XeVision ULTRA 80-85W Super head mod - SIGN UP NOW

karlthev

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Nov 19, 2004
Messages
5,206
Location
Pennsylvania
Quote Originally Posted by The_Driver View Post

"There is nothing they can do which would substantially increase performance. I guess they could ar-coate the lens for an extra 5-6% output.
UHP bulbs can't be used in a production light. Also they would have a much slower startup and reduce runtime or brightness (they are less efficient)."

Quote Originally Posted by XeRay

"A more powerful metal halide bulb would be possible, but again less runtime and much slower startup.
He is 100% correct on all points 100 watt is not really possible. the limiting factor is, THERE ARE NO QUALITY BULBS for THIS PARTICULAR HID TECHNOLOGY beyond the "FATBOY" DL50, the max it can or should be considered to be run at is somewhere between 80 and 85 bulb watts, TBD by Xevision which it could or would be (80 or 85) if we were to proceed with the below project.

The only thing left to push this technology to its final edge, and only we (XeVision) can and could do to create the LX70 Superpower "Ultra" ( with a custom new ballast, different bulb and our igniters ) , is push a DL50 "fatboy" bulb to 80 or 85 watts (a 10 bulb watt increase adding maybe 1200 (80w) - 1900 (85w) additional Lumens), we don't see a "real" market for it though.
We don't see a real (100's of units) market for even the standard 50/70 Superpower, so we never sold it.
The "Ultra" Superpower we could call it, might sell 10 to 20 units worldwide for a few hardcore flashaholics, with lots of money to spend. Maybe $3,500 to $4,000 with a prebuy group buy only 1 or 2 runs limited edition.
Not sure at this point if the low end would stay 50W or move up to say 60W."


I recall the original XeVision portable light to end all lights which, via CPF membership request (demand?) graduated to the now famous "Barn Burner" project, the performance of which had not been seen before.The Barn Burner being a modified, low production specialty light, I believe purchased by a rarified group of aficionados right here on the forum!

This thread represents a "testing of the waters" so to speak to determine if the desire..."need" for such a project exists. Does it?
Let's hear from all you CPFers who may want to take the next quantum step and have the needed hardware designed, produced and bring this project to completion!



Karl
 
Last edited:

The_Driver

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Jan 6, 2010
Messages
1,177
Location
Germany
Re: XeVision Superpower "Ultra" 80 or 85 Watt (TBD)

This new light is basically a heavily upgraded barnburner. It uses the same bulb at the same power, but all the other components are much better/bigger/newer.

For a new level of performance the only real option would be UHP bulbs or laser phosphor. The latter really does offer new possibilities.
 
Last edited:

XeRay

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Feb 3, 2006
Messages
1,333
Location
Ogden, Utah
Re: XeVision Superpower "Ultra" 80 or 85 Watt (TBD)

Dan, what was the 250-Watt light going to be back a few years when you posted sort of an interest gathering post?

Can you be more specific ?
It was going to be about 20,000 lumens or so, but the proper bulb used takes close to a minute to reach full output and starts out as bright as a "candle" for the first 30 seconds.
Not very practical in most applications.

Could you also put the Ultra ballast in the LX50 II? :devil:

All of these "puck" type ballasts are identical in size and function, only the internal power output settings and some internal components are different.
In theory yes, but we would never consider doing that to the LX50-II, only upgrading it to a 50/70 we will consider.
The Normal 50/70 or the Superpower we will consider, for doing the power upgrade to 80 or 85 watts.
 
Last edited:

XeRay

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Feb 3, 2006
Messages
1,333
Location
Ogden, Utah
Re: XeVision Superpower "Ultra" 80 or 85 Watt (TBD)

This new light is basically a heavily upgraded barnburner. It uses the same bulb at the same power, but all the other components are much better/bigger/newer.

For a new level of performance the only real option would be UHP bulbs or laser phosphor. The latter really does offer new possibilities.

The original "Barnburner" see photo (http://home.earthlink.net/~mrtedbear/XeRay 50watt HID_files/image011.jpg) of about 10 to 12 years ago had a tough plastic housing and a stamped metal reflector, not mil spec anodized 6082 aluminum alloy or electroformed reflectors as used currently. Stock, it was ONLY 75 watts to the bulb (same DL50 fatboy bulb as being proposed here).

