Sydney, Australia....Flashaholics Rollcall

[Photongun]

Yep missionary...looks like it will happen if the past is anything to go buy. I wont be paying for it with my savings if you catch my drift (hail the plastic).

Delvance did my eyes betray me or did you type that you owned a maglite with an output of 3200 lumens?! If so how is this possible and where might I aquire such a device (and for how much)?! Also what are its power requirements and runtime? Have I mispent money on my PL24 HID thinking it was the brightest in its class?

 

[Haz]

Congrat's Delvance for being one of the winners to the raffle!.

 

[Delvance]

Thanks Haz! I didn't know till i saw your post lol! I thought the raffle was still going on haha.

Congrat's Delvance for being one of the winners to the raffle!.

Photongun,

Nope, your eyes are fine, i've got a 3D M@g outputting 3200 lumens with a freshly charged batt. pack! The catch ? Little under 20 minutes runtime! I built it with a tri-bored (3 channels) 3D length M@glite, home built pack of 12x GP 2000mAh 4/5A cells (these can handle over 30A current draw, designed for RC hobby use), modified the M@glite switch with KIU's excellent bipin socket (allows the M@glite to hold a bipin bulb, changed the reflector to metal to cope with the heat and changed the lense to a borofloat high temp lense. I fitted an Osram HLX64623 (100w) bipin lamp to it. Lamp is rated for 12V 8.3A draw but because it's getting over 14 volts (overdriven), the lumens jump up considerably. Total cost was around $300 (AUD) i think (including one very expensive transaction on a pack charger and express shipping...they only offered express ).

Don't worry though, you definitely did not waste your money with your HID's Your HID should be able to focus for incredible throw whereas my M@g can't be focused well...imagine a flood that just happens to throw very far too. I've seen some numbers of focused HIDs at around 90,000lux. My M@g does 60,000+~70,000 ux so a lil bit of difference there. Plus your HID can go for hours versus my 20 minutes

I'm about to bite and buy an X990 HID, have you ever played with one ? According to the HID folks on CPF, it's one of the best in the 35watt class hrmm...also want to start a HID project...going to be so poor

 

[Photongun]

Ahh! I suspected as much! The maglite to which you refer has been artfully modified (rebuilt) by a person with know-how and certain degree of ingenuity! Both qualities of which I sorely lack. I am but a simple consumer, well... a discerning prosumer at best but incapable of such custom designed feats.

I have a read a few posts that talk about a mag85. This, I've come to understand, is also a custom job. How does it compare to your mag?

In regards to my PL24, it's a relief to hear, that after all my painstaking research I have'nt purchased a dud! (even if someone told me it was a dud I wouldn't beleive 'em I love the thing) I did come across the X990 while researching which HID were available and from what I've read on forums and on the net in general there are only good reports. It's only a little more than I paid for my PL24 but with 2.5x the output you are certainly getting more bang for you buck with the X990. I just don't like how it looks. Sort of like a oversized powertool and appears very plasticy. But thats only my humble opinion and why I didn't buy it. It's output and beam coherance is of prime importance and where I'm sure it excels.

As for you HID project. Here's a challenge for you... I am most likely going to buy the barn barner 75w HID upon its release in a month or so. Your mission is to build something as bright or brighter and for us to have a show down at a future meet! Whadaya say?

In other news, has anyone heard anything good about the "little friend" or "L3" by Elektrolumens. It's pocket sized and has 3 x 3watt luxeons, runs on aaa's and is rated at 214 lumens!! Once I have verified its worthyness I might fork out the odd USD$120.

 

[Orbit]

brighter....already got it my friend.

just wait. i'll suprise you

 

[Photongun]

I don't want to offend you, but if it ain't portable and doesn't run off a rechargeable pack, it's excluded from the showdown. hah

Not to say I (and I'm sure others) won't be impressed even gobsmacked by whatever it is you got, but yeah, comparing a jumbo jet to a ultralight or a top fuel dragster to a SS commodore isn't really appropriate is it.

Is it your car lights?

 

[Orbit]

"car" lights are just the begining.
hand held are just as fun.
i have a few projects on the boil. a little bulkier perhaps then you may wish to have, but they are ideal for my purposes.
but i have one that is more or less mag light sized, with 4200 lumens, that is about to be made.

 

[Photongun]

4200 lumens contained in a conventional flashlight chassis? I like the sound of that. Especially if it has tight focus (a problem delvance mentioned he has with his modified mag). Make sure you bring it along to the next meet with any other light volcanoes you own - you'll be the life of the party!

