# Osram Halostar IRC lamps NOW in a HOST w/beamshots



## andrewwynn (May 2, 2006)

After being drawn into the interest of these new lamps by this thread I was really interested in doing some solid testing. 

I received two loaner bulbs from bwaites, thanks Bill.. and ran some tests. 

Here was the method i used to esitmate lumen:

set the lamp voltage to exactly spec.. measure lux reading and use the ratio from that 'baseline'.. and extrapolate the lumen measurments based on the ratio for the higher voltages. 

```
here is the table for the 50W IRC:

 Volts 	 Amps 	 Watts 	 Lumen 	 Lum/W 	 torch 
 12.00 	 4.00 	 48.00 	 1,250 	 26.04 	 813 
 13.00 	 4.19 	 54.47 	 1,607 	 29.50 	 1,045 
 14.00 	 4.36 	 61.04 	 2,004 	 32.83 	 1,303 
 15.00 	 4.54 	 68.10 	 2,460 	 36.12 	 1,599 
 16.00 	 4.71 	 75.36 	 2,956 	 39.23 	 1,921 
 17.00 	 4.92 	 83.64 	 3,611 	 43.17 	 2,347 
 18.00 	 5.07 	 91.26 	 4,219 	 46.23 	 2,742 

here is the table for the 65W IRC: 

 Volts 	 Amps 	 Watts 	 Lumen 	 Lum/W 	 torch 
 12.00 	 5.36 	 64.32 	 1,700 	 26.43 	 1,105 
 13.00 	 5.58 	 72.54 	 2,150 	 29.64 	 1,398 
 14.00 	 5.82 	 81.48 	 2,800 	 34.36 	 1,820 
 15.00 	 6.04 	 90.60 	 3,400 	 37.53 	 2,210 
 16.00 	 6.27 	 100.32  4,100 	 40.87 	 2,665 
 17.00 	 6.49 	 110.33  4,900 	 44.41 	 3,185 
 18.00 	 6.72 	 120.96  5,800 	 47.95 	 3,770
```

What's very interesting to note.. at 18V.. the 50Wer is outputting the lumen of the 64625 at 12.5V and 118W.. that's a 29% savings in power for the same amount of lumen output. 

also interesting is to compare the 18V version of the 65W lamp.. because at that point it's outputting 39% more light with only 3% more power. 

I tried the 65W direct-drive from 4-up D LION and it's 'crappy' IMHO.. i'd never use that combination.. i didn't put the 50W into a light yet, but on the bench it looked very decent at 14.3v.. but the efficiency is better from those voltages with the '625 so it's a moot point.. 

As bwaites pointed out.. these lamps don't really get cooking 'til they are pushed very hard.. but manoman they really get moving when pushed. 

I'm working out the details for a 3D host that can work very well... it will work with any tri-bore 3D that will hold A-size cells. 

with about a 22WH battery pack.. that works out to 2700L for 14 minutes with the 50W IRC.. and 10.8 minutes of 3770L with the 65W IRC... those are fairly realistic estimates, but not 'fully regulated' values.. 

These should open up a few more options for high end lighting. I won't be claiming 'holy grail' of illumination, but a definite step of progress in some ways.. they are very broad-beam, but like the 62138 generate an obvious 'spot' in the center of the beam... i have het to put into a softer reflector like a light stipple since they are very wide bulbs.. even wider than the monsters like the 64625, even though they are 1/2 the size.. so i need to bore out the ream just a bit more 'til i can get that test worked out. 

So, some fun and exciting prospects.

Oh almost forgot.. to calculate LUMEN with the IRC lamps.. changing the exponent in the equation from 3.5 to 3.0 works pretty much flawlessly, the other formulas work as-is. 

-awr


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## Delvance (May 2, 2006)

*Re: Osram Halostar IRC lamps*

Thanks Awr,

I've been waiting for this post ever since you said you'd test these lamps out. Interesting to see that the lumens/w at extreme overdrive is approaching 50L/W. Definitely a large improvement over the HLX lamps that were previously used, and a definite improvement. Stuffing 18V into a smallish host is going to be a pain though...weighty too. 

That 65 watter certainly does look like a beast when it hits 18V...hrmm i wonder if there are even higher rated IRC lamps by Osram...

So with the use of IRC lamps, do you think the beam/torch will be slightly less hot than our previous 100+watter efforts ? As i understand it, the IRC coating recycles the infra red light but as the lamp gets overdriven more, the less effective the IRC coating is.

Thanks for doing these tests Awr!


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## davidefromitaly (May 2, 2006)

*Re: Osram Halostar IRC lamps*

really good job andrew 

i'm only sorry of haven't won a pizza... i have bet for 20V instead you will reach 60 lm/w at around 21V... i have lost for only one volt 

but i'm still happy for that fantastic bulbs, now we need a specific head from fivemega (or other that can do) that can focus the beam in a tight spot

and there is another nice thing from osram... http://candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?t=115981 

if i can suggest a nice mag battery pack: 20 14500 li-ion 4 in parallel 5 in series... 3Ah in the size of a mag 4D isn't bad...


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## NewBie (May 2, 2006)

*Re: Osram Halostar IRC lamps*

The other thing, is even buying them in small quantities and having them exported to the US, they are still rather low cost:

-----Ursprüngliche Nachricht-----
Von: 
Gesendet: Dienstag, 11. April 2006 15:59
An: ******
Betreff: AW: Request for 64447irc - OSRAM 65W 12V GY6,35 IRC (10)
Wichtigkeit: Hoch

Dear *********,

I'm glad to let you have my pricing now as follows:


Osram 64447 IRC 65W 12V GY6,35
------------------------------------------
case of 40 pieces
40 pieces @ USD 7.47 each piece


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## DCFluX (May 2, 2006)

*Re: Osram Halostar IRC lamps*

Any body know where to get some of the IRC 65W's in the USA?


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## wtraymond (May 2, 2006)

*Re: Osram Halostar IRC lamps*



NewBie said:


> The other thing, is even buying them in small quantities and having them exported to the US, they are still rather low cost:
> 
> -----Ursprüngliche Nachricht-----
> Von:
> ...



This sounds like the beginning of an excellent group buy. I'm in for two.


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## davidefromitaly (May 2, 2006)

*Re: Osram Halostar IRC lamps*

i can find them at 4.10-4.30 euro + shipping (dunno the conversion in dollars)

and the halospot at 12-17 euro range depend...

are deutchland web sites...


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## andrewwynn (May 2, 2006)

*Re: Osram Halostar IRC lamps*

sllooow server at the moment.. we'll see if i can respond. 

I forgot what the pizza bet was.. I'm betting the lamps can go almost to 20V.. 19.7 would be as far as i push.. but my instinct and learned experience tells me the 50W can't be pushed as hard.. (lamp life is inversely proportional to CCT.. the 50W is already white at about 14-15V.. the 65 doesn't get white 'til about 17-18V). 

18V is had from 15 cells.. 15 x 2/3A will fit into a 2D size light if you take out the mag switch... so.. it doesn't necessarily take a huge light, and trust me.. these are on the near horizon. 

