SolarC HID

I just saw a Niterider advert that talks about SolarC Technology - from what I can gather it is a form of HID. Does anyone know anything about it??????

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by funk:
I just saw a Niterider advert that talks about SolarC Technology - from what I can gather it is a form of HID<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Solarc is Welch Allyn's trademark for their small HID lamps, nothing else.

For more information on Solarc see: http://www.walamp.com/

Thanks! Nothing terribly interesting then - other than being an HID.

Now I am confused again - I will have to check it out again and see if I can make sense of it.
Nice to hear from you!
Thanks

ditto, ike, I've made sense of it but now have developed craving to make a metal halide project light. What's the possibility of getting Solarc items as a hobbyist?

lightuser

I think you can order the parts on the Website - there are CPF members experimenting with these parts already - but did you saw the price tag ? probably too step for a hobbyist - maybe with ike joining the club there could be a special flashaholic offer from Welch Allyn for us - and if you are from the US you can at least enter their sweepstakes on the site ike posted - which I unfortunately can´t - and Ike - thx for educating us - the solarc.net site is so much nicer than the official Welch Allyn one (just those plain ordering numbers and such) - recommended to surf by at Solarc Site (no no - I´m not payed by them)

Klaus

Thanx, Klaus. Did I miss something? Do CPF'ers have HID(excuse me,SolarC)parts in pieces? Or did the pieces come from lights they broke?

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by ike:
You might look at solarc.net which is an alternative Welch Allyn site detailing bike and dive applications. We at Welch Allyn, ......

........... Only Solarc lamps can be applied with batteries to bike and dive markets and all known arc based products in those markets use Solarc.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

ike, welcome aboard !!!

It's always good to see a Manufacturer(*) on the forums, besides us common people.

It gives us someone we can complain to ......

Just one thing, and I quote:

"Can I buy Solarc™ lamps directly from Welch Allyn? Yes, but what would you do with them besides build your own bike[or dive] light?"

Well, that's what a lot of us enjoy ! That's exactly what we want !

Apart from that readable site, are there any clear (understandable to me, ahem) details like output/time curves for the start-up period, and runtime/cooling time ratios ?

What are the chances of technological advancements soon reducing or eliminating the slow start ?

The site says that automotive "HID's" are different systems, not true HID's - I'm not sure what the differences are ......

Hope you can answer, sorry about all the questions !

lightlover

*Especially when the manufacturers identify themselves openly, as you have done.

You might look at solarc.net which is an alternative Welch Allyn site detailing bike and dive applications. We at Welch Allyn, do not like the term HID associated with us. That term describes parking lot lamps and street lights. Even, so called, HID auto head lamps are really Xenon Metal Halide (XMH). Only Solarc lamps can be applied with batteries to bike and dive markets and all known arc based products in those markets use Solarc.

@ lightlover / Jahn

you wrote: The site says that automotive "HID's" are different systems, not true HID's - I'm not sure what the differences are ......

For a good explanation of the Automotive HID Lamp / aka Xenon go to
Don Klippstein on Automotive HID / Xenon

and for the "miniHID" including the Solarc check out
Don Klippstein on Miniature and Low Wattage HID Lamps

both well worth a read

@ lightuser

Check this out: HID-technology thread

where one of our well known CPF forum members talks a bit about his projects: QUOTE "I'm working on a caving light with the 10W bulb and looks promising. Maybe I also make MagLite 2D like flashlight (but with 8 AA cells instead), it should work some 1.5 hours on the best NiMH cells." ENDQUOTE

Klaus

Nice to see so many of you interested in applying Solarc lamps to your projects. I wish we could get more established manufacturers interested. Welch Allyn is really not in a position to serve the hobbyist market. These products are not as easy as we'd like to apply and our business interface is just that .. business to business. You can buy developers kits direct from us for $500. It gives you 5 lamps and 5 ballasts. I've even heard of hobbyists teaming up and buying a kit and splitting it among themselves. If you just gotta do this be cautious of pitfalls. The biggest one is the need for a soft start circuit. We've had a lot of OEMs blow up ballasts from batteries that are nominally within specification. The other thing to watch for is to shock isolate the lamp from the housing. We've seen people make Aluminum "Mag Light" type flashlights, drop them and break the lamp. Rubberized housings do the trick nicely. Last but not least ... these things get hot. Heat sink them well. It's creative guys like you that will get the big time manufacturers to see the light ... Solarc light of course!

Thanks ike.
Anybody want one? If three or four besides me are interested we can get the kit, I'll distribute them. I think the bulbs would be MR11s, but if it's possible maybe we can get the other ones too. Contact me if you're interested-

lightuser,
though the prices turn me a blue-white shade of pale, I would be interested.

lightlover

They're supposed to be mailing me the details on the special developer's kit; I'll post what I find out when I get it.