# Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35 --N30's Have Arrived!



## mtbkndad

*Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35 --N30's Have Arrived!*

12-13-2007 
The N30 is avialable now at-

Batteryjunction.com in the Amondotech products section

----------------------------------

I have been working on a project for over a year now that involves two new HID spotlights.
They will be known as the Amondotech HID N30 and the Amondotech HID L35.
This has been another volunteer effort on my part and I have been involved with this project from the original artist renderings. For all intensive purposes Amondotech is the manufacturer of these lights in the same way that Nike is the manufacturer of it’s shoes. What I mean by this is that Wayne has paid the tooling costs so these lights can exist in exchange for a world wide exclusive for marketing them. 
Before I get to the specs. I want to say that N30 stands for NiMH 30 watt and L35 stands for Li-Ion 35 watt. The N30 should be available in early May. We have all of the electronics done for the Li-Ion but are seeking further improvements for what will be the “high end” model. All of the changes are minor, but minor changes can take time so I will not make a prediction as to it’s availability yet. We hope for six months, but time will tell.
For now here are the specs

N30
Color - Light (close to Hunter)Green
35 watt HID 3200 lumen 4200K bulb driven at 30 watts.
70+ minutes run time from 13.2 Volt 3600 mAh NiMH pack.
( I generally get 80+ minutes from a full charge, but we are only going to state 70+ in the manual)

LED handle light with 7 - 5mm LED’s These are rated at 15,000-20,000 mcd.
3 1/2 in reflector. 4 3/8 in head
3 1/2 in body diameter
9 1/8” long
3 lbs 8 oz
This light is not weather resistant but can be made weather resistant by the end user in a few minutes.
Easily removable battery back with a built in charger and battery level/charging indicator. The packs can be charged in or out of the light.


L35 
Color - Dark (AI color) green
Specs we have finalized
35 watt HID 3200 lumen 4200K bulb driven at 35 watts
90+ minutes run time from 14.8 Volt 4200 mAh protected Li-Ion pack.
( I generally get 95+ minutes from a full charge, but we are only going to state either 85+ or 90+ in the manual)

LED handle light with 7 - 5mm LED’s These are rated at 15,000-20,000 mcd.
3 1/2 in reflector. 4 3/8 in head
3 1/2 in body diameter
9 1/8” long
3 lbs 1 oz (The final weight may change slightly)

The features we are still working on relate to the body material, type of lens, weather resistance, etc. All of these are minor but take time. So that is why I cannot give an availability date for this model yet.

Before we get to all of the lux readings 37’ 7”, light box measurements, comparison photos, etc. I will give you the prices.

N30 - $148.75 
This is a semi-introductory price as Wayne will keep it at this price as long as he can.
Extra NiMH batteries $49.50 each
Availability for N30 and NiMH batteries should be early May.


L35 - I am sorry but since we are working on refinements we cannot give an exact price.
I guarantee it will be OVER $245 and we hope to keep it in the $245 - $325 range. 
Each of the refinements we want to make for our “high end” model do come with a price.

The Li-Ion packs should be in the 
$85-$105 range.
Once again, these are ONLY TARGET PRICES for the Li-Ion model.
I will give exact details when we have that model ready to be released.

Before I go any further you will notice that the Li-Ion model has slightly lower readings and a slightly different beam pattern then the NiMH model. This is due to the slight variations in the bulbs in terms of brightness and how they focus in the reflectors. I left the bulbs in the lights they came in for the integrity of the announcement thread. When I switch bulbs the Li-Ion model is slightly (emphasis SLIGHTLY) brighter then the NiMH model with the same bulb. Light meters and cameras can pick this up, but it is hard to see a real noticeable difference in use between the Li-Ion model at 35 watts and the NiMH model at 30 watts with the same bulb and reflector. 

Lux at 37’ 7” this is not an arbitrary distance but the longest straight stretch in our small house. I have done lux readings at this distance with other lights not in this announcement thread so I will include them too for comparison.
Costco HID (good focus)----------7590
Costco HID (okay focus)----------5650
AI Proto 6000K HID---------------3401
15 MCP Thor Magnum-------------3326
AI 4200K---------------------------3204
Polarion P1-------------------------2558
X990 Spot-------------------------1963
N30--------------------------------1943
L35---------------------------------1752
10 MCP Thor Focused-------------1567
10 MCP Thor Stock----------------1486
Dorcy 3 MCP-----------------------1053
X990 Flood-------------------------977


Next the light box readings. 
First a description, the light box is designed to take into account ALL of the light coming from these different spotlights. The numbers are good for relative comparison of total light output (Spot, Corona, and Spill) from one light to another. The readings I took cannot be used to say one light is more efficient at putting the light from the bulb out the front end then the other.

In order to do this I would have to test each bulb in the box first and then each light. I did do this with my 4200K Illuminator for an example, the bulb properly mounted has a reading of 1087 and the 4200K AI has a reading of 824. In other words the total amount of light coming out of the AI (Spot, Corona, and Spill) is only about 75% of the total light output of the bulb. 

Because TOTAL light output is being measured, the box makes no determination as to which lights have the most useable beams for any given purpose. That is what the photo’s are for. 

Light box readings

N30------------------------------------1131
L35------------------------------------1033
X990 Spot---------------------------1005
X990 Flood---------------------------935
AI 4200K------------------------------824
Polarion P1---------------------------759
AI 6000K------------------------------692
Costco---------------------------------720
10 MCP Thor------------------------365 
Just for fun I did the following but did not write the numbers down so this is roughly what I remember.
LumaPower 5 watt DX1------------33 
Nightcutter M60L 5 watt------------20

When I told these results to a friend that is a Polarion fan he said it seems the box favors lights with a wider beam. My answer to that is this tends to be the case with rooms in general. This box was not built to favor any one light. The only light in the test with an adjustable beam, the X990, actually had a lower reading on flood then spot by 70 lux.. The reason for this has a simple explanation. When the X990 goes from Spot to Flood The reflector actually moves forward about 1/8” of an inch. This puts the bulb farther back into the light. All other things being equal the bulb that is farther back cannot get as much of it’s own not reflected light directly out of the spotlight and into the box.
The L35 and N30 have Reflectors designed to produce LOTS of bright spill while still giving decent throw and having a decent sized corona. The tops of the bulbs are VERY close to the lenses so much more of the bulb’s direct light can illuminate a box or room.
It does not matter whether the lights are in the box or a room, the L35, N30, and X990 light rooms brighter and more evenly then the other 35 watt lights in this thread. That itself does not make them better spotlights. For that matter the bulbs of each of the lights alone will light rooms more evenly bright then in any of their given spotlights. I guess you could say rooms in general are designed to give preference to light with wider total light output (spot, corona, and spill) and even more preference to lights with spherical bream patterns  .

The Polarion P1 is designed to throw more light down field in a wider corona then the others. I say different designs for different purposes. My goal with the little lights was to have light weight, decent quality, very versatile little HID lights and I believe the photo’s will demonstrate that I succeeded. The reason for lots of bright spill is so the lights could have one fixed focus that is suitable for many circumstances. The spill is not only very bright, it is almost 180 degrees. The idea was to have a light that could be used to light an area like a camping space or yard when needed and still have plenty of throw for most circumstances.
Now for the Photos.
My Canon S2 IS was set at 6” f3.5 for all of the shots. I prefer using the camera on auto white balance so that when taking pictures in the distance you can see the effect of the different color temp bulbs on what you are trying to Illuminate. The 6000K lights really do look that blue at long distances and the 4200K bulbs really do have that greenish hue to them. Yes, The 10 MCP Thor really does look that muddy brown at 310 yards

The first photos are of an old truck water tank that is 310 yards away from the spot the lights are shining from. I could not do these shots in summer because the tank had too much dust on it and there was brush that was grown around it so between the dust, dirt, and dry brush around the edges it was hard to see during the day and REAL hard to see at night.
BVH and I were lucky because it rained two days before we did the photo shoot. As a result the tank was clean, the new brush is still green and not fully grown back yet, and the ground around the tank was still darker then when completely dry . Unfortunately these are also the photo’s that I messed up in terms of focus.






AmondoTech 6000K prototype (Sam’s)
------------------




AmondoTech Illuminator 4200K 
------------------




X990 Spot
------------------




X990 Flood
-----------------




Polarion P1
----------------




L35 
---------------




N30
----------------




10 MCP Thor

In these next photos we are shooting at a light spot on the wall by the road 138 yards away. Our original target 130 yards away washed away in the rain. Do not only look at the beams across the canyon, but look at the edge of the hill immediately in front of the camera and watch how it changes from shot to shot. The hotspots were all very carefully focus on the spot on the wall. However, HID hotspots are quite often not perfectly centered in their corona’s so it will give the appearance that the lights are focused in slightly different positions. 

Both the 310 yard shots and the 138 yard shots were chosen to give an idea of the performance of the hotspots and corona’s at distance.





AmondoTech 6000K prototype (Sam’s)
--------------------




AmondoTech Illuminator 4200K
-------------------




X990 Spot
-----------------




X990 Flood
------------------




Polarion P1 
------------------




L35
------------------




N30
-----------------




10 MCP Thor

Now for the short shots. We are aiming at a bright spot on the wall that is 70 yards away from the lights. These shots are for the purpose of showing the spill of the different lights. 





AmondoTech 6000K Prototype (Sam’s)
-----------------------




AmondoTech Illuminator 4200K
----------------------




X990 Spot
----------------------




X990 Flood
---------------------




Polarion P1
--------------------




L35
--------------------




N30
---------------------




10 MCP Thor


By now you all may want to know what these lights look like.
Here is the group that was used in the photo’s




---------------




---------------





Here are the 4 small lights next each other




----------------




---------------

Originally I hoped to have the Throw of a 10 MCP Thor in a much smaller package. These lights clearly out throw a 10 MCP Thor while also putting out much more light overall. They are a bit smaller too  .




----------------




---------------




---------------
Now for some more detailed photos of the L35 and N30




----------------




----------------




----------------
The Battery comes out with a pull twist pull sequence so it stays very secure.
Actually you depress the side buttons simultaneously with your right hand.
Then tap the back of the handle against your left hand and the battery starts to pop out. Then you pull it till it stops and twist it counter clockwise till it stops.
Then you pull it out the rest of the way.
It all takes just as few seconds.




--------------




--------------





The bulb is held in by two sheet metal screws that are screwed into threaded protrusions in the back of the reflector. This is not the most elegant design but it works.




--------------






These are clearly not Polarion’s or XeRays (I am still planning on getting an X1), but they are nice little dual lights. With the LED portion being in the 105,000 mcd - 140,000 mcd range they are nice for lighting paths when walking at night, tents when camping, etc.. Then when you need it, the HID portion is ready for delivering loads of light for hundreds of yards.

Once again
AmondoTech HID N30 $148.75 1 year Warranty
Spare batteries $49.50 each
Availability should be early May.
Wayne does not do pre-sales or anything like that.

AmondoTech HID L35
We are working on it and will finish it when the N30’s are in production.

I have a huge job starting Monday that is need to get ready for so I will answer questions as much as possible.
Do not bother emailing Wayne as this has been my project and he would not know the answers.

Take Care,
mtbkndad :wave:

PS. I plan on putting one of my new N30 samples into the raffle at the So Cal. get together
http://candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?t=153482


----------



## Phaserburn

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35*

:goodjob: :rock:


----------



## roadie

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35*

:goodjob: 

hope to own them one of these days  

nice pics also


----------



## XeRay

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35*

Very nice light for the market "niche" you intended. It should do very well.

Good work, Congrats.:goodjob:


----------



## LuxLuthor

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35*

Hmmm....well let's see.....let me say something constructive....nice HID in a small economical package. I guess I was expecting something that blew away the Illuminator from your earlier hype & the street pictures.

There will be a niche market for these.


----------



## CLHC

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35*

Now we're talking! Looking forward to its debut. . .Thanks for the info Sir Dan! :wave:


----------



## MikeF

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35*

   
Does that make me first in line?