A few "elite users" 2 or 3 that I am aware of "bumped" the power to 80 or 85 watts.
"The few" were "sworn to secrecy" on how to accomplish bumping the power (we told them how), back then on that old style box shaped ballast. (don't get any ideas !) The new Puck shaped ballasts are potted, those box ballasts were not.

The Puck shaped ballast is thermally very efficient (special thermal transfer potting).
A deep "pocketed" see link photos (http://www.xevision.com/images/XePuck™2 combi 450.png) CNC machined solid aluminium (aluminum) puck, all of this to very efficiently promote heat transfer to the searchlight housing exterior fins. We also use thermal paste on the searchlight housing to puck interface to again facilitate heat removal from the puck to insure long life. This is a military grade ballast.
 
Last edited:

XeRay

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Feb 3, 2006
Messages
1,333
Location
Ogden, Utah
Re: XeVision Superpower "Ultra" 80 or 85 Watt (TBD)

Also brought over from the other thread, its relevant here too.

If we get some committed interest on the "ULTRA". A very special and powerful beast it would be indeed, for the most discriminating small group of elite buyers.
We would probably limit it to 10 or 20 units total. But lets see if there is any interest for an ~ 8,800 to ~10,000 Lumens (TBD) from a Superpower "ULTRA".
The existing Superpowers are about 7600 Lumens.
To do this project we only need to make a special run of our ballasts, projected 2 to 3 months lead time.
We have the bulbs and Igniters in stock at all times.
 

XeRay

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Feb 3, 2006
Messages
1,333
Location
Ogden, Utah
Re: XeVision Superpower "Ultra" 80 or 85 Watt (TBD)

Brought over from the other thread, more relevant here.

Wonder what the DL Fatboy bulb is........

It is the only bulb we can recommend above 70 watts. Made by Philips maybe 15 years ago. The other bulb we use at 50 watts and above up to 70 watts is the DL50/740 also from Philips.
The "fatboy" has proven itself to handle 80-85 watts quite well, in all of our special applications.
 

karlthev

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Nov 19, 2004
Messages
5,206
Location
Pennsylvania
Re: XeVision Superpower "Ultra" 80 or 85 Watt (TBD)

The following copied from the original thread....

"I (sort of) remember when the last big upgrade project blossomed into the Barn Burner years ago, it was sponsored/designed/developed and produced by XeVision years ago. I still own a copy which works as it did back then, a real champ! The now-famous Barn Burner of yore, spoken in hushed tones in back rooms of Flashaholic meeting sites world-wide to this very day, was "King of the Road" way back then, when I was still combing head vs facial hair!! Those were the days my friends when Pony Express was still the best method of sending "snail mail". The BarnBurner had few (if any) competitors and, while some CPFers were igniting newspaper with their comparatively diminutive modded maglites, those fortunate to have snagged a true to life Barn Burner were soakin' up the rays in the long Winter season, getting stellar tans in front of the beast itself! "Karl" my buddies would say, "when did you get back from Florida?", of course presuming I'd been vacationing down South as a "snowbird"! Well, I didn't want to dissolution them so I'd just smile and briefly remove my Sunglasses. Ha!

Times have changed and, despite the considerable performance in its' day, the Barn Burner can't (forgive me!) "hold a candle" to a number of portable Suns on the market today, most notably the XeVision XeRay XV-LX70 searchlight and its brethren.They represent a VAST step into the future of lighting devices. As we reading this thread all know, the LX70 and, it's big brother, the SuperPower, are among the relatively few lamps today which have eclipsed the performance of the BarnBurner. Just as the BarnBurner was a "souped-up" version of the XeRay Search light so too will the "Ultra" be a tweaked, no holds barred, big brother version of the LX70 and Super. If you have slipped up and failed to read some of the past posts in this thread, Dan (XeRay) has given in to some pressure and spoken of this new proposed light, the "Ultra".


