maxabeam question

[NoNotAgain]

I don't know what the beam degree profile of the SuperPower is but the MaxaBeam is 1 degree or smaller when tightly focused.

Out of the MaxaBeam lights I've got, one focuses much tighter than the others. I've played with the adjustment screws and got a tight focus, but this one light is tops.

The only light I own that has a tighter beam is the NightHunter 1. It's manual focus and fully self contained. I've found a NightHunter 1 in international yellow that I'm modding with a D1S bulk and automotive ballast.

My photography right now is taking precedence over the lights, but once things slow up a bit, I'll finish up the light.

 

[LED1982]

It says that it's 1 degree in the tightest setting

 

[BVH]

I was also under the impression that Maxabeam was only great in tight beam mode but just based on passing things I've read, glad to hear that it is not lame when it is de-focused.

I hope that I do a good job maintaining this battery, BVH actually made my opinion of lithium iron and lithium ion even more lopsided. I didn't know that after a full year LiFeP04 would still have zero discharge. So with this lithium ion battery what do I need to do? If not in use would I want to check it with a voltmeter once a week, and would I have an ideal voltage that I would want to store it at? I actually just read in here somewhere recently that you want to store lithium batteries at 50%. That was news to me I used to charge them full and then store. So if this 50% storing rule is correct would I put the drained battery in the charger, and then while it's in the charger keep reading it with a voltmeter until I see it at an ideal storage voltage (50%?), and then take it off charger and store it?

Another thing that raises my concern is hearing that LiFeP04 is significantly safer! Wow all I hear in that sentence is lithium ion is significantly more dangerous! Well for years I apparently never had a problem, now that I have a more substantial and expensive ion battery can you let me know exactly where this danger lies? Is the danger mostly present while it's charging (in other words do not ever ever leave your house while it is charging!)? Or is the safety/danger aspect of lithium ion mostly determined by how safe or unsafe the devise you're sticking it in is? It's important that I know what I'm doing, thanks guys.

I should have given more information. When I say/think "Lipo", I'm talking about the small brick packs that all the RC guys and gals use for their electric planes, cars and boats. Generally, if they use them as designed and don't overcharge, over discharge, charge unattended with cheap chargers, drive them too hard or otherwise "mishandle" them, then there are few problems/events with them. These packs lose a lot of charge in 2-3 months and, as you say, a 50% state of Charge is the best Voltage to keep them at.

I do not believe we can lump all the Lithium Ion and Poly batteries made by the big guys and used in the millions of devices into the category of the above Lipos. Whether they be special shaped batteries or cylindrical cells, they don't seem to be overly unsafe. Sure, there's the odd iphone other device that overheats and creates the Vent With Flame event, but considering how many devices are in-use, it's a molecule in a grain of sand on the worlds beaches. Well, maybe Samsung could tell you differently lately but I digress. And these batteries can be kept fully charged with less degrading compared to Lipos.

So don't panic with your Lithium Ions in professionally made devices. Store them fully charged so the light is ready to go. But some lights have a small parasitic current draw as the Polarions do - at least the early ones. The batteries don't self-discharge, they are discharged at a slow rate by the electronics that are working even when the light is off. Those batteries need to be charged or checked somewhat frequently. IIRC, my PH40 years ago needed to be recharged at no more than 3 months, maybe it was 2, I don't remember.

 

[LED1982]

I should have given more information. When I say/think "Lipo", I'm talking about the small brick packs that all the RC guys and gals use for their electric planes, cars and boats. Generally, if they use them as designed and don't overcharge, over discharge, charge unattended with cheap chargers, drive them too hard or otherwise "mishandle" them, then there are few problems/events with them.

Thanks again for the help. When you charge batteries and they go from red (charging) to green (full) does it keep charging them (overcharge) until you take them off, or does it disconnect, then maybe go red again to charge some more if you don't take them off charger for a long time? I know people who will just leave batteries on the charger forever until they need them, I never bothered to notice if a green light goes red again.

But some lights have a small parasitic current draw as the Polarions do - at least the early ones. The batteries don't self-discharge, they are discharged at a slow rate by the electronics that are working even when the light is off.