----------



## dduane

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35*

Great HID. Looks tempting as my first HID. Is the HID part seperate from the LED. Can the HID part stand alone/ can I remove the LED and the 2 brackets linking the LED to the larger HID for a smaller package? It looks like the LED is wired thru the brackets to the battery.
THANKS


----------



## mtbkndad

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35*

XeRay, 
Thanks for the compliment. I figured with Polarion and XeRay serving the high end it would be good to have a couple of truly small and useable HID's for the camping/outdoor and HID spotlight enthusiasts who are on a budget. 

LuxLuthor,
These do beat the AI hands down in terms of small size, low weight, and therefore useability in a practical sense. They are more versatile then a Barn Burner in terms of things like reading in a single person tent at night  or quick battery changes, and run time multiple quick change batteries can give. The photo's in the other thread were accurate and I do appologize if you feel they steered you in the wrong direction. I did mention that a Barn Burner on the same street would light the garage much better. But for maximum throw you need the big lights either in watts or reflector size, both, or in the case of the Polarions(Helios, X1, and P1 )expensive perfect little reflectors.

MikeF,
If I do a early arrival private announcement with these through PM's and emails like I did with Illuminators then yes you are first in line :thumbsup: .

dduane,
The LED and HID parts are all one unit.
There is a switch for each.
The switch on the right is for the HID and the switch on the Left is for the LED.


CHC, 
You should carpool down with some other Nor Cal members and you can see these next weekend, it would be great to visit again.

Take Care,
mtbkndad :wave:


----------



## That_Guy

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35*

No offense, but these lights look very uhh... weird. Very strange to see such a tall thin light.

What socket does it use? Is it proprietary, H7 / standard halogen automotive or D2S? The light is Chinese made so it's obviously less reliable, but also much cheaper so for the most part it's worth it. eg. a OEM quality ballast would probably cost an extra $100, but likely wouldn't offer any additional reliability for the number of hours most people will be using this light for (<100).

My main complaint regarding the choice of Chinese components is the bulb. As your pictures show and as you've said yourself the Chinese bulb doesn't perform as well or as consistently as the OEM bulbs used in the other lights. A good quality OEM bulb (Philips 85122) costs less than $40 so it would add very little to the overall cost of the light ($20 - $30) which is well worth it for the added performance and reliability IMO.

One interesting thing in your post is your lux measurements which can be turned into candlepower. Converting the feet to metres and then squaring it gives a number which when multiplied with the lux readings gives the candlepower.

Your measurements in candlepower:

Costco HID (good focus)----------996 007
Costco HID (okay focus)----------741 428
AI Proto 6000K HID---------------446 300
15 MCP Thor Magnum-------------436 458
AI 4200K-------------------------420 449
Polarion P1------------------------335 677
X990 Spot------------------------256 597
N30------------------------------254 972
L35-------------------------------229 908
10 MCP Thor Focused--------------205 631
10 MCP Thor Stock----------------195 002
Dorcy 3 MCP----------------------138 181
X990 Flood------------------------128 208


----------



## CLHC

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35*



mtbkndad said:


> CHC,
> You should carpool down with some other Nor Cal members and you can see these next weekend, it would be great to visit again.


I would very much like to, but this coming weekend (Saturday March 17 2007) I have another get-together with the Single Malt Scotch (no blends please) fellows, whereupon I'm the one bringing most of these 750ml bottles (16 different ones) + two dozen varieties of 750ml bottles of Cognacs! ! ! :huh:

I'm sure there'll be lots of pictures that we all can enjoy viewing at the SoCal get together in Griffith Park. Thanks for the invite!

Enjoy! :wave:


----------



## LuxLuthor

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35*



That_Guy said:


> What socket does it use? Is it proprietary, H7 / standard halogen automotive or D2S? The light is *Chinese *made so it's obviously less reliable, but also much cheaper so for the most part it's worth it. eg. a OEM quality ballast would probably cost an extra $100, but likely wouldn't offer any additional reliability for the number of hours most people will be using this light for (<100).
> 
> My main complaint regarding the choice of *Chinese *components is the bulb. As your pictures show and as you've said yourself the bulb doesn't perform as well or as consistently as the OEM bulbs used in the other lights.


Where did he say these are Chinese made lights and Chinese HID bulbs/ballasts? I'm not saying you are wrong, but I didn't see that in his write up.

*mtbkndad *- Yeah, I agree there are advantages to its small size, price, and light weight. It was just not what I was expecting for an announcement. I would think using a spotlight with a 90 min run time for reading in a tent is not a good thing to promote as its use. An LED...in fact one of those $10 book page clip on LED lights with their very long run time is the way to go for reading. 

For other portability uses while camping, it would be handy. If That_Guy is correct about these being Chinese made, or using Chinese HID components however, that just took it down the ratings scale IMHO, in terms of reliability and longevity as a knee-jerk reaction. Again, I'm not sure where he read that.


----------



## brightboy

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35*

My feelings towards the shape are the opposite of That_Guy's. I think the tall, thin shape is awesome - I remember thinking that when I saw the silhouette blow-up in the original posting. I was thinking, "I like how that handle sits high above that little reflector." A big contrast to the fat, bulky HID lights in this price range, with reflectors over-radiusing the body.

And the little LED light in the handle is a great little suprise, I definitely didn't expect that. Definitely allows this light to do more in day-to-day use.


----------



## BVH

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35*

I think there's going to be a lot of people jumping on these lights. On first look, they were quite unusual looking and something I would probably not pay too much attention to on a shelf in a store. But as I handled them and saw their performance, they quickly grew on me. When I think of the amount of HID performance I'm going to be getting for the price, I think they are fantastic lights at a bargain price. I am one who buys lots of lights and uses them very little. (That doesn't mean that I don't thoroughly enjoy having them) I hesitate to use my expensive lights as tools (even though they are) where they might get damaged. To me, these are TRUE "grab & go", throw around, carry everywhere, use all the time, very handy, throw one in the trunk of both cars, inexpensive but Bright HID (& LED, in the same light) lights. They fit very well in the hand. I'm not going to worry about scratching them or using them as the tools they are. They are lights I will have sitting around in different areas of the house that I will frequently actually use. I don't think of these as competition to the Polarions and Xerays. I see them as "down in the trenches", everyday use work lights. I will be buying at least one of each.


----------



## rufusdufus

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35*

MTNBKNDAD,

Well done.

I hope you have used a universal charger with these.


----------



## mtbkndad

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35*

That Guy,

The light has to be a little "tall" if the LED portion is to be useable and the handle is to have a nice size.


Regarding the reliability of the lights they have a 1 year warranty and when you look at all of the "unreliable" Chinese HID's in use Costco's, HarborFreights, AI's, many of the Costco's have been in use for close to two years. The "unreliable" Chinese made bulbs and ballasts have been proving to be pretty reliable in these spotlights.
The bulb is an H series bulb I just need to look up which one as I do not remember off hand.
Yes there is more variation from different Chinese bulbs then a Philips, but I also think an additional $30 is a lot when the total light price is $148.75. That $30 is a good way toward a spare battery pack. If somebody is on a budget a spare battery pack may be more useful then the Philips bulb.


LuxLuthor,

Yes these are Chinese made, that is why they are $148.75. 
That is why I said AmondoTech is the manufacturer in the same way Nike is the manufacturer of its shoes ... .
Also because Amondotech has paid the tooling on these so they are not just buying and reselling existing lights.
Another example would be the 5.11 HRT's I am wearing right now that are made in China.
I certainly was not hiding anything as I figured the very low price would make that fact self evident.

Of course I am not recomending using the HID portion in the Tent .
That is what the LED handle light is for and it will give a LOT more then 90 minutes of run time and will light the whole tent quite well. 

Remember that I also mentioned these are not Polarions or XeRays.
They are not intended to compete with them either. 
As I mentioned before I still plan on getting an X1.
It is the most packable 35 watt HID I have seen to date.
I have a very specific and rugged purpose for the X1 I plan on getting.
My size requirements and the rugged use are number one considerations for me. The light output of the N30 and L35 would be fine, but they cannot compare to the X1 for ruggedness and packability.
Of course a bulb for the X1 cost's more then an AmonTech HID N30  .

As XeRay rightly stated earlier, these are made for a certain niche within the larger niche of HID spotlights. They will probably introduce a lot of people to HID's that would have never considered them otherwise because up until now the inexpensive HID's were too big and heavy and the light weight sub 4 lbs 30+ watt HID's in a in lantern/spotlight style bodies start at $1795 and go up from there.


Take Care,
mtbkndad :wave:


----------



## mtbkndad

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35*



rufusdufus said:


> MTNBKNDAD,
> 
> Well done.
> 
> I hope you have used a universal charger with these.



The battery packs are truly smart pacs as the charger is built in and complete with a trickle charge.
The power supply for the N30 is 110.
The power supply for the L35 will be universal. That is one of the upgrades we have required.

We wanted to keep the price of the N30 absolutely as low as possible.

Take care,
mtbkndad :wave:


----------



## cue003

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35*

Very nice. 

looking forward to the L35. Since the price of the L35 is higher than the N30 is there any plans for using a "better" bulb?

Thanks

Curtis


----------



## XeRay

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35*



cue003 said:


> Very nice. looking forward to the L35. Since the price of the L35 is higher than the N30 is there any plans for using a "better" bulb?


 
Rebased to H series Philips bulbs do exist. They buy the burners or D2S bulbs from Philips Taiwan or Europe and modify them to an H series base (Probably H3 is used here.) Rebased Philips burners are no longer easy to find but they do exist. Many bulb sellers claim to use the Philips burners but most are fakes. If I were AT, I would offer a true Philips burner H based as an upgrade option.


----------



## seery

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35*

mtbkndad - VERY NICE    

The build quality looks great for the money. Heck, I'd say at that price your
light is a steal.

Not everyone can afford or needs a light that is built like the Surefire Beast.
I checked out the Polarion at SHOT 2007 (Matt Burkett's booth) and was not
at all impressed with it's build quality, regardless of price.

Looking forward to watching these lights develop.


----------



## Patriot

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35*

:goodjob: mtbkndad! The performance is exactly what I expected but at a lower cost than I expected. As BVH said, these lights can be tossed around and used as tools without any regrets, especially the N30. 

They arn't sexy looking like a Polarion, but who cares? I'd use the heck out of that little N30!


----------



## That_Guy

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35*

I'm not saying that the design is bad, just very "odd". I'd have to use it to see how good or bad it really is.

Regarding the bulb, it would be better if the light used a D2S base so that the buyer can choose between a cheaper Chinese bulb or a more expensive OEM bulb rather than being forced to use the Chinese bulb. I've noticed that XeRay has just posted that rebased Hx Philips bulbs do exist which is good news, my only worry is availability, and what about price? A D2S base would still be my preference since OEM D2S bulbs are cheap and much more readily available than rebased ones.


----------



## XeRay

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35*



That_Guy said:


> A D2S base would still be my preference since OEM D2S bulbs are cheap and much more readily available than rebased ones.


 Yes, they would be cheaper and more readily available. Often times makers want a proprietary bulb so that you will buy replacements from them, this is how the original Polarions were. I think that the product would sell more volume if an off the shelf bulb could be used.


----------



## mtbkndad

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35*



cue003 said:


> Very nice.
> 
> looking forward to the L35. Since the price of the L35 is higher than the N30 is there any plans for using a "better" bulb?
> 
> Thanks
> 
> Curtis



Not if we can't meet our price targets. That will be that last thing to consider because that is the one thing the end user can change relatively easily.

Don't forget the L35 will have Li-Ion batteries and other differences that I do not want to mention because it is still a work in progress. 

The factory's access to the other bulbs. Then the bulbs having the mounting holes in them in the right place are also issues.
This factory does not use bulbs from just any Chinese manufacturer and tests their reliability. These light were originally going to be 24 watts and my original hand made prototype is 24 watt. The problem is that the engineers themselves said there are no good Chinese 24 watt bulbs and it turned out to be just a little to low to drive a 35 watt bulb reliably. That is how the N24 became the N30.
I also asked at one point about driving the bulbs at say 40 watts in the L35.
Not to copy the Helios, but to see if there would be a little more light output difference between the two lights. 

