# AN/TVS-3 project



## nealitc (Nov 25, 2012)

This is all IgNITEor's fault.

So I found a collection on AN/TVS-3 lights and parts:
- 10 AN/TVS-3 lights: 2 complete, 8 with cut cables
- 3 60KW 400Hz generators (each powers 2 lights)
- 20 spare bulbs
- 10 spares kits
- many gallons of coolant
Too hard to resist.

I have warehouse/build space in San Francisco and potential project collaborators, with a target of building a serious light art installation (possibly taking it to Burning Man). I have power and electronics experience, but not at the scale of driving 465 A DC into a bulb with 1960s electronics. What I'm looking for is expertise and/or recommendations (I already got "seek professional psychiatric counseling") and/or participation interest...


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## BVH (Nov 25, 2012)

Do you have the contact info of the guy in the mid-west that put one of these on a Fire engine? I think I still have his email. From what I read and from a few emails back and forth, I would bet he's very sharp on these.

Looks like he's a member here: member "AN/TVS-3", appropriately. But he's not been on since Dec 2009. Here's the web page

http://www.brettpeabody.com/

Here's a thread he posted in:

http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?249476-20KW-Xenon-Searchlight

Too bad I'm 230 miles distant! It would be a fun project to participate in.


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## nealitc (Nov 25, 2012)

Thx! "AN/TVS-3" is actually the other guy interested in parts of the same lot, we're connecting by email.
Only 230mi away? You might see it...


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## BVH (Nov 25, 2012)

Yea, just let me know what night you're going to fire it up so I can walk outside and look up! Pick a moonless night, though.

Good luck!


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## PCC (Nov 25, 2012)

BVH said:


> Yea, just let me know what night you're going to fire it up so I can walk outside and look up! Pick a moonless night, though.
> 
> Good luck!



Definitely let us know when you fire it up. I'm in Daly City near the coast so I'll probably be able to see it from my living room. The front of my house faces SF.


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## get-lit (Nov 30, 2012)

Wow that would be pretty sick at burning man! Must. Take. Pics.


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## nealitc (Jan 6, 2013)

An update on the TVS-3 project: Hope to have one from the first batch lit up in 2 weeks, and cook the first batch of 20kW searchlight chicken! ("Look, up in the sky! The bat-signal! No, its turning chickens? WTF?")

Its been an exercise in education, research (thanks to member AN/TVS-3 for invaluable documentation) and cleaning corrosion and rodent nests.

Got the collection into a warehouse and dug in: 10 lights, 3 15kW 400Hz gensets (SP-HF-15) and a pile of spares. All of it rough and weathered, 8 of the lights had been vandalized by copper thieves, a lot of the spares in original kits which had leaked coolant cans or been wet, so some serious corrosion. Most of the extra bulbs in the lot were used or prototypes, as if they were on the shelf in a repair depot.

Starting on the 3 gensets. Only 50hrs of run time, 25 years of sitting in a field. Complete reconditioning, old coolant was thick mud, finding filters has been a challenge, hope I don't need parts (Hercules 198ER diesels, no longer made, local diesel shop laughed at me). Should be ready to restart the first one in another week.

2 lights are complete, cleaning radiators and cooling systems, will be working on testing dielectric coolants, incorporating a filtration system, then (very carefully) cleaning bulbs and removing corrosion from reflectors (I love HCl, but for these I'll use a chelating gel).

Expect that we'll get 6 of the 10 lights running with parts we have. Issue is replacing vandalized cables (from the base transformer to the rectifiers), 4/0 but made from 40AWG(!) stranding, stainless mesh over rubber over asbestos. Will evaluate if Class M welding cable with some extra sheathing will work, need to check bend radius. The remaining 4 cannibalized lights I intend sell to military collectors, first design an adapter for some other commercial (or VSS-3) bulb so they can have a working light, not 20kW but still bright, without the 400Hz and coolant headache. (That is unless one of y'all wants them.)


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## BVH (Jan 6, 2013)

If you end up needing more lamps and simply cannot find any, I know who will make you some. No idea of cost but it would be a source. Local to you also. Advanced Radiation Corp in Santa Clara. Working on my 3rd (quantity of 1 each time) custom lamp now from them.


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## nealitc (Jan 7, 2013)

BVH said:


> If you end up needing more lamps and simply cannot find any, I know who will make you some. No idea of cost but it would be a source. Local to you also. Advanced Radiation Corp in Santa Clara. Working on my 3rd (quantity of 1 each time) custom lamp now from them.


