# Cyclops 15 MCP, sale at Gander Mountain



## Niteowl (Dec 10, 2006)

I've been dying to get myself a completely impractical light (for me) for some time. Right now I have a little "fun money".

I gave my father-in-law the 10 MCP version last Christmas. He's got 150 acres and uses it a lot more than I ever would. If nothing else, it'd be fun to show up with something brighter than his. 

Gander mountain is running THIS AD. It looks to be an updated version. Has anybody had any experiance with this one? Any input regarding this or the 15 MCPs in general would be greatly appreciated!


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## powernoodle (Dec 10, 2006)

Its an awesome light, and the brightest in my arsenal. Its as big as a microwave oven (not really), but a great light with huge throw - especially for the price. Mine is a different configuration, seen in my avatar.

cheers


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## Ra (Dec 10, 2006)

Its the somewhat newer version of the popular Cyclops Platinum Thor:







A great host for a HID-mod up to 1.5 million candlepower (calibrated cp's: the stock version reaches 410,000 calibrated cp's at the most!!). I hope you don't mind BIG !!! Because its huge !

I've modded three of them (Including Maxablaster on my avatar..)

But also unmodded its worth every cent !!! You only need to change the switch-setup: Default it switches the two filaments of the H4 bulb in series at 'low power'. It should use the low-beam filament only in low power mode.

Edit: The high cp claims you find on many spotlight-boxes are highly exaggerated only to grab peoples attention !! The manufacturers propably think: Perhaps only a few are capable to measure the output anyway..
Well I am one of those few !!

The 10mcp and 15mcp torches have high lumens output (2000-2800 bulblumens), and with the Thor the reflector is of decent quality in most cases. The 15mcp at the ad you posted has a 12volt SLA-battery with about 45minutes runtime.
But if you modify them to HID (35watt automotive) you'll get up to 3400 bulblumens and about two times the throw, and at least two times the runtime !


Regards,

Ra.


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## Niteowl (Dec 10, 2006)

All right, I need no further encouragement. I'm off to see the wizard!


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## Niteowl (Dec 10, 2006)

I knew it was big, bigger than my father-in-law's 10 MCP. I had no idea just how monsterous it is! It makes the 10 MCP look handy!





Here it is with 18 inch ruler and a 2C Mag.

One "functional" difference is obvious, no battery access clips. The door has two screws. The handle allows more shifting of the weight. Other than that, I have to wait and let it charge. I won't open it up for a while, but I want to look into the switch set-up as you recommended Ra. Don't know about the HID mod, expensive isn't it?

By the way, I went to Cabela's ten minutes away and they price matched it. I needed a reason to go there if nothing else, it's been open for two months. Saw a AE HID for the first time, too bad it wasn't charged.


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## LGCubana (Dec 10, 2006)

I've done 2 HID upgrades. On average, the HID for each unit was under $100.


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## Ra (Dec 11, 2006)

Congrats Niteowl,

I warned you about the size !!

If you are interested in modifying that beast there are two options: Like LGCubana did: propably with automotive HID sets, a very good and not so expensive solution.

Or you can do it the way I did:






But then the costs of the material is somewhat higher: about $270..

However, it shure is the most powerfull and light-weight solution: The weight increase of the torch will be about 230g (8.1 oz) (ballast weight)

The cilindrical ballast has an internal igniter and the lamp is plugged directy into it (common p32 socket) So all you need to do is find a way to mount the ballast (with lamp) directly onto the reflector. There needs to be a small distance between the front of the ballast and the reflector tho.. otherwise it will not be properly focused !

The huge advantage of this setup: POWER !!!: This is a 35/50watt boost ballast. However like with most ballasts, to make it work without problems in that powerrange, it is designed to be able to produce more power !!

The ballast is an Auerswald SYS03510, you can find its specs here:

http://www.aelight.com/ballasts/ballast_index.html

A simple variable resistor at the back of the ballast allowes you to boost the power even further: Mine is set at about 43/65 watts ! but even that is well below the max limit, but I wanted to keep things on the safe side for both ballast and bulb (I use a Philips DL35-bulb which is a 35watt, designed to cope with 70+watts)

OK.. hope this is enough for now. If you have any questions please ask..


Regards,

Ra.