They tested bulbs that bulb manufacturers said would handle it fine and decided they would not and that at 35 watts the bulbs were reliable and they could warranty them.

Regarding output, the bulbs are rated 3200 lumens + or - 200 lumens.
If you see these lights in action you will see it is not necessarily one being better then the other. They have slightly different beam patterns.
If you look at the short range L35 and N30 shots above on the road this will be most noticeable with the L35 lighting road more evenly up toward the spotlight location. 


There were supply issues with the LED's so that is why they are 
15,000 - 20,000 mcd LED's as opposed to say 30,000 mcd LED's.
Even small details can take a lot of time to properly communicate have changed in the right manner.

Take Care,
mtbkndad :wave:


----------



## LuxLuthor

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35*



BVH said:


> I think there's going to be a lot of people jumping on these lights. On first look, they were quite unusual looking and something I would probably not pay too much attention to on a shelf in a store. But as I handled them and saw their performance, they quickly grew on me. When I think of the amount of HID performance I'm going to be getting for the price, I think they are fantastic lights at a bargain price. I am one who buys lots of lights and uses them very little. (That doesn't mean that I don't thoroughly enjoy having them) I hesitate to use my expensive lights as tools (even though they are) where they might get damaged. To me, these are TRUE "grab & go", throw around, carry everywhere, use all the time, very handy, throw one in the trunk of both cars, inexpensive but Bright HID (& LED, in the same light) lights. They fit very well in the hand. I'm not going to worry about scratching them or using them as the tools they are. They are lights I will have sitting around in different areas of the house that I will frequently actually use. I don't think of these as competition to the Polarions and Xerays. I see them as "down in the trenches", everyday use work lights. I will be buying at least one of each.


*
That is the sales pitch. He effectively made the case....sort of a disposable HID, if you will...at least you wouldn't lose sleep if you lost one of these. I could see throwing it in the trunk...especially with Lithium ones....too bad the Eneloop battery technology is not in wider use for these.*

mtbkndad, part of my reaction was just freshly reading this thorough trashing of all things Chinese when it comes to HID lights that was just posted here...lol...and by some of the same people posting in this thread *cough* Dan *cough* lol.

I sort of figured those comments mapped over onto this product...and given the caution expressed there, I'm not sure if only a year's warranty is enough reassurance given the Chinese brand.


----------



## mtbkndad

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35*

That Guy, 

Part of the problem is the very small amount of space behind the reflector before you get to the ballast. There isn't really room for a proper mounting flange that is why the if you look at the reflector photo above there is only a spacer flange and the the bulb is screwed into place over it.

This is sort of a HID equivalent of Wayne Johnson's Little Friend. There is so little space in that light that if you put the battery holder in wrong the tail cap does not screw down completely 


As I have said many times before, Dan's XeRay lights are the component versatility kings of the HID world. They are like HID lincoln logs. I mean that in a very good way Dan
:thumbsup: They are also bigger and heavier at 5.3 lbs. Part of that extra size and weight is the luxury of more internal space.

Take Care,
mtbkndad :wave:


----------



## paulr

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35*

Interesting but I'm terrified about the unique battery packs. What happens if you need one and the company isn't making them any more? These lights would be a lot more attractive if they used standard cells or packs of some sort (AA or sub-C NiMH, or NP-F970-style li ion camcorder packs).


----------



## XeRay

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35*



LuxLuthor said:


> I sort of figured those comments mapped over onto this product...and given the caution expressed there, I'm not sure if only a year's warranty is enough reassurance given the Chinese brand.


 
I would say if the replacement parts are readily available (USA Service Support) and priced reasonably, then its not such a big deal. The other thread refrenced by Lux about "things Chinese," would be a slightly different scenario. This is a low priced Niche, Chinese (Asian) is the only way to currently accomplish that goal.


----------



## mtbkndad

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35*



XeRay said:


> I would say if the replacement parts are readily available (USA Service Support) and priced reasonably, then its not such a big deal. The other thread refrenced by Lux about "things Chinese," would be a slightly different scenario. This is a low priced Niche, Chinese (Asian) is the only way to currently accomplish that goal.



XeRay,
I agree with you on both points, I personally try to only buy Chinese products from US dealers. For that matter this same issue was one of my main concerns with Polarion products for a while and even MORE because of the high dollars involved with a purchase. Now that Polarion has taken steps to create a real solid distribution channel in the US and has fixed the design issues in the X1 & Helios switches I am planning on getting one again.

Regarding the N30 and L35, Amondotech will be supporting these units.

Luxluthor,
I think one a year warranty is fine.
I have purchased lots of things over the years that cost much more then these lights with less warranty.

Take Care,
mtbkndad :wave:


----------



## mtbkndad

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35*



paulr said:


> Interesting but I'm terrified about the unique battery packs. What happens if you need one and the company isn't making them any more? These lights would be a lot more attractive if they used standard cells or packs of some sort (AA or sub-C NiMH, or NP-F970-style li ion camcorder packs).



I understand your concern, but Wayne did not fund this project for a one time sale. He will be carrying these for some time. If you know anything about plastic mold making and manufacturing you will know that Wayne has made a long term commitment here.

This is good for us as customers. Both from an availability and support standpoint.

Take Care,
mtbkndad :wave:


----------



## MSI

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35*

I'm really surprised that the L35 has lower output than the N30.
Do you know if it will be easy to modify the LEDs, i.e. put in a Cree instead?
Btw, I think these light are a great deal, they are not pretty and lack attachment points for shoulder carry, but they are the first affordable HID that is light weight and has good output and runtime.


----------



## Ra

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35*



mtbkndad said:


> XeRay,
> But for maximum throw you need the big lights either in watts or reflector size, both, or in the case of the Polarions(Helios, X1, and P1 )expensive perfect little reflectors.




Sorry mtbkndad, but I cannot resist to react on this::thinking:

Wattage of a bulb has nothing to do with throw ! And if it does, its because of imperfections in the reflector-shape. (see explanation below..)

Every kind of lightsource (halogen, Automotive-HID, Short-arc, Led) has, within certain limits, its own specific surface-brightness. Thats responsible for throw ! If you swap a 20watt halogen by a 50watt halogen in one and the same fixture, the throw will not change, only the beam will be wider !

For throw, two things are most important (besides the fact that you need a decent lumens-output ofcource..): Surface-brightness and reflector-diameter! Ofcource, this only works with reflectors with decent quality..

If you have a reflector with certain imperfections in the parabolic shape, your bulb needs to have an emitting surface big enough to overcome those imperfections.. And given the fact that higher wattage usually means bigger emitting surface, in that particular case throw would improve with higher wattage..



Regards,

Ra.


----------



## PARIS

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35*

Thanks To mtbKndad for all the details in your writeup on HID N30 & L35.
These look like powerful afordable lights and look forward to their availability.
Hope to add one of these to my own collection.


----------



## mtbkndad

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35*



Ra said:


> Sorry mtbkndad, but I cannot resist to react on this::thinking:
> 
> Wattage of a bulb has nothing to do with throw ! And if it does, its because of imperfections in the reflector-shape. (see explanation below..)
> 
> Every kind of lightsource (halogen, Automotive-HID, Short-arc, Led) has, within certain limits, its own specific surface-brightness. Thats responsible for throw ! If you swap a 20watt halogen by a 50watt halogen in one and the same fixture, the throw will not change, only the beam will be wider !
> 
> For throw, two things are most important (besides the fact that you need a decent lumens-output ofcource..): Surface-brightness and reflector-diameter! Ofcource, this only works with reflectors with decent quality..
> 
> If you have a reflector with certain imperfections in the parabolic shape, your bulb needs to have an emitting surface big enough to overcome those imperfections.. And given the fact that higher wattage usually means bigger emitting surface, in that particular case throw would improve with higher wattage..
> 
> 
> 
> Regards,
> 
> Ra.



Thank you for the information and I understand what you are saying, but I do not think you understood what I was saying. I was speaking in terms of actual lights that throw farther then the N30 and the L35.



Lights like the XeRay 50 and 75 watt Barn Burner, Costco & Harbor Freight HID's, AI & Sam's, Polarions, LarryK, etc.. These lights either are bigger, have higher watt bulb & ballasts, both, or in the case of polarions, have perfect little reflectors added to the mix. 

Watts can effect throw if the lower watts prevents the same bulb in the same reflector from getting to it's optimal surface temp.
My original prototype is a 35 watt bulb being driven at 24 watts.
That light is brighter then any of current common 24 watt offerings, but is dull compared to the 30 and 35 watt offerings.

The opposiste is also true. The Barn Burner both throws farther and puts out more light then the 50 watt XeRay, but it is a 50 watt bulb driven at 75 watts.
Higher surface temp? sure. But where did the extra power to drive the bulb harder and get it hotter come from?
In simple terms, couldn't the extra 25 watts from the 75 watt ballast have had something to do with it?

I do believe what you said is important for people to understand as to why there will be very little difference in light output from two lights that are driven at very similar wattages where the lower or higher wattage is not significantly effecting the surface temp of the bulb. People that have seen the Helios and X1 say it is very hard to tell any difference between the lights
With the N30 and L35 the natural + or minus - 200 lumens with the bulb has more to do with the brightness differences between the lights then the wattage difference. That is why I left the bulbs in the lights they came with so people could see the reality of what you were saying in your post.

Take Care,
mtbkndad :wave:


----------



## Lips

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35*

Enjoyed the 3 scene shoot-out and layout of the lights.


Nice work Guys. :thumbsup:


.


----------



## Ra

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35*

You're right mtbkndad,

Indeed you can increase throw by increasing the power to the same bulb!

I think I forgot to mention that..

With halogens the filament has fixed dimensions, so increasing the power means increasing lumens-output and, as a result of fixed dimensions, increasing surface-brightness. The increase of surface-brightness will be with the same factor as the increase of lumens.

With HID's, the increase of surface-brightness is not with the same factor as the increase of lumens-output, because the dimensions of the arc are not fixed: The arc becomes a little wider at higher power..

Thanks for the reminder..


Regards,

Ra.


----------



## Lips

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35*

The bulb matters too, correct...


Fat Boy DL50 (BarnBurner) has tighter arc vs GE 24 w (Xeray 50w)


More throw in BarnBurner because of this, Correct ?


----------



## 2xTrinity

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35*



Ra said:


> You're right mtbkndad,
> 
> Indeed you can increase throw by increasing the power to the same bulb!
> 
> I think I forgot to mention that..
> 
> With halogens the filament has fixed dimensions, so increasing the power means increasing lumens-output and, as a result of fixed dimensions, increasing surface-brightness. The increase for surface-brightness will be with the same factor as the increase of lumens.
> 
> With HID's, the increase of surface-brightness is not with the same factor as the increase of lumens-output, because the dimensions of the arc are not fixed: The arc becomes a little wider at higher power..\


Interesting. That makes sense though. I know that if you're projecting into a fixed angle, that increasing the lumens will definitely increase the intensity/throw. But if as you say the arc gets bigger in the case of the HID, that will translate to projecting into a wider cone -- in which case I'd expect the light to throw about the same distance, but light up a wider area at the same time.


----------



## Ra

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35*



2xTrinity said:


> Interesting. That makes sense though. I know that if you're projecting into a fixed angle, that increasing the lumens will definitely increase the intensity/throw. But if as you say the arc gets bigger in the case of the HID, that will translate to projecting into a wider cone -- in which case I'd expect the light to throw about the same distance, but light up a wider area at the same time.



Only a slightly wider area !! The increase of the arc-size is not much, so much of the power-increase will go into higher surface-brightness, which means better throw..


Regards,

Ra.


----------



## Ra

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35*



Lips said:


> The bulb matters too, correct...
> 
> 
> Fat Boy DL50 (BarnBurner) has tighter arc vs GE 24 w (Xeray 50w)
> 
> 
> More throw in BarnBurner because of this, Correct ?




If indeed Fatboy has a tighter arc, then you're right..



Regards,

Ra.


----------



## mtbkndad

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35*

2xTrinity and Lips,

This is what Ra and I have been talking about.
In each of the photos below the XeRay was on tight focus.






