hmmwv
Newly Enlightened
I just bought on ebay a while back a spotlight (it was miscategorized i think in the vehicle safety lights section) - it's actualy made by a vehicle safety light company (HD or something like that) - not much to it - cigarette lighter plug and a push on/off switch) - bulb life 2500 hours, power 35 watts (3A at 12-13 v vehicle voltage) - NO internal battery (but small external 12V batts with cig lighter female jacks are all over the place for running video gear, etc).
The light really rocks - focus is *awesome* at long distances - I can hit the house at the end of my block with it - closer houses I can light up like day light to the point people come to the windows 6 houses down. Aimed up in the sky it's like a searchlight. All with just 35 watts.
Disadvantages:
Slightly varrying color of the light during operation - I found it helps to even out the color to point it to the ground before turning it off - the HID bulb has alot of salts inside of it and they like to attach to one electrode if gravity helps them. Long distance you can't tell the color shift - but at 10' it's noticable in the spot.
Balast runs probably at about 8000 hz (I haven't measured it yet) - it's definitely in the audible range! you can hear the ballast running but it's not objectionable.
Advantages:
3A draw is so small it can be run off almost anything - can be made portable and for $250 it's nice not to have a built in battery that will die soon anyways.
The construction is top notch - rubber molded waterproof grip and head are very nice and lightweight. Easy to hold over your head to get extra distance when you need it.
$250 is a realistic price for a HID spotlight - all the advantages of HID - all the light you could ever want! - and at a price you can afford - like a poor mans maxabeam without the rings in the light (very even light pattern)
FAST startup - full brightness is up in 5-10 seconds or so and there's LOTS of light as soon as you hit the switch.
Waay cool blue color - makes the light much more versitile because the high kelvin temperature light is more useful than halogen - and its a constant color over all voltage inputs (I did try that with a bench supply and a rat shack cigarett lighter adapter).
Very nice cordset - quality rubber coil cord extends nicely and comes back to shape well too - very well built cord & plug won't pull out of lighter sockets (at lest all the ones i've tried it on)
I'll post some pics when I get a chance - not sure what to compare it against - my surefire M6 can't hack the distance and my SL-35 can't either. I may have to do some
exposure tricks with the camera to show the difference.
For $250 and 35 W (only 3A off the car battery!) you really can't go wrong) - if there's more interes let me know and I'll photograph it - found it on ebay from a guy who sells the cop car lights that mount on the top of the vehicle. I have not seen it for sale at any stores (maybe someone else has). The company also makes a 100W halogen version that is like 1/10 the light output - I guess if you want it lit up real fast you'd buy the halogen version.
The light really rocks - focus is *awesome* at long distances - I can hit the house at the end of my block with it - closer houses I can light up like day light to the point people come to the windows 6 houses down. Aimed up in the sky it's like a searchlight. All with just 35 watts.
Disadvantages:
Slightly varrying color of the light during operation - I found it helps to even out the color to point it to the ground before turning it off - the HID bulb has alot of salts inside of it and they like to attach to one electrode if gravity helps them. Long distance you can't tell the color shift - but at 10' it's noticable in the spot.
Balast runs probably at about 8000 hz (I haven't measured it yet) - it's definitely in the audible range! you can hear the ballast running but it's not objectionable.
Advantages:
3A draw is so small it can be run off almost anything - can be made portable and for $250 it's nice not to have a built in battery that will die soon anyways.
The construction is top notch - rubber molded waterproof grip and head are very nice and lightweight. Easy to hold over your head to get extra distance when you need it.
$250 is a realistic price for a HID spotlight - all the advantages of HID - all the light you could ever want! - and at a price you can afford - like a poor mans maxabeam without the rings in the light (very even light pattern)
FAST startup - full brightness is up in 5-10 seconds or so and there's LOTS of light as soon as you hit the switch.
Waay cool blue color - makes the light much more versitile because the high kelvin temperature light is more useful than halogen - and its a constant color over all voltage inputs (I did try that with a bench supply and a rat shack cigarett lighter adapter).
Very nice cordset - quality rubber coil cord extends nicely and comes back to shape well too - very well built cord & plug won't pull out of lighter sockets (at lest all the ones i've tried it on)
I'll post some pics when I get a chance - not sure what to compare it against - my surefire M6 can't hack the distance and my SL-35 can't either. I may have to do some
exposure tricks with the camera to show the difference.
For $250 and 35 W (only 3A off the car battery!) you really can't go wrong) - if there's more interes let me know and I'll photograph it - found it on ebay from a guy who sells the cop car lights that mount on the top of the vehicle. I have not seen it for sale at any stores (maybe someone else has). The company also makes a 100W halogen version that is like 1/10 the light output - I guess if you want it lit up real fast you'd buy the halogen version.
