at 55W. The 4500K bulb at 55W is probably closer to 5000K, but that's OK.

The 4500K bulb has some yellow salts in the arc chamber that must be responsible for the warm colour. That's why it's cold as it starts, and as the salts vapourise the colour warms up. I'm guessing that the blue colour of the arc is more prevalent at 55W and cancels out some of the warm colour provided by those salts.
Click to expand...

This is from the DDM site: "55w kits tend to wash out some of the color of the HID bulb due to the light output( for example, a 55w 8000k will look similar in color to a 35w 6000k kit)."

That sounds like the opposite of what you're saying.:thinking:
Am I reading it wrong?:confused:
 
Hack On Wheels said:
Here is the HID kit used: http://www.ddmtuning.com/Products/DDM-HID-Kit-Slim-Ballast-35W-or-55W

You use the drop-down menus to pick colour temperature and the bulb (mount) type that you need.
Click to expand...

mvyrmnd said:
Briefly:

1) remove EVERYTHING from the host body.

2) The batteries sit in a plastic holder. Remove it, so the batteries sit deeper in the body. Put the batteries back.

3) Using a hacksaw, cut the middle out of the plastic shield that sits over the batteries. You'll need to keep the outer ring of the shield that the 4 screws go into, as it holds the charging port in place. Because if the shape of the shield, this can be done in one cut, if you attack from the side.

If you need more space, I've found you can safely remove the bottom side of the ring (bottom being the opposite from the charging port) leaving a C shape. It'll hold fine with the 3 screws.

With those done, you'll have room in front of the batteries to fit the ballast and cables. Use a piece of cardboard to cover the battery terminals, than just make it all fit.
Click to expand...

Thank you both for the links and the "recipe".
:thanks:

Now to decide whether or not I'm game to attack my Arlec! At the very least, I'll open it up and have a poke around in its innards.

—Cheers, Jack. :)
 
cccpull said:
This is from the DDM site: "55w kits tend to wash out some of the color of the HID bulb due to the light output( for example, a 55w 8000k will look similar in color to a 35w 6000k kit)."

That sounds like the opposite of what you're saying.:thinking:
Am I reading it wrong?:confused:
Click to expand...

You're not reading it wrong. I believe it's the same effect, but coming from the opposite direction on the colour gamut.

I don't know how the colour is shifted blue at the 8000-10000K end of the spectrum. It may use some "blue salts" as opposed to the "yellow salts" in the 4500K bulb. The effect would be the same, as the colour is washed out by the extra output from the arc.

This is only a guess. I don't suppose there's someone on here that actually knows?
 
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