Definitely interested in the contact! OEM supplier will make them again, but price is unaffordable. We have the spec, and samples from 3 different mfrs.


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## nealitc (Jan 19, 2013)

Just offloaded another 6 units, now have 16 of them (and looking for more). These 6 were in NASA units in operation until recently, they made some interesting mods including adding a lot of hose to reduce impact of coolant conductivity.

Project is (of course) behind schedule, more extensive than originally estimated, all of the aluminum radiators are severely corroded, working on identifying/formulating/sourcing inhibited dielectric coolant has been a challenge. Sourcing cables to replace the ones vandalized by copper thieves has also been interesting, measured and counted stranding to find that its 4/0 19x7x64/36GA stranding which has 2 suppliers, Cooner and New England Wire, stuff is expensive! Bend radius too tight for Class M welding cable with 34GA stranding. And the stainless sleeving isn't cheap either. 

A lot of cleaning required, reanimating a 400Hz genset, then building the rotisserie rack to cook up our first batch of searchlight chicken (in response to too many people asking for a bat-signal).


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## BVH (Jan 19, 2013)

Neal, what Voltage is output by the genset (input to the light) Is it 28V ? Trying to get an idea of the Amps flowing. And is 20KW measured at the lamp and then add in say, 25% more for "ballast"/other electrical accessories? So an estimate might be 25,000 Watts / 28V = 892 Amps? That seems like way too much current for even 4/0 so maybe the genset produces and feeds light with higher Voltage?

What is the reason for the 400Htz output?


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## nealitc (Jan 20, 2013)

400Hz genset is 120/208V 3phase. Light has step-down autotransformer with 3 input taps to select power level, output (via the 3 4/0 cables) goes to a full wave rectifier (unfiltered) to lamp via igniter/boost transformer. Lamp draw for the 15kW, 20kW and 25kW source ratings is speced at 34V 295A, 38V 395A and 43V 465A respectively. No ballast, current limiting or fusing, there are voltage and current meters (one of the used lamps in the collection has a tag "draws 900A").
I would guess that 400Hz is used for 3 reasons: full wave rectified it has ripple at 1200Hz - allowing the arc to be sustained without filters, transformer and motor components are like 1/10 size/weight of 60Hz parts - affecting step-down transformer and coolant pump, its easily available for military equipment.


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## BVH (Jan 21, 2013)

Neal, send me your email. A.R.C. doesn't make nor never did make these. They passed me to **** Stockton whom I've had some contact with before. I'll forward his two emails then you can communicate direct.


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## nealitc (Mar 21, 2013)

[Finally got around to setting up a photobucket account for images.]






Light!

This is at 75% power tap (15kW), with a corroded reflector and focus stuck on wide.
Its still damn bright.

To do: focus fixing, reflector clean up (Optiforms doesn't have a 30" mandrel for these), new heat exchangers, coolant filters, and dielectric coolant... Then we'll have 8 units that operate.

We're going to motorize these, figured out some gear options, looking at using 250W geared scooter motors and position sensors for servo control, with DMX interface so that all of them can be controlled from a standard light board.

The other 4 (vandalized by copper thieves) need replacement connection cables 4/0 (8512/36).
And I need another generator.
Anyone have parts for a Hobart 90G20 72kW 400Hz diesel GPU?

If you're in the SF area, stop on by sometime, we're on Treasure Island.


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## nealitc (Mar 21, 2013)

More photos of the TVS-3 project:










My start at insanity - the first lot from Found Objects: 10 AN/TVS-3s, 3 SP-HF-15 400Hz diesel generators, 20 bulbs, bunch of spares boxes.
8 of the 10 TVS-3s had cables vandalized by copper thieves, most of the bulbs were pulls (used/bad) and most of the spares were corroded, and every cavity was full of rodent nest.





4/0 19x7x64/36GA or 8512/36GA - I need 120 feet of it. Compared to this, 34GA standing seems a bit stiff. Skip the asbestos wrap this time though.





Time to clean the cooling system. Maybe a coolant formulated more recently than 1965 will be more stable. Then again, maybe this just sat for 40+ years.










Bulbs, from spares kits, corrosion due to coolant jug which corroded through and leaked in the spares case. Dips in HCl and some chelating agent cleaned it up.





The next 6 units and generator I got through someone who found me on CPF.
These came from NASA, were in recent operation had various reliability mods.





