New to HID lights. Help!!

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unique

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Australia!!
Yeah, I think the addiction is getting worse so I need to feed it :sssh:. I'm looking into getting a HID light.
I no nothing about HID's the only lights I have ever used were the LED's like the Fenix's etc...

I love my Fenix TK10 so I want a TK10 equivalent to a HID light.
Terms of price, build, quality, size and brightness.

Can someone point me to websites that have pictures of handheld HID lights that look good and bright and something that will not break the bank?

Thankyou!!
 
I recommend you get the Vector Power On Board HID spotlight. The link I posted takes you to a website with a picture of it but you can get them on Ebay for under $50. I have one, and find it to be quite amazing.

It has a 35W 6000K HID bulb which puts out around 3000 lumens. It can light up objects a mile away, and has a laser like beam with laser like throw. It also has a large bright corona and lots of spill. It runs for well over 1 hour at full brightness on a full charge! I have used mine to light the tops of 80 story tall sky scrapers and light up trees nearly a mile away. It is also much smaller than most spotlights. I highly recommend you get it as if you have never had an HID before it will completely blow you away and blow away any Incandescent spotlights you have. It has a huge bright hotspot.

It would most likely have more throw and a much brighter hotspot than the N30 as it has a much larger reflector and is about twice the size of the N30. It is still MUCH smaller and lighter weight than large HID spotlights like the Costco HID and the Mega Illuminator, and much smaller and lighter than large 10-20 million candlepower incandescent spotlights.

Hope this helps!:grin2:
 
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wow, thats the same price as a fenix too! Thanks. But I think I forgot to mention, is there any HID lights that are smiler to the size of a TK10? I'm sure there wont be any as small as that but something close?
Are these rechargeables?
 
yea the Amondotech N30 is your best beat for all purpose HID, its got a better battery then the traditional Heavy lead type used in cheap halogen lights. And its light colour is yellow-white IMO best for seeing things at night.

if you want a light for spotting objects far away, then the Mega Illuminator no doubt. Buts its pretty big & heavy.
 
If you want something smaller then I agree that the best choice would be the N30. With a 35 watt 4200K HID bulb driven at 30 watts it will light up a room brighter than the light fixture in the room, and should throw at least half a mile.

In THIS thread there is a size comparison between the "N30" (N30 on right), the "3152 Illuminator" which has the exact same body as the Power On Board HID but a 4200K bulb (3152 middle), and the "Costco HID" on the right which shares the exact same body as the "Mega Illuminator", they just have different color temperature HID bulbs.
 
unique said:
wow, thats the same price as a fenix too! Thanks. But I think I forgot to mention, is there any HID lights that are smiler to the size of a TK10? I'm sure there wont be any as small as that but something close?
Are these rechargeables?
Click to expand...

The simple answer is no, there's no HID remotely as small as the TK10. If there was and if it was physically possible, there wouldn't be much need for LED.

The smallest available is the Jil EZnite 10W HID and it's about two and a half times size and weight of the TK10. HIDs get more efficient as the wattage increases and really come into their own above the 24W range. The higher wattage HIDs separate themselves further from some of the very efficient and powerful LEDs now available, which are nearly giving 10W HIDs a run for their money...at least with regards to lumen output. HID will still throw farther but that's a whole 'nother aspect.

You kinda have to take HID for what it is and accept that it's a completely different monster altogether. Yes they're much larger but the performance gap is enormous. Many CPFers who have spent all their time with LED and then experience HID can't believe what they're seeing when they turn on a light like the N30 or POB. It a whole new world...figuratively speaking..:) LED fans will appreciate the regulated run-time of HID lights also as it's something the two have in common.
 
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N30 is the best "starter" HID there is. Cheap, powerful, light-weight and very good build quality. Once you get your starter light, start looking into Tank lights, etc. They're lots of fun!
 
Who said anything about our CPF additions being smooth? :D Come on...Jump in, the water's fine!
 
That's true....I've never seen the terminology "smooth transitions" or "smooth additions"...:oops:musta lost my head.....:confused:


Karl
 
Yeah the POB is a good starter...price varies from as little as $20 to as much as about $100...if you can get one for under $50 shipped it will definitely be worth your money...but as others have said here if you are willing to throw down $150, the N30 looks to be a better value...size-wise its a bit smaller, lighter, has longer runtime, AND a more pleasing white light that makes everything illuminated more colorful ( at least from the beamshots i've seen :naughty:)
 
I just wanted to add that the N30 is close to half the size of the POB and less than half the weight.
 
I picked up my first HID light, the N30, just last week. I cannot believe how bright this damn thing is. Wow...I need to take a drive and get somewhere to test how far it throws though since my yard is hemmed in with trees and I can only get maybe 400 ft of range or so. I bet this sucker will light up a path for at least a 1/4 mile. A really great light and it's rechargeable.
 
It's hard to appreciate just how good of a bargain these are and how well they perform until you have one.
 
BVH said:
It's hard to appreciate just how good of a bargain these are and how well they perform until you have one.
Click to expand...


Exactly! I imagine the thought process is something like: "plastic..funny handle..$140 bucks..how could it be so good?" Then they get it and can't believe what they're witnessing.



Congrats to your first HID Peter Atwood. :)
 
Dave, Mac's creations are works of art! You cannot go wrong with anything he chooses to build. That said, they output about 500 Lumens, give or take. Not is the same class of HIDs when it comes to Lumens out the front. They have a 6500K lamp (+ or -) so a very blue beam. If you want something HID that is small and compact, great choice!
 
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