NightSword - Portable Mega Light Idea Revisited

[Patriot]

It looks great and I'm learning a lot from this thread thanks to you. I finally understand why the reflector hole size isn't critical in this case.

Regarding the 12" reflector, how would you plan on housing such a beast?

 

[Flashanator]

Looks super pro.

get-lit If I was a millionaire Id finance this project for you.

 

[ez78]

Very interesting, this is starting to look promising! What CAD software are you using?

 

[get-lit]

It looks great and I'm learning a lot from this thread thanks to you. I finally understand why the reflector hole size isn't critical in this case.

Regarding the 12" reflector, how would you plan on housing such a beast?

That is one of the more difficult issues. I might go with formed steel sheet. It would be a two-step forming process. First to create the contour of the outer lamp housing, and then at the lamp end you can see how it folds back toward the front as an inner ring for the base of reflector to encircle. If that would be too costly, I could make the ring a separate part to weld on. The handle would then be welded onto the reflector housing.

I'm not much of a fan of metal housings. I much prefer something injection molded. Now carbon fiber! That would be the ticket. Problem is, that's not feasible with with a very short run. If it has to be metal, maybe I would rubberize it.

I have yet to finalize the front of the reflector housing. It will be different that other lamps though because the forced air will pass over the entire front lip of the reflector and then be re-directed toward the back where it will exit an opening on the underside. That will keep any water whatsoever from entering the front. For the rear, I would also like to include a water trap and filter so that it would be rather reliable in bad weather.

I would also like to include a means to attach a 12v battery and a small DC/AC inverter to the underside.

 

[get-lit]

Looks super pro.

get-lit If I was a millionaire Id finance this project for you.

Thanks a million!
EDIT: Hmm, maybe I should go for a military contract. Heck, this would have 6 times the throw and 17 times the light output of the Maxabeam, and that's got crazy contracts, heck its' even a hit in Hollywood

 

[get-lit]

Very interesting, this is starting to look promising! What CAD software are you using?

For initial planning and illustration I just use my favorite graphics program. For specific parts to be CNC'd I would use Rhinoceros.

 

[get-lit]

I had actually came up with three different methods for 3-axis adjustament with powered zoom. I picked this one because of the simplicity. It really eliminates a lot of parts and makes for a simple solid design that is waterproof and easy to make adjustments with.

As you can see, one of my primary goals is to KEEP IT SIMPLE. Once the planning is complete, it will actually be quite easy to construct.

 

[get-lit]

I finally understand why the reflector hole size isn't critical in this case.

Yep. That is exactly why it was so important for me to see the angular luminance distribution of these lamps. Actually, for this 12" reflector, the hole could practically be twice as large with no affect on light gathering. Now if this were to be for a DC short arc Xenon lamp, you wouldn't want the hole any larger. In fact, this particular 12" reflector would be perfect as far as the rear hole size. I guess that's a good thing to know because that makes this design particularly adaptable for in case other lamps evolve with similar patterns as the DC short arc Xenon lamps.

 

[Flashanator]

this would have 6 times the throw and 17 times the light output of the Maxabeam

😱 good lord that's ridicules. I srsly hope this gets built. Would it outthrow the maxablaster? I'm thinking yes?

 

[Juggernaut]

😱 good lord that's ridicules. I srsly hope this gets built. Would it outthrow the maxablaster? I'm thinking yes?

Sadly with out the VIP120 bulb it will not:mecry:.

 

[get-lit]

Maxablaster (9.5" reflector) = 52M C.P.

VIP 273 (12" reflector) = 45M C.P. (estimated)

So it's 85% the throw of the Maxablaster. Still though the VIP 273 is 4.25 times the light output at any distance you can see and it's throw is 25% further than the tank light.

Here's an important consideration... Because the VIP 273 doesn't put out the kind of UV that the Maxablaster does, the VIP 273 might be able to use an aluminum coated with quartz film reflector with a 90% reflectance in the visible spectrum instead of a rhodium coated reflector with 76% reflectance in the visible spectrum. Then the VIP 273 estimations will get another 18% boost and the VIP 273 will have the same candlepower/throw with 5 times the visible light output as the Maxablaster.

 

[Patriot]

Here's an important consideration... Because the VIP 273 doesn't put out the kind of UV that the Maxablaster does, the VIP 273 might be able to use an aluminum coated with quartz film reflector with a 90% reflectance in the visible spectrum instead of a rhodium coated reflector with 76% reflectance in the visible spectrum. Then the VIP 273 estimations will get another 18% boost and the VIP 273 will have the same candlepower/throw with 5 times the visible light output as the Maxablaster.