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## LGCubana (Dec 11, 2006)

Yep, I used standard automotive HID kits. 






Takes about 20 minutes to install the ballast. Hours of blinding fun, moving the bulb forward & backwards; trying to find the perfect focus.


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## Ra (Dec 11, 2006)

.... Hours of blinding fun...

That indeed is the way how it feels !! Even after minutes, you still see the blind-spots in your vision, where ever you look !!

LGCubana, how is your switch-setup?? I noticed you use both switches, is that for safety reasons?? That you need both switches to operate the lamp?

The high-voltage warning on your ballast lets me assume it has an internal igniter, right?
Yours looks like a simple, and stable setup !!

So Niteowl: Maybe the way LGCubana did things is the best and cheapest way to start with ! I'm shure he can help you on details like where to get ballast and bulb..

And if you have never seen 65watts of HID-power, I'm shure you'll be very impressed by the 35watt solution: Beleve me, it is even way more powerfull than the 130watt halogen setup you have now, and you'll have twice the throw !!

And an advantage with LGCubana's setup: You don't have to worry about things like "doen't it overheat?, can my bulb cope with the higher power?"

I shure don't need the amount of light my HID-thor produces, even at 43watts, and I only use 65watt boost-power to impress myself and others. So that is just for fun! But then again, most CPF-members do that just for the fun of it!! So if you want that: Go for the Auerswald ballast.

However, if you want reliability: Go for LGCubana's setup !!

Regards,

Ra.


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## Hog (Dec 11, 2006)

*Re: LGCubana's setup*

I would really like to know where to get the parts & some instructions on this mod. Could you take a guess at how much brighter & longer the throw would be?
Thanks..Hog


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## LGCubana (Dec 11, 2006)

Ra said:


> .... Hours of blinding fun...
> 
> LGCubana, how is your switch-setup?? I noticed you use both switches, is that for safety reasons?? That you need both switches to operate the lamp?


I'm only using the "High" wire. The "Low" is tucked away, but not cut. In case I choose to go back to a Xenon bulb.


Ra said:


> .... Hours of blinding fun...
> The high-voltage warning on your ballast lets me assume it has an internal igniter, right?
> Yours looks like a simple, and stable setup !!


Yep, internal ignitor

The longest that I've run continually is 20 minutes. Cool to the touch.


Hog said:


> I would really like to know where to get the parts & some instructions on this mod. Could you take a guess at how much brighter & longer the throw would be?
> Thanks..Hog


I can provide step by step pics. My method requires minor alterations to the white frame, on the inside of the unit.

I actually have the makings for another Thor 15mcp HID upgrade on hand. No splices or cuts in the wiring. The bulb is a 6K temp. It was run/tested for about an hour. I then swapped it out for a cooler temp bulb. $85 plus actual shipping cost; insurance required.






Regardless of interest in my extra kit, I'll create a tutorial thread. If there's serious interest.


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## Hog (Dec 11, 2006)

Do you know if the mod will work on the 10 million?
That is the one that I have.
Thanks..Hog


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## Ra (Dec 11, 2006)

Hi HOG,

I just took some more pitures for you:






And:






As you can see it is quite simple: You only have to find a way to attach the ballast+lamp to the reflector.

I simply glued them to the reflector: It works that way for almost a year now without any problems. However if I must change the bulb things will become dificult: The base of the bulb doesn't fit through the central hole in the reflector, so I'll have to remove the ballast from the reflector when the bulb needs replacing. I've done it before, heating up the reflector wil weaken the glue enough to remove it with a sharp knife.

Ofcource you are free to design a more easy detachable solution, but I figured that even with a bulblife less then 1000 hours it would take an infinity before I would have to do that !!

As for the output: I did some sort of ceiling-bounce test before I srewed up the power and found the data of that test: Back then I also measured my 10watt HID torch. So a few minutes ago I did a second measurement, calibrating my equipment with the 10watt HID torch. And here are my findings:

At 35/50 watts The HID-Thor measured 74/120 lux (relative for lumens output)
At 43/65 watts it measures 98/152 lux.

So it looks to me that it even is more efficient at high power: Simple math says: 74 at 35watt would give 148 at 70watts.. but it does 152 at 65 watts !

