Homemade 24" scratch built & designed reflector

[louieatienza]

Have you tried using the chrome effect vinyl wrap that's used mainly on exotic cars? It should shape around the contours of your parabola and comes in large widths.

Vinyl wrap, not sure I know about that..? Been using various forms of metalized Mylar for the reflectors. Inexpensive and pretty easy to work with, yet don't care for the novice look I get, yet it's fairly effective. ​

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https://www.rvinyl.com/3M-Wrap-Film...tm_term=4581183918168770&utm_content=3M Wraps

 

[LightSward]

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https://www.rvinyl.com/3M-Wrap-Film...tm_term=4581183918168770&utm_content=3M Wraps

Looks good. Wonder how it behaves on concave surfaces...usually convex curves common on vehicles work well, yet concave can be challenging to keep wrinkles out. Will look into this...thank you.

 

[louieatienza]

Looks good. Wonder how it behaves on concave surfaces...usually convex curves common on vehicles work well, yet concave can be challenging to keep wrinkles out. Will look into this...thank you.

Concave should be easier, because you can pull the film over the rim of your reflector on one side, then work it from edge to center...

 

[LightSward]

Concave should be easier, because you can pull the film over the rim of your reflector on one side, then work it from edge to center...

Just placed an order for some. Hope this works and doesn't get too hot from my lamps. Use a cooling system to cool everything near the bulb, so hopefully this will be what I've been looking for. Thanks for the info. Fingers crossed.

 

[LightSward]

LightSward ready at the factory to be shipped out to Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony

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Starting up the LightSward at the Aloha, Oregon Annual Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony.

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Fog made for a bright beam on all the searchlights yet made it hard to see more than half a mile from show. Still good results from my old LightSward, now out of the dust pile.

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Late Day fog test of the LightSward before the nightfall so I can be sure it works well.

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Late Day testing of the LightSward first time in public setting.




Owning a professional searchlight allows me to pre test and compare. LightSward is slightly brighter than the commercial four barrel lights that I now own a single one to compare with, that were also used at the tree lighting ceremony as.
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Here you can see the LightSward beam crossing horizontally across one of the professional beams nearby.
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Sometimes I aimed the beam low which thrilled many who had never seen a searchlight up close.

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It all looked really awesome. More to come. Many businesses were thrilled with the bright light catching yellow green shield showing the location of the light easier than just seeing U.F.O.'s on the clouds and not able to locate searchlight very well.

 

[LightSward]

Amazing how easy, portable and brilliant this light has turned out to be. Didn't realize, with all the errors in the reflector, I'd get a fairly tight beam. Seems to be visible on clear nights up to five miles against the light pollution of our city. Making refinements on other "LightSward" reflectors, yet this IS the Original one with the 1,200 watt HMI lamp I've wanted to test it with for many years, yet loss interest because of the errors in the reflector as stated above. Turns out the errors aren't as bad as I thought. Hopefully the reflective material ordered above, that was recommended by louieatienza may be a solution to the small almost imperceptible ridges and other slight deformations in my reflectors. Until I can spin, or hot mod my reflectors either from aluminum or glass, I'll have small blemishes that give my reflectors that distinct look.

 

[louieatienza]

Amazing how easy, portable and brilliant this light has turned out to be. Didn't realize, with all the errors in the reflector, I'd get a fairly tight beam. Seems to be visible on clear nights up to five miles against the light pollution of our city. Making refinements on other "LightSward" reflectors, yet this IS the Original one with the 1,200 watt HMI lamp I've wanted to test it with for many years, yet loss interest because of the errors in the reflector as stated above. Turns out the errors aren't as bad as I thought. Hopefully the reflective material ordered above, that was recommended by louieatienza may be a solution to the small almost imperceptible ridges and other slight deformations in my reflectors. Until I can spin, or hot mod my reflectors either from aluminum or glass, I'll have small blemishes that give my reflectors that distinct look.

You know there is a whole community of telescope fanatics who grind their own mirrors and lenses. I'm sure the concept would be pretty similar, but in a larger scale, for reflectors. I would still think some refinement of your surface would be necessary before applying the chrome wrap film.

 

[LightSward]

Have made three 24 inch LightSwards, Two out of Aluminum making nice smooth reflectors. Pretty much beat the 1000 watt XENON in Brightness and distance visible by 1,200 watt HID 24 inch LightSward by a factor of three. Could barely see the Xenon Pro light, yet easily see homemade one after just a mile or two. Post pictures soon as I upload them to a photo-bucket.