I'm not sure if the Lemax Superpower has a parasitic draw but I could see myself just storing it with the battery out anyway. Not to mention I believe that the very nice pelican case won't even hold the light unless battery and body are separated.

 

[XeRay]

Wow all I hear in that sentence is lithium ion is significantly more dangerous! Well for years I apparently never had a problem, now that I have a more substantial and expensive ion battery can you let me know exactly where this danger lies? Is the danger mostly present while it's charging (in other words do not ever ever leave your house while it is charging!)? Or is the safety/danger aspect of lithium ion mostly determined by how safe or unsafe the devise you're sticking it in is? It's important that I know what I'm doing, thanks guys.

My understanding, the biggest danger for Lithium Ion is being shorted out.

 

[XeRay]

I'm not sure if the Lemax Superpower has a parasitic draw but I could see myself just storing it with the battery out anyway. Not to mention I believe that the very nice pelican case won't even hold the light unless battery and body are separated.

Parasitic draw is basically nonexistent, You are correct about the carry cases, battery must be removed.

 

[A_L_R_O_M]

The Lemax Superpower LX70 is rated at 7000 lumens.
The MaxaBeam is rated at 3000 lumens.

The WOW factor goes to the Lemax light.

I don't own the Lemax, but own several MaxaBeams and a couple of NightReapers.

The NightReaper puts out 5500 lumens and is bright as all get out. Provides great full field illumination, but not nearly the throw as the MaxaBeam.

The main advantage of the MaxaBeam is the ability to throw pinpoint light. Secondarily, using remote AC or DC power as well as niCad, NiMH, lithium ion and lithium iron phosphate batteries.

The MaxaBeam has been around for many years and is a proven light. The Lemax is no slouch, but don't expect to find a deal on one of the lights.

Just want to correct maxabeam lumens...
It's using 75W xenon with very short arc gap, it cannot exceed 1000-1200 lumens, efficiency is very low, around 13 lumens per watt.
I have Ushio 75W XE burner and can compare it to many others lights i own.
P.S may be if it hits 100W on high it can produce around 1800-1900 lumens, like http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb...FOR-MAXABEAM&p=2338517&viewfull=1#post2338517
But no way it goes up to 3000.

 

[hahoo]

Just want to correct maxabeam lumens...
It's using 75W xenon with very short arc gap, it cannot exceed 1000-1200 lumens, efficiency is very low, around 13 lumens per watt.
I have Ushio 75W XE burner and can compare it to many others lights i own.
P.S may be if it hits 100W on high it can produce around 1800-1900 lumens, like http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb...FOR-MAXABEAM&p=2338517&viewfull=1#post2338517
But no way it goes up to 3000.

thanks for that...
unreal you can take the lumens of a standard household lightbulb, and make it throw light several miles.
incredible actually

 

[Matt@PeakBeam]

Hi Everyone,

I got temporarily locked out of my account and only just got back in so I could respond to posts. A lot good information from people familiar with the Maxa Beam has been posted so far, but several posts are either partially wrong or at the very least a little misleading. I will do my best to clear up a few points, but it might take a little while to sift through the ~30 posts (in just two days nonetheless).

Peak Beam has always reported range based on where the Maxa Beam can put one lux on target. This has been our practice since before the FL-1 (2009) ANSI standard was established. I personally believe that 0.25 lux is not enough light to reliably see anything even with optics, and using that value to report range leads to over-inflated and misleading range values.

There are many benefits to xenon short arc lights, but as others have pointed out total lumens is not one of them. We don't publish a lumens rating for the Maxa Beam which is probably why there is so much confusion/speculation on this issue. Current searchlights operate at 85W and get ~1300 lumens (OTF, not lamp lumens).

Hope that clears up a few points and I'd be happy to answer any other questions. It is always nice to see other folks as interested in this stuff as we are here at Peak Beam.

Matt

 

[BVH]

As always, thanks Matt for participating here. There's nothing better than getting great info direct from the manufacturer. Somehow, I had forgotten that the current generation run at 85 Watts, not 80 as I had it in my mind. When you get caught up, please take a look at my "75 Watt Pichel Short Arc" thread. Did you know Marlowe Pichel?

