Spectrolab SX-16 Nightsun

Hello All,

I am new her and wanted to ask you guys about this light. We are cleaning out our warehouse i found in one of the boxes. Is it worth much it looks pretty nice almost new. Here are the spec's on the label.I am not sure how to post pictures yet as i am new here. So what can you guys tell me about it ? I might just sell it once i find out more about it.


SEARCHLIGHT ASSY.
NIGHTSUN
PART NO. 017500-11
MODEL # SX16
VOLTS - 27.5
REVISION C
WATTS 1600
AMPERES 60

Thanks!

I have one and also its' baby brother, the 500 Watt Starburst. I cobbled my SX-16 system together buying the light body, then I found a junction box (contains electronics for starting and running circuits) and finally, a controller box (contains all the operator switches on a coiled cord). I made my own cables. All of this was found on Ebay over a 12 month period or so. I ended up paying somewhere between $1900 and $2000 for all the pieces to my door.

Is yours complete - 1. the light body, 2. a black square'ish Junction box about 8-1o" and 3. the controller box which has all the switches on it?

The light body itself, I paid $975 shipped to my door. It looked like it had never been used nor mounted to an aircraft. Same with the "insides" - pristine. However, the lamp and front glass were broke and the reflector was trashed due to poor shipping so I got $400 back on that. The lamp contains very high pressure gases - in the 100's of PSI. So be very careful when handling it. It can literally explode if mis-handled. The exploding Quartz takes out the front window and the reflector - total cost new - $1,300 plus a $1,000 new lamp. So if you sell it, be prepared to remove the lamp for shipment - not a simple task for someone who has not done it. Full facemask and welders leathers for body protection - not joking. Put the lamp in a small rectangle box with soft foam all around it. Then put that box in a minimum 15" cube box filled with peanuts.

Got any pics to share? Upload them to Photobucket or another hosting service and then use the "img" link in your post.

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Here is a picture of it. I saw someone selling one of these on Ebay for $7,500.00. I was just like this one with mounting bracket or controls. Is there something i'm missing that this one would be worth much less ?

The one for $7,500 (not complete, can't run it) has been there at least 6 months and there's one complete with junction box and control box for $12,500 that's also been there half a year or more. The one for $7999 (Not complete) has been there for 4 or 5 months. A Junction box new from Spectrolab is about $7,000 and a control box new is about $1,500. The complete systems are somewhere around $25,000 new but they just don't bring much second hand on Ebay. Otherwise, I could never have afforded one. Look at the "SOLD" and "COMPLETED" listings and you'll see the low price of the one SX-16 that sold a few months ago. Also listed under Spectrolab is a Trakka Beam M800. I got mine on Ebay for $1,350 for a complete running unit while the seller for this one is asking $9,500. The SX-16 is power hungry even at 28 Volts which might help account for the very small niche market. You need a DC power supply capable of supplying about 100 Amps for a few seconds when it starts up and then it will settle down to around 60 to 65 amps @ 28 Volts DC.

Thanks for all the info BVH ! So what kind of price would you say is fair for my light if i were to sell it as is ?

If you don't mind my asking, what kind of warehouse do you own or work in that would have a Nightsun laying around? As far as your light's value, BVH still needs to know if you have the other necessary pieces that operate these beasts. Is everything you have in the picture?

Mr.Tone,
That is all that I have.It was left there by the previous owner of the building we bought. He said he had no use for anything left In his personal storage room and this was in there.

Tac light said:

Mr.Tone,
That is all that I have.It was left there by the previous owner of the building we bought. He said he had no use for anything left In his personal storage room and this was in there.

Click to expand...

Gotcha, that is cool to have this in your possession. Hopefully, BVH can give you some kind of estimate based on your info.

I'd pay you $1,250 plus shipping (what the one on Ebay went for in April) for it otherwise, I'd say put it on Ebay for $1,500 to $2,000 or Best Offer and see what happens. In either case, I'd recommend you or someone remove the lamp and ship it separately. No matter what you do, I can "talk" you through it if you have mechanical skills and some very basic tools. From time to time, I talk with the two owners of A.R.C. - the actual manufacture of the lamp. After mine arrived broken, I asked them about shipping with the lamp installed. They said there is a greater than 90% chance of lamp explosion and resulting damage if the light is shipped with the lamp installed.