 

[missionaryman]

to those that were at the meet in Hurstville you may remember the Coleman Million Plus that was lighting up houses on the other side of the bay.


I have been thinking to pull it apart and stuff it with 4 Saphion 18650's for a 13.6v (nominal) portable solution that will turn it into an even brighter whiter longer throwing light. Run time will be (1100/9500x60 = min) 8 minutes if I can only fit one set of 4 in series in there but I think there might be room for 8 = 16 minutes.
I think you'll be looking at close to 5000 lumen because there is far less loss with the mother of all reflectors.

 

[Delvance]

Photongun,

Yup you got it. I got most of the parts on CPF and leftovers from other projects and assembled/modified it myself. Are you peeps talking output or bulb lumens here ? The bulb lumens of the RS623 is almost 5000 lumens :naughty: and as to how it compares to a stock [email protected] picture is worth a thousand words...

On the left, is the 3200 output/torch lumens 3D M@g, look carefully and you'll see on the right, there is a beam from a stock 2D M@g.

In regards to the little friend, as i understand...it's a 3 x 3 watt luxeon LED with fraen optics ? If it is, i have a very similar light, also by Elektrolumens, 3 x 3 watt led and fraen optics, but runs off 4C Cells...gives off a very nice smooth flood beam. If you go back a page in this thread, there's a beamshot of it. It's called EL TSP/Eletrolumens Tri Star Phazer.

Hehe, a good challenge, and we'll see. I probably won't have it done by then but will have at least bought a HID. Orbit has some very impressive HID lights...

Missionaryman,
That's not a bad idea .

 

[Delvance]

Actually, i just went to FLR and had a look at the numbers for the PL14 (smaller brother of the PL24) and the lux for the PL14 is 36,000. A good M@g85 (35watts) can actually beat 36,000 quite easily. I think the 80,000~90,000 lux i mentioned earlier are given by larger sized HID lights - will be interested to find out.

Photongun, you're going to buy the barn burner ? Wow good work ! The next meet is going to be so bright, between all the big HIDs from Orbit and Photongun, the 100+watters incans and modified searchlights etc hehe. Still, small is good too. I still can't get over how impressive the CR2 Ion was when i was playing with it wow.

 

[Photongun]

Delvance, thanks for the info on the Elektrolumens 'little friend'. If it is simply a smaller version of the tristarfaser then I'll probably give it a miss as I'm not a big fan of light being turned primarily into spill. My flashlight 'fetish' ;P revolves around lights having a strong central spot/good throw and subtle but usable spill. 214 lumens of evenly distributed lighted isnt my deal.

Missionary, I back ya (not financial though haha) 100% in your plans to rebuild your beast even brighter. Brighter's better.


XeVision finally got back to me with specifics on price and output for the 75watt HID. I'm told they will sell for between $1100-$1200 U.S which is substantially more than the $795 U.S I was quoted for the 50 watt version! I'm now undecided on whether to buy or not...The price just seems a little over-the-top once you add the odd $150 U.S for shipping. Output they say is well over 8000 lumens, which is immense and very impressive to say the least.

Moving from big to small, (I love my small/pockets lights more than any other) I have an Amilite Neo T3 on the way (as per FLR'S 5 star rating) and have decided to sell or trade my Orb Raw 3 watt. It is the 2 stage version (hi-low setting) has 2 rechargeable Ion's and charger and its own little plastic case. Anyone who is interested in swopping for something of similar value I will happily take suggestions. And anyone who wants to buy it can make an offer...Cheers

 

[Photongun]

Replying to myself. It's pretty sad really. I guess I'm just that excited about finding other photon freaks to yack to especially in my own backyard. Where's the posts you slackasses. ;P

I found a verrry enlightening thread in CPF by the name of SUPERLIGHTS III. Not only was there a plethora of information on the planets brightest portable lights/torchs/hid's but a link to the following URL http://home.earthlink.net/~kenshiro2/ This is a flashaholics dream. I'm assuming everyone hasn't seen it so if you have excuse my ignorance but this site is exactly what every light fanatic dreams about and what I've been looking for to aid my decision as to spend how much and on what. My PL24 faired the best in the 24 watt class which I am very happy with. Then there's something in the big boys class called a the "MEGARAY"... sheer madness. I also love the look of the nighthunter 2 which supposedly has an EVEN TIGHTER beam than the maxabeam! For $2000 U.S they can bloody keep it though.

Enjoy!

 

[Delvance]

Haha Photongun. I'm not sure about everyone, but i've seen that site . The megaray you mention...i believe approaches US $10,000 for one so hrmmm! Lol.

