# Superlights shoot-out: The ShortArcs



## ma_sha1 (May 30, 2011)

Quite a few years back, in 2004, there was a superlights shootout by CPF' old timer kenshiro: 
http://home.earthlink.net/~kenshiro2/superlights/superlights.html

a stock Gen II Maxa Beam Short Arc was the longest throwing light of the group.
(I have 2 Gen II Maxa Beam, they measured 2.3 & 3.2 Million CP respectively)






fast forward to 2011, In this shoot out, the Maxa Beam is the bottom of the bunch :devil:

*The Lights*

*Left: Gen II Maxa Beam #2*, *with upgraded Gen III lamp*, 6.1 Million CPs/1800 Lumens
The shoot out was done on the Hi mode ~4 million cps (not the 30" burst mode).
http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb...ated-Short-Arc-amp-HID-spotlight-Lux-readings
*Middle. Mega Blaster,* 120W P-VIP short arc, 5 Million CPs, ~7000 lumens, build thread here:
http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb...-arc-mod-MegaRay-style&highlight=mega+blaster
*Right: Moon Blaster,* 120w P-VIP short arc, 16 Million cps, also ~7000 lumens, build thread here:
http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?307615-Blitz-Short-Arc-The-Moon-Blaster






*The Destination*

The Beautiful Fort Gorges:





Shoot out is from a pier about 0.9 Mile away





First Up: *Maxa Beam *





*with 10x Optical Zoom*





Second up, the *Mega Blaster:*





*with 10x Optical Zoom*





Last but not least, the *Moon Blaster*





Zoom in slightly





*with 10x Optical Zoom*






Optical + Digital Zoom:




How about a Fun Shot to end the shoot out: Moon Blaster hitting the Atlantic Ocean Surface :devil:





That's it folks


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## BVH (May 30, 2011)

*Re: Superlights shoot-out 2011: The Short Arcs*

Ma, where's the moon blaster non-10x's optical pic and the ocean surface pic?


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## ma_sha1 (May 30, 2011)

*Re: Superlights shoot-out 2011: The Short Arcs*

I can see them, maybe you have pic loading issues?


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## BVH (May 30, 2011)

*Re: Superlights shoot-out 2011: The Short Arcs*

That's strange, why would only 5 load then and 7 now.


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## N10 (May 30, 2011)

*Re: Superlights shoot-out 2011: The Short Arcs*

i can see them also. does anyone know the new otf lumen rating of the maxabeam since those seem to have had updated/upgraded electronics and reflectors from what i've read from other threads.lack of lumens is where maxabeam is losing in this test right?


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## 2100 (May 30, 2011)

*Re: Superlights shoot-out 2011: The Short Arcs*

The maxabeam really looks like a slightly out of focused 445nm laser. 

Anyway damn cool shots! I have the camera settings here, 6.5s f4.9 ISO200. Will try to get some pics of 1.5km at that setting with my 250W lightpipe. Very very rough gauge but hey any info is useful - we are afterall halfway across the way from each other!

Actually we have a Maxabeam/SR90/many many cool lights owner here (think he has played with over 100 commercial lights LOL!), but seems like he is busy. We were supposed to meet.


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## ma_sha1 (May 30, 2011)

*Re: Superlights shoot-out 2011: The Short Arcs*



N10 said:


> i can see them also. does anyone know the new otf lumen rating of the maxabeam since those seem to have had updated/upgraded electronics and reflectors from what i've read from other threads.lack of lumens is where maxabeam is losing in this test right?




The losing to Mega Blaster is indeed due to lumens, the lux is similar but the Mega Blaster has about 4 times the lumens in the beam, making a much stronger light saber. The moon blaster is several times higher in lumens as well as beam candle power over Maxa Beam.



2100 said:


> The maxabeam really looks like a slightly out of focused 445nm laser.
> 
> Anyway damn cool shots! I have the camera settings here, 6.5s f4.9 ISO200. Will try to get some pics of 1.5km at that setting with my 250W lightpipe. Very very rough gauge but hey any info is useful - we are afterall halfway across the way from each other!
> 
> Actually we have a Maxabeam/SR90/many many cool lights owner here (think he has played with over 100 commercial lights LOL!), but seems like he is busy. We were supposed to meet.


 
Thanks! Would love to see LP250 vs. Maxa Beam, would also love to add 70 to 100 meter lux readings to my cp collection thread!

