# 75 Watt HID Mag Mod! Estimated 5000 Lumens...



## jayrob (May 26, 2012)

*I was going to get* one of those HID flashlights that are on ebay...

But I read from more than one user, that they do not have very good throw, and are mostly a 'flood' type.






*So I set my mind* to trying to make an HID light that I could adjust the spot, and see if I could get some throw...

My mod is built around this relatively cheap 75 Watt ballast and HID bulb: ($31 bucks)







Notice the connection points if you decide to DIY...

This bulb is 8000K color temp, but I contacted the seller, and they told me that they can custom build the ballast/bulb combo with a 4300K bulb. So I ordered a couple of the 4300K ones to try out! 






*Parts:
*
* 75 Watt ballast and HID bulb
* Voltage monitor
* 3 X Feilong 32650 Li-Ion batteries
* Aluminum reflector
* Borofloat glass lens
* Custom glow ring from Fiddy
* 2" Aluminum tubing (1/8" wall)
* 1 3/4" Aluminum tubing for shim piece to mount the 2" material (1/8" wall)
(tubing is the order size - it is then machined to the fit needed)






*A custom tail cap mod* was needed in order to fit the 3 Feilong cells:






Just enough room to fit 3 of the Feilong 6000mAh 32650's into a 3D Mag...







*Switch mod:

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Here's the rest of the pictures* of the build: 





*For more details* on the voltage monitor install, see this thread...








































*Notes:
*
I ran several 10 minute test runs, and the ballast stays surprisingly cool. (well not cool, but only warm after 10 minutes)

The HID bulb however, gets very hot. Thus the Borofloat glass lens is needed, as well as the aluminum reflector...

** Current draw* - I measured an initial 7.5 Amps battery current draw on start up, and the ballast quickly brings the HID bulb into full power within about 8 to 10 seconds. At that point, it draws 5.5 Amps steady. So I anticipate about 1 hour run time between charges. Or a little more...

* Comparison - It’s considerably brighter than my 1000 lumen XM-L Mag mod. But not as good for a ‘user’ light. Because it will get pretty warm after about 10 minutes. Plus it will probably need charging of the batteries every hour or so.

My XM-L build has three modes, and is over 3 hours on high. (9 hours on medium – about 350 lumens) 40 hours on low.

Plus the XM-L mod is a 2 cell size. So it’s a much more practical light in many ways.

So all things considered, I don’t think you can beat my 1000 lumen XM-L Mag mod.

But I still like the HID build just for the cool factor...








*Here's* some interesting information on HID vs Halogen:

Lighting from an HID bulb is up to 10 times more durable than halogen. Vibrations can cause damage to a halogen filament, but there is nothing to break inside an HID bulb. Instead of using a filament as it's source of light output, an hid bulb generates a xenon arc that jumps between two diodes to emit its light output. This electrical arc is similar to the lighting in the sky, so in a sense, hid xenon bulbs are what you might call "lightning in a bottle!" Pretty cool huh?!! These light sources also produce a white to blue-white light in the 4300K to 6000K color range that is safer due to the fact that it is closer to the color of natural daylight.

The color temperature of daylight is close to 4300K, which is why we as human beings that see best during the daylight are able to see more vividly with a 4300K hid kit compared to 2300K from halogen bulbs. 

The light output from a 35W 4300K HID Xenon lamp is about 300% more visible light than a 55W halogen bulb.

And this build is 75 Watts HID! 

HID also consumes much less power, and generates much less heat during operation...






*Hope you like the build! *


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## jmpaul320 (May 26, 2012)

nice!

do you think you might start producing these for sale in the market place at some point?


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## jayrob (May 26, 2012)

Probably not a sales thread, but per PM...

I'm still not sure it's worth it or not. Because I have not tried out one of the ebay HID lights yet. I guess I'll have to buy one and compare it.

I also have a version 2 deep reflector from fivemega that I am testing. I have to bore out the reflector opening larger for it to fit over the HID bulb...


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## badtziscool (May 26, 2012)

Nice build!! I love small form factor hid builds.


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## lucca brassi (May 28, 2012)

thanks for your post ! great build !

I like to ask you if is out there or you have some technical drawing of bulb ( beacause front glass , focusing point....)

I have build diving HiD with same dimensions ballast from Brightstar but with only 24W , now that ballast go out of production . 

That could be really interesting replacement !


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## jayrob (May 28, 2012)

Sure I can tell you that the ballast is 1.691 in. in diameter, and 2.990 long. (ballast)

The entire length with bulb, is 5".

The length from the bottom of the ballast, to the center of the Xenon bubble, is 4.290 in...


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## KuanR (May 30, 2012)

Hey Jay, nice mod! Don't bother purchasing one of those ebay HID's. I bought 85w version a while ago and was very disappointed, I can send it you to do a comparison.

I REALLY do NOT want you to waste your money on the ebay HID's.


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## jmpaul320 (May 30, 2012)

there is an 85w in the market place for 70 just fyi

Sent from my SCH-I510 using Xparent Blue Tapatalk 2


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## jayrob (May 30, 2012)

Wish I knew that before I ordered one!




KuanR said:


> Hey Jay, nice mod! Don't bother purchasing one of those ebay HID's. I bought 85w version a while ago and was very disappointed, I can send it you to do a comparison.
> 
> I REALLY do NOT want you to waste your money on the ebay HID's.



I'm bummed to hear that! 

Because I just ordered one two days ago...


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## jayrob (Jun 2, 2012)

Sorry for the double post, but I got the ebay HID today, and was able to compare with my Mag mod...






