PhantomPhoton
Flashlight Enthusiast
I won't be up there until 6 -ish. I'm happy to bring some food or refreshments if we're doing a potluk style food. Hopefully we'll have people show up whom are not responding to the thread.
Seattle Area Get Together May 2014 or June 2014
- Thread starter Skeptic
- Start date
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LightSward
Flashlight Enthusiast
I'm excited to eventually finish focusing and aligning this great big searchlight. Run into a few snags, a little behind drilling last few holes and attaching brackets because with the late sunsets here this time of year, it's difficult to not upset the drunken lushes that have slowly taken over our street.
. I'm looking to move soon if I can, but for now I may have to install the high powered bulb and try to finish this without breaking the expensive multi-hundred dollar bulb and do the alignments and focusing during the day with the 4kwatt bulb Because the sun sets so late now. Not dark until 10 pm or after..
.
. I have a few more days, I may get this up and ready for the show. Don't want to delay this now because of a few inconsiderate neighbors. Most people around here tend to be very supportive still of this, I just don't want to rock the boat unnecessarily.
. I'm looking to move soon if I can, but for now I may have to install the high powered bulb and try to finish this without breaking the expensive multi-hundred dollar bulb and do the alignments and focusing during the day with the 4kwatt bulb Because the sun sets so late now. Not dark until 10 pm or after..
. I have a few more days, I may get this up and ready for the show. Don't want to delay this now because of a few inconsiderate neighbors. Most people around here tend to be very supportive still of this, I just don't want to rock the boat unnecessarily.
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LightSward
Flashlight Enthusiast
Hopefully the hostile drunks living in my condominium complex who are lowering our property value, will let me have just a few minutes of their precious night sky, to make a few adjustments to this amazing light.
Hopefully have this thing running by this weekend.
110 volts terminal is of course twice the size as the 220 and 380 volt terminals. I made the change to reflect the fact that the power cord has been changed from 60 amp 110 volt to 30 amp 220 volt VAC.
What a huge difference in cost and physical size of wires and hardware by using a higher voltage!
The monstrous 60 amp 125 volt plug versus the lighter, smaller 240 volt plug in foreground. Wire is much less expensive for the 220-240 volt system compared to the 110-125 volt type.
I have to build the lamp housing and focus assembly for a much wider range of focus planes, etc., x,y,z axis because of the still slightly unsolved alignment issues. I wasn't as precise in my locator tick marks and so have been bogged down with hole drilling and small planeier adjustments. The hostile drunks in the building next door, have made it nearly impossible to work on this much during this time of year. The Fall and Winter months are much better suited for work on the searchlight with their shorter days and earlier nightfall.
I'm still aiming to arrive before 6 p.m., hopefully more like 4 pm, if all goes well. Weather looks to be okay this show weekend.
Hopefully have this thing running by this weekend.
110 volts terminal is of course twice the size as the 220 and 380 volt terminals. I made the change to reflect the fact that the power cord has been changed from 60 amp 110 volt to 30 amp 220 volt VAC.
What a huge difference in cost and physical size of wires and hardware by using a higher voltage!
The monstrous 60 amp 125 volt plug versus the lighter, smaller 240 volt plug in foreground. Wire is much less expensive for the 220-240 volt system compared to the 110-125 volt type.
I have to build the lamp housing and focus assembly for a much wider range of focus planes, etc., x,y,z axis because of the still slightly unsolved alignment issues. I wasn't as precise in my locator tick marks and so have been bogged down with hole drilling and small planeier adjustments. The hostile drunks in the building next door, have made it nearly impossible to work on this much during this time of year. The Fall and Winter months are much better suited for work on the searchlight with their shorter days and earlier nightfall.
I'm still aiming to arrive before 6 p.m., hopefully more like 4 pm, if all goes well.
Weather looks to be okay this show weekend.
Peewee
Newly Enlightened
Hopefully the hostile drunks living in my condominium complex who are lowering our property value, will let me have just a few minutes of their precious night sky, to make a few adjustments to this amazing light.
Hopefully have this thing running by this weekend.
MMMmmmmm High amperage bus. makes me all giggley inside. can't wait to see it in person. just in case it thinks about raining i have a jeep with roof rack we can easily tie a tarp to. sounds like my eu3000is Generator isn't going to be needed if we're running 220V, should i still bring it? it's a heavy mo-fo and not that easy to cart around despite the fact it has wheels.
