What material are beamshapers made of?

[Empath]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Bushman:
The only thing that i could think of would be clear contact paper which has been discussed as a cheap beam smoother such as the wrightright but it does not really spread the beam out, just smooths it out.
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Microscopic examination of both Contact® paper and WriteRIGHT® reveals some interesting differences between the two. WriteRIGHT® has a symmetrical "frosted" design, and so diffuses the light symmetrically, smoothing it out. Actually, the "frosting" is surface texture. Contact® paper is frosted in a random method without symmetry, similar to tissue paper. It diffuses the light and smoothes it out, but doesn't alter the extreme contrasts that a symmetrical diffusion method would. For example, the 4AA Streamlight poly, when smoothed by Contact® paper is smooth, but retains a silly looking little squiggle in the center of the beam. When using the WriteRIGHT®, the beam is both diffused and rearranged in a smooth symmetrical fashion, making the silly little squiggle unnoticeable to all but the most discerning inspection.

I have no beamshaper to inspect. Attention to quality, which is suppose to be Surefire's signature, would dictate such a symmetry. True quality would dictate not frosting, but three dimensional symmetrical surface detail.

 

[Bushman]

To Empath, and others
So do you think that rightwrite or contact paper would "diffuse" the beam into more of a flood of light rather than a 6" sabre of light? or would it just clean up the beam and make it more smooth and pleasing to the eye?

I am afraid that the only way to really accomplish what i am looking for will be to acutally move the bulb into the reflector assemly in order to change the "focus" of the beam much the way mag lites change thier focus...

 

[txwest]

Mike,
I don't know about the contact paper, but the WrightRight won't do what you want. I tried it on a SL poly 3C which has a tight beam & all it did was make the center spot somewhat "star like". TX

 

[lemlux]

txwest:

Do you happen to know the amperage on the SL Poly 3C bulb? SL's website claims:
Scorpion: 6,500 Cp
Poly 3C 12,000 Cp
Stinger 15,000 Cp

Brock's page says the Scorpion runs at 5.3 Watts. I assume the Stinger is around 6 Watts, so the difference isn't intuitive. Either the Poly 3C is pusing the amperage limits of Alkaline cells or it has a very tight beam.

I'm considering purchasing a Poly 3C, so I'm more than idly curious.
Assuming each beam is comparable

 

[Empath]

Contact® paper or WriteRIGHT® used on the lens of a million candlepower would cause me concern over the plastic and/or adhesive. The manufacturers of the products didn't design the products for withstanding that much heat. Tolerance would be incidental, rather than built in.

 

[txwest]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by lemlux:
Do you happen to know the amperage on the SL Poly 3C bulb<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>Lemlux,
I can't answer your question onthe amperage, but the 12,000 CP is a little misleading. It may be correct, but it's a very small center spot. If I may make another suggestion for a light with this type of output.

This weekend I filled my flashlight fix at Walmart. I got the Dorcy 4AA LED light. I already new this was a very tight beam, which seems somewhat wasted on a LED, and a Dorcy 4AA lattern light with a 4.8V Krypton bulb. The light looks like this, http://www.dorcy.com/41-1014.htm , but uses 4AA's. Then I switched bulbs. I put the bright incadescent bulb in the long throw light & the long burning LED in the lantern. The incadecent has a very bright output, as bright as the SL 3C Poly & 4 times as large a centerspot. Not perfect, but very useable. The LED in the lantern makes a great area light. If I want it really bright, I can use 3AA + 1 dummy & a 4.5V 3 LED lamp I have. Puts a LOT of light.

So now you have a very small spot light that puts out a very bright light, & a lantern light that should run for 100+ hrs of useable light. If that isn't enough, when the light starts dimming in the "spot", & the voltage drops to about 1.25V, I'm going to replace the lamp with a 3D bulb. When that starts getting dim, batteries close to 1V, I'll move them to the lantern with the LED & see how long they last. On top of all this, the 2 lights & 4 batteries, with tax, cost about $12. TX

 

[lemlux]

TsWest:

I've seen the Dorcy 4AA lantern. I owned two of the Dorcy 4D lanterns shown in your link. The problem with them is that if you pack them for camping the sliders will invariably turn on and kill the battery, rechargeable or alkaline. A couple of years ago I saw a GE lantern of the same shape that had a twist knob for on-off. That type of design would be more useful for me.

As an area light Walmart also sells a 2 led in diffuser tubes folding 4AA Energizer for $8.64. I have one of those I like for low light. For reading, I prefer a brighter Radio Shack 2AA CCD fluorescent light that is the same length and width as the Energizer but only half the thickness. This light costs $11 and change.

Are you saying from experience that the Streamlight 3C has a very narrow tight beam pattern or just deducing that from the claimed candlepower?

 

[Bushman]

It looks like to me that they are just frosted glass or lexan is that the case?

Wondering if you could make a "beamshaper for a 1 million cp spotlight?

The only thing that i could think of would be clear contact paper which has been discussed as a cheap beam smoother such as the wrightright but it does not really spread the beam out, just smooths it out.

Here i go again trying to turn one light into another!!!

In case you are wondering i did find a vector 1mill on sale for 19.99 and got it.
will use it tonight and write up a minireview

 

[Bushman]

empath, i agree that any type of film on a spot light has its days numbered (ok minutes numbered) but i typically only use short bursts of light from it (10 sec. at a time.) I guess what i really need is a clear freznel lens...

Any ideas on where to get one?

 

[Bushman]

Hey would this work???

It looks like it would be similar to a big sheet of wrightright!
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1528574556

 

[txwest]

Lemlux,
The SF 3C Poly puts out a very tight beam. I have one. At 30', the center beam is 10-12". The Dorcey latern may not be good for camping, but it's great with the LED in case of a power outage. I found an opaque plastic bottle that I cut the top off & it fits snuggly over the lens. Makes a very diffused soft light.

Mike,
I've seen those magnifiers. I don't think it would be the same. I believe they also make a pocket model you could get cheaper & try out. TX

 

[dano]

First, for a colored lens for one of those 1mil lights, go look for "gels" that are used in stage/movie lights.

Secondly, SF doesn't make the beamshapers, they are made by an independent company, who also makes rifle scop covers, etc.

--dan