 

[hahoo]

1 lux at 3500 meters at 1 degree spot
i get that
what happens when you go to say 4 degree spot, a tad more usable beam for most?
can i assume that it will be .25 lux, since we did the x4 thing ?

 

[BVH]

From my experience, when you de-focus to 4+- degrees, the light is very usable in the short range - 1000 - 1500 feet but at further distances, the dark hole in the center would not help you. My 175 Watt, 2 degree Megaray is much more usable at around 900 yards even though it's hotspot is not as bright as the MB. As I've said many times, at my range, the MB would easily light up a large tree at 900 yards but I could not tell that it was a tree. However, the Megaray with it's slightly dimmer but twice as wide hotspot made it easy to see the tree and that it was a tree.

 

[LED1982]

From my experience, when you de-focus to 4+- degrees, the light is very usable in the short range - 1000 - 1500 feet but at further distances, the dark hole in the center would not help you. My 175 Watt, 2 degree Megaray is much more usable at around 900 yards even though it's hotspot is not as bright as the MB. As I've said many times, at my range, the MB would easily light up a large tree at 900 yards but I could not tell that it was a tree. However, the Megaray with it's slightly dimmer but twice as wide hotspot made it easy to see the tree and that it was a tree.

One thing that would really be cool would be a graphic that shows you pics of degree of spot starting from 1 and increasing by .5 all the way up! If you doubled the size of a MB or Megaray reflector would they give you the same lux performances but at 2 degrees?

 

[Matt@PeakBeam]

what happens when you go to say 4 degree spot, a tad more usable beam for most?
can i assume that it will be .25 lux, since we did the x4 thing ?

This is common question we get as far as what happens to your luminous intensity as you widen the beam from spot, but the 4x thing your referring to comes from somewhere else.

First off I want to define a few things and I'll try to balance between simplifying for ease of explanation and getting overly technical. There may be some shortcuts here or some oversimplifications there, but for most people I think this will help understand the basics of what is going on with any searchlight and what you can and cannot take away from basic specs.

Luminous Flux/Lumens - Total light. It is always good to clarify when you see a lumen spec if those are lumens of the lamp or of the fixture, sometimes called "Out the front" or OTF Lumens. ANSI spec is OTF Lumens. Lumens will tell you how much total light you are dealing with but nothing about how well that light can be focused or concentrated.

Illuminance/Lux - Incident light on a surface. This is what you would often measure with a light meter. This is basically what you are trying to achieve with any searchlight. You are trying to put light on a surface often times far away. (lux= lumens/m2​)

Luminous Intensity/Candela/CandlePower - How intensely focussed or concentrated the light is in a particular direction. CandlePower and the ANSI standard take few shortcuts/make a few assumptions here, but generally speaking those shortcuts don't make a huge difference especially when making comparisons. Luminous intensity as a spec is always calculated by measuring lux at a specific distance, where (Lux) x (Meters)2​ = CandlePower.

So if you have any two of those variables in the above equation you can solve for the third. This is how the ANSI standard has you determine the range of a light/searchlight. Once you have determined the Candlepower, it asks at what distance will that same light/searchlight put 0.25 lux on target. If you reduce the required illuminance (Lux) required by a factor of 4 (1 lux ---> 0.25 lux), due to the square on the distance you extend the range by a factor of 2.

If you want to double the light on target you need to double your CandlePower. If you want to double your range you need to quadruple your CandlePower.

When it comes to the focusing of the light and different beam angles you are going to see a significant drop off in range. Remember your total light (lumens) for all intents and purposes is not changing, you are just adjusting how it is distributed. At long distances the difference between a 1 degree beam and 4 degree beam as far as area of illumination can be huge. If my quick calculations are right, at a 1,000m your area of illumination would be 16 times larger.

 

[hahoo]

This is common question we get as far as what happens to your luminous intensity as you widen the beam from spot, but the 4x thing your referring to comes from somewhere else.

First off I want to define a few things and I'll try to balance between simplifying for ease of explanation and getting overly technical. There may be some shortcuts here or some oversimplifications there, but for most people I think this will help understand the basics of what is going on with any searchlight and what you can and cannot take away from basic specs.