I would be up for part of a group buy as well. 

-awr


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## andrewwynn (May 2, 2006)

*Re: Osram Halostar IRC lamps*

aah.. yep. my estimation is 21.12V for 60L/W .. dang a pizza for a volt.. that was a mighty close one. who knows my 'non-integrating airspace' could be off just enough to get you that volt (i wouldn't bet another pizza on it though). 

The lamp life re-rates to 4.5hr at 21.12V though.. you would need some veerrry soft start to pull that off... usually if it gets below about 8 hrs operation is a bit harry. 

-awr


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## HGB (May 2, 2006)

*Re: Osram Halostar IRC lamps*

Hey davidefromitaly,

I see it took you some time to get us here.

About one and a half years since: 

interested in OSRAM 65W IRC (1700lm) group buy? By davidefromitaly (Nov 2004)

But finally…

We could see… “The Light”!!!


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## davidefromitaly (May 3, 2006)

*Re: Osram Halostar IRC lamps*

yeah... it take a lot of time... i have spent a lot of time for search a good suppier (in italy the bulbs cost 7-8 euro each and minimum order is 40 pieces per wattage)... i have found a pair good but in germany but as usual they don't accept paypal and international shipping cost a lot...

btw i'm still happy to see that now cpfers start to like this bulbs


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## andrewwynn (May 3, 2006)

*Re: Osram Halostar IRC lamps*

I think the problem with the slow 'take off' has to do with 1) availability and 2) finding a suitable host. 

at 14V.. the 65Wer i wouldn't let a 'mag user' operate.. it really is just plain offensive looking.. the beam is nice enough but it just looks like the battery is dead dead dead. I can't believe the normal use is 12V.. the 50Wer i haven't tried in a direct-drive light yet.. but at 14V they aren't any more efficient than the 50-100W lights we use now, and there are very few hosts that can crank up the voltage higher. 

One person i've PMed recently is working on a boost ckt that shows some promise for running these properly, but also.. with the advent of the IB1400.. now it's also possible to get enough cells into a 3D sized light w/o difficulty... 5x3 is 18V and i'm confident that would work ok direct-drive.. or at the least with a hotdriver to keep the startup to 18-19V... like i said.. i predict some lights coming out using these lamps.. even at 18V they are putting out some extremely favorable numbers, and i think the bulb life will be decidedly acceptable (on the order of 10 hrs). 

I wouldn't mind finding out who the distributor is with that 40 limit. 

-awr


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## bwaites (May 3, 2006)

*Re: Osram Halostar IRC lamps*

I've tried to get them in the states, from distributors here, for 2 years without success.

They order them, then backorder them, and then by the time they figure it out, it's time to start over!!

I've tried 3 different distributors, including the one that Wilkey got the originals from, and yet no luck!

The other interesting piece is that the draw on these is less than I expected. Less than 7 amps at 18 volts, that is impressive!

Andrew, at 14 volts the 65 watt rates out at 2800 lumens (the same as the 62138), does it look like it really is doing that? I seemed like quite a bit less to me, compared to the 62138, or is it just the color temp difference fooling me?

Bill


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## DCFluX (May 3, 2006)

*Re: Osram Halostar IRC lamps*

Is it a case if too much effort for not enough return? 

And just how yellow is the 65W when driven by 12V? I would think that the filliament would be whiter as it is running hotter due to the reflective IR coating?


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## bwaites (May 3, 2006)

*Re: Osram Halostar IRC lamps*

At 12 volts it is traffic light yellow, (well maybe not quite that bad, but bad!)

Bill


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## DCFluX (May 3, 2006)

*Re: Osram Halostar IRC lamps*

Yuck. Oh well, as long as it is bright I guess.


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## davidefromitaly (May 3, 2006)

*Re: Osram Halostar IRC lamps*

at 12v is yellow like a 1185 at 8V (or every other bulb with 4000 hr of life)  you must compare the color at the same lamp life...

andrew what you think about a mag 4D with 20 li-ion batts 4 in parallel 5 in series? will be a 3Ah battery pack good enough for a 25 min of runtime with the 65w and the 35w for 45 min


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## andrewwynn (May 3, 2006)

*Re: Osram Halostar IRC lamps*

dangit.. post got eaten by the bitbucket.. 

once again.. 

bill you jumped columns.. at 14V, the 65IRC is 1820 torch lumen, so it's not nearly as bright as the USL.. just about exactly 65%  at 14V it's the same lumen as the '138 at 12V, i'm betting that wasn't the comparision you were doing. color temp does through things off a little more, whiter does 'look' brighter. 

regarding the amp draw.. a little has to do with the higher efficiency.. just about as much with the higher voltage.. for example the 6.7A draw on the IRC65 at 18V is actually more power than the 9.5A draw at 12.6V with the '625.. it's almost exactly the same power, actually.. sppokky close (within 1W).. yet the IRC65 estimate is 34% more light at that power level and voltage. 

DC.. yeah the 50W looks nice at 14V, the 65 looks really ugly (not even as white as my mag 3D) there is a big difference in CCT between thet two as the voltage is turned up to 'broil'... the 50W ('440).. looks really nice above 14V, i think it could be used direct-drive in a 12 cell solution and look really nice.. and foolproof, direct drive light with tons of lamp life. L/W is close to the 100Wers we use now but the lamp life is orders of mannitued better.. 300-400 hrs. 

CCT is inversely proportional to lamp life, regardless if it's IRC or not.. the curve to descrbe the relationship will shift of course.. and it'll take some destructive testing to estimate the new relationship.. but i'm going to start with boosting the exponent from 12 to 13 and 14.. meaning.. at 18V, these lamps would re-rate to between 13.7 and 20.6 hrs vs the 30.8 that the normal formula would give.. .. i'm leaving the 'harsher' value on the 50W and the 'softer' value on the 65W.. because like i said.. CCT inversely proportional to lamp life.. it's why i didn't push the 50W over 17V.. it just has that 'i'm just about to blow' color going for it, very much like the 64625 looks all the damn time :-D

OH.. the 64610 seems a lot like that as well.. but though i've blown 3 '625 lamps at voltages below 13V.. i've accidentally hit the '610 with 14.4V+ and it survived.. so i have very high hopes that the '440 (50W IRC) will work at at least 18-18.5V.. it will make for some very nice easy solutions.. (5x3 IB1400s in a 3D 3-bore).. no driver, just plug and play. 6x3 with a PIR is doable.. 6x3-1 with hotdriver is doable... 

I'm really hoping that the IRC will keep the heat from the lamp lower so i don't have as much problem with overheating the electronics from lamp emissions. I did make my test leads smoke with the lamp so there is obviously still some serious IR emissions (only the black one the red one just got warm). 

I will try to get an estimate of the re-rated curve for CCT so i can put that in the equation.. my plan is to dial up a known light to a known voltage that has similar lumen output.. and crank up each of the IRCs to do a side-by-side comparison to match the CCT.. once i have the voltage at which the CCT looks similar i can reverse engineer the formula for each of the IRC lamps (which ramp up completely differently (CTT)). 

