I'd like to at sometime in the future, compare other big lights.... :naughty:...I have a feeling this 24 inch searchlight will work much like the smaller more high tech lights I've seen. This light was a fun, very low budget adventure, ...when funds allow, I'd like to go with a smaller brighter high tech small arc ($$$) bulb. I am amazed at how far and bright a a 'soup can' sized 40 watt CFL (Compact Florescent Light) made beam, is. Also, another low budget project is a 36 inch or 48 inch reflector with 1000 watt HID (3 inch arc length) warehouse bulb.
I also will continue to refine the "mirroring" process.
I am setting up last nights photo now... Oh a....Computer glitch...
I apologize...a software issue won't let me download quality images...I have to use a lower quality program....Anyway...HERE are some cloud beam shots.
35 watt HID Cyclops gets first shine on clouds
It is easy and instant to set up the 35 watt HID Cyclops, so it got into a good photo shoot. Clouds started to lift a little before I fired up the 24 inch homemade 400 watt HID searchlight.
Cloud Shot Photo of 400 watt HID 24 inch searchlight and
35 watt HID 7 inch Cyclops from 1 block away
Clouds are at 1 mile altitude, (using basic geometry, I drove out away from the searchlights, until I was directly under beam spots on the cloud bottoms, and then measured direct distance measurement via GPS and Google and map. Searchlights are tilted 45 degrees above horizon. Beams travel about 1.4 miles at this angle to reach cloud bottom. This particular view is a block from the searchlights, so that it would photograph with my inexpensive (cheap) camera. Because of the way the beam spots on the clouds align themselves, the spot appear brightest when viewed near the beam source. As I walked under them, the spot appears to elongate and grow much dimmer. The beams are traveling overhead, the 400 HID watt LightSward to our left and the 35 HID watt Cyclops to our right.
Searchlights shining over next door neighbor
Beams shine over adjacent home
Photo of 400 watt HID 24 inch searchlight and 35 watt HID
7 inch Cyclops travel a 45 degree angle a light beam travel
distance of 1.4 miles to reach the clouds at 1 mile above ground level.
Beams are pointed both side ways and away from photographer, towards clouds at 1 mile altitude. Searchlights are tilted 45 degrees above horizon. Beams travel about 1.4 miles at this angle to reach cloud bottom. I am standing half a block away from searchlights.
24 inch homemade 400 watt HID searchlight, streaks clouds
Several layers of clouds dance in the LightSward beam
Lightsward from 1/2 of a mile distance
Beam shines over a small nature park
Lightsward from 3/5 of a mile distance
LightSward is visible even with street light competition
Lightsward from 3/5 of a mile distance
Close up of beam
Photo of 400 watt HID 24 inch searchlight from 3/4 mile distance
Quiet neighborhood is silently guarded by the LightSward from 3/4 mile diatance
Photo of 400 watt HID 24 inch searchlight from over one mile distance
The best place to normally view the beam, is a small ball park, a mile from the searchlights. Because of building obstruction I am not able to aim the searchlight in the best viewers direction. I can only aim the searchlights in a couple different directions from home due to trees and neighbors, I have a balcony with two good directions and a garage and front door I can sometimes use. The cloud base frequently changes elevation, so it is hard to tell..seems to vary from a thousand feet sometimes to over two miles in a short amount of time. Often multiple layers and formations all randomly moving in what often looks like just a flat gray cloud...the searchlight reveals the complexities often hidden in cloud formations. Just in one shot sequence the beam spot on the cloud bottom appears to move sideways, or show on multiple layers, depending on the cloud's statistics, at any one moment. During this shot, the cloud came down, as the beam spot on the cloud bottom moved from directly overhead to a little closer to the searchlight location itself (my home), away from camera location.
When I get a better night camera, I'll be able to take better pictures and from further away and will show more of the beam.