-PW
LightSward
Flashlight Enthusiast
I'm running against the clock and am trying to do this correctly. Don't bring the generator if it's too much effort. I'm running into time consuming but relatively minor problems I have to work out before I can safely ignite this, and test it for the first time since purchasing it on e-bay back in February.
Making progress. Trying to get this searchlight ready for the weekend light show up in Renton, WA. Hoping I can get this done in time.
Remember: the best light this show has is: IgNITEor's "Death Ray Xenon super focused laser like amazing searchlight. He is the one who helped bring me into the large HMI world of searchlights.
Here are some recent photos of my progress.
Installing the 380 to 200 volt auto-transformer and ballast system to output plug. Changed configuration of the switch over from 125 to 220 volt systems.
Will have ground and two stingers ready for the output and have to build the ignition system in the searchlight head.
Close-up of some of the changes I made today.
I'm building a double three axis focusing plate for the bulb against the back reflector and a a larger three axis focus and alignment system for the whole bulb and back reflector system to move. I have to do this as an alternative to a more rugged, less movable focus system because the late night starts make it difficult to do much work on this without upsetting the local outdoor drunks who've invaded our community as of late.
I'm making every effort to get this thing up and running by the show start time. Hopefully no more delays and drunk neighbors. Most of the neighbors are shocked by the drunks needing AA and seek an end to their drunken tirades. I'm trying to lay low and not shine lights around this time of year too much.
Making progress. Trying to get this searchlight ready for the weekend light show up in Renton, WA. Hoping I can get this done in time.
Remember: the best light this show has is: IgNITEor's "Death Ray Xenon super focused laser like amazing searchlight. He is the one who helped bring me into the large HMI world of searchlights.
Here are some recent photos of my progress.
Installing the 380 to 200 volt auto-transformer and ballast system to output plug. Changed configuration of the switch over from 125 to 220 volt systems.
Will have ground and two stingers ready for the output and have to build the ignition system in the searchlight head.
Close-up of some of the changes I made today.
I'm building a double three axis focusing plate for the bulb against the back reflector and a a larger three axis focus and alignment system for the whole bulb and back reflector system to move. I have to do this as an alternative to a more rugged, less movable focus system because the late night starts make it difficult to do much work on this without upsetting the local outdoor drunks who've invaded our community as of late.
I'm making every effort to get this thing up and running by the show start time. Hopefully no more delays and drunk neighbors. Most of the neighbors are shocked by the drunks needing AA and seek an end to their drunken tirades. I'm trying to lay low and not shine lights around this time of year too much.
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I know of a few people coming who haven't posted.
Speaking of food, who's bringing it? I could pick up some stuff but it seems like there are always a ton of burgers, hot dogs, and cookies. Should I bring something different like mac & cheese or salad?
Skeptic
Newly Enlightened
I will have hamburgers and hotdogs with fixings. Picking those up today at Costco or Sam's club.
LightSward
Flashlight Enthusiast
This is going to be awesome!
(Someone take a bunch of photos and post them for me please. I want to see how this incredible event I usually try to come to, but can't this time, turns out.)
The tank light is always the best. The whole point of the get together is all the flashlights and especially the Lights IgNITEor brings like the Death Ray. I was hoping to add a small addition to this collection but didn't make the deadline. (One of these days my humble little 72 inch 4kwatt light will make it up to the show),
The best light in town is the Death Ray!
The Death Ray is the king of all the searchlights, and if you make it to the show, you'll have a chance to see it and talk with the owner and operator. This individual assisted me into the HMI world, so I could try and make a light that might hit a tree a hundred feet away.
A room full of eager prize seekers, await some amazing light devices as a possible prize...if not they'll buy some incredible lights too.
A picture from the gathering a couple years ago.
I hope you all have an excellent get together. I'm bummed to not be able to go. Some last minute issues and difficult assembling and testing the 72 inch Lord of Lights, (World's Biggest Searchlight), makes it impractical to drive up from Portland this time. (Several jobs have dried up and income is way too limited to do anything for a while.). I'm totally bummed, but a couple drunk lushes that moved in down the street from me, have made it entirely impossible to do any light work for a while. I want to try and keep the peace around my block for a while.
Go to the show and take pictures..! I wanted to go and now I'm bummed...I can't. No gas, no money, no lights. LOL.. Have Fun!
See you all next time.oo::ironic::huh::duh2::tired::shakehead:candle:
(Someone take a bunch of photos and post them for me please. I want to see how this incredible event I usually try to come to, but can't this time, turns out.)
