fluorescent thrower???

I have not seen anyone make a fluorescent throwing flashlight. I was thinking about making my own, but want to know what you all think of this idea. I would start out with a Costco 15 Million CP donor, put in an inverter, and cut out the lens to fit a standard 120 Volt bulb plug, then screw in a 200 Watt equivalent fluorescent bulb or whatever seems to fit in there the best. I could screw in any regular light bulb that would fit and compare results. The last I checked these bulbs put out about 2600 lumens and cost about $11 bucks.

Or, if I want more, I can go with the 10,000 lumen model (I'd need a bigger inverter and battery):
http://www.fluorescentefficiency.co...t-fluorescent-light-bulb-600-watt-equivalent/

How do you think the beam would look with a smaller fluorescent bulb?

I think the problem would be with the size of the reflector that you would need. I the imagine the watts per lumen is really good for those but the surface brightness isn't there to match the best throwers. Also, you would lose efficiency when using an inverter. But anyways, it would be something that I've never seen before and might make a pretty decent directed flood.

And also, the white on the bulbs reduces output and diffuses the light. It's like the difference between a clear light bulb and a white one.

I've also been thinking about fluorescent emitters for a while. Why couldn't someone make these?

Because LED's are so much more efficient, cheaper to manufacture, safer, will probably never have to be replaced.
There are several lanterns that use fluorescent bulbs, but most new ones are some form of LED.

How would fluorescents do as far as shock resistance?

Fresh Light said:

I think the problem would be with the size of the reflector that you would need. I the imagine the watts per lumen is really good for those but the surface brightness isn't there to match the best throwers. Also, you would lose efficiency when using an inverter. But anyways, it would be something that I've never seen before and might make a pretty decent directed flood.

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I agree with you about the size of the reflector. Which is why I would start out with the biggest reflector I have, which is about 12" in size.

I think I will skip on the fluorescent and jump right to metal halide bulbs like the one on this page:

http://www.1000bulbs.com/Medium-Base-175-Watt/

The first one is $11.07 and is 17,500 lumens. I don't know what the 65 CRI means.

I'd be glad to go LED, but I haven't found any that have output like this for $11.

I don't know much about metal halide. Do I need a ballast or something special to operate it? Will it take a long time to warm up?

If metal halide seems impractical, I may just go with halogen.

Not as good as an LED.

Florescent throwers are just about impossible "you would need a 12 foot reflector just to throw as far as a R2 LED in a 2 inch reflector" Florescent bulbs simply have extremely bad surface brightness. As far as metal halide throwers, it has been down but probably more difficult then you think. First while the bulbs may look cheap at around $15 their ballast cost in the 100s of dollars, they are not for the inexperienced to fool around with either "They are very dangerous to the untrained". Second metal halide are unlike flashlight HIDs in that they have a much larger "and less relatively bright per square unit" arc. Thus a very large reflector must be used "say 2-4 feet in diameter". Also even if you so happen to get a random 3 foot reflector it must be properly set up for your individual bulb "not all reflectors are the same, different ones are used for HID, Incan, and LED". Also you final voltage will be 120 so you will need an impossibly large amount of batteries or an inverter that will further add to the lights inefficiency and bulk.

Not trying to kill your dream, just pointing out the steeps you need to take to make it a reality:welcome::wave:.

This idea has actually been tried and results in a floodlight, not a thrower. However, you do get a pretty bright directional beam of flood and better runtime than a halogen bulb.
Here's an example: http://www.allthingsjeep.com/kng36-jxsl10.html

Runtime on that light is 7 hours. I've seen it at Fry's Electronics for as little as $40, though it's not on their website.

Hooked on Fenix said:

This idea has actually been tried and results in a floodlight, not a thrower. However, you do get a pretty bright directional beam of flood and better runtime than a halogen bulb.
Here's an example: http://www.allthingsjeep.com/kng36-jxsl10.html

Runtime on that light is 7 hours. I've seen it at Fry's Electronics for as little as $40, though it's not on their website.

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Wow! I had no idea it had already been done, especially by a factory, and with basically the exact same body.

I wouldn't mind seeing a beam shot of this light if anyone has one.

If I could find one for $40, that might be less trouble than making my own. However, I do like my idea of an inverter with a E26 socket that I can try countless different bulbs with.

However the more I think about how big that light is, the less I am interested in it. I might as well tote around a small generator and plug a fluorescent light into it.

Juggernaut said:

Florescent throwers are just about impossible "you would need a 12 foot reflector just to throw as far as a R2 LED in a 2 inch reflector" Florescent bulbs simply have extremely bad surface brightness. As far as metal halide throwers, it has been down but probably more difficult then you think. First while the bulbs may look cheap at around $15 their ballast cost in the 100s of dollars, they are not for the inexperienced to fool around with either "They are very dangerous to the untrained". Second metal halide are unlike flashlight HIDs in that they have a much larger "and less relatively bright per square unit" arc. Thus a very large reflector must be used "say 2-4 feet in diameter". Also even if you so happen to get a random 3 foot reflector it must be properly set up for your individual bulb "not all reflectors are the same, different ones are used for HID, Incan, and LED". Also you final voltage will be 120 so you will need an impossibly large amount of batteries or an inverter that will further add to the lights inefficiency and bulk.

Not trying to kill your dream, just pointing out the steeps you need to take to make it a reality:welcome::wave:.

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Thanks for the welcome to CPF. And thanks for the reality check.

i,ve seen those lights, they are used for video and foto, also stage illumination, reflector is a size of an umbrella, it actually is an umberlla

John_Galt said:

Because LED's are so much more efficient, cheaper to manufacture, safer, will probably never have to be replaced.
There are several lanterns that use fluorescent bulbs, but most new ones are some form of LED.

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you forgot one important aspect, LEDs only emit light in one direction, and since the light source is tiny, collimation is easy.

if they can put a reflector on a Mercury vapor lamp the saze of my head they can certainly collimate CFLs, but you'll need a UV filter to bring the UV intensity to a safer level..but why would you want to?

different lights are made for different purposes, a CFL is made for room lighting, a reflectored halogen bipin is for spotlights, you can't really interchange them that easily as LEDs:candle:

Coleman makes a CFL that converts between lantern and flashlight by extending the head. It's on their website. No idea how it throws, tho.

I was just at the one of my local hardware stores, and they are carrying what looks like a massive spotlight, but on closer inspections, uses CFLs!

I forgot to note the Brand, but it was $180 SGD. Of course, they are also selling the 2xAAA energizer hardcase for $34 SGD..soo..:shrug:

Crenshaw