Crazy Bright Flashlight "CBF" 250 watts 24 volts

Crazy Bright Flashlight \"CBF\" 250 watts 24 volts

After reading of the USL, and seeing it set paper on fire, I got to thinking...... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/ooo.gif

I need to build one /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

So I start bulb and battery shopping. Seems they have bought most of the 62138 100 watt 12 v bulbs up /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/mad.gif
But I did ferret out 4 to procure /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif
The battries are in at cheapbatterypacks.com so I got those.
In looking for the socket, I found it! A 250 watt 24 volt lamp with reflector for about $8 /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif MR16 ELC I belive is the name.

So forget stealth, I guess I can cut down a 6 cell Maglight, or maybe they will fit in a smaller stock one, I'll figure it out.

Charging duties will be done by a Triton charger. It can do up to a 24 cell pack.

Before you ask, yes I'll sell them if there is a need.

Run time should be around 5 to 7 min. (wild guess)

Thats my plan for the "Crazy Bright Flashlight".

Les

Re: Crazy Bright Flashlight \"CBF\" 250 watts 24 v

/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/popcorn.gif

Re: Crazy Bright Flashlight \"CBF\" 250 watts 24 v

A 6D body would be fine.

Re: Crazy Bright Flashlight \"CBF\" 250 watts 24 v

Wow, pretty cool. You'd need a custom battery pack instead of using adapters, but you need that direct soldering for such current levels anyway. The 6D body should handle six 61.5mm long D cells (369 mm) and 7 bundles of 3 AA's should fit nicely in that space.

You probably want to replace the switch (which could make more space inside if you use a USL-like switch) and you definitely have to replace the reflector... and the thing still might melt.

Re: Crazy Bright Flashlight \"CBF\" 250 watts 24 v

Battery setup needs to be carefully soldered together. Good luck and let us know how it turns out. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Jeff

Re: Crazy Bright Flashlight \"CBF\" 250 watts 24 v

The battery pack will be 20 or so AA's. The page says there good for 15-20 amps! The pack will be 4square, butt soldered,Kapton taped and wrapped in heat shrink. I may include the thermal probe that the triton uses inside the pack.There only $12 each. A Deans connector will be installed so the pack does not need to be removed for charging.

Stock switch will activate a mosfet.

The reflector is built in to MR16 bulbs /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Soldering is not a problem, I soldered milspec hardware for two years 8 hours a day.

Les

Re: Crazy Bright Flashlight \"CBF\" 250 watts 24 v

you *may* want to check if square configuration of 4 1650's will fit in the mag body, last time I checked 3 is a tight fit....

Nick

Re: Crazy Bright Flashlight \"CBF\" 250 watts 24 v

I heard from modamag that it won't unless the interior of the Mag is bored out. I was planning to get a custom pack of 12 in a 4 cell square, but it doesn't look like it'll fit so I'll stick with my 3toDs.

Re: Crazy Bright Flashlight \"CBF\" 250 watts 24 v

I didn't realize CBF needed 4-square stacks. AA cells are a little shorter than D's, so in a soldered pack (no 3-to-D adapters adding length) you can fit seven AA's in the length of six D's with some space left over. That means you can use a triangular pack, 3x7 cells. Maybe it could even fit in a 5D M*g by replacing the switch with a USL-like switch, which you'd need to do anyway because of the high current. The USL switch leaves some space in the body where a couple cells could go. So you'd have 3x6+2.

Re: Crazy Bright Flashlight \"CBF\" 250 watts 24 v

The 64655 is a 250 watt 24 volt high-strung osram lamp that would serve well when driven by 19 high current batteries. The 1650 AA's would be barely adequate.

But in any case, that's not the real issue. The real issues are heat and filament size vs. reflector diameter.

A 250 watt lamp in a mag head would be so hot as to be totally impractical. The USL (100 watt) is already very much pushing the envelope on this front. If you did this--and you are certainly not the first person to contemplate this (check out Ginseng's orignial Aurora thread)--you would only be able to turn it on for a minute or two at a time.

It would still be fun, to be sure, but not even remotely practical.

Next, the 64655 would be a total FLOOD in a 2" reflector. I don't know about this MR16 you're thinking of, but if it's transverse, the reflector had better be 3" in diameter, in which case you'll need to figure out how to do the head.

And of course, the boring out of the body issue has been mentioned.

Also, end-to-end soldering is a bit different than normal soldering and will take some trial and error to learn if you don't already know how. And keep the turn-on time of the MOSFET to a minimum, is my suggestion.

In any case good luck, and very, very careful.

Re: Crazy Bright Flashlight \"CBF\" 250 watts 24 v

If you're going to go to the trouble of making something this over the top, why not reach a bit further and make something with a bit more practicality?

Use a belt or backback mounted battery pack and forced air cooling for the bulb. With a bit of work you might be able to get some decent runtime without blowing up the batteries or cooking your hands.

Re: Crazy Bright Flashlight \"CBF\" 250 watts 24 v

We're getting into the territory of the Sleeper here... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Nutshell: 600W aircraft landing light, 24V of NiMH in a belt mounted battery pack, unbelievably humongous reflector on a Mag 'carrier' tube.

Re: Crazy Bright Flashlight \"CBF\" 250 watts 24 v

I'm just not a practical man, 5000 horse power dragsters are not by any means practical, but they sure as ----are neat!