The tank light is always the best. The whole point of the get together is all the flashlights and especially the Lights IgNITEor brings like the Death Ray. I was hoping to add a small addition to this collection but didn't make the deadline. (One of these days my humble little 72 inch 4kwatt light will make it up to the show),
The best light in town is the Death Ray!
The Death Ray is the king of all the searchlights, and if you make it to the show, you'll have a chance to see it and talk with the owner and operator. This individual assisted me into the HMI world, so I could try and make a light that might hit a tree a hundred feet away.
A room full of eager prize seekers, await some amazing light devices as a possible prize...if not they'll buy some incredible lights too.
A picture from the gathering a couple years ago.
I hope you all have an excellent get together. I'm bummed to not be able to go. Some last minute issues and difficult assembling and testing the 72 inch Lord of Lights, (World's Biggest Searchlight), makes it impractical to drive up from Portland this time. (Several jobs have dried up and income is way too limited to do anything for a while.). I'm totally bummed, but a couple drunk lushes that moved in down the street from me, have made it entirely impossible to do any light work for a while. I want to try and keep the peace around my block for a while.
Go to the show and take pictures..! I wanted to go and now I'm bummed...I can't. No gas, no money, no lights. LOL.. Have Fun!
See you all next time.
oo::ironic::huh::duh2::tired::shakehead:candle:Blindguy
Newly Enlightened
I'm from WaGuns and plan on being there. I've copied the address and checked the map. Hopefully I won't get lost.
I think there might be others coming. I'll plug it again over there.
I think there might be others coming. I'll plug it again over there.
Peewee
Newly Enlightened
This is going to be awesome!
(Someone take a bunch of photos and post them for me please. I want to see how this incredible event I usually try to come to, but can't this time, turns out.)
The tank light is always the best. The whole point of the get together is all the flashlights and especially the Lights IgNITEor brings like the Death Ray. I was hoping to add a small addition to this collection but didn't make the deadline.
Go to the show and take pictures..! I wanted to go and now I'm bummed...I can't. No gas, no money, no lights. LOL.. Have Fun!
See you all next time.
Light, sorry you can't go
i was hoping on getting some pics of the nighthawk in full glory. damn, we'll have to catch you next time. -PW
IgNITEor
Newly Enlightened
Hey everybody,
This is a big bummer to announce so late in the day. Most of you are already on your way there right now!
Deathray and I cannot make it out there tonight.
I'm pretty exhausted from pulling long days at the new Safeway in Poulsbo getting the fire alarm
ready for testing. Just got the fire marshal's blessing to activate the system yesterday. It's been a very challenging
job from the get go.
I'll be falling asleep about the time it's dark outside :sigh:
Very cool that WaGuns will be there! Great that the weather is perfect, so I hope y'all have a
fantastic evening. I'm taking the rig to the Black Rock desert again this year so I'll have it and the
Baby Ray fresh from duty for a GT this fall.
Gonna miss you guys!
This is a big bummer to announce so late in the day. Most of you are already on your way there right now!
Deathray and I cannot make it out there tonight.
I'm pretty exhausted from pulling long days at the new Safeway in Poulsbo getting the fire alarm
ready for testing. Just got the fire marshal's blessing to activate the system yesterday. It's been a very challenging
job from the get go.
I'll be falling asleep about the time it's dark outside :sigh:
Very cool that WaGuns will be there! Great that the weather is perfect, so I hope y'all have a
fantastic evening. I'm taking the rig to the Black Rock desert again this year so I'll have it and the
Baby Ray fresh from duty for a GT this fall.
Gonna miss you guys!
Hoop
Enlightened
I went a couple years ago or so and my LK14 was the brightest light there. Quite the disappointment! It's a shame I can't make it to any of the more recent shows.
Great to see everyone, as usual. I'm looking forward to fall, hopefully LightSward and IgNITEor can make it.
My photos: https://www.flickr.com/photos/electromage/sets/72157645058935232/
My photos: https://www.flickr.com/photos/electromage/sets/72157645058935232/
LightSward
Flashlight Enthusiast
Great to see so many turned out for such a wonderful event. Great to see so many light making devices. The LightSward built "Lord of Lights", otherwise known as the World's largest HMI searchlight, is having alignment issues worked out. I hope to have this up and running by the Fall LightShow...my drunk neighbors, after some mediation's, should hopefully be more tame by then.
Some photos electromage took at Saturday's awesome event..!
Everyone has fun, even drones with lights. Many people bring their incredible and often years of thoughtful and sometime expensive collections of often history making light sources.
The Seattle Are Get Together was epic..! One of my favorite parts of any get together is the pot luck Bar B Que...:FOOD!