Chicken wire!
Turns out this was added for the Apollo program, when they used the TVS-3s to light the pad. A 20kW short-arc fed with 400Hz 3phase fullwave rectified unfiltered power produces lots of RFI at 1200Hz harmonics, and when nice and focused with a reflector it was enough to shut down the capsule. So they made a Faraday cage.


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## BVH (Mar 22, 2013)

Nice to see some pics! What a great and labor intensive project you've undertaken! It's good to see them being re conditioned instead of rotting away! Lots of pics of progress would be appreciated.


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## get-lit (Mar 23, 2013)

nealitc said:


>



What have you going on in the upper right corner of the pic??


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## nealitc (Mar 24, 2013)

get-lit said:


> What have you going on in the upper right corner of the pic??


That would be Peter Hudson's monkey zeotrope sculpture, it spins and strobes. The snake feeds an apple to the monkey, who also eats the snake.


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## Stereodude (Mar 24, 2013)

This PDF is an interesting read related to the light.


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## get-lit (Mar 24, 2013)

Stereodude said:


> This PDF is an interesting read related to the light.



That was very interesting, thanks.



nealitc said:


> That would be Peter Hudson's monkey zeotrope sculpture, it spins and strobes. The snake feeds an apple to the monkey, who also eats the snake.



That's kind of freaky :duck:

Like this?



EDIT: I gotta stay away from this forum, there's always too much random cool stuff. The works at hudzodesign.com are incredible.


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## nealitc (Mar 25, 2013)

For those interested...











Schematics. Look ma, no transistors! (IC, whats that?)





Heat exchanger, pump motor, pump. Like 5gpm though 3/8" orifices. 400Hz makes its small.





3 phase worth of full wave rectifiers, feed to the heat sinks (center) .





The long block is T102, carries 465A. Square block is T101, boost transformer.





White cylinder is the spark gap, a stack of ceramic and metal washers. Below the boost module is the shunt.





The control unit.


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## Illum (Mar 25, 2013)

so all this was free and stored in an abandoned warehouse?


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## nealitc (Apr 11, 2013)

Found more AN/TVS-3s at the Russell Military Museum, ~had~ to buy 2.
These NASA modified units were originally sold to the Border Patrol, who apparently didn't want to deal with the technical aspects and 400Hz power.
They still have one left, go for it!


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## BravoKilo (Apr 12, 2013)

Nealitc, 

If you are who I think you are I helped you out one year on the playa with an inverter for a project that had a couple of strobes. It was in 2003 - 2005 if I remember correctly - but who remembers correctly much out on the playa.


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## nealitc (Apr 14, 2013)

BravoKilo said:


> Nealitc,
> If you are who I think you are I helped you out one year on the playa with an inverter for a project that had a couple of strobes. It was in 2003 - 2005 if I remember correctly - but who remembers correctly much out on the playa.


Hmmm, wasn't me.
I will bring some of the TVS-3s out to the playa this year though.


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## BVH (Apr 14, 2013)

Is "The Playa" you mention some type of event?


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## IgNITEor (Apr 22, 2013)

The Playa, is where the Deathray goes to pull duty.
Black Rock City, Nevada.


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## IgNITEor (Apr 22, 2013)

A TVS-3 out there would be the ultimate patrol light of choice!


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## nealitc (Apr 25, 2013)

One of the applications we're working on is a GPS transponder, where the lights will follow from multiple points. Could be attached to a person, hang glider, parachute, balloon. Another is to put a few of the lights in the hills, pointing down into the playa.


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## barryelkin (Sep 3, 2013)

My neighbor has a working AN/TVS-3 and we are searching for replacement lamps and maybe another complete unit.


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## IgNITEor (Sep 20, 2013)

Nealitc, I have some evidence of your lights blazing very nicely at Black Rock City, at least I'm pretty certain they are
yours because I caught a glimpse of the military tread tires under one of the rigs in the video!

I couldn't make it down to the playa this year because of some difficult family matters.
A campmate who was there reported back to me that you set up shop with a pair of your lights on a trailer.

There is a vimeo viddy by Jason Tongen titled Project Flashlight. I don't have permission to link his viddy here,
but perhaps we can ask him? Or, better still, maybe you could tell us how it all went down?

If that was you, a big congrats to you and your crew for getting it out to the playa! Shine on brother!!


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## nealitc (Apr 10, 2014)

Behind on updates by a long while...
Procured 8 former NASA AN/TVS-3s, 4 more generators (2 90KVA Hobart GPUs and 2 military MEP-816As). So now have 18 AN/TVS-3s: 10 good ones, 4 restorable but no bulbs, 4 scrap. (Anyone need or want a TVS-3? Or a dead 27" long short-arc bulb for a display?)

Did a lot of restoration: trying to clean pitted rhodium plated nickel mirrors, rebuilding spark gaps, formulating new inhibited dielectric coolant.
Designed and built motorization and computer control to 4 units: servo based on Chinese Razor scooter motors, RoboteQ motor controllers, and Raspberry Pi network interface and OSC protocol server. Now the lights can be controlled from a phone or tablet. 
Had 2 flatbed trailers built, each holds one 72KVA generator and 2 searchlights.
Brought it to the playa and finished assembling and debugging the project in heat and dust.

Partial success, check out video of 2 units by someone who came by at https://vimeo.com/74260487

Next step is writing software to interface Wii remotes, so the searchlights will follow light sabers.

Planning on bringing them out to the playa again in 2014. Will be doing a kickstarter to raise additional funds.





5 lights last weekend, professional photographer happened to be taking photos on Treasure Island.

If you're in the San Francisco area and want to check out a few billion CP or help on the project, let me know!


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## Fred S (Apr 11, 2014)

Have a look at coolant intended for GTAW (TIG) welding water coolers
Most of them are low conductivity, and have some inhibitors
http://store.cyberweld.com/lowconan.html


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## BVH (Apr 11, 2014)

That's a beautiful photo of your great lights! It's great that you're keeping them alive despite them being very high maintenance.


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## nealitc (Apr 11, 2014)

Fred S said:


> Have a look at coolant intended for GTAW (TIG) welding water coolers
> Most of them are low conductivity, and have some inhibitors
> http://store.cyberweld.com/lowconan.html



Thanks for that! One place we didn't look.
Believe we built a good formulation, now that its been in there a while need to analyze and see what ended up in it. One challenge of the TVS-3 is dissimilar metals in the system (steel, copper, brass and unfortunately a big aluminum heat exchanger) which want different pH.


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## Onestep (Apr 14, 2014)

Any idea what pressures and temps you are running with that coolant?

As a heavy truck cooling system design release engineer we were using some of these products. (evanscooling)


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## nealitc (Apr 14, 2014)

Onestep said:


> Any idea what pressures and temps you are running with that coolant?
> 
> As a heavy truck cooling system design release engineer we were using some of these products. (evanscooling)



2hp gear pump, spec is 150psi pushing 6gm through the fittings and 5/8 hoses. Operating coolant temps in the 160 range.
Coolant formulation is 30% EG in deionized water, buffer with triethanolamine for pH of 8, benzotrizole 100ppm, sodium molybdate 20ppm.
To flush the systems, we've used Fleetguard Restore Plus.


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## Jeep1234 (Apr 22, 2014)

WONDERFUL JOB!!!! I CONGRATULATE YOU for A JOB WELL DONE!! Hello I am a friend of Found objects of industry, and when I first saw the TVS lot that you eventually bought I certainly thought that they would end up as scrap. Already pirated, cables chopped through the sheathing for the copper, you have restored an icon. I am so glad someone has saved an era of history in these tow-able lamps. I hope your installation goes wonderful, Light is such a basic presence in art. I will be following it. Rasperri pi is good, but have you tried arduino uno ? Lol,, 


I will point Leonard toward this thread and show him your successes, if he hasn't already learned. Thankyou.


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## Optiforms_Todd (May 6, 2014)

That is a very large reflector indeed, the largest Parabolic mandrel we have is @24.82" CA. Are they Rhodium plated?


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## electromage (May 9, 2014)

Great work bringing these old lights back, I wonder what the original creators would think of them being controlled wirelessly by touchscreen devices.


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## nealitc (Jun 2, 2014)

Optiforms_Todd said:


> That is a very large reflector indeed, the largest Parabolic mandrel we have is @24.82" CA. Are they Rhodium plated?



I believe rhodium over electroformed nickel. Some of the reflectors are pretty rough, did some research when I first got them and didn't find any currently manufactured part I could easily adapt. So we cleaned up as much as possible, and live with the loss.

But would love to replace a few of them with new very shiny reflectors, so if you have a line on where we might get a 30" do let me know!


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## LightSward (Nov 30, 2015)

Awesome seeing these lights. Three of them were used at the Las Vegas Jaycee State Fair in Fall 1974. Was intrigued by a non arc searchlight with such a narrow far reaching beam. Military man operating the unit let me at only age 12, play with the unit a little, aiming it a little back and forth and positioning the diffusion lens in and out of the beam. I wanted one of those. Now I just need more room. A 30 inch shallow telescope type reflector may be my next project for the 4,000 watt HMI at 385,000 lumen, such as I recently did with the 50 inch Monster.


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## LightSward (Jan 12, 2016)

Just upgraded my shop with more metal reflector making machines. Hope to have my first small, (say 10 inches), reflector ready very soon. Eventually going for a 55" diameter reflector. Will be honored to help with restoration. Have room now in the shop to move around and get ready for an AN/TVS-3. Many ideas going though my head now. Shining these metal reflectors, metal plating etc., is something I've had some good recent results with. Stay tuned.


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## LightSward (Feb 13, 2016)

Have made significant progress on making large reflectors.*
Reflectors I've been making have now been upgraded to Aluminum. No orange peel look. Awesome..!*

*New big changes in how I make my reflectors, now in metal; and how much more significantly improved these Aluminum and steel reflectors are over my successful Fiberglass class of reflectors I've been working on for over half a dozen years on..!*

These newly made Aluminum reflectors I've made, along with several others; and more on the way, are truly amazing..! The ease and precision that can be accomplished: quickly, silently, easily, artfully, and without odors or other issues with an incredible result. Still needs to be "dialed in", but the results are already better than the Fiberglass. No Orange Peal effect, that was actually a subtle defects in the Fiberglass surface, invisible until the reflective surface was applied. The metal doesn't have such an issue. Live and learn. This new personal "discovery of skills", will go across the board on all my searchlights. So far several: 7, 24, 26 and 30 inch reflectors are finished or about to be and several 36 inch Aluminum discs are on standby to be converted shortly. Several simultaneous tests on the different reflector designs will occur to determine the best route(s), to be taken at this time. EXCITING!*

*_Polishing is not feasible at this time, as it involves too much noise and not as good a reflective surface as this window glazing I used. I'll use the chrome tape with it's better reflectivity in future reflectors. NOW I HAVE A LIGHT METER AND CAN TAKE ACTUAL READINGS.
_
My upside reflections caused by the 'magnifying glass' effect of the two different style reflectors. 






→ →  ⤡ 
Aluminum reflectors made from flat bottom water tank collection pan.






*
My upside reflections caused by the 'magnifying glass' effect of the two different style reflectors. One is a deep 200 degree capture design with more light reflectivity compared to the 130 degree capture with it's superior long distance light throw..* 




Click here to view the original image of 1024x773px.




These reflectors are so much more easier to make out of Aluminum discs than the Fiberglass process I've been using. I did a "quick" production routine to make these and others in progress at a larger diameter, I'm just amazed. The beams are much more culminated with a smaller diameter reflector needed for better, narrow beam effect. Will experiment with the different reflector designs.


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## Andrey (Feb 13, 2016)

Wow! Saw these lights at BM 2014. Just came across this thread.
Shine on!


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## LightSward (Apr 30, 2016)

Hope to get an AN/TV3-3 searchlight soon. Work and a few other things has made it difficult to get one of these babies home. Trying to finish my "Baby Monster 36 inch diameter Searchlight to help make room in cramped shop. Progress shot.
The telescope reflector version of the 36 inch Gorilla is moving along. Not sure what to call it, Monster Jr., the New Gorilla, etc. 

High powered stuff..!

More progress:






*Searchlight reflecting sky to light*

*Nice view of the searchlight and cooling equipment.
*

385,000 lumen..!


*Searchlight getting closer to completion. Cooling fans installed. My usual Home Depot $15.00 bath fans. To get twice the CFM capacity, most fan makers charge up to 10 X higher, so I just buy two.

**Hopefully makes a nicer beam..!

*Will keep things posted as I make progress.


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## nealitc (May 12, 2017)

I'm selling off 8 of the military TVS-3 units I purchased originally, these are pretty rough and don't include the Xenon lamp or electronics but would be a great chassis and reflector to convert with an HMI or other modern lamp.

I was originally planning to restore these or convert them, but I have 10 operating units and a minor amount of sanity is taking hold and we need the space!

Discounted price to good homes.

PM me for details.


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## The_Driver (May 23, 2017)

Can you show us some more pictures? Maybe of a fully restored unit (housing, mirror, lampe cooling down etc..)? That would be very nice to see!


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