Lightpipe 250 is about 18000 lumens on 5mm? arc. ~ 3500lumens/mm arc . 4" ID
Mega Blaster is 7000 lumens on 1mm arc, 4.5" ID, 5 Million beam candle power

I'd say the Lightpipe if done right should be about 2-2.5 Million cps, half the beam candle power of Mega Blaster, but twice the lumens, it should be able to lit up a 1.5KM target.

The Moon Blaster with much larger reflector, also 7000 lumens per mm arc, pumps out a lot more beam candle power. 

My project in progress, the home made portabe tank light, weight in only ~15 lbs, (VSS-3 is 75lbs) will be done using a 230W UHP lamp over driven to 260W, ~15,000 lumens on 1mm arc 
Combine that with a 9.5 inch precision 4th degree parabola quartz coated aluminum searchlight reflector (Reflector alone will cost about $700), will be my brightest short arc ever & likely to be the swan song of my short arc mods...


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## 2100 (May 30, 2011)

*Re: Superlights shoot-out 2011: The Short Arcs*

I think i'd not pay 425 bucks for a 250W 5mm arc with a 4.5" reflector.  It has a 7" reflector, front 8.5 bezel and 6.75" body shell. Hopefully it would do 2-2.5km. 

Someone needs to DIY the 575W 9" lightpipe version (you?), it has 7mm arc and 47000 lumens = 6.7k lumens /mm. Not sure how accurate is that though. But the aliexpress site also lists their 250W versions as 16000 and 18000 lumens respectively. 

But this is the HMI 2500W bulb which theatres follow spot uses. Bulb is 41usd. Inverter and ballast are killers though. Likely the same ones used in the Skyrose/Skytrackers advertisement spots. 

240000 / 8mm = 30k lumens /mm. Spot anything wrong? I am not sure. 

If you don't mind i'll post some info here :





You seem to be on a roll for short-arcs.  There used to be another nice member here years ago when i was just lurking, think its CarbonArc, together with BVH. But don't see him around nowadays.


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## ma_sha1 (May 30, 2011)

*Re: Superlights shoot-out 2011: The Short Arcs*

I am glad it's 7" reflector! I did a Mozo Mega HID with 7" reflector (POB clone), upgraded to 75W.
at ~8000 lumens on 4 mm arc (Philips 35W HID bulb over-driven). That's 2000lumens/mm, which it did 1.7 Million CPs.

Is the lightpipe bulb 5mm arc? 18,000 lumens on 5mm arc is 3500 lumens/mm, which will be 75% more surface brightness than my 75W Mozo/7" reflector. 1.7 million*175% = 3 Million CPs. 3 million cps at 18,000 lumens will be quite impressive indeed. But it won't out throw Mega Blaster or Moon Blaster. 

You can see how bright the Moon Blaster illuminated the Fort Gorges at 0.9 mile .
it can throw much further, It out throw the Helicoptor searchlight star burst SX-5, 
which is a 500W Xenon short arc system with 7.5" diameter, 15 million cps.
http://www.spectrolab.com/DataSheets/SX5/ILS_SX-5.pdf

You are welcome to post lamp stats, I am numbers guy . The 2500W lamp is insane! But I am not planning to do any huge power lights like that. My 260W UHP short arc will still be portable, I'll probably take it to a CPF shoot out at some point & it should be in the legendary 1000w xenon short arc Nightsun range (which cost >$30,000 dollars), the big brother of the start burst SX-5,

Plus, those huge sky tracker system advertising lights will be cheaper to buy one than to build one, 
ebay sky tracker some times can be picked up for less than $1K. They are far from portable though.


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## BVH (May 30, 2011)

*Re: Superlights shoot-out 2011: The Short Arcs*

Three times now, on initial loading, I get only 5 of the 7 pics. How strange. Upon hitting refresh, they all show up.

There's nothing like seeing high-power, long range beam shots! Thanks Ma for taking the time to do this.


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## ma_sha1 (May 30, 2011)

*Re: Superlights shoot-out 2011: The Short Arcs*

Thanks BVH,

I apologize for being so lazy about the long distance beam shots, they were promised several month ago when I build these lights, its long over due


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## Ra (May 30, 2011)

*Re: Superlights shoot-out 2011: The Short Arcs*

Great beam shots ma_sha !!

