# Check out this HUGE metal halide bulb I bought



## Handlobraesing (Feb 16, 2006)

Not that I have a use for it, but I picked one up from my school's Surplus Property department for $3, just so I can use it as a piece of decora.

1,500W sports lighting lamp.


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## greenlight (Feb 16, 2006)

Or something else...


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## James S (Feb 16, 2006)

Might want to build a better stand for that, arne't those under some amount of pressure inside? If that fell off you'd be picking quarts and glass and bits of wire out of your face/eyes/backside etc for quite a while...


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## BatteryCharger (Feb 16, 2006)

James S said:


> Might want to build a better stand for that, arne't those under some amount of pressure inside? If that fell off you'd be picking quarts and glass and bits of wire out of your face/eyes/backside etc for quite a while...



I think they're actually under a vacuum, so it should just implode. Maybe the little "thing" in the center is under pressure, I don't really know...


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## hector (Feb 16, 2006)

TVs are under a vacuum, and if one explodes, you will never get all the glass out of your body. That light is a bomb.


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## PhotonWrangler (Feb 16, 2006)

That's a pretty impressive lamp. I wonder if the arc capsule is tilted for a particular beam pattern, or if it's made that way to reduce the overall height of the envelope.


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## BatteryCharger (Feb 16, 2006)

hector said:


> TVs are under a vacuum, and if one explodes, you will never get all the glass out of your body. That light is a bomb.



I've seen a TV smash into concrete very near me, it imploded rather harmlessly. It is not possible for something under vacuum to explode unless you add explosives.


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## MXDan (Feb 17, 2006)

Regardless, I think it's pretty cool!


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## yuandrew (Feb 17, 2006)

Stadium Flood light

I think the reason the arc tube is slanted like that is so that when installed in an angled socket/reflector, it would burn in the horizontal position. It probably also has something to do with the beam pattern. A lot of stadium flood lights I've seen use lamps with arc tubes tilted like that

http://www.bulbs.com/products/product_detail.asp?page=ballasts&inventory=12516
Find yourself a 20 amp 120volt (240 or 277 will also work; its a multitap ballast anyway) and get a pair of sunglasses.  

Normal application
www.musco.com

And yes, that arc tube is probably around 2 atmospheres pressure when cold. Don't let it fall. Even if the HID explosion dosen't kill anyone, it will be quite a mess to clean up. Not to mention that those lamps do contain mercury.


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## scott.cr (Feb 17, 2006)

That'd make a great 5-gallon jerrycan for your spare gasoline. ;-)


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## Handlobraesing (Feb 17, 2006)

yuandrew said:


> Stadium Flood light
> 
> I think the reason the arc tube is slanted like that is so that when installed in an angled socket/reflector, it would burn in the horizontal position. It probably also has something to do with the beam pattern. A lot of stadium flood lights I've seen use lamps with arc tubes tilted like that
> 
> ...



That design is patented by Musco. 
This is the reason:


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## perfectname (Feb 18, 2006)

deleted


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## PhotonWrangler (Feb 18, 2006)

Handlobraesing said:


> That design is patented by Musco.
> This is the reason:



Thanks Yuandrew for the explanation and the great drawing, Handlobraesing!


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## hector (Feb 18, 2006)

BatteryCharger said:


> I've seen a TV smash into concrete very near me, it imploded rather harmlessly. It is not possible for something under vacuum to explode unless you add explosives.



I Googled this, (yes, very scientific research), but I guess TVs have a layer of tough protective polymer sandwiched in which prevents the glass from shattering all over. Thus, my mom lied to me when she told me the TV would explode if I threw stuff at it. 

www.zyra.org.uk/tvtube2.htm[/url] describes the glass imploding then flying outward. 

www.kronjaeger.com/hv/hv/exp/pump/[/url] also cautions against it.


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## OddBall (Feb 21, 2006)

Anyway, it looks cool - maybe just make a cool holder/stand for it? Glow in the dark holder would make for a snazzy backlight...


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## bfg9000 (Feb 21, 2006)

I'd try to get the ballast for it. Would make a fine nightlight for the true flashaholic.


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## scaredofthedark (Feb 25, 2006)

bfg9000 said:


> I'd try to get the ballast for it. Would make a fine nightlight for the true flashaholic.



nightlight??
i dunno how you can sleep with a miniture star in your bedroom hahaha


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## Handlobraesing (Mar 11, 2006)

hmm rated at some 160,000 lumens.


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## snakebite (Mar 12, 2006)

dont operate it outside a proper enclosure designed to contain an explosion.
it may make a good bang cold but the pressure is about 20 atmospheres hot.and a common failure mode is arc tube rupture while operating.and if the explosion is not bad enough you have nearly white hot quartz shrapnel to deal with too.


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## watt4 (Mar 12, 2006)

very cool. makes me think of flashaholic decoration themes. 

need to make a proper flashlight body to hold it. five gallon bucket might work.
then send pics of the super flashlight around the net for comments 


btw, that thing _will_ fall over if left like that. only a matter of time.


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## nakahoshi (Mar 12, 2006)

I have to change those bulbs all the time, so i dont share the same enjoyment as you do. more of a pain, trying to get into the fixture if there is a lense, ect. There pretty awesome though, when they first get power the inner tube glows blue and pulsates for a little bit. You cant watch them too much though, Unless your blind to begin with.
-bobby


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