You would've loved the get together...was a bunch of guys playing with lights for 2 hours and talking about...lights!

See, we could all just be busy modding our lights and not replying :devil: .

Actually...i just got some new camless reflectors the other day, where the base is thinner than my old cammed ones. This allows my ROP bulbs to sit further in the reflector...as a result, i could focus them ALOT better. My 3D ROP gained almost 10,000 lux from this simple upgrade...big difference in real world usage too. Can't wait to show/compare at the next CPF meet. Also my 2D ROP's reflector has been replaced with a new one - those at the CPF meet will remember my 2D ROP sucking something bad, it was actually due to a reflector...a bulb had exploded in it before and my attempts to clean it out reduced light output by 20% (measured via ceiling bounce lux meter). Now that the 2D ROP has a nice shiny new reflector in it, i'm loving it again...almost as bright as my 3D (but not quite) and in a nice size.

I posted "IN" on the 3152 illuminator HID thread, hopefully i'll get that soon - my first HID light! And i'm considering buying a custom built HID from another CPF member hrmm...

Waiting on a SF 6P in the mail, soon as it comes, i'm dropping my spare G&P G90 LA into with two 123 LIons and an SF red filter... a setup good for 10,000 lux (it was my old LA, got replaced by a higher output but lower throw LA).

Few nights ago, i modded an Eveready dolphin lantern with the ROP low bulb and 7aa's in a plastic holder...it was a pencil width beam shooting into the sky!! I disassembled it though as anything further than 5metres or so, the beam had a small hole in it . Talk about throw and white colour though!

I changed my L1P body L2P head back to full L2P config...

Well that's my update hehe. What things have you peeps been upto ?

Btw, does anyone know what safe-lights are ? I won two in the recent raffle, but have no idea what they are hrmm :thinking:

 

[Photongun]

I have read that the trick to getting a very tight beam with virtually no spill (aka maxabeam searchlight illuminating newspaper prose from 2.4 kms away) is the size of the arc in relation to the reflector. Of course you need a well engineered reflector but tiny arc in a large refector means tight beam...

Any comments?

I wish I had the knowledge to experiment and/or build my own beasts. I might have to take a few courses or something.

 

[Delvance]

Yah Photongun! The smaller the area emitting light, the easier it is for a reflector to collimate the light into a far throwing beam. Of course, a large reflector can create a tighter beam. In regards to getting no spill but a pencil width beam, you're going to need a preeetttyyy deep parabolic reflector methinks.I wish i had the time to build beasts *sigh* full time study can get me a bit distracted from my real priorities . I'm looking forward to the half yearly breaks, as i will be able to work alot more...and have much more money to buy lights. Would like to an A2, CR2 Ion, Arc AAA-P, ELX-6 and start my own HID project...Hrmm, i bet i'll end up with half at the most, of that list though...

 

[Rob187]

Photongun

I can't believe you are considering buying a light (the XeRay) that costs US$895.

You truly have a flashlight problem.

Welcome on board...

Rob

 

[Photongun]

haha Rob says the man who purchased a tiny Surefire U2 for 200 and something U.S.

Actually I'm considering spending USD$1100-1200 plus postage for the xeray 75 watt version. I was quoted the 'special low price' of USD$795 for the current 50 watt version!

I'm thinking of maxing out my credit card and buy nighthunter one and two, the maxabeam and the xeray 75 watt all of which comes to a disgusting amount of money though the happiness they will bring might just be worth it. Besides which, I've got a new bunch of buddies who I can show 'em off to. I'm thinking about the aforementioned very intently.

Delvance I dont understand half of what you typed but I liked the sound of it. I do however have several questions. Firstly what is a rop bulb? Every second post mentions ROP this and ROP that, what the hell is it. haha Secondly what do you use to measure lux in regards to your comment about boucing light off ceiling. Lastly, aside for getting a degree as an engineer how can I go about learning to mod my own lights and where do I find the bits and peices? Where and how should a budding light modder begin?

 

[missionaryman]

photongun - you might want to take it easy on those lights, that's quite a lot of money. Alternatively, other than the barnburner you could post in the wanted to buy and with patience get a bargain on the others.

here is a brief pictoral description of a ROP:

 

[Photongun]

Wow! Where do I get/how do I make one?!

Wanted to buy aye? Never knew it existed, Ill check it out.

Thanks

P.S. I'm well aware of how much it will cost for the lot but sometimes a persons consuming passion is the bain of their existance. I probably won't buy them all anyway. Hmm or will I.... :tsk: