The World’s Most Powerful Single Searchlight Unit

[LightSward]

The 24 kw may be hard for most households unless you're an electrician and know how to tap safely into the main buss line and not kill thy self....easy if you know how. This high wattage is really intended for businesses as this wattage is equal to a 75,000 watt Xenon, if they existed. Only 3 of these 24,000 watt H.M.I. lights, equal to 96,000 watts xenon, would slightly exceed the brightness of the Luxor hotel's bright pyramid light in Las Vegas now the brightest with those 40 inefficient 7 kw Xenon light, (each equal to a 7 kw incandescent halogen bulb or 1.75 kw H.M.I. if they existed). total 280,000 watts Xenon, halogen. I'd go ahead and use four of these 24kw (,equal to 96kw xenon), lights to make it brighter, still less wattage, and operating and bulb costs, making one light for each side of the pyramid top.

Most household stoves have to have a dedicated 50 amp 240 power circuit, so unplugging the stove and wiring up the pig tale to fit the stove outlet would give you the power needed for the 6,000 or 4,000 watt bulbs, equal to 24,000 or 16,000 watt Xenon or halogen respectively well within the 12 kw available on most home stove wall outlets. The lumen output of these lower wattage bulbs are in the ballpark if not exceeding lumen output of the '''60 inch carbon arc searchlights of WWII'''. This should be much brighter than just about anything out there anyway. The higher watts are just simply insane...
I apologize, but one of my photo hosts has unreliable and unstable links, (Facebook based), and this caused a large amount of my photos to vanish over he last few days. Apologize, but with all the photos I posted I'm not able to update all them do to a variety reasons, mostly time.

(Sneak Preview) Here is a quick look at the Searchlight when half finished, using only a 100watt HID bulb. Eventually I did Upgrade to a 1200 watt HMI with the help of the IgnITEor.

Very efficient and good beam design using AutoCAD. Searchlight has a parabolic shape design that uses 60% of the available light radiating from bulb onto primary reflector. Searchlight uses much of the remaining 40% of the otherwise wasted light by bouncing it from the split reflector back through the H.M.I. arc chamber onto the large primary reflector making a brilliant collumnated searchlight beam..

Life size of half the reflector profile of eventual total diameter of 72 inches. Test image was not the actual one used, the finished image was more aligned and then stripped to the basic parabolic profile. Eventually the template will be finished to with in a thousandth of an inch accuracy. This gives me a good idea of what to expect.

 

[LightSward]

nice work! what are those designs from? AutoCAD?

I like designing from scratch using AutoCAD. AutoCAD's 3-D is fun and very interactive, feel like I can reach into the screen and play with, adjust and work on my design. I could use blocks, x-refs or other stuff from the internet, but I really do like to derive my own design totally from scratch, bedrock, nothing but a blank screen. I have several other programs, and several are quite powerful, but often I like to use the basic part of CAD, then fill in with coloring, perspective, scenes, etc.:thumbsup:

 

[LightSward]

Here are some of my analytical drawings I made using AutoCAD 3-D modeling. Did most of this by hand, didn't use much of the computer processing power as I learned how to do this stuff "Old School".
I apologize, but one of my photo hosts has unreliable and unstable links, (Facebook based), and this caused a large amount of my photos to vanish over he last few days. Apologize, but with all the photos I posted I'm not able to update all them do to a variety reasons, mostly time.

(Sneak Preview) Here is a quick look at the Searchlight when half finished, using only a 100watt HID bulb. Eventually I did Upgrade to a 1200 watt HMI with the help of the IgnITEor.

Doing some basic re-calibration. Double checking the template making adjustments as necessary.

Perhaps after some quick studies, I may build the searchlights out of cast aluminum! Both economical and perhaps safer with the higher wattage H.M.I. Technology bulbs.

3-D check of critical dimensions with actual Medite@ template.

Some of these photos aren't exactly the ones lost, but these can help remind readers of what I had here.

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jaredwells2001










3-D Views in both Perspective and Isometric views below.

This searchlight will start it's run as a four panel assembled reflector for ease of production, limited space for storage and ease of transporting in a small car, all will be made easier using this quarter panel design.

Shell will thin and light weight.

Almost figured the best way to make this. This week I'll be trying various experiments to see how I'm going to build this...mainly the 'host material'.:thumbsup:

 

[LightSward]

With an arc gap of around 3/4 of an inch a pretty low price of around $300-400 for a bulb and possibly a ballast next few days (used), for around $450 and a lumen output 3/4ths or 75% the 60 inch carbon arc of 380,000 lumen to 60 inch carbon arc of 520,000, If all goes well, and for starters I'm going to 'lamp' this searchlight with the 4,000 watt HMI system. Should make for quite an impressive sight for a new kid on the block. If not I'll start things out with the 1,200 HMI series I already have. I'm juggling $$$ around and so I have to make 'others' happy too. This is a fun hobby, but sometimes a little out of my reach. Hopefully the date of the Seattle area March Get Together will be enough time for me to get this thing ready to show!

 

[LightSward]

Sorry if some of the photos haven't worked properly, I forgot to check the "public" feature on some of them. Fixed.

Here is a photo of the Yin Yang profiles of the reflector, put together to give an idea of the 72 inch diameter of the World's Biggest.

The Profile is used to determine Styrofoam layers and orientation.
The original mold for the 50 inch Monster Searchlight was in bad repair so I have cannibalized it to become the mold foundation for the World's Biggest, and Brightest Single Bulb Searchlight.

Building the basic profile for the world's biggest search light reflector. Will start building the end components and rotate bearing assemblies for the "Screed". Have to do a double check on the parabolic profile of the screeds main board. Remember the searchlight will be four quarter sections bolted together to make the one reflector. In future designs, the four, (or six or eight), sections will move slightly, with a control "ring", and slight rotation to give what appears to be multiple searchlights. the slight movement needed to create this effect, allows just one lens unit< (front glass), to cover the whole front of searchlight.

 

[LightSward]

Well, hopefully my 4000 watt equipment gets here soon. Ballast is used and may need an ignitor. I may for the time being just use one of my homemade tesla Coils to ignite the bulb until I get a 'real' ignitor. I've done experiments and watched others on YouTube...Tesla coil is nice because I don't even have to connect a wire, just have the coil with in a few feet and the arc tube energizes, arc establishes itself and the ballast takes over from there.

The bulb and Ballast should arrive within two weeks or less.

Here are some group 3-D photos I used to analyze the set up.

Some critical numbers setting up the frame work for the quarter reflector and completed reflector sections below.

Hopefully the mold, and framing systems will start to fall together in the next few weeks. This is very exciting.

 

[LightSward]

With this homemade pipe bending tool, I can now make very nice, near perfect circular steel, aluminum, or copper pipe into 72 inch diameter or 36 inch diameter hoops yokes etc., for the searchlights or other things I need anywhere from eight inch to one and a half inch diameter pipe bent to a huge variety of different smooth curved shapes etc...

Metal steel bending tool.


One of my three Tesla Coils will temporarily be used to excite and ionize the arc tube with the magnetic ballast. i shouldn't even have to connect the Tesla coil, just bringing it near causes any arc tube type bulbs; including burnt out CFL or fluorescent bulbs, with in twenty feet to light up some what.

This Tesla coil has a thin diameter winding tube for less expense. It uses an old school ignition coil, a relay wired to act like a 'buzzer' wired to interrupt the 12 vdc current so coil makes it's 11,000v which charges the homemade high voltage capacitor I made with a three liter Shasta Bottle, (works better than standard two liter)., interacts with the 9 wrapped wire coil under 900 winding separate coil using an adjustable 'spark gap made of bolts and PVC pipe.

Link to a 'cheesy' video I made promoting the Searchlight.:


https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10201277199307160&set=vb.1087492680&type=2&theater:thumbsup:

 

[Illum]

:wow:

Subscribed. :twothumbs:

 

[LightSward]

The latest is the parabolic 'Screed", (one of the most important items), is ready to be mounted onto bearing system with flat tracker base, to help in the making of the main reflector mold.

This curved shaped item; the screed that helps me make the mold for the Giant searchlight. This precise parabolic shape is extremely important.

I apologize, but one of my photo hosts has unreliable and unstable links, (Facebook based), and this caused a large amount of my photos to vanish over he last few days. Apologize, but with all the photos I posted I'm not able to update all them do to a variety reasons, mostly time.

(Sneak Preview) Here is a quick look at the Searchlight when half finished, using only a 100watt HID bulb. Eventually I did Upgrade to a 1200 watt HMI with the help of the IgnITEor.
Hard to imagine this high technology HMI bulb produces almost as much light as the brand new 60 inch carbon arc light used in WWII and now days for promotions and other big events at nearly 400,000 lumen from only 4,000 watts..

Couldn't find the defect picture, but this shows it when I finally obrtained the working one and tested it.

It was tested in Germany; were it was manufactured, but bulb connector wire dislodged from arc tube after testing, perhaps during transport? Usually these types of light bulbs are very tough and can almost be dropped kicked. They usually only make a few thousand of these a year at most, and done mostly by hand. I'm surprised they didn't find this defect since they test every bulb in this German factory.