Bore the body out?? Bah!! Do that in my sleep. I own a machine shop.

MR16 lamp is 2 inch diameter, so should fit and look stock.

If yuall keep messing with me /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/poke2.gif I'll make a short arc flashlight /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

So a few parts showed up, I have the batteries, the charger, Kapton tape, silicon wire, heat shrink wrap, 2D Maglite. Waiting on 6D Maglite, and I still need to order the sockets.

Les

Re: Crazy Bright Flashlight \"CBF\" 250 watts 24 v

[ QUOTE ]
Iron_Man said:
If yuall keep messing with me /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/poke2.gif I'll make a short arc flashlight /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif


[/ QUOTE ]


YeeHaw!!!! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/buttrock.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/buttrock.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/buttrock.gif

Re: Crazy Bright Flashlight \"CBF\" 250 watts 24 v

[ QUOTE ]
Iron_Man said:

If yuall keep messing with me /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/poke2.gif I'll make a short arc flashlight /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif


Les

[/ QUOTE ]
/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/poke2.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/poke2.gif
PP standing by

Re: Crazy Bright Flashlight \"CBF\" 250 watts 24 v

a 50 watt hid would beat a 250 watt short arc in lumen output.

Re: Crazy Bright Flashlight \"CBF\" 250 watts 24 v

[ QUOTE ]
markdi said:
a 50 watt hid would beat a 250 watt short arc in lumen output.

[/ QUOTE ]

Isn't a "short arc" an HID? Pardon my ignorance if this is a stupid question.

Re: Crazy Bright Flashlight \"CBF\" 250 watts 24 v

Beamshots please /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif
Can this thing cook breakfast at 100 yards?

Re: Crazy Bright Flashlight \"CBF\" 250 watts 24 v

[ QUOTE ]
js said:
Isn't a "short arc" an HID?

[/ QUOTE ]

Yes, short arc xenon a type of HID light. What the poster means to say is that 50 watt metal halide HID will masacre a 250 watt xenon short arc HID bulb in terms of output.

Short arc HID bulbs aren't very efficient by HID standards.

Re: Crazy Bright Flashlight \"CBF\" 250 watts 24 v

[ QUOTE ]
iron man said:

I'm working on it, I'm working on it. I ordered the sockets, Then I need to lash up the batteries and see how many to use. Sure 270 watts is grand, but a bulb flashing is gonna put me in a bad mood quick. I feel no need to over drive a 250 watt lamp.

[/ QUOTE ]

Les, you first have to know what level of drive your "24 volt" lamp is operating at. In other words, you need to know the life rating, the CCT, and the efficiency at 24.0 volts. Take 12 volt lamps, for example: some "12 volt" lamps, such as the Osram 64440, are rather underdriven at 12.0 volts--the 440 has a life rating of 4000 hours at that voltage, which means it is UNDERDRIVEN at 12.0 volts. The USL lamp, on the other hand, has a life of 25 hours at 12.0 volts, which means that it is driven quite hard. The only way to know how many batteries to use, is to find out the answer to these questions, then use the re-rating formulas to put yourself at a nice efficient drive level.

As I mentioned before, the 64655 is a 24 volt 250 watt lamp which is very nicely overdriven at 24.0 volts, and runs well on 19 high current capable NiMH cells. But there are other "24 volt" lamps which would NOT be overdriven at this voltage, and which would thus be much less efficient than the 655.

Certainly, you don't want to start flashing bulbs, but on the other hand, you don't want to be in the sickly yellow inefficient incan territory either. Most people don't realize how much work has to go into researching and testing lamp and battery combinations. You can't just grab any old 12V automotive lamp and drive it at 12.0 volts and get good results.

[ QUOTE ]
I cant figure why Js says my run time is so short when it should be close to the USL?

[/ QUOTE ]

The USL is a 100 watt 12 volt lamp, or pretty close, and so 100/12 = 8.3 amps.

The CBF will be a 250 watt 24 volt light, in the best case scenario (good drive level), and thus will draw 250/24 = 10.4 amps.

If the CBP 1650's can run the USL for 10 minutes, that equates to 1.38 Ah capacity in "the real world". Let's use that same capacity and now divide by 10.4 amps = .133 hours = 7.9 minutes. And the truth is that you are likely to get less capacity out of the cells at 10.4 amps versus 8.3 amps.

That's why I said it. I've run these exact numbers before. More than once actually.

[ QUOTE ]
Yeah, I'm not crazy about the looks of a 6 cell, thats is why it gets cut down some instead of leaving it long.

[/ QUOTE ]

So why not install it in a lantern or spot-light type host?

[ QUOTE ]
At any rate it will set paper on fire faster than a USL and that is what gets the press.

Les

[/ QUOTE ]

You'll notice that neither Bill nor myself did these (very, very fun and exciting) particular stunts. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif It was the field testers having fun, and there are also plenty of good conventional beam shots in the field testing threads.

But in any case, as has been pointed out before, it's one thing to make a single light; it's quite another to make 75 of them.

I do honestly wish you the best of luck and happy modding! All I was trying to say in that other thread in the incan forum was that it will take more than an increase in output or firestarting ability to "take down" the USL. When you start firing things up, I think you will understand what I am talking about. And be careful not to use a socket with fiberglass covered wires--they will start to burn and the smoke is very toxic. Don't ask me how I know this.