Luminous Flux/Lumens - Total light. It is always good to clarify when you see a lumen spec if those are lumens of the lamp or of the fixture, sometimes called "Out the front" or OTF Lumens. ANSI spec is OTF Lumens. Lumens will tell you how much total light you are dealing with but nothing about how well that light can be focused or concentrated.

Illuminance/Lux - Incident light on a surface. This is what you would often measure with a light meter. This is basically what you are trying to achieve with any searchlight. You are trying to put light on a surface often times far away. (lux= lumens/m2​)

Luminous Intensity/Candela/CandlePower - How intensely focussed or concentrated the light is in a particular direction. CandlePower and the ANSI standard take few shortcuts/make a few assumptions here, but generally speaking those shortcuts don't make a huge difference especially when making comparisons. Luminous intensity as a spec is always calculated by measuring lux at a specific distance, where (Lux) x (Meters)2​ = CandlePower.

So if you have any two of those variables in the above equation you can solve for the third. This is how the ANSI standard has you determine the range of a light/searchlight. Once you have determined the Candlepower, it asks at what distance will that same light/searchlight put 0.25 lux on target. If you reduce the required illuminance (Lux) required by a factor of 4 (1 lux ---> 0.25 lux), due to the square on the distance you extend the range by a factor of 2.

If you want to double the light on target you need to double your CandlePower. If you want to double your range you need to quadruple your CandlePower.

When it comes to the focusing of the light and different beam angles you are going to see a significant drop off in range. Remember your total light (lumens) for all intents and purposes is not changing, you are just adjusting how it is distributed. At long distances the difference between a 1 degree beam and 4 degree beam as far as area of illumination can be huge. If my quick calculations are right, at a 1,000m your area of illumination would be 16 times larger.

thanks for all that info, makes perfect sense
so whats the rough area then at 1000 meters, for illumination when at 1 degree?

 

[Matt@PeakBeam]

To calculate the beam diameter at a given distance:

Distance x tan(Half Beam Angle) x 2

so...

1000m x tan(0.5) x 2 = 17.45m

Also I should point out that when our spec says 1 degree that is sort of shorthand. There are different ways you can define the edge of a "beam", but at the searchlight's tightest setting, the main "beam" will be a little less than 1 degree and there will be significant spill immediately surrounding this beam. I will try to post or link to some picture that demonstrate this.

 

[Matt@PeakBeam]

There is a slideshow of a range demonstration on our website. If that link doesn't work you can find it on our website under Support--->Downloads. It shows a 1 degree and ~5 degree beam at various ranges out to 1450m.

Just as a general note, while more CandlePower will get you more range, what is often more important for our customers is not putting 1 lux at 2 miles it is taking advantage of putting a lot of intense light at shorter ranges to disrupt/deter a target. If you can make it difficult to look in your direction from 1,000m away, that has a lot of value.

 

[Echo63]

I have posted this pic quite a bit in this subforum.

this is an example of that the MB can do - around a kilometer across the river.
Gen2 MB in normal mode (i couldnt hold the lever for high, and didnt have the manual to reprogram it to latch)
Ushio UXL-75XE in parker VH adapters. Measured 7.2mcp on high i think it was 4ish on medium

i really should take my Gen3 and redo the pic

%5BURL=http://s103.photobucket.com/user/Echo63/media/BZC18025.jpg.html%5D%5BIMG%5Dhttp://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m150/Echo63/BZC18025.jpg%5B/IMG%5D%5B/URL%5D

 

[richbuff]

I have posted this pic quite a bit in this subforum.

... ...

%5BURL=http://s103.photobucket.com/user/Echo63/media/BZC18025.jpg.html%5D%5BIMG%5Dhttp://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m150/Echo63/BZC18025.jpg%5B/IMG%5D%5B/URL%5D

http://s103.photobucket.com/user/Echo63/media/BZC18025.jpg.html

 

[Echo63]

http://s103.photobucket.com/user/Echo63/media/BZC18025.jpg.html

Thank you

for some reason i cant copy and paste the link like i used to...