The propable explanation: The bulb is overfilled, so with higher power it evaporates more metal-halide salts, boosting efficiency !!
Another reason to beleve this: When switching from high to low the lumens-output is higher for 10 seconds or so, than it normally is at low power: The bulb-pressure needs time to drop back to normal levels. So for an instant the efficiency at 43watts is higher than normal due to higher gas-pressure.

Also Throw has increased: The arc-gap remains the same, so the dimensions of the arc don't change (at least, not much: it widens a little bit)
Not only the power increase but also the higher inside pressure causes the arc to have a higher surface brightness, and that is what you need for higher throw !!
This is also the main reason that I use the DL35-bulb and not the DL50-bulb:
At the same power the DL35 has higher surface brightness than the DL50-bulb.

What does this practically mean??: With 35watt HID in a Thor 15Mcp torch you should get about 1.5 million calibrated CP's: that would give a throw of about 1,230 meters. (at the point where 1 lux is received from the torch..)

Maybe LGCubana can check that for us (but then he needs calibrated equipment)

With my HID thor at 43watts I reach about 1,600 meters of throw (2.56 million cp), and at 65watts 1,900 meters (3.6 million cp !)

So, there is some difference....

Edit: Ofcource the throw number of the 35watt is theoretical and can only be reached with perfect atmospheric conditions (high transparency) and a good quality reflector (well collimated)! However, the throw of the 43/65watt HID is actually measured.

Regards,

Ra.


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## Ra (Dec 11, 2006)

Hog said:


> Do you know if the mod will work on the 10 million?
> That is the one that I have.
> Thanks..Hog




Don't know about that.. It for shure needs to have a 12 volt SLA-battery..
The 15Mcp-Thor has a lot of room to play with !!
But I've seen 10Mcp HID-Thor mods on these forums before, so it should be possible!

The cp-output will go down due to the smaller reflector tho.. My guess is about 800,000 cp (with 35watts HID)

Regards,

Ra.


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## Hog (Dec 11, 2006)

Do you know if the mod will work on the 10 million?
That is the one that I have.
Thanks..Hog


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## LGCubana (Dec 11, 2006)

Odds are greatly against a conventional automotive ballast fitting internally, in a 10mcp unit. As the reflector (which is in direct relation to the cavity's space) is smaller than the 15mcp units.

But post a pic of your unit, as the design does vary from manufacturer.


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## Niteowl (Dec 12, 2006)

Stop with the HID stuff already! I've got about four other projects to finish.  

Seriously, I'd like to see your tutorial LGCubana. Then see about getting it stickied in "threads of interest". 

There is a ton of room in the "Thor Magnum X" version I have. I'll take a picture and post it. O)ne question I have is how is the bulb moved back and forth.

Foggy night out. I set the light in the back yard and went around front to gaze upon the beauty. Can't imagine what it'd be like cranking it up!

Ra and LGCubana, you've been a great help information-wise, unfortunately, I don't think you two are going to be good for my wallet. :naughty:


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## LGCubana (Dec 12, 2006)

I'll put something together over the next few days. The caveat being that it is specific to the Cyclops, Thor 15mcp.


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## Niteowl (Dec 12, 2006)

LGCubana said:


> I'll put something together over the next few days. The caveat being that it is specific to the Cyclops, Thor 15mcp.



Cool, I look forward to it.

In the meantime,





Lot of room. Looks like room for a spare bulb under the battery housing.





Better shot of the belly of the beast. Good spot for ballast?





Is the board the same as "old version"?

Looks like body was redesigned so head flows into body. Not sure if I like this style. Bet it would float pretty good. At least for a while.


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## Ra (Dec 12, 2006)

Niteowl said:


> Is the board the same as "old version"?.



Looks like it yes, you should still keep your eyes open during charging of the monster, those little PCB's often do not do much of a good job !!!

Best way is to use one of those sockets directly (fused tho..) attached to the battery and get yourself a constant-voltage charger (13.9 volts/ 0.6-1.2A)
designed for 12Volt SLA's.

With a setup like that you absolutely don't have to worry about overcharging !

I don't know if you are familiar with SLA's,, They have no memmory-effect and should be charged fully after every use, no matter how short !! If you don't do that, sulphates are going to decrease the capacity permanently !