-awr


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## DCFluX (May 3, 2006)

*Re: Osram Halostar IRC lamps*

I think I will go with the 50W then, should be ideal with my 12X Energizer 2500mAH stack that is currently powering a Westinghouse 75W bulb, now if I can just find a place to order them from...

I think the other project is worth pursuing, even though IRC seems to be impossible to find.


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## andrewwynn (May 3, 2006)

*Re: Osram Halostar IRC lamps*

if you buy them they will come (to america). 

I can't figure out why the big bulb warehouses can't figure out to get these lamps.. maybe they just last too long so there is no repeat business? 

I will get a 50W running i was going to say soon i'm going to try it right now... 

ok.. results are in.. not going to like to hear it.. don't bother.. the 64610 is more light and actually white. I tried it against the M85 and the M85 beat the IRC50 hands down (hosting the IRC50 direct-drive from 4xD LiON). I didn't check the state of charge but did not use those cells much since they were charged, so i guess.. 'open air' the lamp definitely appears whiter than in a focused reflector.. that is also good news though.. means that the 50 will handle more overdrive.. i really want a 'swappable' solution.. 'hola' and 'lola'..

the problem with 64610 is that it is not a 'direct drive' solution.. the 623 will work but it's about 140W from 14.4 and energizers will most definitely not cut it.

The W75 was one of our very first lamps in the "Mag100".. you would be very happy with the evolution into a Mag138.. but you'd need tougher cells with that also.

-awr


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## andrewwynn (May 4, 2006)

*Re: Osram Halostar IRC lamps*

found what seems to be a very decent source for the lamps, i can't read german so maybe somebody that can can browse the site and see if they actually have them in-stock.. trying to browse with babelfish gets tricky. 

here is the direct link to the three lamps

-awr


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## Seth (May 4, 2006)

*Re: Osram Halostar IRC lamps*



andrewwynn said:


> found what seems to be a very decent source for the lamps, i can't read german so maybe somebody that can can browse the site and see if they actually have them in-stock.. trying to browse with babelfish gets tricky.
> 
> here is the direct link to the three lamps
> 
> -awr



awr,

I just mailed them for their prices incl. shipping to the US.

I guess the answer will not be a pleasant one, they charge 6,50EUR for s&h inside germany and a whopping 25EUR to other european countries....

I´ll keep you informed

Seth


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## DFiorentino (May 4, 2006)

*Re: Osram Halostar IRC lamps*

They are for sale online here as well.

-DF


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## andrewwynn (May 4, 2006)

*Re: Osram Halostar IRC lamps*

thanks, Seth, that was quick!.. i'm not afraid of a $25 fee.. but if it's $50+ that's getting ridiculous.. we might have to find somebody inside germany to buy a batch and do a 'group buy' or something. If i can get the lamps in-hand for under $8-10 in quantity that would be harsh, but workable... $5 would be better of course :-D. 

-awr


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## Seth (May 8, 2006)

*Re: Osram Halostar IRC lamps*



andrewwynn said:


> thanks, Seth, that was quick!.. i'm not afraid of a $25 fee.. but if it's $50+ that's getting ridiculous.. we might have to find somebody inside germany to buy a batch and do a 'group buy' or something. If i can get the lamps in-hand for under $8-10 in quantity that would be harsh, but workable... $5 would be better of course :-D.
> 
> -awr


Hello awr,

just got the reply from online-elektroshop.de

He asked me if he can ignore a similar request in english from Mr. Andrew R., I guess that´s you... Basically he said he learned english 20yrs back in school and forgot most of it  

He can ship to the U.S., he´s asking 32 EUR for this ( that´s about 40 $ ) which is simply the price our local post office ( DHL ) asks for.

Two problems arise:

1. Customs

2. Webshop can only deal with EU-located payments. No paypal, no CC  

So, if you ask me, I´d say the most convenient way is to find someone inside germany or the EU who is willing to forward those bulbs to the U.S.

Unfortunately, I can´t help you with a group-buy or similar.

Being unemployed, my pockets aren´t deep enough  

Maybe some other of our german or EU members can help?

Seth


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## bwaites (May 8, 2006)

*Re: Osram Halostar IRC lamps*

Andrew, give SOS Lighting a call, 800-927-1098 and see if they can pull it off.

I've found they can seem to get stuff when all my other suppliers can't. They aren't always the cheapest, but they are competitive.

Bill


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## andrewwynn (May 8, 2006)

*Re: Osram Halostar IRC lamps*

talked to them, they don't have easy access to them, but he's looking into it.. he said it might be possible but it would take a long time.. i said.. it'll be a month or two before i'm ready to use them in quantity, so give it a shot and email me back. 

-awr


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## petrev (May 9, 2006)

*Re: Osram Halostar IRC lamps*

Hi Andrew

These Germans are doing the 35W for €2 +postage ( €18 to UK no mention of US)

http://www.luconda.com/27/Beleuchtungsanlage-geraet-11/Halogenlampe-06-06-Seite-3.html

No mention of bigger ones - ? - maybe send an e-mail

Cheers Pete


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## davidefromitaly (May 11, 2006)

*Re: Osram Halostar IRC lamps*

2 euro for the non irc, the irc is 6 euro

i will try to do a GB in italy in the future (maybe next month) if you want i can accept the order from who live in usa.

i will send all the requested bulbs in usa in only one package for save shipping, then the guy who receive the package will divide it for the variuos us countries

i find them at 4.27 euro + shipping (shipping at the end i think will be more expensive than the bulbs)

otherwise you can contact some osram big dealer in usa and try to order them in packages of 40 for each wattage. i think is possible to do


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## Spacemarine (May 12, 2006)

*Re: Osram Halostar IRC lamps*

I just got an offer for Osram IRC Decostar (these are the MR16 typed with glass reflector) 35W 38°. I could sell them for 4$ each plus shipping. I'm pretty sure that the bulbs inside the Decostar are the same as the Halostar, as both are IRC, have a spherical bulb and a filament with an inner return wire.

Shipping by registered airmail is 10$ for up to 10 pieces, each additional one is 1$ for shipping extra.

Just PM me if you need some.


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## andrewwynn (May 12, 2006)

*Re: Osram Halostar IRC lamps*

nice.. i have to say i'm liking these lamps more every day.. i just 'lucked out' with the fact that the base is narrower than the sphere. I had to re-ream my big reflectors to fit that big round ball. 

I have to set up a host for MR16.. that sounds like a real winner. I bet that the MR16 reflectors really reflect a lot more heat out the front which would be a big problem solver. 

-awr


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## Spacemarine (May 13, 2006)

*Re: Osram Halostar IRC lamps*



andrewwynn said:


> I bet that the MR16 reflectors really reflect a lot more heat out the front which would be a big problem solver.



No they don't. The reflectors of the IRC Decostar are dichroic glass reflectors, they only reflect the visible light and let the IR radiation go through them. The purpose of this is to reduce the heat up at the object you are illuminationg. Sadly that's very counterproductive for us.