Here is a closer view up of that manufacturing defect that almost never happens with these beautiful bulbs.

It's a German Company, one of the few in the world to make these 4,000 watt HMI, (15,000 halogen equivalent), stage, projector, searchlight bulbs. The manufacturer has been contacted and is "Bummed" they let this slip out...

In this close-up, disconnected, badly attached wire separation is seen. The connection point was characterized by a sooty looking black mark where wire was connected.

It's a German Company, one of the few in the world to make these, manufacturer has been contacted and is "Bummed" they let this slip out...

I'm excited anyway, as the distributor was very accommodating and had already sent the replacement before I even sent the old one back. Ballast should be here soon and socket too. I may test fire this in the 36 inch Gorilla or the 50 inch Monster, depending on existing hardware.

 

[LightSward]

Well, I received what appears to be a new light bulb in good condition.

Unfortunately, the separate, different seller of the 4kw Ballast, never sent me the tracking number for the ballast delivery, so I can't pick up the unit at the delivery dock, after they called, (and won't talk to me without the tracking number), without the tracking number and am being charged storage fees after 48 hours. Seller isn't all that easy to contact. I don't want to say anything bad, but c'mon, three request?

Hopefully I can soon test all these, now that they are within ten miles of each other.

 

[LightSward]

:thumbsup: Excellent...it's here! Got it home in one piece.

Finally the pieces of an incredibly bright searchlight are coming together.

 

[LightSward]

I apologize, but one of my photo hosts has unreliable and unstable links, (Facebook based), and this caused a large amount of my photos to vanish over he last few days. Apologize, but with all the photos I posted I'm not able to update all them do to a variety reasons, mostly time.

(Sneak Preview) Here is a quick look at the Searchlight when half finished, using only a 100watt HID bulb. Eventually I did Upgrade to a 1200 watt HMI with the help of the IgnITEor.
Slowly I'm getting this together. Four thousand watt HMI ignited for the first time with my homemade Tesla coil ignitor. Will use a spark gap to connect to the ballast.:thumbsup:

First time ignition of the 4000 watt H.M.I. hi tech light bulb arc chamber. Now I just have to hook up the ballast with this home made Tesla coil, possibly with a spark gap.

One of my homemade Tesla coils with PVC and 1/4" bolt adjustable spark gap, 915 turns of bell wire on PVC 'tower' and high voltage 2 liter/ foil capacitor with bleeder safety resistors instead of $200 'bank capacitor' or equivalent.

Using a 12 volt relay as an 'interrupter' to "pulse" the steady dc current to act like the points of an old school car ignition allow the ignition coil to power the homemade high voltage capacitor, spark gap and Tesla coil tower. The relay and coil I purchased at NAPA.


Don't have to actually hook a wire to get the arc chamber to ionize...just having the Tesla coil in the vicinity ignites any discharge bulb in vicinity such as CFL, fluorescent, metal halides, sodium vapor and of course HMI.

First time ignition with homemade Tesla coil as the ignitor. This will be used in conjunction with a real magnetic ballast to regulate, ignite and operate the four thousand watt HMI bulb.


One of my three Tesla Coils. I have better designs but cost have kept me with this smaller one as the main working unit.

Homemade Tesla coil cost far less than when I was trying to build one in the 1970's... Today internet demonstrates how to make high voltage parts like capacitor out of foil and 2 liter soda bottle and coil tower from plastic pipe and bell wire, for pennies that would otherwise cost hundreds of dollars if purchased. Estimated voltage, determined by length of spark, is around 250,000 volts

Five hundred dollars to build a Tesla coil back in the 1970's, and no guarantee of operating, I abandoned "Tesla" until a few years ago thanks to the internet.

 

[LightSward]

Here's kind of a scale model made from silver spray painted paper bowl to demonstrate how the world's biggest searchlight will be transported and shipped in four pieces for easy construction and road tour assembly.

Funny, this cut up paper bowl I spray painted, has actually been a real help visualizing key aspects of the manufacturing process, including the mold machining process and construction.:thumbsup:

The 4, 6 or 8 reflector pieces, (depending on model), will move independently, making multiple beams of light.

Next few days are going to be busy ones getting down to business, with the first wiring of the ballast, bulb, plugs and Tesla coil ignitor. The first test will likely power up the "50 inch Monster", one of my early big lights on the map...sort-of-speak.

 

[LightSward]

Here's the inside of the '''Alimarc 4000 watt HMI transformer''', as the ballast is named.
Finally got this 165 pound beast on the workbench, cover off, checking out the contactors, basic wiring and most notably the output cable connect for bulb, ignitor, safety and supply for remote operation.

