I want to build my own HID Spotlight

TheQase

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I want to make me a HID Spotlight.

Could someone please post a list of things i should buy off of ebay to make the light.

I would probably use the Thor for the Host, but I just need to know what to buy. I heard a d2s bulb is what i need. But i know i need a ballast as well. But then... what powers the ballast.

Does the battery in the THOR power the ballast?

Please help me...

Thanks.
 

ACMarina

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I think Ebay would kill on price. You'd probably be better off hitting the junkyard and finding a smashed up car, they'd probably look at the small handful of junk you'd found and not even make you pay for it, mine would anyway.

I *think* all you'd need is the bulb and ballast. Maybe some wire and connectors, but they're cheap from most anyplace that sells anything like that. Try searching back a couple months, I'm pretty sure there's a post that walks you through how to make your Thor into an HID monster. .
 

MaxaBaker

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TheQase

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well, i dont think that i could find such a thing in a junkyard around here, because well... they ARE junk.

I guess what i would ask you guys, is... what would you buy on ebay.

Will any ballast work with any bulb (assumingly a D2S)

I read the link you gave me above, and to be honest, i really didnt like what i seen as far as output. what would be the optimum mod?

With the winter coming around bringing time, and christmas bringing some money, i think i would like to try to build my own HID
 

greenLED

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Not to highjack the thread but... [highjack on]
What would be the smallest Mag host for an HID light?
Could someone point me in the right direction?
Thx! [highjack off]
 

Sway

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greenLED,

I guess you know about the Mini HID's from ufokillers/Silver Legacy Group Buy that's the smallest HID its 10W and the lamp is rated at 500 lumen. I'm not sure what you get out the front of the light but it is very bright for its size.

That's all you can fit into a Mag body if you want to go with 35 watts you will need a deep Turbo head and the ballast and igniter will have to be outside of the light due to their size.

It can be done but from a practical point of view you can only get so much from a 2" or 3" reflector this is where the HotWire mods rule but I'm still thinking about building one some day /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/santa.gif

Later
Kelly
 

Sway

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TheQase,

There are many different spotlights you can mod to HID knowing what you need flood or throw will help also what kind or run time are you looking for.

Later
Kelly
 

TheQase

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Well, i have a maxabeam and i know how that throws. I really have not even had the chance to see how far it actually throws due to the fact that i dont have anything far enough away without obstruction.

I know that anything i build will not beat the maxabeam as far as throw, but will be just enough flood for what i want.

Do you know what i mean? In what i am wanting to build i have to say that i want to build one that has 'throw'. Because in comparison to the maxabeam, this will be just what i want to build.

<edit>
I also forgot to mention that runtime is not at the top of my list. An hour would suffice.
</edit>

Thanks
 

Sway

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Oh my friend you are the perfect victim for a HID Blitz mod. You already have the throw king in the Maxa Beam and the Blitz mod is a perfect winter time project for you /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/santa.gif

Pick up a Halogen LightForce Blitz SL240 here get a Philips or Osram 4100K D2S Lamp from ebay you should be able to find one shipped for less than $40.00. I will work on finding you a good link for a 35/50 watt HID boost ballast.

Beam shots of the HID Blitz vs. MaxaBeam can be found here and my long saga of making this mod work with more beam shots can be found here
My 35/50 watt HID Blitz with a 1 hour battery pack weighs less than 6 pounds and you can put the pack on your belt or drop it in your coat pocket.

Pound for pound, throw and run time it's the meanest spotlight mod I have seen /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif

Later
Kelly
 

greenLED

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Thank you my friend!! Thus my quest for the ultimate power begins... well, kinda... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif
Mele Kalikimaka (Merry Christmas in Hawai'ian)
 

markdi

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kenrad
lighting has the 35/50 watt ballasts for 215.00

http://www.kenradlighting.com/

new 35 watt ballast 100.00

http://www.sigmaautomotive.com/HID/x5ballast.php

ebay has brand new 4300k philips bulbs

33 bucks and 7 bucks to ship it.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=7941850994&category=36476



costco has the thor for 24.99

bigger battery 9 amp (thor has a 7 amp)

about 23 bucks shipped.

http://www.target.com/gp/detail.html/ref=ord_cart_shr/602-0702026-5860665?%5Fencoding=UTF8&ASIN=B0002IYOR0&nodeID=&merchantID=A1VC38T7YXB528

then you need this circuit to kill the power from the battery when it discharges to around 10 volts(ajustable)

saves your battery and your bulb and ballast

my hid thor starts to flash on and off rapidly when the battery dies--not good.

I am going to build a couple of them
http://203.57.155.69/cms/A_102095/article.html
 

TheQase

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Could someone take a look at this ballast here and tell me how it would work for me?

WOuld i just buy a bulb, plug it in, and mod it to the appropriate light host?

what kind of power source would this particular ballast need etc.

The reason why i like this one is because it looks clean, and simple, and relatively small... i dont know how big these ballast normally run...

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=7942976912&category=36476

Thanks
 

cheesehead

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Any ebay headlight assembly, 2003 or newer, 50-60 bucks. But, um, if you have a Maxabeam, you would probably want the 35/50 watt boost assembly, which isn't on ebay, that's the nicer set-up.
 

TheQase

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Well, im actually looking to go cheap here. If im not mistaken the x990 has a 35 watt in it does it not? I just want a cheap project light.

You say headlight assy. for 60 bucks on ebay. I have yet to see one that cheap...
 

markdi

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I watched ebay for quite a while I never saw a 60 dollar price point for a decent sized ballast and bulb.

one guy had a good price on a ballast but he gave no warranty at all.

I emailed him and asked him why.
he said some of the ballasts shut off after a couple of minutes and that he had no way to test for this.

a more realistic price point is around 120 bucks or so.

but you may get lucky
 

markdi

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hid has been around long enough that if you get a used bulb with your ballast
from ebay. It may have enough hours on it to have lost 20 or 30 percent of its output - get a new bulb.

phillips are the best.

I have phillips dl35 bulbs rated at 3600 lumens.

the phillips 85122 bulbs used in most car aplications using phillips bulbs are rated at 3200 lumens.
 

TheQase

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Yeah, i am finding that. The one i posted above is like 117+s/h and then i would need a bulb which would run me 50 bucks, so i am at least 225 bucks into the light before i get to make it.

Mark, If i am not mistaken, you have modded a thor into an HID. I know about the tutorial (kinda) that someone posted above, but on a personal experience, was it hard to do? and how hard was it to focus? (this question goes for anyone whos modded a light really)
 

markdi

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new phillips 85122 35 watt d2s bulbs on ebay are around 40 bucks shipped.

I posted a link

mounting the ballast depends on the ballast.

will it fit inside the thor ?

if not mount it under the thor near the front-the legs on the thor hide it well.

you need to think about wire routing too.

the power wires and the bulb wires from the
ballast need to get into the reflector cavity of the thor.


I got lucky the way the wires exit my ballast.
made it easy to have no exposed wires.

my ballast is black anodized aluminum.

so the little bit of it that you can see looks cool.

if you have a silver ballast paint it black.

mounting the ballast on the outside of the thor is smart.

It will not over heat on you.

seal up any holes you make in the bottom of the thor and it will be as water resistant as any other thor.

I think my hid thor would do just fine in the rain

all of the wires are heat shrunk and the d2s connector has a rubber gasket and the bulb/connector is towards the rear of the reflector cavity.
 
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