Not, a critical point but I'm just trying to follow the math. 90% vs. 76% would be a 14% variation right, or is there another factor that you're considering. I'm sure the aluminum coated reflector must be very expensive but if you can pull it off, I think it's worth it. It's free lumens and throw with nothing extra consumed.

Regarding the VIP 120. What exactly about the structure makes it impossible to separate it from it's built in reflector? Certainly a diamond coated cut off disc and die grinder would cut the material even if it was insanely tedious, no?

 

[get-lit]

Not, a critical point but I'm just trying to follow the math. 90% vs. 76% would be a 14% variation right, or is there another factor that you're considering. I'm sure the aluminum coated reflector must be very expensive but if you can pull it off, I think it's worth it. It's free lumens and throw with nothing extra consumed.

Regarding the VIP 120. What exactly about the structure makes it impossible to separate it from it's built in reflector? Certainly a diamond coated cut off disc and die grinder would cut the material even if it was insanely tedious, no?

Percentages are multiplied. ie...

1000 lumen x 90% = 900 lumen
1000 lumen x 76% = 760 lumen

900 lumen is 1.184 times 760 lumen.

Therefore the percentage difference is 90%/76% = 118.4%, or 18.4% greater

I was hoping that the built-in reflectors were removable but they are not and it's too dangerous to tinker with cutting tools with these lamps. They are 3000 PSI!!!

 

[get-lit]

I modified the diagram at bit...

 

[get-lit]

I changed this one a bit. This one has everything self-contained including an integrated ballast, an DC/AC inverter, and 4 Thunder Power TP5000-3SXV batteries with a total of 222 watt hours which can power the light for 40 minutes. A bit more work to make though...

Imagine this much power taking up just 1 cubic foot in your trunk!!!

 

[Juggernaut]

Wow, that's crazy, I say that's a great idea:twothumbs! So basically the top part would act as a handle:thumbsup:?

 

[get-lit]

Wow, that's crazy, I say that's a great idea:twothumbs! So basically the top part would act as a handle:thumbsup:?

A handle it is.

 

[Patriot]

Instead of using the Thunder Power batteries you might want to have a look at these:

Rhino

&

Zippy Flightmax



As a li-po user for the last 6 years in the RC aircraft world I've found zero difference between the most expensive ThunderPower and FlightPower packs, and ones half their price from Zippy and Rhino.

Beyond the price, I guess you'll have to go with what best fits the physical dimensions of your housing but I think you'll find a lot larger selection from Rhino and Zippy even if you have to up or down size in capacity some.

3500+mah and 3S packs

 

[get-lit]

Thanks Patriot! Those prices sure make a self-contained version much more affordable. It looks like the dimensions are pretty similar. Probably best to make the battery compartment large enough to accommodate them all so that there's a choice.

I have yet to obtain a ballast so I don't have exact dimensions on that yet. Once I have those dimensions I can finalize the size of the electronics compartment as well.

 

[get-lit]

Ok. VIP lamps are out. Period. I called two primary U.S. distributors and even Osram. Osram NO LONGER makes ANY VIP lamps without reflectors and they haven't for a long time.

Is this bad news? Well that's what I thought at first. But the answer is no. It's actually very very very great news, because it led me to find this!!!

:twothumbs Ushio UXL-502HS-0 :twothumbs
PN#5000362​

This is the Derek Foreal of lamps, "the answer to all your dreams" to quote the movie. This is the Ushio version of the Osram XBO 500 W/RC OFR that I was originally going to work with, but with an improvement. The Ushio version is 1200 hours instead of 200 hours. And, it's actually available. It's pricey, but it is available!

Now we're back to talking 260,000 lm/cm2 average luminance and in a DC lamp to boot! DC gives us better light gathering as well as a much better single point luminance peak instead of the two points with AC! Even if the Maxablaster lamp's average luminance were to match this lamp, the peak luminance of this lamp will be even greater than the Maxablaster lamp's peak luminance because this lamp is a Xenon lamp. This is huge. The new numbers will be simply astounding, and they will be very much underrated when compared to the Maxblaster lamp due to the differences in peak luminance that is not reflected in the estimations.

Also, since we're working with a DC output now, I plan to do away with a DC/AC inverter feeding a full rectifying power supply. I'm planning a specialized power supply that is powered directly by either a 12v battery or external 12v source. This will greatly reduce the component size and weight because no big transformers and filter capacitors will be needed anymore. I would like to just use a current regulating DC/DC converter with a DC igniter module fed directly from the 12v battery or external 12v source.