For my purposes I need tpo make a few minor changes. I almost have all of this figured out, the output jack has a few wires such as safety and re-ignitor and remote operation that I need to build...into my connection cables. 10 wires just in the plug output such as the Ignitor and five buttons on the control panels, three are on/ off switches and two pulse power buttons and reset..

More than likely for my purposes and UV shatter safety bulb, I only need the two bulb power leads, ground wire and will use a separate ignitor system for my homemade Tesla coil until I get a real ignitor.

I'm building the mold and screed tracer track; part of the newer,:thumbsup: better reflector forming process.

 

[Epsilon]

Still lurking along here .

This goes way beyond "flashlights"

 

[LightSward]

I've got most of the framing for the basic mold holding gimbal finished. The mold will be reposition-able throughout the process to obtain the best angle for gravity feed molding process to make a superb reflector...better than any before...I know many of the little things that can affect the reflector outcome, such as temperature and humidity during the forming process.

:thumbsup:


The mold for making the reflector for the world's largest 72 inch diameter searchlight, is halfway finished. At this point I'll be recycling the mold core from the 50 inch Monster. It will get a slightly better mold as time goes on.

 

[LightSward]

Playing with different ignition system potentials. A 750 and 1,200 watt HMI bulbs with 10,000 volt system.

I'm igniting several bulbs through each other using a 10,000 volt ignition transformer from a boiler.


First layer of cement.

First layer of cement finished and now I'll put a layer of concrete after steel fabric and re-bar is installed.:thumbsup:



Old 50 inch Monster Fiber-glass mold interior was recycled for this event.

Have the re-bar already bent, will add a starter layer of cement then add steel fabric and then pour the concrete shell making the reflector mold just about complete after a thin finishing layer of cement.

 

[LightSward]

Tilted the mold frame today and then placed the re-bar and steel fabric for reinforcement in place. Later I added concrete and some Styrofoam pieces to lighten things up...gonna weigh 200 pounds. I am building a small crane to move these multi-hundred pound items around.

Steel fabric and re-bar installed now ready for more coats of concrete.

The World's biggest searchlight's manufacturing mold's main concrete layer finished, now I just have to put the finishing form layer on. Going for some precision at this point...:thumbsup:

 

[LightSward]

Just a quick gripe about this wonderful web site...It really ticks me off when I'm putting a post together and hit post and then in less than five minutes it seems, I'm logged out for inactivity and my entire post is lost, have to find photos and caption again. Doesn't always seem to do this, but often when it's not easy to re post...whew.

Okay, now with that said:
I'll try and remember what I just hit post was all about...lol.

I apologize, but one of my photo hosts has unreliable and unstable links, (Facebook based), and this caused a large amount of my photos to vanish over he last few days. Apologize, but with all the photos I posted I'm not able to update all them do to a variety reasons, mostly time.

(Sneak Preview) Here is a quick look at the Searchlight when half finished, using only a 100watt HID bulb. Eventually I did Upgrade to a 1200 watt HMI with the help of the IgnITEor.
I'm about half way through figuring out the ballast wiring so here is sort of a pictorial electrical schematic, half completed. I pretty much know what I need to do, but like double checking.

Still working out the wiring on this home made drawing and operating instructions I'm compiling, but I already pretty much know what I need to do to build my own wiring harness with the nine internal leads. I have to change the 4kw HMI ballast to work on 240 vac not 120, since most homes or businesses don't have high wattage 120 vac plugs on hand.
:thumbsup:


The main concrete layers are finished and now I begin final smooth layer preparations to get the mold ready for manufacturing the reflectors.

Final concrete and cement layers applied. Will now apply various finishing layers in preparation for the release wax to be applied prior to Fiber-glassing. I'll eventually use this to press green sand when molding the reflectors out of aluminum.

I've been working on the ballast schematic and will post it soon...at least partly finished soon...lol. I better post this again quick before CPF logs me out...copy first then...here goes...."cli....c...k...".

 

[LightSward]

WARNING: My candle Power Forum account may have been hacked. If you don't hear from me for a while you'll know why, or if my post seem more weird than usual, you'll know why.

Here is my little, quarter ton, two axis crane to help with moving heavy objects around shop. fairly lightweight and easy to move around and set up and stores nicely away.

Well hopefully this little homemade portable quarter ton crane can lift up some of the heavy things around my shop. Seems to work well lifting the water jug. With a few refinements, should do pretty well helping me build searchlights, etc.

Well hopefully I can figure out the changes CPF has made making my password not work at all for several minutes and then work just fine. I can't seem to change it because the verification code never works, hard to see letters and numbers and it always says they're wrong.

Cheers