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## davidefromitaly (May 13, 2006)

*Re: Osram Halostar IRC lamps*

spacemarine the bulb is the same but is possible to take out the reflector? if you can find the bulb+refl for 4$ you can find the naked bulb for less?


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## jashhash (May 13, 2006)

*Re: Osram Halostar IRC lamps*

Even if the lamp is 30% more efficient it seems to me the problem is the batteries not the bulb.. We try to cram all these little batteries into one tight package inorder to get up to 18 volts and take advantage of this efficient bulb, but in the end we lose overall runtime, not at the bulb, but at the batteries. The biggest inovation in run time per size comes from the batteries being used rather than the lamp. I suppose the best compromise between size and run time could be achieved by using 5x C Li-Ions in a Mag 5C host. Assuming Andrewwynn could shrink his hotdriver to C-size.


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## Spacemarine (May 13, 2006)

*Re: Osram Halostar IRC lamps*

You could take out the lamp by destroying the reflector, however I think that this task may be very complicated if you want to leave the bulb intact.

The "naked" bulbs (called halostar) are normally cheaper than the bulbs in the reflectors (they are called decostar)

The problem is that the IRC Decostar 35W 38° are currently the only ones that I can get.


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## winny (May 13, 2006)

*Re: Osram Halostar IRC lamps*

If anyone needs 35 W IRC halostars, I can sell them for $5 a piece.


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## andrewwynn (May 13, 2006)

*Re: Osram Halostar IRC lamps*

winny: see PM i'm interested.

jash.. you made a math error in your assessment.. the energy density of the smaller cells is the same as the larger cells.. the runtime ends up longer for same power or more light for same runtime.. 

examples: 

64625 from 11x GP2000.. 2893L

pulls about 9.56A at 12.75V.. means 1.9AH/9.56*60 = 12 hypothetical minutes. 

64440 from 16x 2/3A cells.. 2977L

pulls about 5.1A at 18.5V.. and the cells though rated '1400' are more like 1200-1300.. so say 1.2AH/5.1A*60min/H.. = 14.11 hypothetical minutes.. 

now that is only 20% more.. but it's also using less volume (16 x 2/3 is just slightly less battery volume than 11 x 4/5A).

packing in 18 cells and using a PWM regulator.. runtime would be extended a bit. We have toyed with the idea of 5D version with LiON Ds.. runtime whoa! 50 minutes with the 50W IRC.. but we don't like that big of light.. have smaller size in mind. 

I do have a design for a hotdriver that will fit right into a C-size mag.. it will be an extraordinarily easy mod to do.. basically just a 'drop in'. 

Space: good to know about the heat issues.. i won't be needing any of those soon in such case.

-awr


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## andrewwynn (May 14, 2006)

*Re: Osram Halostar IRC lamps*

got my first batch of lamps in.. thanks spacemarine! 

So.. now i can start some 'ballstothewalls' testing.. 

Last night i dialed up a hotdriver.. got some thinner wire on it for a sense resistor where i can limit the current to 7-9A.. and started firing up the lamp, going up 1V increments up from 13V up to 18V.. and it just has been working great. I had a couple melt-downs (FETs.. i am the 'FET assassin' btw.. pictures will be coming.. i have an FET 'boneyard'). Once in a while i'll have something go haywire.. like maybe a bit of capacitance holding a charge where it shouldn't be.. 'faking' some voltage that shouldn't be there.. and i'll get a current spike w/o the limiting.. (i've since resorted to hard wiring in a magnetic reed switch for 'snap acting' engagement).. and things work better.. anyhow.. without current limiting.. at 18V the IRC50 pulled over 26A at startup.. blew the SNOT out of the FET.. i think smoke actually mighta come out that time. 

Right now i'm fine-tuning the startup current but with current limiting i'm confident that 18 to 19V is going to be viable.. i've put the lamp through at least 100 starts, at least a half hour total burn time.. in a bit of irony... the one time i set up things to do a 1 hr burn.. blew the FET instantly at turn on and i had to pull the plug... 

With a 4,000,000 µF cap.. even when i turn things off the lamp glows quite a while. 

So.. i have a bat. pack almost made.. i'll have to charge it manually on my bench supply i don't have a 16-cell charger.. 14 is the max i think i can charge.. but confidence is high to have a 3000L IRC powered torch within the next few days. 

For somebody interested in a 'poor mans' version.. 15 cells would be the bomb.. i think you can get away with 15 cells direct-drive.. what a 'gimmie'.. That'd be as much lumen as the Mag625 from 11 cells at 12.5V.. but 90 vs 118W! that is just plain awesome no matter how you break it down! 

The CCT appears just wonderful.. i haven't done head-to-head of course (don't have it in a light) but will do that as soon as i have the Mag444x running. My estimates are that it won't be quite as white as the ludicrous white of the 625, but they won't be NEARLY AS TWITCHY either!

In addition.. anybody that likes SMOOOTH beams will love these lamps.. with the no-shadow filaments.. it is just beautiful. I have a feeling that the lamp will REALLY be incredible in the 2" deep FM reflector.. i will have to bore out my second to try it out. 

-awr


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## jashhash (May 15, 2006)

*Re: Osram Halostar IRC lamps*






Wattage:35
Voltage:6
Diameter:4
Height:
Base:G53
Lamp life:3000

This IRC lamp assembly by Osram is 35 watts at 6 volts. Wonder if this would be a good light to run at 7.2 volts from 2x Li-Ions. If 36 lm/watt could be achieved at 7.2 volts then were looking at something like 1620 bulb lumens driven at 45 watts in a 2D form factor. I'm not sure if this IRC lamp assembly has the IRC bulb coating or if it uses the metal cap covering the bulb to reflect back IR heat. If these bulbs are IRC coated then Perhaps Osram might consider selling us the bare bulbs.


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## andrewwynn (May 16, 2006)

*Re: Osram Halostar IRC lamps*

it would probably need more like 8V to look appealing.. that is if it's really IRC lamp.. it would be very interesting to see some 6V IRC lamps.. you could run them from 8.4V source (2Dwith 8xAA)..


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## HiltiHome (May 16, 2006)

*Re: Osram Halostar IRC lamps*



jashhash said:


> Wattage:35
> Voltage:6
> Diameter:4
> Height:
> ...



There are two product ranges: Halostar 111 and Halostar 111 IRC.
The 6V assembly is without IRC. There is no 6V Lamp in the IRC range.
The IRC are all rated 4000h.
My Osram

Sorry for the bad news...


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## andrewwynn (May 21, 2006)

*Re: Osram Halostar IRC lamps*

still making progress.. i've beat the 50IRC a lot and it's still ticking.. the latest test.. a direct jump start with a 4F cap and 10A power supply set to 18.0V.. 

results.. pulls close to 40A if ice cold.. that works out to about SEVEN HUNDRED WATTS! i really am stunned they survive!

fortunately with the hotdriver that is held back to about 140W max.. but it took the deaths of about 8 FETs to dial in the proper settings. 

A prototype is not that far away. 