XeRay 50 watt with DL50
----------




Barn Burner DL50 driven at 75 watts
----------





XeRay 50 watt with DL50
----------




Barn Burner DL50 driven at 75 watts.

With the extra 25 watts the beam is slightly wider a lot brighter and it clearly throws a lot farther. 
Now if the BB was only driven to say 55 watts there would be very little difference in the total output of these two lights.

Take Care,
mtbkndad :wave:


----------



## mtbkndad

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35*



MSI said:


> I'm really surprised that the L35 has lower output than the N30.
> Do you know if it will be easy to modify the LEDs, i.e. put in a Cree instead?
> Btw, I think these light are a great deal, they are not pretty and lack attachment points for shoulder carry, but they are the first affordable HID that is light weight and has good output and runtime.



If you re-read my post on the subject and then read the posts right after yours it should make sense regarding the output of the L35. With the same bulb and reflector in moved from one light to the other the L35 is slightly brighter then the N30. The difference is not something that you really will notice in use. Even with these two lights one beam has strengths the other does not and it takes cameras to pick this up.
What I do notice immediately is the extra 7 oz of the N30 and 15 to 20 minutes less run time per charge as opposed to the L35.

Regarding the LED portion, the Lens retaining ring unscrews so I am sure modders who do not care about the one year warranty will be having fun with these  . There is not a lot of spare wire in the back of the LED module, but those of you who like to mod will be able to take care of that too.

Once again, just so Wayne does not get upset with me  .
Modding these lights in any way will void your 1 year warranty.

Take Care,
mtbkndad :wave:


----------



## LuxLuthor

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35*



mtbkndad said:


> XeRay,
> I agree with you on both points, I personally try to only buy Chinese products from US dealers. For that matter this same issue was one of my main concerns with Polarion products for a while and even MORE because of the high dollars involved with a purchase. Now that Polarion has taken steps to create a real solid distribution channel in the US and has fixed the design issues in the X1 & Helios switches I am planning on getting one again.
> 
> Regarding the N30 and L35, Amondotech will be supporting these units.
> 
> Luxluthor,
> I think one a year warranty is fine.
> I have purchased lots of things over the years that cost much more then these lights with less warranty.
> 
> Take Care,
> mtbkndad :wave:



Yeah, those are good points, and there is a big difference between that other thread and this one that is supported by the likes of Wayne's operation, and with your endorsement. I'm sort of glad I brought it up so it could be addressed though, otherwise it was "hanging out there" and potentially tainting the potential of these lights. I'm satisfied on that issue.

This discussion between you and Ra is also very useful and interesting. It reminds everyone how important the reflector is when lights are presented. It was discussed and well represented with your beamshots of the prototype XeRay reflector vs. later models vs. Polarion's high quality reflector....but your last shots also underscore the driving bulb/ballast power.

All very interesting discussions, thanks....then there is also that aspherical mag lens that Mac is promoting that dramatically impacts throw/focus....sort of a reverse telescope effect.


----------



## BVH

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35*

Mtbkndad, if I show up and leave the L.A. Flashapolousa multiple times, do I get multiple chances at winning the N30?


----------



## mtbkndad

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35*



BVH said:


> Mtbkndad, if I show up and leave the L.A. Flashapolousa multiple times, do I get multiple chances at winning the N30?



:hairpull: If I had known you were interested in a NiMH model I would have given it to you instead of committing to put it into the raffle on Saturday.
BVH is the one person that kept my secret the longest. He knew about this from the original 24 watt prototype when we did beamshots in the canyon for the first time.
BVH, you are a real class act :thumbsup: .

Luxluthor,
I am glad you brought up the whole issue of your concerns. 
The reason it took so long to prepare the announcement thread is that I wanted to be sure anybody that may want to buy one knows exactly what they are getting and how they compare to other popular 35 watt HID lights available right now.

Take Care,
mtbkndad :wave:


----------



## nonotmethanks

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35*

Looking forward to the new lights. 

I have the AI as my first HID and I use it often underground. My partitcular AI draws high at 3.5A at 12V = 42W and I have been considering building a battery pack for it - would do the same for these new lights. Torn between NiMH and venturing into lithium for 3 hours minimum runtime, I'd have to look at alternate ways to get 3 hours with these new lights. I'd probably have to go back to keeping the battery in my backpack and running wires - or spend extra $$$ on the offered packs which are too small for my purposes. 

I see the new lights will be limited to 30w and 35w. Since the li-ion is at 14.4V - is it regulated down to ~12V or is it not an issue for the HID ballast? On a fresh charge, the NiMH 13.2V might be 15.4V max and the Li-Ion 14.4V might be 16.8V max - so that seems a bit extreme to me but do HID lights not care? I was trying to figure this out for my Illuminator also since I only see a ballast inside.

The LED light wll be handy, but might encourage flipping back an forth between the two lights which I thought was not good for HID?


----------



## BVH

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35*

NoNotMeThanks, the L35 with two battery packs would give you the 3 hours run time you're looking for - as long as what you're using it for would allow you the time to switch packs. Just wondering if this is an issue or do you need 3 uninterrupted hours? 

Mtbkndad, not to worry. I really like these lights and want to buy some to support Wayne and his investment into making them. If it wasn't for him and people like him willing to make large investments and take risks, new and interesting lights would not be forthcoming as quickly and I love new and interesting things! If I win the N30 in the raffle, I'll re-donate it for another ticket pull.


----------



## nonotmethanks

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35*

(strange - had to use "post reply" button on previous thread page, didn't work on this one)

BVH - I use lights underground 10-15 hours and have to limit my budget - that means always means a lot of compromises. The primary purpose of the Amondotech Illuminator is video but some multi-purpose. From experience, I have found 3 hours per pack a good "rule of thumb" for lights to be truly useful. The AI has limited video use for me right now but I am planning to extend that by making the 13.2V NiMH pack shown in these boards or buying Li-Ion.

I really like the 4200K bulb the new light and my Illuminator have - I plan to buy the new model as soon as it comes available and would use it for more than video if I can increase the runtimes.

I have found that 90 minutes video means at least 2 hours for light runtime (set up and I was warned here not to switch HID off and on a lot). I also read lithium packs capacity decrease over the weeks so two packs would be cutting it too close - I would have to buy 2 additional and then I would need even more if I wanted 5-6 hours. If the Li-Ion packs come in @ $100 for 4200 mah - I get more bang for the buck to buy/build my own higher capacity packs for extra long runtimes.

Since I have to already carry in the backpack first aid kit, spare lights, batteries, food, water (ugh), and misc. equipment - size and weight is alway an issue. NiMH 13.2v 10AH D cell pack is a couple pounds lighter than SLA PS-1290 12v 9AH and a thread here shows how to fit it inside the Illuminator - Li-Ion is even smaller and lighter but costs soar.

It would be very nice having high capacity Li-Ion packs to fit inside the lights - hence my question concerning HID voltages and my desire to place Li-Ion (perhaps Li-Polymer) inside the Illuminator. If the new lights are regulated or the HID in both lights do not care about the initial 15-16volt - then I might invest to run both Amondotechs and other devices off a large capacity 14.4V Li-Ion or NiMH pack secured in my backpack. 

-NNMT


----------



## mtbkndad

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35*

nonotmethanks,

The ballasts that provide power to the bulbs can handle a range of input voltages.

The AI will run for 3 hours continuous with a 12 D NiMH pack. 
It would be a bit of work to build external packs for these but it certainly could be done.

There is another issue that would have to be dealt with. These are small plastic lights and really need heat to dissipate out through the lens. You would not be able to use a cracked ice panel like you do for your AI without building a proper spacer for it. 

Added section.


If I remember correctly the ballast in the Illuminator can handle and up to 16 volts so making a 14.? volt Li pack for it should not be a problem.
Just make sure it's continuous voltage is in the 14 range and it's peak voltage is in the 16.? range.
The charger in the Li-Ion pack tops it off at 16.6 volts.
The ballast can handle that fine as an initial .6 volts drop off real fast. 
If you have the ability you can certainly save money by building your own larger capacity external Li packs for the N35 but the AI may be your most practical self contained long continous run time solution.

Take Care,
mtbkndad :wave:


----------



## cue003

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35*

On a full run, is there any problem with heat and the casing of this light? What about for back to back full runs? Is this something that we should be concerned about?

Curtis


----------



## mtbkndad

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35*



cue003 said:


> On a full run, is there any problem with heat and the casing of this light? What about for back to back full runs? Is this something that we should be concerned about?
> 
> Curtis



I have not had any problems running these hot off the charger till they go out for run times tests, around 10 each. During the run time tests the lights are generally sitting on the floor in whatever room I am in only a couple of inches from a wall so I do not get blinded by accidentally looking in their direction. I have even had them sitting near our Soapstone wood stove that we heat our home with (within two feet) when the stove was running.
Tomorrow I will run two or three batteries through The N30 continuous.
I have also emailed the manufacturer for the working temp range of the ballast again. I have it in one of my many emails but thought it would save time to just get it again.

I would be concerned if I knew somebody was putting a plastic diffusing filter directly on the lens without a spacer. Plastic tends to insulate and then the bulb and ballast would be completely sealed so to speak.
I personally think that would cause a heat problem. Although this is just my personal guess.



Take Care,
mtbkndad :wave:


----------



## XeRay

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35*



mtbkndad said:


> Tomorrow I will run two or three batteries through The N30 continuous.
> I have also emailed the manufacturer for the working temp range of the ballast again. I have it in one of my many emails but thought it would save time to just get it again.


 
I can tell you the absolute max for the ballast internals is 85C, NOT 105C. 105C requires Premium grade (military grade) components. This is impossible at these prices.


----------



## BVH

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35*

185 F for us "C" challenged.

221 F for military grade. WOW! Thats higher than the boiling point of water at sea level, std pressure.


----------



## mtbkndad

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35*

I ran three batteries through the N30 today one right after the other with no problems.

Take Care,
mtbkndad :wave:


----------



## LuxLuthor

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35*



mtbkndad said:


> I ran three batteries through the N30 today one right after the other with no problems.
> 
> Take Care,
> mtbkndad :wave:



That's good news.


----------



## gammaray1965

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35*

[

 * WELL SAID mtbkndad* 

QUOTE=mtbkndad]Thank you for the information and I understand what you are saying, but I do not think you understood what I was saying. I was speaking in terms of actual lights that throw farther then the N30 and the L35.



Lights like the XeRay 50 and 75 watt Barn Burner, Costco & Harbor Freight HID's, AI & Sam's, Polarions, LarryK, etc.. These lights either are bigger, have higher watt bulb & ballasts, both, or in the case of polarions, have perfect little reflectors added to the mix. 

Watts can effect throw if the lower watts prevents the same bulb in the same reflector from getting to it's optimal surface temp.
My original prototype is a 35 watt bulb being driven at 24 watts.
That light is brighter then any of current common 24 watt offerings, but is dull compared to the 30 and 35 watt offerings.

The opposiste is also true. The Barn Burner both throws farther and puts out more light then the 50 watt XeRay, but it is a 50 watt bulb driven at 75 watts.
Higher surface temp? sure. But where did the extra power to drive the bulb harder and get it hotter come from?
In simple terms, couldn't the extra 25 watts from the 75 watt ballast have had something to do with it?

I do believe what you said is important for people to understand as to why there will be very little difference in light output from two lights that are driven at very similar wattages where the lower or higher wattage is not significantly effecting the surface temp of the bulb. People that have seen the Helios and X1 say it is very hard to tell any difference between the lights
With the N30 and L35 the natural + or minus - 200 lumens with the bulb has more to do with the brightness differences between the lights then the wattage difference. That is why I left the bulbs in the lights they came with so people could see the reality of what you were saying in your post.

