HID guys spend a TON

Is it just be that noticed this? It seems like guys who like HID lights spend a ton on their hobby. Like literaly thousands. The most expensive led light I know of is only 2200 dollars vs military grade spotlights that people buy for waaaayy more than that! Is it just because there arent that many super expensive led lights? Is that why led people don't spend nearly as much? Or is it because they are just more protective of their moola? DISCUSS

The same reason people buy exotic cars; putting a plainly visible spotlight on a building a half mile away is the flashlight version of hitting 120 mph at the bottom of the onramp. My HID was $70, btw, but it's merely more addicting that way - you can't help but fall into "Well if this is 35 watts, then what about 70 watts.."

HID lights are like magic! And magic is priceless!

Just wait. The SST-90 can only handle up to about 35w. We'll get an LED that can ramp up to 70w eventually and somebody will be there to build a light with it.

Probably be beyond our lifetime that LEDs small enough and bright enough to throw like an HID appear.

BVH said:

Probably be beyond our lifetime that LEDs small enough and bright enough to throw like an HID appear.

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Judging by what's happened in the last decade with LEDs I sure hope not.

Because HIDs are sooo much better than LEDs. They are the world's oldest electrical light source (far older than incans) and the best. LEDs are great for smaller EDC lights but if you want maximum throw or maximum output, nothing beats a HID. You will never get 16kW LEDs with 2 million lumens in a 10 by 30cm package or get 6000 lumens in a 4mm arc gap. As for price, the most expensive "portable" HID i know of is the Spectrolabs SX16 land based version. I asked for a quote and it was like 40 000 dollars+. Still, you'll not get LED lights with 160 million lux at 1m... or BVH's 800 million lux WW2 searchlight.

Without fail, CPFers who have been here for sometime end up on the custom and/or HID forum....

It's because this stuff is just so stinkin' addictive! It all starts very basic and goes from there. It never occurred to me when I joined this forum that I'd ever buy the stuff in my sig.

Am I crazy? I dunno. My best throwing custom build LED light has been tested at 127,000cp and makes somewhere around 1200L I guess. My :bow:Barn Burner, on the otherhand, I have tested at well over 900,000cp and it makes about 8500L. Sure they both bring me satisfaction as do pretty much all my lights.....but DAMN!...there's just something about that :bow:Barn Burner!!! No LED comes close and I don't know if they will in my lifetime. HID's are just a whole 'nother world.

And then there are the short arcs! Now we're measuring throw rounded off to the nearest MILLION cp! :devil:

But there are certainly more expensive habits...errr, I mean, hobbies! Airplanes, boats, sports cars, motorcycles, drag racing...to name a few. Flashlights, even the big ones, are quite cheap comparatively.