-awr


----------



## andrewwynn (May 24, 2006)

*Re: Osram Halostar IRC lamps*

Ok.. first beamshots inside a host.. still being quite finicky with the right match of startup current... we managed to blow the FET after about 10 lights.. but we got some shots off first. (oh.. it is shall we say 'interesting' to remove a tailcap from a light pulling 5-7A. (at least it's lower than the 65625 at over 9!)

here's the album

First impressions running in a light.. 

My new favorite lamp.. so much for the 64625. 

I was running the IRC 50W lamp at 18.5V regulated from 16 cells (IB1400s) in a 3D host three-bore. 

We did a ceiling bounce against a 12CBP Mag138.. and it registered substantially higher.. best part.. about 30W less power!

estimated runtimes from 16 IB1400 cells.. 10 minutes 14 minutes 18 minutes (65, 50, 35W lamps). 





Here it is lighting up a tree 400' distant. 

I had the lamp hosted in an LOP reflector.. and it is almost completely free of any artifacts. I will probably put mine in an LS reflector to smooth the spot to flood transition (the axial filament makes for a distinct circular spot we are used to seeing in the USL/Mag138 beam).. 

The filament is very long so it's fairly 'floody'.. the 138 out threw in the first tests, but we didn't have them in the same reflectors.. we will do a better test when i get the driver de-bugged. 

In any event.. one step farther along.. now i have the battery pack and a host for sea-trials.. The firsts few tests went very well.. i think a 'double-click' did in the driver.. it's very close to the limits of what the DPAK fet can take with the higher voltages.. still trying to find an FET that can handle some higher voltages and the insane startup peaks of these lamps. 

-awr


----------



## andrewwynn (May 26, 2006)

*Re: Osram Halostar IRC lamps*

OK.. Replaced the FET.. a bit of fine-tuning on the startup situation.. and blamo.. i have a light that seems to be happy. 

It's dialed into 3000L right now.. that's with the IRC50 lamp.. i was able to start the 65W lamp on the bench w/o melting anything but i think i'll stick with the 50 for a week or two before getting too gutsy.. it is such a bummer going from working to blown flashlight! 

What is instantly noticable? 

1) a reasonable range of focus.. i have the lamp in a light-stipple (#5) reflector.. and the beam quality is about as good as the 625 in a heavy stipple.. you can actually dial through a really neat range of focus.. it starts with a very soft beam.. then you get a pretty solid spot.. if you keep going it softens up again but with a noticeable 'spot' where it transitions to flood. 

2) definitely lower CCT than the 625.. but close to the 138.. this is most excellent for outside use where this lamp would most likely be used.. the 3D quality of 'nature' just 'jumps out at you' compared to the 625.. and a lot less 'flashback' from pollen, dust. 

3) just plain STUNNING beam quality.. most people would be MORE than happy with a smooth reflector.. and LOP is as 'soft' as most would ever care to use.. only in 'beamshots' are you going to see the gain of a stippled reflector.. that said.. considering that i still get 200' of throw with the light stipple.. i won't be going smoother than that for MY purposes.. i'd rather light up the WHOLE tree at 200' than the center. 

4) it takes nearly double the time to cool of compared to the 625 lamp... I'm not sure how much less heat escapes the lamp and gets into the head.. but it most certainly gets warm.. i would not make a light with this lamp w/o a finned head. 

5) Output comparisons.. i have yet to do a bounce.. but they are 'on par' with each other.. the math works out to 2900L for the 625 and 3000L for the IRC 50.. 

6) efficiency comparison: 36.5L/W calculated for the 625.. 47L/W for the IRC50 (44440 IRC). 

7) Power comparison: 122W for the 625.. 98W for the IRC50! sawweeet! 

8) runtime comparison: 12 min. calculated to 1.9AH with 11xGP2000 for the 625..13.6min calculated to 1.2AH with IB1400 cells for the IRC50.. 'only' a 14% improvement.. but the GP2000s just absolutely rock! 

So.. conclusions? 

I will still use the 625 as a mainstay lamp.. because it works great in a 4D host with LiON.. and with the heavy-stipple it still is the nicest beam i've ever seen in any light. pure flood.. but great googa mooga quantities! I will be likely transitioning to the IRC lamps as i can figure out host solutions.. 

It is very likely people could get away with a direct-drive solution on 15 cells.. a 3.5D light could hold 15xGP2000.. it would be amazing and simple.. if we can get somebody to tri-bore some 4Ds after lopping off a bit on the back. you'd get 21 min. runtime! wowza! 

So.. to get the 18.55V to achieve the calculated 3000L.. i used 16xIB1400 cells.. and a spacer made from a solder tube and a 14ga wire (with copper pcb end-caps).. with the PIR you'd be able to use 18 cells and get a longer runtime! (i have a very good reason to stick with 16 cells.. TBA). 

The numbers are looking very promising.. as long as the 65W lamp doesn't start eating FETs like popcorn.. a 'trifecta' solution of 2165L from 71W for 18.9min... 3000L from 98W for 13.6min and are you SITTING DOWN? 4075 lumen from 126W for 10.6 minutes! 

So.. just plain stunning!


----------



## andrewwynn (May 27, 2006)

*Re: Osram Halostar IRC lamps*

Some new beamshots:





Baseline reference scene





Osram 64625 lamp. 3sec exposure





Osram halostar IRC 65W lamp 3 sec exposure





Mag 85.. with 4 sec. exposure. (image from last year but gets the point across.. it's actually a longer exposure!).

Well happy news to get the 65W lamp running.. i blew a handful of FETs trying to get the settings just right. Seems i dialed in the right values now. 

oops almost forgot.. the rest of the shots are here

-awr


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## andrewwynn (May 27, 2006)

*Re: Osram Halostar IRC lamps*

ok it keeps getting better.. 

got a fairly accurate ceiling bounce... 

62138 lamp @ 13.2V.. 180 lux
64625 lamp @ 12.7V.. 220 lux (22% more light)
64447 lamp @ 18.7V.. 280 lux (56% more than '138.. 27% more light than '625). 

That puts the 65W IRC in the neighborhood of 3800L.. that is to quote robert denero from 'midnight run'.. "that's a nice neighborhood"! 

I have to say.. after using the 35W in the light for a while.. it's a bit more 'beamy' outside.. and yet with the axial filament you can dial in a 'pure flood' for close up work.. i'm kind of liking the idea of an 18-19 minute runtime with a 'superlight'. something heretofore not available. 

The estimates are on the order of 2000-2200L from the 35W lamp.. and though it's a bit on the yellow side.. i prefer the color of the 1185 or the 625.. it actually is better suited for outside.. i think i'll be making an M625 for indoor or closeup work.. especially since for the 4D light there really isn't a better option. (thought the 138 in a smo reflector is insane.. just go check out the recent beamshots.. 400' away is nothing for that lamp). 