Take Care,
mtbkndad :wave:[/QUOTE]


----------



## LuxLuthor

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35*



gammaray1965 said:


> [
> 
> * WELL SAID mtbkndad*
> 
> QUOTE=mtbkndad]Thank you for the information and I understand what you are saying, but I do not think you understood what I was saying. I was speaking in terms of actual lights that throw farther then the N30 and the L35.
> 
> 
> 
> Lights like the XeRay 50 and 75 watt Barn Burner, Costco & Harbor Freight HID's, AI & Sam's, Polarions, LarryK, etc.. These lights either are bigger, have higher watt bulb & ballasts, both, or in the case of polarions, have perfect little reflectors added to the mix.
> 
> Watts can effect throw if the lower watts prevents the same bulb in the same reflector from getting to it's optimal surface temp.
> My original prototype is a 35 watt bulb being driven at 24 watts.
> That light is brighter then any of current common 24 watt offerings, but is dull compared to the 30 and 35 watt offerings.
> 
> The opposiste is also true. The Barn Burner both throws farther and puts out more light then the 50 watt XeRay, but it is a 50 watt bulb driven at 75 watts.
> Higher surface temp? sure. But where did the extra power to drive the bulb harder and get it hotter come from?
> In simple terms, couldn't the extra 25 watts from the 75 watt ballast have had something to do with it?
> 
> I do believe what you said is important for people to understand as to why there will be very little difference in light output from two lights that are driven at very similar wattages where the lower or higher wattage is not significantly effecting the surface temp of the bulb. People that have seen the Helios and X1 say it is very hard to tell any difference between the lights
> With the N30 and L35 the natural + or minus - 200 lumens with the bulb has more to do with the brightness differences between the lights then the wattage difference. That is why I left the bulbs in the lights they came with so people could see the reality of what you were saying in your post.
> 
> Take Care,
> mtbkndad :wave:



You can tell who is still using Internet Explorer because the quotes won't work with it.:lolsign:


----------



## mtbkndad

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35*

Here are the numbers I got from the engineers.


The normal working temp range of the ballast is -30C/-22F----80C/176F

The working temp of the ballast within the light is kept between -20C/-4F----60C/140F for the sake of keeping the ballast within safe operating ranges.

Take Care,
mtbkndad :wave:


----------



## Ra

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35*



LuxLuthor said:


> You can tell who is still using Internet Explorer because the quotes won't work with it.:lolsign:




You're great Lux !!!

I also have that problem, but didn't know where it came from.. VERY FRUSTRATING !!!

But as you can see above, especially with small quotes, it works...
But larger quotes and partly deleted quotes mostly lock the Explorer!!


So, whats the alternative ??


Regards,

Ra.


----------



## BVH

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35*



Ra said:


> You're great Lux !!!
> 
> I also have that problem, but didn't know where it came from.. VERY FRUSTRATING !!!
> 
> But as you can see above, especially with small quotes, it works...
> But larger quotes and partly deleted quotes mostly lock the Explorer!!
> 
> 
> So, whats the alternative ??
> 
> 
> Regards,
> 
> Ra.



Mozilla Firefox, of course!


----------



## MikeF

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35*

Regarding the quotes issue, I have found that what sometimes appears to be a total lockup when working with a large quote, is a major overload of the computer, that according to Windows Task Manager pegs the CPU at 100% for a while. If I just walk away from my computer for a few minutes, most times when I return the software overload has resolved itself and the post with quotes has completed. I need to remember to copy the post before hitting Post Reply however, just in case so I can avoid composing a long post, only to have it get lost. My feeling is that IE has so much bloated code that the computer has to go through so many extra cycles, and gets stuck in the MAZE that Microsoft has created.


----------



## Ra

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35*

Thanks BVH and MikeF

But before everyone posts about their favourite explorer-alternatives, lets not steal this thread !!
I know I should have PM-ed Lux about this, Sorry..

Regards,

RA.


----------



## LuxLuthor

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35*

I'm totally shocked that anyone still bothers with M$'s I.E. when Mozilla's Firefox is sooo much better and more secure.


----------



## gammaray1965

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35*

Microsoft, you've been a bad boy! :whoopin:


----------



## JetskiMark

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35*

I had the pleasure of meeting mtbkndad and using both the N30 and the L35 at the LA Flashapalooza. I compared these lights to what seemed like every other HID ever available. I think that the throw/spill/value/ergonomics/weight/size/color temp/everyday usability ratio makes the N30 my top pick. The built-in LEDs only sweeten the deal. I plan on buying one when it becomes available.

Best Regards,
Mark


----------



## Ra

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35*



JetskiMark said:


> I had the pleasure of meeting mtbkndad and using both the N30 and the L35 at the LA Flashapalooza. I compared these lights to what seemed like every other HID ever available. I think that the throw/spill/value/ergonomics/weight/size/color temp/everyday usability ratio makes the N30 my top pick. The built-in LEDs only sweeten the deal. I plan on buying one when it becomes available.
> 
> Best Regards,
> Mark



JetskiMark,


Thanks for that nice "throw/spill/value/ergonomics/weight/size/color temp/everyday usability"-review :lolsign:


Regards,

Ra.


----------



## BirdofPrey

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35*

I'm thinking this will be the light for me but I'm leaning towards the N30. It seems to outperform the L35 in all ways but runtime. I figure two battery packs charged up would be the way to go. 

Am I missing something or is there a reason to choose the L35 or the N30?

Is Nickel Hydride a bad choice in batteries or something? My police radio uses them and have been doing very well since going to that in place of the NiCad they came with.


----------



## mtbkndad

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35*



BirdofPrey said:


> I'm thinking this will be the light for me but I'm leaning towards the N30. It seems to outperform the L35 in all ways but runtime. I figure two battery packs charged up would be the way to go.
> 
> Am I missing something or is there a reason to choose the L35 or the N30?
> 
> Is Nickel Hydride a bad choice in batteries or something? My police radio uses them and have been doing very well since going to that in place of the NiCad they came with.



Since the L35 is not going to be avialable for several months the N30 would be the way to go.
The performance difference in terms of light output is more a function of the bulb variations then the different wattages.
I mentioned in an earlier post that if the exact same bulb is put in each light, the L35 will consistently be SLIGHTLY brighter. It is a difference that instruments measure better the the eye will see.

The L35 will have numerous other advanges in addition to runtime.
I have not even started on the final L35 improvements because I have been so busy doing final testing on the N30 so they can be available in May.

Take Care,
mtbkndad :wave:


----------



## BirdofPrey

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35*



mtbkndad said:


> The L35 will have numerous other advanges in addition to runtime.



What differences are we talking. I'm sure I'm going to go with the N30 if for no other reason than I want it for patrolling this summer but, I'm curious if I should be planning to grab an L35 down the road. It would take quite a bit of saving for me. State pay isn't great. LoL


----------



## paulr

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35*

How difficult is it going to be to refurbish the packs (replace the cells) in either the N30 or the L35? I'm extremely reluctant to buy any durable item with a single source of special batteries.


----------



## mtbkndad

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35*



BirdofPrey said:


> What differences are we talking. I'm sure I'm going to go with the N30 if for no other reason than I want it for patrolling this summer but, I'm curious if I should be planning to grab an L35 down the road. It would take quite a bit of saving for me. State pay isn't great. LoL



The N30 does not come weather resistant but can be made weather resistant fairly quickly.
We want the L35 to be weather resistant.
Here are the types of things I seek to see improved.

1. Weather resistant.
2. More impact resistant plastic.
The current plastic is probably a little better then a light like the AI, but I want to see if we can get a grade of ABS that is closer to Cordless drills.
3. Tempered lens.
4. Etc. 

The Li-Ion batteries themselves are more expensive and have the advantage of holding their charge better then NiMH. This won't be an issue if you use the light nightly. The NiMH batteries are cheaper so if you use the light a lot it you would probably get more run time cheaper by buying extra NiMH batteries.

paulr,

The pack's do not open up. At around $49 per Pack the savings would probably not be that great.
Most spotlights and power tools have proprietary battery packs.
I use lots of power tools in my work so battery replacement is just another part of having the convienience of cordless technology. These packs come with the charger built in so you do not need to buy extra charger's yet they are still cheaper then competitors battery only packs.
We are also working on some real cool backwards compatable options that cannot be publically discussed right now  .

Take Care,
mtbkndad :wave:


----------



## paulr

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35*

Mtnbikedad, the cost of the packs as they are about to be offered is fine. I'm concerned about the possibility of not being able to get replacement packs 5 or 10 years from now. That happens all the time even with stuff from big name manufacturers. No disrespect intended but I'm not willing to rely on anyone's assurances that it will somehow be different with this no-name Chinese vendor and relatively small web retail outfit (Amondotech). They're doing nice stuff now but could easily get tired of it and do something else in the years to come. The SLA pack in the current AI is a commodity item so it will probably be easy to replace (plus there's enough room in there to stick in a homemade nimh pack or something) but these fancy custom packs worry me. I refuse to buy stuff like ipods for the same reason. It would be great if the li ion version used Sony-compatible camcorder packs (NP-F970, has six 18650's in 3P2S (7.2V) configuration inside) since those packs are ubiquitous and cheap and are commonly used for powerful video lights so a pair of them should be fine for running an L35-type light.


----------



## mtbkndad

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35*



paulr said:


> Mtnbikedad, the cost of the packs as they are about to be offered is fine. I'm concerned about the possibility of not being able to get replacement packs 5 or 10 years from now. That happens all the time even with stuff from big name manufacturers. No disrespect intended but I'm not willing to rely on anyone's assurances that it will somehow be different with this no-name Chinese vendor and relatively small web retail outfit (Amondotech). They're doing nice stuff now but could easily get tired of it and do something else in the years to come. The SLA pack in the current AI is a commodity item so it will probably be easy to replace (plus there's enough room in there to stick in a homemade nimh pack or something) but these fancy custom packs worry me. I refuse to buy stuff like ipods for the same reason. It would be great if the li ion version used Sony-compatible camcorder packs (NP-F970, has six 18650's in 3P2S (7.2V) configuration inside) since those packs are ubiquitous and cheap and are commonly used for powerful video lights so a pair of them should be fine for running an L35-type light.



You have very good points. 
5 to 10 years is a long time in the business world. Many things can happen as we all know. Natural disasters, crime, illness, etc. that can shut down even decent sized businesses. 

A larger AI may be more suited to your requirements in terms of readily available battery replacements. You can make a 12 Cell NiMH pack for it without too much trouble.

There are very specific size and shape constraints within these little lights for the battery packs and the cells inside them. Keeping the packs closed helps prevent warranty headaches with regard to people opening them up and then messing up the insides and saying, "it does not work". 
We both know that while most people would not do this there are some that will.

In general I try to do the same thing as you with my electronic devices. If I can find a model that uses rechargeable AA's or AAA's that will suit my needs I will get it. Titanium AA's are saving me a lot of money with the family's Wii controllers  .
With my tools and spotlights, I get the tool I need and deal with the packs as necessary. 

Take Care,
mtbkndad :wave:


----------



## BirdofPrey

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35*



mtbkndad said:


> The N30 does not come weather resistant but can be made weather resistant fairly quickly.



What would you suggest to make it weather resistant? The primary use of this light would be during/after bad storms that knock out power and we have to do walks around town to find the damage. This would obviously entail foul weather.


----------



## mtbkndad

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35*



BirdofPrey said:


> What would you suggest to make it weather resistant? The primary use of this light would be during/after bad storms that knock out power and we have to do walks around town to find the damage. This would obviously entail foul weather.




Soon I will post pictures of the light and how to make it weather resistant.
The primary spots of concern would be the switches and the button holes for the battery pack.
A little clear silicon rubber and some silicone adhesive would fix this real fast. The clear rubber could be used to cover the switches and the battery pack button holes.

If you look at the picks in post one you will notice black bands around the handles. 

If you want to be really sure the light is weather proof, a bead of clear silicone caulk or adhesive could be put on each side of the handle supports where the black band meets the green body. This is probably overkill but it could be done.

The main spots to protect would be the switches since they sit at an angle on the handle support. 

The battery buttons are actually quite tight but the battery pack does have slots where the buttons are so if water did get into them the water could get into the battery pack.

Once again, all of this can be done fairly quickly.
The idea was to keep this model as inexpensive to purchase as possible so
this was left for the end user to do or once the Li-Ion model is out Amondotech may be able to get inexpensive weather proofing kits from the manufacturer for the N30's. 

Take Care,
mtbkndad :wave:


----------



## windstrings

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35*

Nice you see you baby has finally been born!......
Also nice you have two alternatives.. the budget choice which is a whopping bargain for its performance, size, runtime, etc and then the higher end.

This is what makes America Great doing things like this... most only dream and few actually do.... Good job!

I will be watching the new developments on the L35..... 

Thanks


----------



## gromit

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35*

Whats the target price for replacement bulbs?


----------



## mtbkndad

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35*



gromit said:


> Whats the target price for replacement bulbs?




Less then the light  .

I will ask Wayne.

Take Care,
mtbkndad :wave:


----------



## buickid

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35*

Man, this is looking pretty sweet. It would make a nice companion to my Sams HID. 
You gave a rough date of early May, so I was just checking to see if thats still on.


----------



## mtbkndad

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35*

They are on the way (ocean freight), but Wayne does not like doing presales since too many things can go wrong. I believe they are still 2 to 3 weeks out and then they need to get through customs. 
When the logistics company tells Wayne they have cleared customs I will be able to make and announcement of availability.

What a lot of people do not know is that smaller companies book space together in large sea freight containers. All it takes is for one of the products in the container to have problems and the ENTIRE container is held until the issues with the one product are taken care of. 

This is why Wayne does not want to announce availability until the logistics company says they have cleared customs.

Take Care,
mtbkndad :wave:


----------



## buickid

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35*

Oh very sweet.  Can't wait!

Also, were you going to make a weatherproofing guide for the N30?
Thanks!


----------



## mtbkndad

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35*



buickid said:


> Oh very sweet.  Can't wait!
> 
> Also, were you going to make a weatherproofing guide for the N30?
> Thanks!



Yes, I will post pictures of how to seal up an N30. 
I will do this either just before or just after they are available.
I will try to do it before, but my schedule is pretty crazy right now.

Take Care,
mtbkndad :wave:


----------



## nonotmethanks

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35*

Patiently waiting for the ship to come in.

Won't be me, but bet the first thing that someone is going to do it see if the LED head comes apart and drop in Seoul or Cree LEDs.

Hopefully by June I'll be seeing how well the N30 survives when "used and abused" underground... all those things you aren't suppose to do... like having water spray hot glass lense... dropping it 20 feet .... redecorating the outside by rubbing across abrasive mud and rock... stuff like that


----------



## Icer

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35*



nonotmethanks said:


> Patiently waiting for the ship to come in.


 

Same here


----------



## mtbkndad

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35*

The N30's are in stock and can be ordered at this link.

https://www.amondotech.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=1221

I will post weather proofing instructions soon, but will be participating in our local Relay for Life fund raiser for the American Cancer Society this weekend. I will try to post the instructions early next week.

I also tried turning one of my N30's on and pushing it sideways off of our kitchen counter. It worked fine before and after the fall to our wooden kitchen floor.
Water on the lens should not be a problem either since the lens is a "lens glass".
Getting exact translations of glass qualities is difficult, but I have run then light for 5 minutes and the stuck it under the cold water from the kitchen faucet.

Last of all, after getting charging circuit timer issues taken care of the sample pack that was sent to me was getting 67 to 73 minutes consistently during my short period of testing.
I explained this to the people at the LA area get together. The original samples I recieved had the timer cutoff set for too short a period of time so the N30 samples needed to be charged through two cycles to reach full charge after being completely discharged and then gave 80+ minutes. 

The charger checks voltage, temp, and has a timer. As I mentioned before the timer was set for too short a period of time for the current here in the U.S. and would shut the charger off before the target voltage was reached.

Now you only need to charge through one cycle and should get 65+ minutes with times in the 70 minute range being very possible. The three tests on the new pack that I did got 67, 69, 73 minutes.

Take Care, 
mtbkndad :wave:


----------



## BirdofPrey

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35 --N30's Have Arrived!*

Woo-Hoo!!! So glad I worked 32 extra hours of overtime last week!


----------



## BVH

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35 --N30's Have Arriv*

Hey Wayne and Daniel, C O N G R A T U L A T I O N S! on your newborn!! Excellent job! I guess it wasn't twins.


----------



## BVH

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35 --N30's Have Arriv*

Just ordered an N30. Can't wait to get it! I really want the L35 but will wait patiently.

Did i order the first one or did someone else?


----------



## Icer

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35 --N30's Have Arrived!*

After some consideration, I'm going to have to try to wait for the Li-Ion L35 model....it's not going to be an easy wait.:shakehead


----------



## LuxLuthor

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35 --N30's Have Arriv*

Hey nice job getting these out. I think I would also want the Lithium model. Couple questions I did find looking back a number of posts in this thread....sorry if they were already answered.1) Any change in the bulb for L35 with the higher voltage? What bulb is it (I didn't see replacements yet at Amondo's), and what is estimated bulb life?

2) Seeing this N30 voltage is using 11S NiMH cells, I'm assuming you are having either 4S or 2P4S with Li-Ion giving 14.8V. First question is if it has cell low/high voltage protection, cell balance charging, and will charger terminate at 4.15 - 4.2V if left plugged in? I think the temp range for storing and using this model will be more limited based on this chemistry.

3) 12V Auto Cig charger plug for either of these?

4) Adjustable reflector?

5) Didn't see a warranty period at Amondo's listing.

6) Estimated arrival of L35 ?​Again, nice job. Great price!


----------



## BirdofPrey

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35 --N30's Have Arrived!*

I'm anxious to get one ordered. I just don't see myself needing the L35 and could have used this light like yesterday while on duty.


----------



## mtbkndad

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35 --N30's Have Arriv*



LuxLuthor said:


> Hey nice job getting these out. I think I would also want the Lithium model. Couple questions I did find looking back a number of posts in this thread....sorry if they were already answered.1) Any change in the bulb for L35 with the higher voltage? What bulb is it (I didn't see replacements yet at Amondo's), and what is estimated bulb life?
> 
> 2) Seeing this N30 voltage is using 11S NiMH cells, I'm assuming you are having either 4S or 2P4S with Li-Ion giving 14.8V. First question is if it has cell low/high voltage protection, cell balance charging, and will charger terminate at 4.15 - 4.2V if left plugged in? I think the temp range for storing and using this model will be more limited based on this chemistry.
> 
> 3) 12V Auto Cig charger plug for either of these?
> 
> 4) Adjustable reflector?
> 
> 5) Didn't see a warranty period at Amondo's listing.
> 
> 6) Estimated arrival of L35 ?​Again, nice job. Great price!



1. Regarding the bulb, the N30 and L35 use the same bulb and just are driven at 30 and 35 watts respectively. Wayne will be getting replacement bulbs for each of his HID's. They were supposed to be ordered with the N30, but Wayne forgot to order them becaused he was so focused on getting the final details of the N30's taken care of in time to ship before the Chinese New Year.
I will call and ask about bulb life, I believe they mentioned 3000 hours in one email but that may also have been the AI bulb manufacturer. With the AI's I told way to only list 2000 hours because they are Chinese bulbs and we just need to see. The Costco/Harbor Freight and AI bulbs have been proving to be quite reliable.

2. The Li-Ion pack is a 14.8 volt pack. It uses protected cells and does switch to trickle to maintain charge if it is left plugged in.

3. I do not know . My samples did not have them. Wayne did mention that he wants the L35 to have an international power supply, but we never spoke of a car charger. 

4. NO

5. 1 Year, the web site is just an "okay" copy and paste of some of information from this announcement thread.

6. Still working out the details, after that I will need to test a sample.
Things are going well, but it is still a bit pre-mature to give a projection of availability. 
What I can say is that if the sample I receive addresses every upgrade we want correctly, it will be less then half the time of having to have another revision of the sample before production. I might be able to make some sort of prediction by June or July.
Now let me say this again in different words, I do not think you misunderstood, but do know somebody will  .
I believe, in June or July, I will be able to give the future availability date of the L35.

Take Care,
mtbkndad :wave:


----------



## LuxLuthor

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35 --N30's Have Arriv*

Sounds great on everything except I just want to give a vote for some kind of cell balancing, which is a known danger with Li-Ion pack charging over time. Worst case (cheapest option) would be an ability to remove individual cells to check and balance charge them separately on occasion. Think of the downside for Amondo if one goes KaBlam! Thanks!


----------



## mtbkndad

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35 --N30's Have Arriv*



LuxLuthor said:


> Sounds great on everything except I just want to give a vote for some kind of cell balancing, which is a known danger with Li-Ion pack charging over time. Worst case (cheapest option) would be an ability to remove individual cells to check and balance charge them separately on occasion. Think of the downside for Amondo if one goes KaBlam! Thanks!



I am going to email the manufacturer about this as I believe the L35 may have some form of cell balancing or secondary pack protection. I do not know for sure so I certainly will not say yes until I can confirm one way or the other. I do know that when I asked in the past the manufacturer mentioned the cells and packs are protected. 

I did not ask for specifics. This is one question that will take a little while as the light manufacturer is having the packs made by a battery pack manufacturer. Wayne is a battery expert (He doesn't just resell his batteries, but is actively involved with the improvement and development of his different Titanium brand batteries.) so I will have him check into the specifics once I get the answer.

I do know that I have plenty of time to get this answer since the L35 is still so far from being ready. I will ask tonight or tomorrow night.

Take Care,
mtbkndad :wave:


----------



## mtbkndad

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35 --N30's Have Arrived!*



BirdofPrey said:


> I'm anxious to get one ordered. I just don't see myself needing the L35 and could have used this light like yesterday while on duty.



The N30 is a nice light and can be weatherproofed fairly easily.
The L35 is months out so I would get the N30 now and some extra packs if you need the extra run time.

I was using mine at our local Relay for Life fund raiser for the American Cancer Society last weekend. The LED's were great for walking around the track at night. When I needed LOTS of light the HID was just a click away.

On one lap some high school boys got the bright idea of trying to shine me in the eyes with their "powerful" flashlight. I just turned on the HID and pointed it toward their feet.    . They were completely dumbfounded by the amount of light coming out of the front end of the N30.

Take Care,
mtbkndad :wave:


----------



## LuxLuthor

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35 --N30's Have Arriv*

Just saw the pix on post #1. Nice job.....and probably a wise idea not to include the XeRay models....which would bring in the zealots...LOL!

It shows a very respectable performance for these new models....especially for the price. Also shows the Illuminator as a very strong light.

I was thinking how nice it is to see several of them (with labels) as a gif. This one of the two models doesn't seem to make sense if the L35 is higher voltage. (Don't you love it when we start picking apart all your pix again--LOL!)


----------



## mtbkndad

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35 --N30's Have Arrived!*

LuxLuthor,

Nice work with the gif. In the posts after the announcement the differences in the light output were explained.

The bulbs have a lumen range of + or - 200. Once the bulb is hot enough to work properly, as it is with the N30, then the difference in surface temp of the bulb that is created by driving the L35 5 watts higher is not bigger then the natural variation from bulb to bulb.

The L35 with the same bulb and reflector will be SLIGHTLY brighter then the N30 with the same bulb, but the difference is something that is more noticeable with a light meter. I know this because I tested it, but I kept the bulbs in the lights they came in for the integrity of the shoot and product annoucement.

In addition to that, the gif does a great job of showing the slightly different focus of the two bulb/reflector combinations. This particular L35 throws a little more of it's light down field field in a wider more evenly distributed corona. The N30 has a more concentrated corona and does not light quite a as far down the road in the in the 400 to 500 yard range to the right of the water tank 

Cameras do a good job of showing this difference as it is not real noticeable in person.
If I knew how to do the gifs I would do one with all of the lights.

You will notice I did not include XeRay or a Helios in the announcement thread. 
I wanted to keep everything at 30 to 35 watts with lights whose output was well known for comparison. 

BVH and I did do shots of a LarryK, Costco HID, MacTorch, and a    to be announced in a couple of weeks.
No this is not a joke, CPF members at the LA area get together saw it.

Take Care,
mtbkndad :wave:


----------



## larryk

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35 --N30's Have Arriv*



LuxLuthor said:


> Sounds great on everything except I just want to give a vote for some kind of cell balancing, which is a known danger with Li-Ion pack charging over time. Worst case (cheapest option) would be an ability to remove individual cells to check and balance charge them separately on occasion. Think of the downside for Amondo if one goes KaBlam! Thanks!



I understand the need for cell balancing to keep the pack at optimal performance. But if all the cells have over and under voltage protection, why would it go KaBlam ? If the cells protection circuits are working properly you will loose the battery packs rated capacity over time, but I can't see any danger of an explosion. Or am I missing something.


----------



## NAW

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35 --N30's Have Arrived!*



mtbkndad said:


> BVH and I did do shots of a LarryK, Costco HID, MacTorch, and a    to be announced in a couple of weeks.


 
I think I know what that surprise light (represented by 3 smilies) is... but if its a surprse, I don't want to ruin it.  

It would be interesting if you actually got a beamshot of it without overloading the camera. :naughty:


----------



## LuxLuthor

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35 --N30's Have Arriv*



larryk said:


> I understand the need for cell balancing to keep the pack at optimal performance. But if all the cells have over and under voltage protection, why would it go KaBlam ? If the cells protection circuits are working properly you will loose the battery packs rated capacity over time, but I can't see any danger of an explosion. Or am I missing something.



Larry, in theory they should be ok with a quality PCB...and one that does not fail if cells get more and more out of balance, in response to applied voltage. 

My concern in this light comes in part from it being made from bargain Chinese parts, which may include the Lithium cells. Who besides AW makes individual quality PCB's in each cell in the relatively smaller size that would be used here?

I also am not sure how well even AW's PCB features are in larger sample numbers. There was this incident which involved exposure to cold weather that remains unresolved. It is highly likely that many of these lights will end up being "trunk backup lights" including in the winter.

If you think about commercial Li-Ion battery packs, most that I know of use pack PCB's, not individual cell protection....examples are laptops, Xeray's battery pack, not sure about Polarion. I'm just not sure the safety with a per cell protection circuit that are used in a pack is established enough to bank a company's (Amondo) future on it. Let's say there was some form of protection failure in one cell, and a person charged without yet knowing there was a failure. Do we know what will happen for sure? 

Maybe SilverFox could give some more wisdom...but this seems like a different situation than us getting batteries sent from an unknown distributor in Hong Kong with no U.S. legal exposure. I'm sure Amondo will be checking this out.


----------



## SATURN

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35 --N30's Have Arriv*

I received my N30 last week, just a few days after ordering it. It is very compact for a HID, and about as bright as my BrightStar 24W, with a similar white light, hot spot and beam pattern, It is about half as bright as my McCullough 35W HID. It would estimate the N30 puts out about 1,700-1,800 lumens. 

The NI-MH battery only ran 8 minutes on my first charge. After two more consecutive charging cycles, the light ran for more than an hour. 

The battery has 6 colored LEDs that indicate that indicates it is charging, the charge level, or is in a fully charged condition. The separate charger connector can be plugged into the rear of the battery in or out of the light. 

I ordered and received a $50 spare battery that will not charge, even after a number of attempts, or run the light for more than 5 seconds or so. AmondoTech did not yet respond to my e-mail that I sent Monday about the non-working spare battery.

The beam is artifacty at near distances but very smooth at longer distances. 

Overall, I find this light to be the most useful of my three HID lights because of its compactness, decent brightness, and easy to hold handle. Unfortunately, it appears that I will be stuck paying for an useless extra battery .


----------



## AmondoTech

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35 --N30's Have Arriv*

Hi Folks, 

I am extremely busy these days because a few projects are about to finish and also an important company issue came up at the last second. 

We are trying to train an employee to answer AmondoTech emails. He can answer general questions but no where near what a technician can do. In addition, he is new so he might be slow to answer all emails. Because of the volume of our emails and things I need to take care, I can't personally answer customer emails anymore. If you have any urgent issues, please do feel free to private message me. I will log in to CPF everyday to check messages.

Somehow, I got many spams emails like 300+ a day on my personal email account. Do you all get these many or just me???


Regards,
Wayne


----------



## mtbkndad

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35 --N30's Have Arriv*

LuxLuthor,

I got an email back from the manufacturer. They stated that the L35's will have cell balancing, however Wayne wants to ask some very pointed questions about the circuitry being used to determine whether or not this is correct. The issue here is not so much that Wayne does not believe the manufacturer but rather that he wants detailed information from the battery pack manufacturer rather then just take the spotlight manufacturers word who is in turn relaying the information from the battery pack manufacturer.

Saturn,

If your battery pack is defective it will be taken care of.
While I do not work for Amondotech, I do know it will be taken care of.
Amondotech was closed on Monday and Wayne has not been at the office much this week due to other pressing business matters so he may not have gotten your email yet.
I have a Brightstar and took light measurements and photos of Mr. Ted Bear's X990. I also have photos of the Brightstar in the same canyon as the other lights using the same camera settings.
The N30 will handily out throw the 24 watt Brightstar.
The X990 and the N30 are very comparable in throw and total light output
hotspot+corona+spill (See light box measurements in post #1). Where the X990 is much nicer is in the large bright corona that puts much more bright light down field in a wider path that has = or a bit more throw and it's adustable beam. Where the N30 is nicer is the very wide bright spill and the more compact size and lighter weight. The N30 and L35 have become my go to lights when letting our dog out to take care of business  at night. The spill does a great job of lighting my yard like a nice floodlight.

To Everybody,

The N30's do have 4200K bulbs, but BVH alerted me to the fact that the instruction sheet says the bulb is 6,000K. This is a typo that was not caught since I was too busy with work to go over the full blown manual that was sent for modification. Wayne chose to use a very shortened version because my work schedule kept me from working on the manual. Unfortunately I never got the opportunity to go over that one at all due to the fact the instruction sheet was holding up the shipment of the lights.

Take Care,
mtbknad :wave:


----------



## BirdofPrey

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35 --N30's Have Arriv*

My N30 is in route as we speak. I was hoping to have it before the weekend but it appears that won't happen. That being said, question. What kind of warm up time does this light have?

When I hit the switch, what kind of light can I expect in what amount of time?

One last thing, is there anything in particular I need to do to start with to get the light up and running? Any kind of "process" to go through?

Thanks.


----------



## BVH

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35 --N30's Have Arriv*

I just turned on my N30 and Amondotech Illuminator at the same time. I would say the N30 takes a little longer to reach its stable color/warmup - 20-25 seconds. The Illuminator took about 18-20 seconds. The lamp is being slightly underdriven so that makes sense. However, within a second or two, max, you have plenty of usable light - I'm guessing 1000 lumens give or take. There's no "process" to go thru. Just grab it and turn it on. Whether helpful or not, I always make a habit of using the light/any HID for at least a minute so that the salts get fully vaporized. I'm not sure why Saturn had the 8-minute run time on the first charge. Mine went approximately an hour or so and seems to be running longer the more times it charges.


----------



## steveaikens

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35 --N30's Have Arriv*



AmondoTech said:


> Hi Folks,
> 
> I am extremely busy these days because a few projects are about to finish and also an important company issue came up at the last second.
> 
> We are trying to train an employee to answer AmondoTech emails. He can answer general questions but no where near what a technician can do. In addition, he is new so he might be slow to answer all emails. Because of the volume of our emails and things I need to take care, I can't personally answer customer emails anymore. If you have any urgent issues, please do feel free to private message me. I will log in to CPF everyday to check messages.
> 
> Somehow, I got many spams emails like 300+ a day on my personal email account. Do you all get these many or just me???
> 
> 
> Regards,
> Wayne


 
Wayne. I had a bad experience with your company. Can you please explain what happened?

I posted a thread here at:
https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/165788

I posted a more complete thread on the Sig Forums here:
http://sigforum.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/230601935/m/220106539

I tried everything I could possibly try to reach someone to find out what the problem was or what was happening to my order with absolutely no success. Please see the Sig Forums thread for all the information.

I would honestly like an answer.


----------



## Empath

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35 --N30's Have Arriv*

Steveaikens, your entire activity upon registering here is to post your "jeer". I feel the desire to join a forum should involve a bit more than to complain about a dealer, but especially a reading of the rules is essential. Your posting of a private message is against the rules, but you apparently couldn't be bothered to read them before posting.

Your posting privileges are suspended for one week. Please read the rules before continuing following that.


----------



## mtbkndad

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35 --N30's Have Arriv*



BVH said:


> I just turned on my N30 and Amondotech Illuminator at the same time. I would say the N30 takes a little longer to reach its stable color/warmup - 20-25 seconds. The Illuminator took about 18-20 seconds. The lamp is being slightly underdriven so that makes sense. However, within a second or two, max, you have plenty of usable light - I'm guessing 1000 lumens give or take. There's no "process" to go thru. Just grab it and turn it on. Whether helpful or not, I always make a habit of using the light/any HID for at least a minute so that the salts get fully vaporized. I'm not sure why Saturn had the 8-minute run time on the first charge. Mine went approximately an hour or so and seems to be running longer the more times it charges.



BVH is right on the money for what I have noticed too. It is essentially bright enough to use right away if you are not looking at objects 300+ yards away. If you are doing that then you will need to wait for full brightness. If you hold the light pointed at a dark wall you will notice that at first it is not real bright, in 1 to 3 seconds the brightness is useable, the for the next 20 seconds or so you can watch the corona wrap around with brighter light as is fully warms up. Sort of like two wind shield wipers starting from the 6 o'clock and working around opposite sides of a clock to 12 o'clock.

Take Care,
mtbkndad :wave:


----------



## paulr

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35 --N30's Have Arriv*

Anyone got a pic of the charger for the light? Can the light be operated (not just charged) from external 12 volt power? That seems like a no-brainer for using the light in a car.

I'm still concerned about the battery pack issue. Anyone looked at one and gotten a sense of how feasible it looks to pry it open and replace the cells?

Are there attachment points for a shoulder strap?

Frankly it seem cheesy that the light is not weatherproofed at the factory instead of by the end user.


----------



## mtbkndad

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35 --N30's Have Arriv*



paulr said:


> Anyone got a pic of the charger for the light? Can the light be operated (not just charged) from external 12 volt power? That seems like a no-brainer for using the light in a car.
> 
> I'm still concerned about the battery pack issue. Anyone looked at one and gotten a sense of how feasible it looks to pry it open and replace the cells?
> 
> Are there attachment points for a shoulder strap?
> 
> Frankly it seem cheesy that the light is not weatherproofed at the factory instead of by the end user.



The $400 X990 is not extremely weather proof either.
There are prices to be paid for keeping the light as inexpensive as possible.
If you want "weather proof" without doing any work on the light then you will want to wait for the L35. 

There are no attachement points for a shoulder strap.
It can just be hooked around the handle.

If you want another weather proof 30 watt or greater HID light that is in a lantern form factor and under 4 pounds you could spend $1,800 on a 35 watt Polarion X1.
The X1 is waterproof to 100 feet.
The Polarion has a proprietary pack too but you may feel more comfortable with a Polarion X1 then a N30.
After all, for only roughly $1650 more you will not have to weather proof the light, have more light shining farther down field, and all in a more compact package. Believe me there is nothing "cheesy" about X1's I have one  . You will loose the bright wide spill of the N30 with the X1 :sigh: . Oh well you just can't have everything. Unless you are Mr Ted Bear    . 

Take Care,
mtbkndad :wave:


----------



## paulr

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35 --N30's Have Arriv*

Well, here is what's bothering me about the weatherproofing issue. There are a couple obvious possibilities:

1) There is a weatherproofing process that the end user can really do in a few minutes, without needing special tools and materials, that really works.

2) There is such a process but it doesn't work all that well and the light can still short out (or something) if it gets wet.

Possibility #1 is the "advertised" one but really seems a bit odd. This light is coming from China, the cheap labor center of the globe, and a few minutes of waterproofing won't add THAT much to the manufacturing cost (a buck or so maximum) and they'd be able to advertise it as a weatherproof light, which would let them charge significantly more for it, or sell a lot more of them, or something. Since I trust the cleverness and business sense of the designers I therefore have to doubt this possibility.