Regards,

Ra.


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## Niteowl (Dec 12, 2006)

More good info. Particularly if one invests in HID!

Re: charging, something like a "Battery Tender" that hooks up to a motorcycle battery while installed for storage? Or something less involved. How would hook-up be made conveniant?


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## Hog (Dec 12, 2006)

*Re: Charging*

Could a standard 12 volt battery charger be used on 2 amp setting.
I have a pretty good one that has 2 amp 10 amp & 50 amp boost with auto shutoff, with option for deep cycle or standard low maintence?
Any thoughts.
Hog


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## Ra (Dec 12, 2006)

A battery tender is for long storage times.. Not nessesary in this case.

No, I simply mean this:







It is a type of charger especially designed for 6- and 12volt SLA-batteries.


Edit: HOG, SLA's don't like quickcharge ! They need to be charged with with a current below 1/6 of the main battery capacity. But best is charging with 1/10 of the capacity. So 700 mA for a 7 Ah battery.

Regards,

Ra.


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## LGCubana (Dec 12, 2006)

Niteowl



vbmenu_register("postmenu_1731366", true); 

My internals are completely different. In the original Thor 15mcp, the white skeleton/frame represents the unused space in the cavity. Approximately 3" in depth.

It's hard to tell from a 2 dimensional photo. But from your photos of the inside of your unit, it looks like Cyclops eliminated most of the unused cavity space.


Pic 1:
Automotive HID mounting bracket





Pic 2:
With Ballast installed into the mounting bracket





My ballast is sitting at a 45 degree angle. Your Thor looks like the ballast will have to be laid flat. Probably with some extra strength velcro.

I would suggest that you calculate how deep the reflector is sitting in the housing. I would guesstimate that you'll need a minimum of 2.5"; for the ballast to lay flat with some space for the wiring at the rear of the bulb.

I'll take some measurements of my ballast tomorrow.


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## Niteowl (Dec 13, 2006)

LGCubana said:


> ......It's hard to tell from a 2 dimensional photo. But from your photos of the inside of your unit, it looks like Cyclops eliminated most of the unused cavity space......
> 
> ......I would guesstimate that you'll need a minimum of 2.5"; for the ballast to lay flat with some space for the wiring at the rear of the bulb.......



I was afraid the pics wouldn't translate well. Trust me, there is a lot more room inside the "Magnum X". Go back and look at the first pic I posted and note how the bottom of the body is not tapered to the head. I'll try to get another pic or two up that shows the space better. I figure the ballast would lie flat in the belly no problem.

Ra, thanks for clarifying the charger needs. Where would I get the one you show?


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## LGCubana (Dec 13, 2006)

The 

Depth is 1.5"

As far as the connections go; If you find the same connection type as your existing bulb (The H4/9003), it will be plug -n- play.

Putting HID aside momentarily. You can obtain a brighter "High" setting by switching the "Low" & "Ground" wiring at the rear of the bulb. The result will be 3 settings, instead of the original 2.
1. Half moon low
2. Regular High
3. Both switches together for the "Turbo" High.


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## Ra (Dec 13, 2006)

And: 3. Both switches for turbo short (-burntime at 230watts..) !! 


Regards,


Ra.


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## Hog (Dec 13, 2006)

Anyone know the run time on Turbo high & low beam on?

Hog


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## St8kout (Dec 19, 2006)

LGCubana

I'm interested in this mod too. I just ordered a 15mcp Thor from some guy on ebay that has a bunch of them for $29.95 each. That's the cheapest I could find since we don't have a Costco or Gander Mountain anywhere near here.

Please post a tutorial:goodjob:


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## St8kout (Dec 19, 2006)

Ra, where you do go to buy the parts such as the Auerswald SYS03510. I saw the website info but there is no link to buy it.

Edit:

I emailed AE about this part and got this back as an answer:

=================================================

This ballast is sold to OEM's only. Can you tell us what your application is.

Best Regards,
Marc Allsman
AE Light
Allsman Enterprises, LLC


Ph: 01-541-471-8988
Fx: 01-541-471-2263
E-mail: [email protected]
URL: www.AELight.com
Skype: mallsman

========================================================

So, I sent them the link here. Maybe they will reconsider. Or become flashaholics


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