Thanks to Dan, we will very soon (several short months?) have the Ultra available to us! Now, HOW soon is the question. Just as new Ferrari's aren't developed on the basis of one-offs, neither will the Ultra be a single modded light for yours truly. Dan needs a bit of more concrete interest/support expressed right here to make this worthy project a "go". I missed the original BarnBurner project and finally did get one from an old (historical) CPFer, LuxLuthor. "Chuck" was kind enough to part with one of his two at the time...bless his heart! Had he not, I most likely would have had to wait years to find one and, required therapy for having to wait that long!

I'd sure like some of you others reading this thread to realize what can be available to us in the near future--the Ultra which will, as the LX70 has become the "Barn Burner on Steroids", be the LX70 on steroids! Let Dan know your interest and, we will have him signaling us with the "Ultra" all the way from Utah, his home!"

Karl
 

karlthev

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Nov 19, 2004
Messages
5,206
Location
Pennsylvania
Re: XeVision Superpower "Ultra" 80 or 85 Watt (TBD)

Well, I've been languishing on other threads but HAD to come over here and see what's been going on in my absence! As the old advertisement states, "Nuttin' honey"!
Well, I do hope my mere presence will stir up SOME reads...even REPLIES!! Who knows, there's just GOT to be interest in a mod for these cannons!

Other than LuxLuthor and BVH , I'm missing some of the old crowd whose posts and threads I often printed ...just for reference. Legends in their own time and, sure would be nice to see them or their progeny here and just as enthusiastic and innovative as they!

So Dan, what's news? Anything? I sure do hope so!


Karl
 

LuxLuthor

Flashaholic
Joined
Nov 5, 2005
Messages
10,653
Location
MS
Re: XeVision Superpower "Ultra" 80 or 85 Watt (TBD)

LOL, I still have a whole boatload of the Fatboy bulbs that we got from some guy who didn't know what he had in his warehouse. Was that you that found those, BVH? Great memories seeing you guys. Still active with all the lights! Still using all the incans too! LOL!
 

BVH

Flashaholic
Joined
Sep 25, 2004
Messages
7,023
Location
CentCalCoast
Re: XeVision Superpower "Ultra" 80 or 85 Watt (TBD)

Yes, that was me. You and I split up the lot. Was it 45 or 24 each, I don't remember. I remember you stopped making up battery packs. Do you still have your spot welder?
 

sledhead

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Jan 20, 2007
Messages
1,886
Location
N.J.
Re: XeVision Superpower "Ultra" 80 or 85 Watt (TBD)

Dan.......throwing my hat into the ring. PM sent

Come on folks...who can resist a Fatboy! :D
 

LuxLuthor

Flashaholic
Joined
Nov 5, 2005
Messages
10,653
Location
MS
Re: XeVision Superpower "Ultra" 80 or 85 Watt (TBD)

Yes, that was me. You and I split up the lot. Was it 45 or 24 each, I don't remember. I remember you stopped making up battery packs. Do you still have your spot welder?

It was 45 of them. I still have my spot welder.
 

toolboy

Newly Enlightened
Joined
Feb 12, 2006
Messages
119
Location
NE Iowa
Re: XeVision Superpower "Ultra" 80 or 85 Watt (TBD)

Well I haven't posted here in quite a long time. I was one of the original barnburner 75watt group buy members and sold it when the new lx70 came out. Price however kept me from buying the lx70 until now that I was able to acquire a used one. I did notice a couple things. The lx70 has great build quality and I understand that the dl50-740 bulb was used as a mass produced bulb was needed in order to market it to the military. I did notice that the lx70 seems to lack both the power and throw the old barn burner had. It doesn't focus as tight as the bb did and doesn't seem to have the output of the dl50 fat boy driven to 75 watts. I used to bet the guys at work they couldn't hold their hand in front of the light for 30 seconds, and I never lost. I can't make that bet anymore and it seems to hurt it in its throw capability. If someone has an operating old bb and also a new lx70 I would love to see some side by side beamshots. I don't believe there are any problems with my lx70 it just lacks the punch of the old bb but is a huge leap in build quality over the bb.
If Dan is looking to upgrade the lx70 with a new ballast at 85 watts with a dl50 fat boy what would you charge for it. I would give up some runtime in order to turn it up.
 
Top