Oh.. been trying to get this picture for a while.. seriously.. don't do this at home:






I have not been able to take that shot 'til now.. can't hold hand on the lamp long enough to get the picture.. i think.. that because the IRC lamp takes longer to get to temp.. i'm able to pull it off.. but about 1.2 sec is about the max.. it really is extremely hot. I can actually illuminate THROUGH my wrist with these lights.. i can't really hold it long enough to see what i'm looking at.. looks like some veins and tendons have enough opacity to leave a shadow..weird that i couldn't really see the bones.. i think there is too much diffusion in the muscle tissue.. anyhow.. crazy bright. 

-awr


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## andrewwynn (May 28, 2006)

*Re: Osram Halostar IRC lamps*

I just ordered a 5D flashlight so i can make a 'long run' version of the IRC flashlight.. the runtime estimate is: 38, 50, 67 minutes.. since the driver will be over 99.5% efficient, the only heat issue will be from the lamp.. and with finning it should be able to be used continuous if walking... what a great 'walking through the woods at night' light.. 50 minutes of 2700L! 

-awr


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## petrev (May 28, 2006)

*Re: Osram Halostar IRC lamps*



andrewwynn said:


> I just ordered a 5D flashlight so i can make a 'long run' version of the IRC flashlight.. the runtime estimate is: 38, 50, 67 minutes.. since the driver will be over 99.5% efficient, the only heat issue will be from the lamp.. and with finning it should be able to be used continuous if walking... what a great 'walking through the woods at night' light.. 50 minutes of 2700L!
> 
> -awr




Hi Andrew

That would be a 15xAA pack ?

Cheers Pete


----------



## andrewwynn (May 28, 2006)

*Re: Osram Halostar IRC lamps*

5x LiON D :-D 18V nominal.. less than the 18.7 i'm using in the 3D, but enough voltage to get the job done.. fair trade off for ludicrous runtime. I'll bring it camping, put a light stipple reflector in it and have a light that is perfect for lighting an area for extended periods or walking, even though it's pretty big, it shouldn't be too heavy.


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## davidefromitaly (May 29, 2006)

you have copy my idea andrew 

we need a 3-4" reflector for this big filaments...


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## andrewwynn (May 29, 2006)

Probably not an exact copy... i'm using a regulator to maintain constant voltage. Although the lamp does 'take' voltages higher than 18V.. at 18.7 as tested, i've noticed 'darkening' with one run through the cells.. 

I most certainly got interested in the IRC lamps after DFI's thread as mentioned on the first post of this thread. 

For 'super beamy' throw.. a bigger reflector is needed, but with an LOP.. the 50 or 65W lamp is good up to 130m or so.. not sure what use for 'more spot'.. it's very nice to have the flood that goes with it.

-awr


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## klomparens (Jul 12, 2006)

*Where to get OSRAM IRC MR16 Lamps*

I stock the Osram IRC Technology MR16 lamps right here in the good old United States. They are hard to find being made in Europe, but I import a ton of product from Osram and have them for a very good price.

This is by far the best MR16 lamp on the market and saves more in energy cost per year than the extra cost of the lamp.

Let me know if you have any questions. You can see the lamps at www.fusacorp.com and call us to set up a user ID and password.

Best Regards,
Craig A. Klomparens
FUSA CORP


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## darmawaa (Jul 12, 2006)

I bought 2000hours G6.35 Phoenix lamp in Japan Tokyu hands. I don't know if it is available in US. They are available in 35,50,75 and 100watt.

I think it is made in Taiwan or China, distributor price should be very cheap, maybe around $2-3 each, if anyone need hundreds of them, search their website and try to order as dealer.


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## bonklers (Jul 17, 2006)

Will I gain anything from using a 12V batterypack NIMH on hot driver with IRC bulbs? i.e. constant output, option to overdrive the bulb, better lumen/watt ratio?


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## winny (Jul 17, 2006)

bonklers,

No. Unless you want to run it at a lower voltage, you will only sacrifice efficiency due to the FET resistance. There is no way you will instaflash it either from a 12 V pack.


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## andrewwynn (Jul 17, 2006)

you won't be happy with the output at 12V.. they are very very nice at 18-18.5V.. they should work up to 19.5.. higher than that, probably will darken pretty quickly based on my one tester lamp that is pretty dark. 

-awr


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## davidefromitaly (Jul 19, 2006)

don't know if this is the right place to write that but...

i will try to organize a GB for that bulbs in italy (http://cpfitalia.forumup.it/viewtopic.php?t=71&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0&mforum=cpfitalia). if somebody is interested can join it. i'm not a "professional" in GB but i will try to do the best.


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## bonklers (Jul 20, 2006)

How long is the bulb life if you push it up to 18V? And did you try the 25W with 18V?


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## andrewwynn (Jul 21, 2006)

I have not gotten any 25Wers yet.. i don't suspect any problem at all at 18-18.5V though.. the re-rating formulas really can't be trusted.. but doing my best to estimate.. 

the standard re-rater says 22.4hrs.. i know better than that.. the IRC lamps are pushed 35% harder than the power level suggests.. so i've tweaked the curves and come up with somewhere between 6 and 15 hrs is what i'd expect.. i have a couple bulbs with an hour or two of use with no visible signs of wear yet. 

The slovanians really came through with my bulb order.. i don't expect problems and when i get to the point where i'm selling lights hosting these lamps i will keep plenty in stock to sell piece-meal. 

-awr


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## Ctechlite (Mar 5, 2007)

tag


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## Action (Mar 5, 2007)

I hate to somewhat change the tenor of this conversation, but this is very close to what I have been trying to find out for a while...

What is the group opinion of running one of these IRC lamps direct with 18V? I'm getting a tri-bored 4D (woohoo!) and a Mad Maxabeam 15x2/3A Elite 2000mah battery pack. A Kiu switch is going in as soon as the hosts arrive. I was really thinking about using just a standard MR-16 setup when klomparens mentioned his bulb sales.

Any thoughts? Suggestions for reflecting the heat forward from one of these bulbs in an MR-16 setup? It appears that the Osram IRC MR-16 only comes with lens installed, this makes me more concerned about heat. Would you use it without the Mag lens or attempt to remove the lens from the MR-16? Has anyone tried ceramic coating the backside of lenses to restrict the flow of heat back to the switch area?


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## Action (Mar 5, 2007)

double post...


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## winny (Mar 5, 2007)

Action said:


> What is the group opinion of running one of these IRC lamps direct with 18V? I'm getting a tri-bored 4D (woohoo!) and a Mad Maxabeam 15x2/3A Elite 2000mah battery pack. A Kiu switch is going in as soon as the hosts arrive. I was really thinking about using just a standard MR-16 setup when klomparens mentioned his bulb sales.



You cannot run it at 18 V without softstart. Period.





Action said:


> Any thoughts? Suggestions for reflecting the heat forward from one of these bulbs in an MR-16 setup? It appears that the Osram IRC MR-16 only comes with lens installed, this makes me more concerned about heat.



No, it comes as a bare bulb as well, called the Osram Halostar IRC.


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## andrewwynn (Mar 5, 2007)

one of my IRC lamps is a 5D that uses LION.. the voltage is almost identical to what you are going to get with 15x4/5A and it works extremely well. I use the 50W lamp in that light most often to get about 50 minutes runtime. The light is not quite as white or bright as my 2D 16x2/3A but it's quite nice.

