Need help with a small H.I.D with throw

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andylondon

andylondon

Newly Enlightened
Joined
Aug 8, 2007
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London, UK
Hi,

At the end of the month i will be going on a camping trip. One of the events at night is bat detecting, and i need a small super thrower to light up the bats at a distance. The distance from the hyde to the trees is about one mile. I don't need it to throw that far, but i would be happy lighting up bats at 600 metres.

I welcome your suggestions.
 
What is your price range? Is this a light you will want to leave on for an extended period of time, or just for momentary bursts of light? It is harmful to HID lights to turn them on and off rapidly, however it won't harm an Incandescent.

I would recommend the AmondoTech N30, but it won't be available by the end of this month.

It sounds like you need something with extreme throw, so I would suggest either the Stanley 2M Series rechargeable halogen spotlight $30 from Wal-Mart or the more powerful Stanley High Intensity Discharge spotlight $70 from Wal-Mart.
 
Since you mentioned you're looking for a small HID, I would recommend the WE 24W Boxer. I love this light as it is a light I can fit on my belt in a holster, give me 60 minutes of 1800 lumen output, and throws great. I'm not sure what your price range is but I would highly recommend this light. I've had it for about a year and a half and have never had a problem with it.

Here's a beamshot I took in Brown County, IN.

Target at 600 feet:

2306030929_506d4dcf5b_o.jpg


Just to give you some perspective on the crazy output of the 24W Boxer, here is the SureFire M6 at 600 ft:
2306029367_e7f36d071b_o.jpg
 
600 meters might be too far for a flashlight form factor HID. For that range, I am pretty sure that you would need a spotlight with a larger reflector. I don't think that the reflector on a small HID light can throw that far, especially if it is only 24 watts or less (which lights that size tend to be).
 
andylondon said:
Hi,

At the end of the month i will be going on a camping trip. One of the events at night is bat detecting, and i need a small super thrower to light up the bats at a distance. The distance from the hyde to the trees is about one mile. I don't need it to throw that far, but i would be happy lighting up bats at 600 metres.

I welcome your suggestions.
Click to expand...
Are you using binoculars? It isn't possible to spot a bat at 600 meters is it? I would think it would be impossible at 600 feet..
 
Mjolnir said:
600 meters might be too far for a flashlight form factor HID. For that range, I am pretty sure that you would need a spotlight with a larger reflector. I don't think that the reflector on a small HID light can throw that far, especially if it is only 24 watts or less (which lights that size tend to be).
Click to expand...

+1. I think for that kind of range you will need the extreme throwing power of a large reflectored 35W HID spotlight, such as the Stanley HID. The Stanley HID will throw 1000 meters.

I don't know how far away you will be able to spot a small bat with any spotlight no matter how powerful, but the Stanley HID will give you the longest visible range possible. It has a 30 minute runtime and if you don't mind it being bulkier than a flashlight style HID light then it might be perfect for you.
 
I'd have to know how the game worked in order to say what light might work best. It sounds like you're talking about some serious distance. I was able to track bats with the PH50 and naked eye about to about 150 yards but that's about it. I'd pick a light with good run-time and a very wide beam though. Again, I don't know how the game is played but the Stanley's run-time may be too short. The 35W Oracle HID might fit the bill though. I'm not sure what price range you're looking at either.
 
I think if the bats are large enough to be seen clearly at 600 meters, then you have bigger problems...
In all honesty, you probably can't really see lone bats at that distance. However, you may be able to see large groups of them when they emerge from their cave.
 
Patriot makes a good point. To best answer your question, I think we simply need to know:

1) What runtime?
2) Whether the light will be used in very short and erratic bursts (less than 1 minute), or left on for extended periods of time?
3) Are you willing to carry a larger spotlight, or does it have to be a smaller flashlight style?
4) What is the maximum you are willing to spend?
5) Do you need a light with a wide beam and a lot of spill, or is a narrow pencil beam with possibly less output okay?
6) Does it need to be water resistant?
 