The ebay 85 Watt HID is a very nice light for the price in my opinion...

It has some cool features. Like low, medium, high mode. And also an SOS mode if you ever need it.

The head screws in or out for some amount of focus ability, but not enough out. I found myself wanting to be able to get a tighter beam.

But still, it puts out a ton of light. The head and reflector is much wider than my Mag modification, and so the side spill is a lot wider than the Mag.

But even so, one test that I did was to just point the light straight up inside the house in the dark to illuminate the room, and the 75 Watt Mag mod won out easily.

Outside, the Mag had a slightly better beam as well, and a little more throw. But not drastic.

That said, I am still impressed with the ebay HID light for the price. And I do happen to like the light...

*Edit:* After removing the front glass, and experimenting with focus by holding the reflector and moving it around, I find that the light gets it to about the best focus that it can be focused to... (for the reflector that it has)

I'm still happy with the over all package for the price I paid...


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## BVH (Jun 2, 2012)

It seems strange to me that an HID would have an SOS mode. That's a tremendous amount of strikes. Bulb life would definitely suffer.


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## jayrob (Jun 2, 2012)

BVH said:


> It seems strange to me that an HID would have an SOS mode. That's a tremendous amount of strikes. Bulb life would definitely suffer.



I did notice that in SOS mode, it is on low power. But yeah, nobody uses SOS anyway. Unless it is an emergency situation...


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## jmpaul320 (Jun 2, 2012)

any beamshot comparison?


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## jayrob (Jun 2, 2012)

jmpaul320 said:


> any beamshot comparison?



Tonight I'll get a couple of pictures and post them...


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## hahoo (Jun 2, 2012)

jayrob said:


> Tonight I'll get a couple of pictures and add them to this post...



dark yet ?


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## jmpaul320 (Jun 2, 2012)

hahoo said:


> dark yet ?



lol it says hes from northern CA its like high noon there now ha


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## jayrob (Jun 3, 2012)

Ok so it looks like I may have to eat my words because I do believe that the 85 Watt Ebay HID slightly out throws my 75 Watt Mag mod...

It's a little easy to get fooled in person, because the wider reflector of the ebay light gives off much more side spill. So the Mag seems like a tighter beam in person, but the camera does not lie.

Those palm trees are about 200 yards away, and the pictures show that the ebay HID, lights them up better than my Mag mod. The Mag might have a better beam profile, but the Ebay light still throws...










One thing that has me kind of scratching my head, is that when I point each light straight up at the ceiling, inside my house in the dark, the Mag mod lights up the room noticeably better than the ebay HID?? Maybe it is due to a different color temp bulb or something...

Anyway, I do like both lights. And quite honestly, I would say that the ebay light is worth the money (for me personally), because they are not very expensive. 

The Mag mod (with batteries), cost more in parts alone. Not counting the time it took to build it...

Not sure if all the ebay HID lights are the same functionality and quality or not. They look the same in the pictures. The one I got, can focus by turning the head. I bought from this seller: 
http://www.ebay.com/sch/blingsurfer/m.html

The express shipping was surprisingly faster than I expected. Even for DHL...

I ordered it on Monday, 5/28 (to CA, U.S.), and received it on Friday, 6/1! 




*Update:*

See better comparison pictures after I changed out the ballast/bulbs to 4300K: 
http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb...-5000-Lumens&p=3964940&viewfull=1#post3964940


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## jmpaul320 (Jun 3, 2012)

i wonder if the mag actually has more output lumen for lumen and maybe the ebay hid lights up more just because of a bigger reflector??

either way cool beam shots


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## FRITZHID (Jun 3, 2012)

bigger reflector = throw


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## bibihang (Jun 12, 2012)

Ii make sense that the 85W throws better than your Mag version, as the 85W has a much larger reflector.


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## jayrob (Jun 15, 2012)

*Update:*








*I just took three more comparison shots* because I swapped out the stock ballast/bulb with a 4300K 75W for the Ebay HID... (same for my 75W Mag HID mod)

I'm also comparing the 42W Fire-Foxes III...

As the pictures will show, the (now 75W) Ebay HID will do better. Which it should. Since it has a larger reflector.

My Mag mod has a smaller reflector vs the FF3, but still does better since it is 75W vs 42W for the Fire-Foxes III... (I think the Mag mod wins over all 3 here) 















Having the 4300K color temp. bulbs made all the difference in the world! 

I like the beam profile of my Mag mod best, but the size/weight + cool factor of the FF3 is amazing! 

And it compares side by side with the 75W lights...









*Here's the Ebay HID* before and after side by side:


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## jarma (Jun 17, 2012)

love the mag mod 4300k mod, very robust looking torch there, well made too.....id love one :bow:


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## jayrob (Jun 18, 2012)

jarma said:


> love the mag mod 4300k mod, very robust looking torch there, well made too.....id love one :bow:



:thanks:

Send me a PM!


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## SOG (Jun 20, 2012)

Hey Jayrob! it's really you! I was looking at the room and I was like "um... I have seen this somewhere else before!"

I just join in here, nice to see you again


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## jayrob (Jun 20, 2012)

SOG said:


> Hey Jayrob! it's really you! I was looking at the room and I was like "um... I have seen this somewhere else before!"
> 
> I just join in here, nice to see you again



Good to see you here!

Yes I'm a light addict... (Flashaholic)

Lasers, and flashlights too!


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## SOG (Jun 20, 2012)

Ha ha, me too, I like light alot! that is a very nice HID Build you have there!


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