Homemade 24" scratch built & designed reflector

[LightSward]

The new gear box looks nice.
By the way, I've come across a ~12" parabolic reflector. I need to come by and try out some of your different bulbs sometime. :devil:

Thanks for the good remarks about the gear box. It was partly paid for by a charity I do some volunteer work at.

Let me know when you have a chance to come by.

I've done a little bit more experimenting myself with what may be a usable small arc 400 watt bulb and ballast that should make a much thinner and brighter looking beam. :twothumbs

I look forward to seeing the 12" reflector. :candle::thinking: :wave:

 

[LightSward]

:thumbsup: Just a couple cool rainy night photos.

Here the 100 watt 24 inch LightSward lights the rain

The 24 inch 100 watt LightSward is seen shining the night sky.



100 watt 24 inch LightSward shines from workshop

During a test, the 100 watt 24 inch LightSward lights up the rainy night.


More photos, on the way!

 

[LightSward]

:twothumbs Soon, I will be doing another photo shoot. I plan on doing it when I fire up one of my other projects I've been recently working on, the 36 inch Gorilla Searchlight, which is soon to be finished.

I will hopefully be able to compare and photograph the 24 inch LightSward, the 50 inch Monster, and the 36 inch Gorilla, at the same time.

The 24 inch LightSward, still continues to impress me, even with the 100 watt medium arc sized HID light currently in use.

Stay Tuned!

 

[LightSward]

A couple more cool looking beam shots of the 24 inch LightSward:




24 inch LightSward and 7 inch Cyclops compete on the clouds

24 inch 100 watt HID LightSward on our left and 7 inch 35 watt HID Cyclops to our right, shine on the clouds.


24 inch LightSward and 7 inch Cyclops compete on the clouds

24 inch 100 watt HID LightSward to our left and 7 inch 35 watt HID Cyclops to our right, compete on the clouds. Looks like two UFOs.


24 inch LightSward light beam

24 inch LightSward light beam streaks across the sky.



Enjoy! :welcome:

 

[LightSward]

Here are a couple recent photos.



Homemade Searchlights ready for Beam Shots

The Three Searchlights

The 50 inch Monster, 36 inch Gorilla and the 24 inch Light Sward homemade searchlights ready for Beam Shots.




24 inch LightSward

24 inch LightSward Homemade Searchlight ready for test run.



24, 7 and 50 inch Searchlights shine

24 inch, 100 watt HID LightSward to our Left, 7 inch, 35 watt HID lower and 50 inch Searchlights shine.



24 inch LightSward and 50 inch Monster

24 inch, 100 watt HID LightSward, (lower beam), and 50 inch, 400 watt HID, Monster show their strengths.



7, 50 and 24 inch Searchlights shine in the rain

7 inch, 35 watt HID Cyclops, Left, 50 inch, 400 watt HID Monster center, and 24 inch, 100 watt HID LightSward, Right. These homemade searchlights shine in the rain, making for a colorful night.





24 inch Light Sward and 50 inch Monster

24 inch, 100 watt HID, LightSward to our Left and 50 inch, 400 watt HID LightSward, to our Right, light the night sky.

I only have a single 100 watt HID pulse start ballast, so I have to switch from the 100 watt HID LightSward and 36 inch Gorilla, until I can afford another ballast.

More photos coming soon!

 

[LightSward]

Here are a couple more photos of the night time photo shoot.



Beam Shot of 24 inch 100 watt HID LightSward

LightSward slices into the night sky.



Rain Beam Shot of 24 inch 100 watt HID LightSward

Rain is illuminated by the bright 100 watt HID light bulb focused by the 24 inch LightSward.

 

[LightSward]

The 24 inch LightSward and the other searchlights have been huge successes.

This 24 inch Searchlight can take up to a 1000 watt HID lamp, is quite compact and easy to transport in a compact car. Can come with rotating mechanism and am working on remote controlled aiming. Anyone interested (can double as a Solar Concentrator), let me know, and we can work out product finish details.:thinking: :candle: I am working on various designs that will maintain strength and optical properties, yet lower the weight and costs. This is still in the product development phase and I will be compiling a cost(s) list with options during the next few weeks. I am working on improving the optical properties of the reflector by working on the shaping tools used during the manufacturing. I have found some minor shaping issues and am correcting those tool flaws.

 

[LightSward]

:candle:

I am scouting some hopefully easy locations for the 24 inch LightSward, without drawing too much attention, for a 1000 yard beam shot...preferably a Big White Barn nearby that I can focus the spotlight on from the top of our neighborhood mountain top.

Hope to do this next few weeks...after it rains for a few days.

By the way, I did get some good videos of the 24 inch Light/sward rotating on it's mechanized platform/ Looks great until I transmit it (send) to You-tube, or Flickr, the beam and the sky are compressed to black...can't see the beam at all, except the first hundred feet or so. I am looking at a way to remedy this. Like I said, it looks great on my computer, before I send it over the internet.:candle:

 

[Jarski]

Can't wait for those 1000 yard shots :twothumbs

 

[JetskiMark]

:candle:

I am scouting some hopefully easy locations for the 24 inch LightSward, without drawing too much attention, for a 1000 yard beam shot...preferably a Big White Barn nearby that I can focus the spotlight on from the top of our neighborhood mountain top.

Hope to do this next few weeks...after it rains for a few days.

By the way, I did get some good videos of the 24 inch Light/sward rotating on it's mechanized platform/ Looks great until I transmit it (send) to You-tube, or Flickr, the beam and the sky are compressed to black...can't see the beam at all, except the first hundred feet or so. I am looking at a way to remedy this. Like I said, it looks great on my computer, before I send it over the internet.:candle:

Those sites compress the original file format to a heavily compressed .flv (flash video) file. Try uploading your original file to a free file hosting site such as Rapidshare.com. Then just post a link to the file. We can then download the original file and watch it on our computer with our preferred media player. What is the extension of the original file?