The Light Show up in the Seattle are was a huge success. Two of us that normally bring big lights, (IgNITEor and LightSward), weren't not able to attend on last minute notice.
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
I will be tackling the alignment issues with my four quarters by placing them precisely on the mold and identifying "tick" mark locations and making sure all possible spots and angles are measured to make assembling this great light a success.
The temporary decommissioning of the searchlight made very easy with my homemade portable crane friend.
Searchlight is raised with crane to a workable position to be removed from the arbor yoke system,
This crane is great when I have to move the searchlight to different positions for hardware removal.
Here the light is lowered to loosen and remove hardware before returning light to an upright position for final dismantling.
Readjustment of work situation with crane manipulations. → ←
→ → ⤡
&9733;
jaredwells2001
Raised again after arbor yoke system removed to separate quarters.
Quarters are carefully removed from searchlight frame. I may build an entirely new system or renovate what is already there...? Will have to see what the alignment analysis brings up.
All done. This crane makes very difficult and potentially dangerous tasks, a cinch. So easy now to adjust things right where I need them when working on stuff.
...(the bright light over and behind crane is the 100 watt HMI that used to power the original 24 inch LightSward and got some of the drunk neighbors in a tizzy...)
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LightSward
Flashlight Enthusiast
Soon, I'd like to bring this up to the Seattle Area get together.:
My tribute and a temporary substitute for the 60 inch WWII carbon arc searchlight, for anyone with limited space for storage, (light as seen can hang in closet).
This is an excellent design after many experiments. Someday if I have the room, I'd like to get a GE or Sperry, but for now this will work.:
Excited Law enforcement officers informed me they could see it many miles out on their patrol and just had to come by and see it, since they knew no businesses are out this far.
Big learning experience. I built this 50 inch Monster reflector six years ago and sort of didn't do much because it needed a very bright bulb to do it justice. Dimmer bulbs just barely made abeam. This thing took the light a and shot it into the night sky. For ease of transport, storage with ease of extraction, I have decided to make this my big light for now. The 72 inch is so big, I had to partially disassemble it just to store the pieces. For now the 50 inch MONSTER will be the big dominant light until I get a shop where I won't drive my neighbors crazy. Have to decommission things a little until I can get into a production facility.
This thing is "AWESOME" Had kind of shelved this light in favor of more efficient reflector designs. This set up allows for less light to be collected from bulb, but with a much longer focal length, the light travels further in a more parallel beam configuration. Beam had the effect of looking somewhat like a laser and was hard to tell from which direction it was coming from when beam aimed near horizon.
50 inch Searchlight MONSTER was shelved for a few years while I was waiting to secure a 4,000 watt HMI 385,000 lumen light source. It is a good substitute for the 60 inch WWII searchlights that need much loving care to keep going. This 50 inch MONSTER will help keep the big light legacy going well into the 21st century and beyond. The beautiful beam is a nice painting to a glorious night sky. Photo from a yard or two away.
Photo taken behind MONSTER showing the beam traveling several miles.
Photo taken from a block away
Photos taken a few blocks away.
Photo from a block away. Beam paints a nice color in the night sky. Turquoise blue color looks nice.
Photos taken around and from a few hundred feet distance.
Photo from a block away. Walking way from searchlight, the beam appears to follow. Aimed near the horizon, people couldn't tell which direction it was coming from...nice narrow beam compared to my other searchlights.
The beautiful beam is a nice painting to a glorious night sky. Photo from directly beneath the beam, next to searchlight.
Photo from near mail boxes, block away...300 feet...
Some good views from a block away...several hundred feet. Couldn't go any where with the crowds coming to see. Police almost said they'd stay and watch while I drove around to take photos.
Some of these composites were hard to align with the camera tripod. Software to straighten the photos was unavailable.
Photo from a block away.
Photo from a block away.
Photo from a block away.
Photos showing beam traveling overhead. Laser like look, hard to tell direction beam came from when aimed near horizon.
Photo from a block away. Beam paints a nice color in the night sky. Turquoise blue color looks nice.
Photo from behind searchlight.
I'll get back to posting on this shortly.
My tribute and a temporary substitute for the 60 inch WWII carbon arc searchlight, for anyone with limited space for storage, (light as seen can hang in closet).
This is an excellent design after many experiments. Someday if I have the room, I'd like to get a GE or Sperry, but for now this will work.:
Excited Law enforcement officers informed me they could see it many miles out on their patrol and just had to come by and see it, since they knew no businesses are out this far.