I'm surprised to hear it can't deal with 18V w/o soft-start.. since the lamps have been pushed up over 20V (albeit slowly).. good to get some feedback on that one i've been thinking that DD was ok.. 

Well.. regulator will definitely do the trick as my IRC-5D has been working phenomenally well for about a year.. that might be your best bet.. it will work better anyhow. 

you can build with the 'kiu kit' and use the G6.35 lamps which are easy to buy direct from slovania. 

people have made heat shields around the KIU socket but more important is a finned head if you want to reduce the amount of heat by your hand. If you don't have a driver you don't have to worry too much about the heat quantity, you'll know when it's too hot to hold anymore 

-awr


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## Action (Mar 5, 2007)

What particular bulb would you recommend? Would you happen to have a link to it?

What if I also had a 24V 20x2/3A setup, any suggestions for a direct drive lamp?



andrewwynn said:


> one of my IRC lamps is a 5D that uses LION.. the voltage is almost identical to what you are going to get with 15x4/5A and it works extremely well. I use the 50W lamp in that light most often to get about 50 minutes runtime. The light is not quite as white or bright as my 2D 16x2/3A but it's quite nice.
> 
> The lamp should deal with the >19V spikes with fresh cells, so that should be quite a nice direct-drive solution.
> 
> ...


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## winny (Mar 5, 2007)

Action said:


> What particular bulb would you recommend? Would you happen to have a link to it?
> 
> What if I also had a 24V 20x2/3A setup, any suggestions for a direct drive lamp?



The Osram Halostar IRC beats the completion just about always, but you need to go down in voltage if you want to go with direct drive.
There are few efficient 24 V lamps, but Osrams 24 V, 250 W Xenophot comes into my mind.  
There are lower power versions of it too IIRC.

Also, I should correct myself. You _might_ be able to start it at 18 V, but the chance if instaflash is very very very high - not worth the risk in any way.


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## roadie (Mar 5, 2007)

24volt 250 watt from osram .......


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## Action (Mar 5, 2007)

Yeah, I saw the 250W Osram in a mac creation, the current is perhaps a bit too much for a Kiu switch to take. Maybe a lower wattage version would be interesting, especially if combined with a 3' head. Has anyone experimented with ceramic coating the interior of heads and the rear of lenses to minimize the heat transfer? I know that the heat has to go somewhere, but out the front appears at first glance to be the best place.

I'm going to need to read up on the regulators a bit more, I was just hoping that a direct drive 18V setup was out there and would work well.


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## andrewwynn (Mar 5, 2007)

note my updated post.. after seeing winny's comments.. i'm surprised about 18V and DD.. i've never blown an IRC lamp and push them as hard as 19V.. 

here is a link to the IRC lamps at svetila.com. 

I don't really support 'dd' lamps.. just way too much of a hassle to get a nice combination and the concept of 'resting' cells is so silly to me it feels like nails on a chalkboard... there is a 17% difference in voltage in NORMAL operation of an NIMH cell. that makes for a 75% difference in light output.. to get a nice white and efficient lamp you need to really really push it.. and the 'fresh cell' voltage will be too high... a good example is the 1185 lamp which is a 9.6V lamp we run at 10.8V.. well at 10.8 it's very nice.. but a '10.8V' battery will apply about 12.6V with a fresh charge and will blow the lamp instantly. 

We have been toying with ideas of how to add a 16th cell.. like up through the middle of the switch.. with 16 cells you can regulate an IRC to 18.6V and it's mind altering nice.

winny: would using NTC or some simple form of soft-start work to DD the IRC at 18V?

I don't like if it comes off i'm trying to plug the hotdriver.. but they were invented because of this problem.. DD is just not a very good way to run a light efficiently.. 

take the 1185 again as example because it's the most popular hotwire lamp.. 

a 'drop in' solution using all stock parts and 3->1 plastic adapters for the cells.. you can expect about 1/2 an ohm or more resistance.. if you use the best batteries you will still only get:

9.21V to the lamp and output is 460L. efficiency is 25L/W and color is 3326.. 

now.. upgrade to a good battery pack like the fivemega or the smartpak and the resistance drops to 215mohm.. and the numbers go to:

10.1V at the lamp and output is 635L. efficiency is 30L/W and color is 3425
that is 38% increase in output with a 20% gain in efficiency and the color is nicer.

now upgrade to a KIU socket.. 

you'll get 10.55V at the lamp.. output is 739 and efficiency is 32.5L/W.. color 3472. 

now upgrade to a hotdriver:
you'll get 10.73V to the lamp.. output is 785 and efficiency is 33.6L/W.. color 3491

now.. use 17500 cells in a 3x3 config with hotdriver.. 
you will get 11.1V to the lamp.. output of 880L and efficiency of 35.4L/W.. color 3522. 

all these same principles apply to the IRC, but even at 18V the IRC re-rates to 46 L/W or 30% more efficient than the 1185 lamp.. but the color temp is noticeably lower.. which actually is just fine for outdoor work where it matches nature better. 

my calculations for 18 vs 18.6V for IRC.. (50W model):

volt, amp, watt, t-lum, L/W, CCT:
18.0, 5.07, 91.3, 2742, 46.2, 3341
18.6, 5.16, 96.0, 3026, 48.5, 3447

the combination of the 300L and the rise in cct does make for a marked difference, but like i mentioned.. i have a 5D IRC lamp with 18V nominal.. i still set my driver to 18.5V to take advantage of the brighter output with fresh cells.. why turn it into heat afterall? if you are hosting in a maglight.. the hotdriver is a drop-in. 

I haven't really figured out where i'd go with 24V but it seems to me there is that 250W winny just mentioned.. the beauty of that lamp is with the higher voltage.. current is reasonable.. the problem is.. 24V lamp at 24V drive.. won't be amazingly white, but it will sure be a lot of lumens! once you go to lower output you might as well use the IRC.. that is such a nice host i personally would definitely put in a hotdriver of course i get a pretty good deal on them :-D

-awr


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## Northern Lights (Mar 5, 2007)

Andrew, I will DD my irc65Ws if you do not get an MC HD invented by the time I get the tube tri-bored on the Mag Charger. 
I have stuffed the daylights out of my other Hot Wires with ceramic blanket material and it helps keep the heat up in the reflector. My concern with the new mag charger reflector is that it is glued quite well into the plastic frame, other MCs I have dealt with readily gave up the reflector out of the frame and I put fiber glass felt under those reflectors, I want to try the same thing with the ceramic blanket material in the MC before I buy, (if they can be found) a cammed smooth reflector for the MC. I think I can stuff the material into the frame through the vent holes, the forward part of the reflector is resting on that high temp glue but I think it would be better to be the blanket material. I sure would like to figure out how to break the bond of this new stuff. 
How bad do you think I am going to melt things on my current course?
I had a problem logging into svetila.com once I set up an account. They contacted me however because they noticed I had filled a cart and did not check out. Good customer service, they straightened out the glitch and I got the bulbs in about ten days. Now I have to fabricate a ceramic socket into the MC to take the pins that are 6mm wide, I intend to use the inherint focus of the Mag system, I know you hate it and use only focused lights but as I explained to you a couple of times I do have a purpose for that flood effect so that is the way I have gone in a couple of lights. Maybe all of us will get some IRCs out about the same time, ya think?