 

[LightSward]

I'll try and get at least one of those videos out next few days. :candle:

Okay, okay, I think I got this to work. Let me see...hum..

It's still dimmer than I remember, In video mode, this new camera is not as sensitive to the dark as in photo mode, also, the video does not show the beam during the panning action, except for when the beam is directly overhead or opposite, the human eye sees the beam during the whole pan; ...but here it is...It needs editing, Lots of just dark sky because the beam shines half the time into my garage so that I don't upset my neighbors. More to come next few weeks.

http://rapidshare.com/files/343748452/Mary.s_camera.__My_first_photos_2010_052.avi

 

[LightSward]

LightSward and other homemade searchlights coming soon to a theater near here!

Quiet Hollywood Theater awaits Homemade CPF Searchlights:twothumbs

The Hollywood theater looks lifeless without some light. My brother's movie: BORN AGAIN SAGE, he wrote and produced is almost finished and edited, will bring much life to the Hollywood theater, and the Big Homemade Searchlights will be there to "bring it on!" ...draw the crowds...later this year.

Another opportunity to view the lights later this year!


7 inch, 35W HID Cyclops to our Left and 24 inch, 100W HID LightSward to our Right, slice the night sky with wonder. :candle:

 

[DM51]

LOL, you seem to have the world's supply of bugs in Portland, OR. Either that, or it is permanently raining there!

 

[LightSward]

LOL, you seem to have the world's supply of bugs in Portland, OR. Either that, or it is permanently raining there!

It is 'always' raining this time of year! Liquid sunshine we call it. Get so used to it, feels weird when it stops raining in the summer. :tired: :candle: :tinfoil: :laughing:

 

[LightSward]

:twothumbs I am back from a journey to Las Vegas. I got some good beam shots with the Gorilla 36 inch Searchlight, but I also tagged along the 7 inch Cyclops, 35 watt HID Searchlight, and got some decent photos. I have maxed out my various photo-buckets, and will have to wait a few days to posts these amazing beam shots of the 24 inch LightSward's companion.

 

[LightSward]

:thinking: :sick2: :huh: :ironic: a I won't have much access to the internet, next few days. :thinking: :sick2: :huh: :ironic: ...back to Vegas for Dad's big Memorial Sunday, April 25th, 2pm UNLV Alumni bldg. Will try and fit the 36 inch in the trunk of the KIA again, and use the tripod this time for better beam shots. Otherwise I can only fit the 7 inch, 35 watt HID Cyclops wanna be in the car this time.:twothumbs Cyclops actually travels about two miles or so. I'll post the best beam shots when I get back.

 

[LightSward]

I put these pictures in of the 7 inch 35 watt HID Cyclops and 100 watt HID 36 inch Gorilla to give an idea of the Light Sward's companion's strength.

These photos show the light beams traveling about a mile or so.



Gorilla Lights up Mummy Mountain, LightSward checks focusing plate

Even though it was below freezing in this photo, I was actually sweating, I am well bundled for this Beam Shot series, having been a Ski Bum for many years and skiing all the Black Diamond runs I could find. For more photos of this see the 36 inch Gorilla Thread.


2 Beams compare near top of "Mummy Mountain"

The 36 inch 100 watt HID Gorilla is to the Left and the dimmer beam to the right is the 7 inch 35 watt HID Cyclops, compare near the top of Mummy Ridge. Imagine the 36 inch Gorilla with a 1,000 watt HID.

 

[LightSward]

I recently did some comparison beam shots, of the 35 watt HID, 7 inch, Cyclops, to the 100 watt HID, 24 inch, LightSward, and the 50 inch, 400 watt HID, Monster, to the newly lit 600 watt HID 36 inch Gorilla, and got some good beam shots.

I'll post next few days when I get some time. (Good shots!)

 

[LightSward]

Here are some comparison shots of the LightSward, Monster and Gorilla, battling it out in the night skies. :laughing: :thumbsup: :welcome:

:twothumbs

LightSward top, Monster Middle beam and Gorilla Bottom Right

Here you can see the 100wt HID, Light Sward on Top, 400wt HID, Monster middle and the bright blue-white beam, lower right, is from the 600wt HID, Gorilla.

LightSward top, Monster Middle beam and Gorilla Bottom

Here you can see the Light Sward on Top, Monster middle and the bright blue-white beam, lower right, is from the 600 watt Gorilla.

I'll post some more soon.

 

[LightSward]

Here are some shots, with the LightSward center stage. It is dimmer than the others, largely because it only has a 100 watt HID bulb in it. Eventually it will have it's try at a brighter bulb again...like the 400 watt it once had that now resides with in the Monster.

Here are some photos of the three main searchlight I've been working on this past year plus.

Gorilla, LightSward and Monster show off

600 watt HID Gorilla to our Left, 100 watt LightSward middle, 400 watt HID Monster to our Right.


Beam Spot Comparison

600 watt Gorilla to our Left, 100 watt LightSward middle and 400 watt Monster Right.

The 35 watt HID Cyclops was added to the next set!


Beam Spot Comparison

35 watt Cyclops Left garage, 100 watt LightSward Left middle garage, 400 watt Monster, Right side middle garage. 600 watt Gorilla Right garage
:twothumbs

LightSward hit with powerful lighting

LightSward, is mesmerized by the bright light onslaught.

I love the bright lights. During our long, dark, rainy Winter Season, these lights make it seem a little sunnier.

More to come!