Last edited:
RichS said:
Are you using binoculars? It isn't possible to spot a bat at 600 meters is it? I would think it would be impossible at 600 feet..
Click to expand...


Yes i will be using binoculars. I already own the 24W Boxer, but the beam is a little floody. I think you are right, that i will need a high powered spotlight. I would like this to run for 1 hour+, the longer the better. I am willing to spend as much as it takes to beat the incan boys. I think they must have old torches, because they only have about 30 minutes of runtime. I hope this info helps.
 
BlueBeam22 said:
Patriot makes a good point. To best answer your question, I think we simply need to know:

1) What runtime?
2) Whether the light will be used in very short and erratic bursts (less than 1 minute), or left on for extended periods of time?
3) Are you willing to carry a larger spotlight, or does it have to be a smaller flashlight style?
4) What is the maximum you are willing to spend?
5) Do you need a light with a wide beam and a lot of spill, or is a narrow pencil beam with possibly less output okay?
6) Does it need to be water resistant?
Click to expand...

Yes i would like it to be water resistant. It will be left on constantly. Yes i'm willing to carry a larger spotlight. Yes i want a narrow pencil beam with as much runtime as possible.
 
The AmondoTech L35 rechargeable 35 Watt HID Spotlight would fit your needs perfectly. It is highly water resistant, has a 110 minute runtime and has a large enough reflector that it will be an incredible thrower.

Its beam will have a lot of flood and spill, but also an extremely concentrated hotspot that will generate a pencil type beam and illuminate extremely distant objects.

It costs $332.95, and if that is within your price range then I can think of no other light that would suit your needs nearly as well.
 
The Vector POB or Mega Illuminator would also fit the bill, since size isn't an issue. Both will throw better than the L35. That said, I'd personally spend more and get the L35.
 
BlueBeam22 said:
The AmondoTech L35 rechargeable 35 Watt HID Spotlight would fit your needs perfectly. It is highly water resistant, has a 110 minute runtime and has a large enough reflector that it will be an incredible thrower.

Its beam will have a lot of flood and spill, but also an extremely concentrated hotspot that will generate a pencil type beam and illuminate extremely distant objects.

It costs $332.95, and if that is within your price range then I can think of no other light that would suit your needs nearly as well.
Click to expand...


This spotlight sounds like a winner and well within my price range. Thank you for your help.
 
Mjolnir said:
I think if the bats are large enough to be seen clearly at 600 meters, then you have bigger problems...QUOTE]


If i use a really good spotlight, then maybe i will be able to see Kirk Langstrom (man-bat) flying about :whistle:
Click to expand...
 
andylondon said:
This spotlight sounds like a winner and well within my price range. Thank you for your help.
Click to expand...

Glad I was able to help. I know that the L35 is an incredible light in all ways, and I'm sure you will find many other good uses for it. If you do get one, please post about how you like it.
 
I've had a look at the AmondoTech Titanium L35 H.I.D. and i noticed that it's 4200K colour temperature. Does anyone know if this comes in a colour temperature of roughly around 6600K?
 
The Vector "Power On Board" HID spotlight that Patriot mentioned comes with a 6000K bulb. That being said, HID lights with lower color temperature such as 4200K will give more lumens per watt and much better color rendition than higher color temperatures.

The L35 with its stock bulb and Mega Illuminator (which is the best thrower of all but won't be available by the time you need it) both use 4200K HID bulbs which are much more rare in HID spotlights and give the best performance.

If for any reason you specifically need a light in the 6000K range with a blue colored beam, then the Vector POB would be perfect for you as it still has over one hour of runtime and will be a better thrower than the L35.
 
BVH said:
No, it does not. However it is an easy change out. Just need to buy the bulb you want. I don't remember what base is used.
Click to expand...


I might just buy the L35 and look for a replacement bulb with a higher colour temperature.
 
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