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## winny (Mar 6, 2007)

andrewwynn said:


> note my updated post.. after seeing winny's comments.. i'm surprised about 18V and DD.. i've never blown an IRC lamp and push them as hard as 19V..
> 
> ...
> 
> winny: would using NTC or some simple form of soft-start work to DD the IRC at 18V?




Sure, running it there is no problem, but the surge current increases a lot here.

NTC might work, but they are usually slow, and the small fast ones can't take too much current. Perhaps several small ones. :thinking: 

I'm trying to think out a way to show an instaflash at 18 V, but I don't have enough RC cells for that, and no lab supplies in school can provide enough cold inrush current. I'll see if I can dig up some capacitors to kill one or two with and give you a number where at least mine blew at.


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## petrev (Mar 6, 2007)

Hi Winny

I would just like to say that for me the best solution would be a PIR like device (PIR-X) that PWM-Regulated a nice 6 pack of Li-Ions down to say 17-18V.  

Please - Please - Please - can we have something . . .  

Cheers Pete


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## andrewwynn (Mar 6, 2007)

winny said:


> I'm trying to think out a way to show an instaflash at 18 V, but I don't have enough RC cells for that, and no lab supplies in school can provide enough cold inrush current. I'll see if I can dig up some capacitors to kill one or two with and give you a number where at least mine blew at.



I think i'll 'have a go' at a direct-start from 18V measuring V and I on an o-scope to get the current spike and see if it survives. 

I use a 4F cap in parallel with my 10A, 20V bench supply it will supply 30+A for about 1/4 to 1/3 of a second.. it's a pretty good substitute for 'always fully charged' batteries and what i use for the hotdriver testing of 100W hotdrivers. 

-awr


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## Action (Mar 6, 2007)

Thanks andrewwynn! I look forward to seeing the results!

I'm looking at the hotdriver very seriously now, its looking pretty awesome. Does it handle higher voltages well? If I were to purchase one from you with a Kiu switch, would it work fine with 18-24V battery packs up to ~15amps?


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## winny (Mar 6, 2007)

petrev,

I know I know...  


awr,

Sounds like what I had in mind. When I come to think about it, it's not more than right that you do it. I touched three of them to see how much overdrive they can take so it's your turn now.


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## andrewwynn (Mar 7, 2007)

hotdriver can handle up to 35A and 30V or so max... i'm making a special one to drive 12A at 39V out... let me know exactly what bat and lamp config you want to pair up.. email me vs talk off-topic or ask on my combo thread: http://cpfcombo.rouse.com

-awr


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## LuxLuthor (Mar 7, 2007)

Can anyone make one of these setups for me like MAC made to get a 250W setup? I have the 3" head.


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## Action (Mar 7, 2007)

That is quite a light for sure. I'm building something just like it but a bit less showy. A 4D tri-bore with a 24V pack from Mad Maxabeam. Head and reflector are yet to be determined, although Delghi's head is likely candidate or mayby FM's 3" heads. I will probably end up using the hotdriver with a Kiu as the switch.



LuxLuthor said:


> Can anyone make one of these setups for me like MAC made to get a 250W setup? I have the 3" head.


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## JimmyM (Mar 7, 2007)

I built a light based on the 64458. It's not an IRC bulb. It's a 90W, 4000 hour bulb. I've run it direct on 17 x 4 Ah 1/2Ds. I could run the 65W IRC DD on 15 1/2Ds with a modded Mag switch. If it were using a MOSFET (non-soft start) I'm sure it would instaflash on 15 cells. I had to rest them after charging as not to instaflash the IRC anyway. Blew 2 65W IRCs by not resting.
The 64458 can DD in 16 cells pretty fresh off the charger. It will DD on 17 cells if you rest them for a few hours. When running IIRC it got ~20V at the pins. AWR hotrater shows ~11,000 lumens.
Try the 64458 on for size. If your IRC can take a particular voltage the 458 certainly can. At ~20v it's roughly 200W. If you think the USL or Mag623 starts fires quickly, you should see this baby at work.


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## zehnmm (Mar 7, 2007)

JimmyM: Thanks for sharing your experiences on the 64458. To be honest, I had not even thought about this one.


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## JimmyM (Mar 7, 2007)

zehnmm said:


> JimmyM: Thanks for sharing your experiences on the 64458. To be honest, I had not even thought about this one.



Yeah. It's 4000 hour life means you can really overdrive it. But it also means you really HAVE to overdrive it. It draws almost exactly 10 amps at 20+ volts.
I mean 20+ a little. 20.1-20.2-20.3. 17 cells at 1.2v = 20.4. So at 10 amps, these 4 Ah cells sag a little, but after a minute or 2 they're at 1.1v-1.15v. They can't hold 1.2V+ consistently at a 10A load. But even at 1.1v each, it works out to 8,500+ Lumens. At 20.1V it puts out ~11,000 lumens.

Direct drive a 65W IRC on 15 well rested 2/3As or As @ 18V you get 5,800 lumens.
Direct drive a 90W 64458 on 15 2/3As or As hot off the charger @ 18V+ you get AT LEAST 7,400 lumens.

With these numbers, it's worth at least trying.


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## LumenHound (Mar 7, 2007)

winny, what about something like this for a soft start with a 18 volt battery pack?


winny said:


> The Osram Halostar IRC beats the completion just about always, but you need to go down in voltage if you want to go with direct drive.
> There are few efficient 24 V lamps, but Osrams 24 V, 250 W Xenophot comes into my mind.
> There are lower power versions of it too IIRC.
> 
> Also, I should correct myself. You _might_ be able to start it at 18 V, but the chance if instaflash is very very very high - not worth the risk in any way.


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## JimmyM (Mar 7, 2007)

For no regulation I was thinking about just using a 556 and a small mosfet. It would be PWM softstart with an end result of a 100% duty cycle. The mosfet would have to dissapate almost zero power/heat. The ouput power would still follow the RC charge curve. Maybe the length of the ON pulse could be based on a reverse RC charge curve. Then the power would start off ramping duty cycle slowly than quicken its rate of increase until it's 100%.
I haven't had the time to really look into it. But I LOVE PWM.


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## andrewwynn (Mar 8, 2007)

the lamp i'm aiming for is the 64367 .. running at 28+V.. 325W and just about 10,000L out the front. it should be quite a sight. 

Back to IRCs though :-D.. i'm amazed how much i like the 50w compared to the 65.. i run it in a 2D host with 16x2/3A (a couple dummy spacers in a 6x3 config and quite a trick to turn it on n off not to mention fit them in!).. however it's a cake-walk to duplicate that solution in a tri-bore 3D.. in about a month or two i should be able to start offering the smartpak for sale to hold the cells together. 

-awr

-awr


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