Big learning experience. I built this 50 inch Monster reflector six years ago and sort of didn't do much because it needed a very bright bulb to do it justice. Dimmer bulbs just barely made abeam. This thing took the light a and shot it into the night sky. For ease of transport, storage with ease of extraction, I have decided to make this my big light for now. The 72 inch is so big, I had to partially disassemble it just to store the pieces. For now the 50 inch MONSTER will be the big dominant light until I get a shop where I won't drive my neighbors crazy. Have to decommission things a little until I can get into a production facility.
This thing is "AWESOME" Had kind of shelved this light in favor of more efficient reflector designs. This set up allows for less light to be collected from bulb, but with a much longer focal length, the light travels further in a more parallel beam configuration. Beam had the effect of looking somewhat like a laser and was hard to tell from which direction it was coming from when beam aimed near horizon.
50 inch Searchlight MONSTER was shelved for a few years while I was waiting to secure a 4,000 watt HMI 385,000 lumen light source. It is a good substitute for the 60 inch WWII searchlights that need much loving care to keep going. This 50 inch MONSTER will help keep the big light legacy going well into the 21st century and beyond. The beautiful beam is a nice painting to a glorious night sky. Photo from a yard or two away.
Photo taken behind MONSTER showing the beam traveling several miles.
Photo taken from a block away
Photos taken a few blocks away.
Photo from a block away. Beam paints a nice color in the night sky. Turquoise blue color looks nice.
Photos taken around and from a few hundred feet distance.
Photo from a block away. Walking way from searchlight, the beam appears to follow. Aimed near the horizon, people couldn't tell which direction it was coming from...nice narrow beam compared to my other searchlights.
The beautiful beam is a nice painting to a glorious night sky. Photo from directly beneath the beam, next to searchlight.
Photo from near mail boxes, block away...300 feet...
Some good views from a block away...several hundred feet. Couldn't go any where with the crowds coming to see. Police almost said they'd stay and watch while I drove around to take photos.
Some of these composites were hard to align with the camera tripod. Software to straighten the photos was unavailable.
Photo from a block away.
Photo from a block away.
Photo from a block away.
Photos showing beam traveling overhead. Laser like look, hard to tell direction beam came from when aimed near horizon.
Photo from a block away. Beam paints a nice color in the night sky. Turquoise blue color looks nice.
Photo from behind searchlight.
I'll get back to posting on this shortly.
LightSward
Flashlight Enthusiast
Maybe a Fall 2016 get together for this:
The telescope reflector version of the 36 inch Gorilla is moving along. Not sure what to call it, Monster Jr., the New Gorilla, etc. Bottom picture you can see the two high powered searchlights together before beam shots are taken soon.
High powered stuff..!
More progress:
Searchlight reflecting sky to light
Nice view of the searchlight and cooling equipment.
A little closer to see the cooling fans
Close-up Searchlight
Searchlight getting closer to completion. Cooling fans installed. My usual Home Depot $15.00 bath fans. To get twice the CFM capacity, most fan makers charge up to 10 X higher, so I just buy two.
Will fire up both of these at the same time for a total output of 8,000 watts HMI, equivalent to 24,000 watts incandescent of Xenon. 385,000 lumen output each for a TOTAL: 770,000 LUMEN..! That's bright..!
→ ←
Old and New generations:wave::tired:
The old and new high powered telescope style searchlights. Notice the difference in the mirror orange peel effect from fibergalass to aluminum with it's much smoother finish. Hopefully makes a nicer beam..!
Will keep things posted as I make progress.
The telescope reflector version of the 36 inch Gorilla is moving along. Not sure what to call it, Monster Jr., the New Gorilla, etc. Bottom picture you can see the two high powered searchlights together before beam shots are taken soon.
High powered stuff..!
More progress:
Searchlight reflecting sky to light
Nice view of the searchlight and cooling equipment.
A little closer to see the cooling fans
Close-up Searchlight
Searchlight getting closer to completion. Cooling fans installed. My usual Home Depot $15.00 bath fans. To get twice the CFM capacity, most fan makers charge up to 10 X higher, so I just buy two.
Will fire up both of these at the same time for a total output of 8,000 watts HMI, equivalent to 24,000 watts incandescent of Xenon. 385,000 lumen output each for a TOTAL: 770,000 LUMEN..! That's bright..!
→ ←
Old and New generations:wave::tired:
The old and new high powered telescope style searchlights.
Notice the difference in the mirror orange peel effect from fibergalass to aluminum with it's much smoother finish. Hopefully makes a nicer beam..!Will keep things posted as I make progress.
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