How about a get together at that pier sometime in the future, when your 'SwanBlaster' is finished..


Regards,

Ra.


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## Walterk (May 30, 2011)

*Re: Superlights shoot-out 2011: The Short Arcs*



ma_sha1 said:


> they were promised several month ago ..... its long over due



You made up for that good time!

Very nice shots and WOW it shows the beams really great.
The specs of the *hmptl*sound promising!


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## ma_sha1 (May 30, 2011)

*Re: Superlights shoot-out 2011: The Short Arcs*



Walterk said:


> You made up for that good time!
> 
> Very nice shots and WOW it shows the beams really great.
> The specs of the *hmptl*sound promising!



Thanks Walterk!



Ra said:


> Great beam shots ma_sha !!
> How about a get together at that pier sometime in the future, when your 'SwanBlaster' is finished..
> 
> Regards,
> ...



Thanks Ra, 

A get together of your Maxa Blaster with my "Swan" Blaster would be awesome indeed  In fact, I would be interested in traveling to other states for a shoot out, I'd be even interested in traveling to the Netherlands for a shoot out, but I think traveling across border with the 20Ah battery pack might be an issue, besides the dual 400watt, 120V AC outlet, now it even has an extra piece sticking out that says 300V DC . 

The look of the searchlight might cause trouble as well, as it's not the familiar spotlight look, which might raise some eyebrows, certainly not a sleeper. 

If you manage to take the Maxa Blaster into US, I am motivated to go anywhere for a meet

Here is a sneak preview of the Swan Blaster work in progress 
It has the 260W P-VIP ballast installed at the bottom(Gift from z_Ot10St who works at Osram)
, 230W/1.0 UHP lamp rear facing, with the 8" crappy peeling glass reflector from the vintage Cruise Hinds halogen searchlight host, it did 16 Million cps when measured at 100ft. 

I'll be getting a 9.6" precision searchlight reflector & convert this to forward facing set-up, 
with focus adjustment much like your Maxa Blaster set-up...


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## 2100 (May 31, 2011)

*Re: Superlights shoot-out 2011: The Short Arcs*



ma_sha1 said:


> Is the lightpipe bulb 5mm arc? 18,000 lumens on 5mm arc is 3500 lumens/mm, which will be 75% more surface brightness than my 75W Mozo/7" reflector. 1.7 million*175% = 3 Million CPs. 3 million cps at 18,000 lumens will be quite impressive indeed. But it won't out throw Mega Blaster or Moon Blaster.



Yes it is 5mm arc from what I am told by the boss at Lightpipe. Actually the lumens is a bit on the low side at 72 Lm/W, compared to the other metal halides, some which you can see claim in the 100Lm/W region. But I know that stuff like Philips Mastercolour range (commercial ceramic metal halide) is 80Lm/W range....so i guess not too bad.

But anyway distant target beamshots are what really matters anyway.  

Actually they are not that big : something like your 14" Schimdt Cassegrain telescopes.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TlU9eZ-rZXI&feature=related
http://www.cloudynights.com/ubbthreads/attachments/1721846-DSC_0017.jpg


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## ma_sha1 (Jun 4, 2011)

*Re: Superlights shoot-out 2011: The Short Arcs*

making progress on my next short arc searchlight, I ordered the reflector from optiforms.com & received the official drawing of it. The reflector alone is 9.6" diameter and 7.5" deep, it'll pretty much take up the entire chamber of the searchlight host, leaving just about an inch of space behind the reflector, barely enough to mount the lamp & focus adjustment mechanism. 

I decided to go with AQ (quartz over aluminum) coated version, after discussion with optiforms,
which costed about $150 more than Rhodium coated version but will give me extra 8% reflection.


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## BVH (Jun 4, 2011)

*Re: Superlights shoot-out 2011: The Short Arcs*

I'm working with a quartz over alum reflector out of an ACR600 Marine 150 Watt short arc. It's the butterfly shape and it looks to be a very high quality reflector.


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## ma_sha1 (Jun 4, 2011)

*Re: Superlights shoot-out 2011: The Short Arcs*

Good to hear that, as I wasn't 100% sure about my choice, just that the extra 8% reflection is too tempting..


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## DM51 (Jan 8, 2012)

*Re: Superlights shoot-out 2011: The Short Arcs*

A new thread has been created from this one, with 91 posts from here moved to there: The Nightsword project


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