#2 is that the few-minute weatherproofing process isn't really that reliable. If they did it at the factory and advertised the light as weatherproof, they'd get a lot of warranty returns from lights that got wet and shorted, and they'd have to fix them. Which raises the obvious question about what happens if someone sends in a home-weatherproofed light for warranty work, that is shorted because it got wet inside? They didn't sell the light as weatherproof so they might well refuse to fix it if it got wet.

I suppose another possibility is there's a process that works but it's much more work or expense than I'm imagining it sounds. I guess I'll wait to see the instructions and pics.

Your point is well taken that the X990 isn't weatherproof. I do think bad weather is one of the main situations in which a super-bright light is important.

If the L35 will be factory-weatherproof it may be worth waiting for. I see Amondotech no longer sells the old bigger Illuminator model but I pretty much decided I was never likely to use a 9 pound light, thus my renewed interest in the N30.

Re shoulder strap: yeah I see I could loop some 1" nylon webbing around the triangular handle supports with some Fastex buckles, maybe wrapping the front one underneath the horizontal handle so it wouldn't block the LED's. It would look a bit clumsy but should be solid enough.


----------



## mtbkndad

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35 --N30's Have Arriv*

paulr,

The issue is 1 and I will add a # 3. The fixes are simple and I have relayed the information to the factory on what to do.
3. Is that sometimes engineers in general, and Chinese engineers in specific, try to re-invent the wheel in order to change a tire :hairpull: .

My work schedule should be better after next weekend, so in the mean time I will weather proof one of mine and take photos so that when I have time I can write instructions and post them.
Yes this can be done by the factory workers and will be done in some way shape or form with the L35.
I do believe the L35 will have weather proof switches but the N30 will have to have the switches covered. 
I sent photos to the factory of my Costco HID and the permanent switch cover it has because that could work too if they wanted to have some made. I have used my N30's in the rain. Not driving rain for long periods, but regular rain for short durations. 

When I say weather proof I mean I want the lights to be able to fall in a puddle while being used and still work fine. In other words I want the lights water tight. If you are familiar with JIS standards, my goal would be JIS 6.

Amondotech still sells the Illuminators, but their web site does leave something to be desired.

I do appologize for not posting the weather proofing instructions sooner but life has been rather challenging lately. 

Take Care,
mtbkndad :wave:


----------



## paulr

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35 --N30's Have Arriv*

Thanks! I understand about real life intruding on flashaholism, so no worries. We all have to deal with that


----------



## BirdofPrey

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35 --N30's Have Arriv*

Quick question. Got mine on the charger for the first time. When its done, will the green light (number 4) automatically come on or do you have to hit the test button and see if it lights up? 

My spare battery lights the fourth LED for a split second and then drops to three and it hasn't been put on a charger. 

The lamp itself lights the fourth LED if I hit the button but it still shows the red light and no greens until I hit the test button. Fully charged or needs to stay plugged in for now?


----------



## BirdofPrey

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35 --N30's Have Arriv*

Quick question. Got mine on the charger for the first time. When its done, will the green light (number 4) automatically come on or do you have to hit the test button and see if it lights up? 

My spare battery lights the fourth LED for a split second and then drops to three and it hasn't been put on a charger. 

The lamp itself lights the fourth LED if I hit the button but it still shows the red light and no greens until I hit the test button. Fully charged or needs to stay plugged in for now?


----------



## mtbkndad

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35 --N30's Have Arriv*



BirdofPrey said:


> Quick question. Got mine on the charger for the first time. When its done, will the green light (number 4) automatically come on or do you have to hit the test button and see if it lights up?
> 
> My spare battery lights the fourth LED for a split second and then drops to three and it hasn't been put on a charger.
> 
> The lamp itself lights the fourth LED if I hit the button but it still shows the red light and no greens until I hit the test button. Fully charged or needs to stay plugged in for now?



The battery packs do come with varying degrees of charge.
Most of my samples were nearly fully charged.
When charging the light the red LED below the 4th LED (2nd green) will be on until the light is charged and then the green LED above it will light up.

The best thing to do with the pack in question is 
1. Put it into the light.
2. Turn the N30 on for about 10 minutes.
3. Now charge it until it until the red LED goes off and the green LED goes on without touching the test button.

You could also just use the spare pack until the HID goes out and then charge it to full charge.

Does that answer your question?

Take Care,
mtbkndad :wave:


----------



## BirdofPrey

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35 --N30's Have Arriv*



mtbkndad said:


> Does that answer your question?
> 
> Take Care,
> mtbkndad :wave:



Yessir. Thanks.


----------



## KevinL

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35 --N30's Have Arriv*

Heya mtbkndad, 

Great to see you pushing back the frontier for all HID-kind again! 

This light looks interesting....really interesting. Hoping you can get an international charger or 12VDC charger.. that would make it so much better.

I was thinking about rolling myself another HID the way I did on my website, because I gave mine to a really good friend, but this looks like a great alternative. Do the packs have exposed contacts? I could probably use my Maha C777+2.


----------



## mtbkndad

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35 --N30's Have Arriv*

Hi Kevin,

Thanks for the kind words.
The Chargers are actually inside the battery packs.
The Li-Ion models will have international power supplies.
The way to charge this light from DC would have to be with an inexpensive inverter.

The Pins are actually inside the N30 body where they stay protected and the holes for the pins are in the battery case. 
One last thing, these really are fun little HID lights  .

Take Care,
mtbkndad :wave:




KevinL said:


> Heya mtbkndad,
> 
> Great to see you pushing back the frontier for all HID-kind again!
> 
> This light looks interesting....really interesting. Hoping you can get an international charger or 12VDC charger.. that would make it so much better.
> 
> I was thinking about rolling myself another HID the way I did on my website, because I gave mine to a really good friend, but this looks like a great alternative. Do the packs have exposed contacts? I could probably use my Maha C777+2.


----------



## BirdofPrey

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35 --N30's Have Arriv*

Ok, have to return to my earlier question. I'm gathering from what you say that when plugged in to charge, the green light should come on by itself and the red light go off.

However, while I have not fully discharged the batteries (no days off of work yet) I have let it run for about 10 minutes on both battery packs and then put them on the charger. Neither battery pack will go green on its own. When I hit the test button, they go all green but the red light won't go off to indicate fully charged.

Any suggestions? 

Also, it was stated above that the battery should be fully discharged on occasion. Do we run the light till it strobes (I assume thats what it will do) and then pull the battery?

Thanks. Can't wait to actually get to try this light out. Its killing me. I'll get to play a bit Wednesday night before I go to work up North.


----------



## Trashman

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35 --N30's Have Arriv*

Any plans for an optional low self discharging Nimh battery pack for the N30?


----------



## KevinL

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35 --N30's Have Arriv*



mtbkndad said:


> Hi Kevin,
> 
> Thanks for the kind words.
> The Chargers are actually inside the battery packs.
> The Li-Ion models will have international power supplies.
> The way to charge this light from DC would have to be with an inexpensive inverter.
> 
> The Pins are actually inside the N30 body where they stay protected and the holes for the pins are in the battery case.
> One last thing, these really are fun little HID lights  .
> 
> Take Care,
> mtbkndad :wave:



Wow neat. I was hoping to be able to find some way to charge them from a 240V source, even adapt them if necessary. It's a great design and I like the fact you guys managed to do away with the wallwart (which I always lose or leave behind), but it makes things a little more tricky. I might wait for the LI version, which would make up for its higher cost in two ways - no need for a conversion system, and secondly, lighter weight (ie. cheaper airfreight!)

I can definitely agree with you about the fun factor. You and Wayne have designed the light that I have been looking for.. and I've been looking for a while! There is NOTHING that delivers 3K+ lumens at this price point, hence I set out on an adventure of my own:
http://lights.lightrefineries.org/?page_id=94

I basically rolled my own HID from auto H3 bulbs, a cheap $20 spotlight and a NiMH pack. The light closest to these specs and price point was the Costco HID, however it was too big to ship internationally thanks to the huge SLA bricks inside. The Amondotech one is small enough to actually be shipped at reasonable cost (I just checked USPS) since it is just 4 pounds. Great job.


PS: Take your time on the lithium ion packs and help us work out the balancing issue. I would rather have a safe light that is delayed a few months than a potential fire hazard on my hands.


----------



## mtbkndad

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35 --N30's Have Arriv*



BirdofPrey said:


> Ok, have to return to my earlier question. I'm gathering from what you say that when plugged in to charge, the green light should come on by itself and the red light go off.
> 
> However, while I have not fully discharged the batteries (no days off of work yet) I have let it run for about 10 minutes on both battery packs and then put them on the charger. Neither battery pack will go green on its own. When I hit the test button, they go all green but the red light won't go off to indicate fully charged.
> 
> Any suggestions?
> 
> Also, it was stated above that the battery should be fully discharged on occasion. Do we run the light till it strobes (I assume thats what it will do) and then pull the battery?
> 
> Thanks. Can't wait to actually get to try this light out. Its killing me. I'll get to play a bit Wednesday night before I go to work up North.



When the light is charging the red LED will be on.
It will turn off and the green LED will go on when the light is charged.
These are not quick chargers. You can expect around 8 to 12 hours if the battery is pretty low depending on your electrical service. The batteries come with a certain degree of charge but not usually full. I do not know how long you charged them, but what I do is plug mine in at night when our electrical grid has less load on it and they are generally charged by morning. I will periodically run them till they strobe and then charge them up.

Trashman,

I doubt there will be a low self discharge NiMH pack.
If Wayne was having the packs made that could be an option.
But the HID manufacturer is having the packs made. There is also the issue that Low self discharge batteries do not have as high of an mAh rating.
I just top mine off if they have not been use in around 3 or 4 weeks and generally actually use them before that much time goes by.
I make sure all of them get some good use at least once a month.

Take Care,
mtbkndad :wave:


----------



## BirdofPrey

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35 --N30's Have Arriv*



mtbkndad said:


> When the light is charging the red LED will be on.
> It will turn off and the green LED will go on when the light is charged.
> These are not quick chargers. You can expect around 8 to 12 hours if the battery is pretty low depending on your electrical service. The batteries come with a certain degree of charge but not usually full. I do not know how long you charged them, but what I do is plug mine in at night when our electrical grid has less load on it and they are generally charged by morning. I will periodically run them till they strobe and then charge them up.



They were charged to green with exception of the last led and I had it on the charger for approximatly 6 hours.


----------



## mtbkndad

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35 --N30's Have Arriv*



BirdofPrey said:


> They were charged to green with exception of the last led and I had it on the charger for approximatly 6 hours.



When the lights are charging you do not need to use the LED indicator button. Just wait until the green LED above the Red charging LED turns on. It will be the only LED on at that time as the Red one will now be off. The power inidcator is good as a very general guideline for checking when the lights have not been charged in a while or for checking when using the light if you do not want to just use it till it turns off.

Take Care,
mtbkndad


----------



## Trashman

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35 --N30's Have Arriv*

I remember seeing these at the Flashapalooza, but do I also remember the L35 being a lot brighter? I see the specs say 35w for L35 and 30w for the N30 (35w bulb driven at 30w).


----------



## mtbkndad

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35 --N30's Have Arriv*



Trashman said:


> I remember seeing these at the Flashapalooza, but do I also remember the L35 being a lot brighter? I see the specs say 35w for L35 and 30w for the N30 (35w bulb driven at 30w).



Hi Trashman, 

This is my 4th attempt at a reply since you posted.
I keep getting mid post and being called away.

You remember correct.
The L35 and N30 are very similar in light output.
The particular N30 in the gif is Slightly brighter then the particular L35. The difference is not very noticeable in person.
The N30 does use the same 35 watt 3200 lumen (+ or - 200 lumens) bulb and reflector as the L35. It is just driven at 30 watts.
What adds to the perceived difference in the photos is that Particular N30 has it's hotspot higher in the corona then that particular L35. 
This means there is more light from the corona hitting in front of the water tank with the N30. Since the water tank is 310 yards away the dimly lit hill behind the tank is not picked up real well by the camera.

Remember at the Flashapalooza BOTH the N30 and L35 could dimly, but noticeably, light the rock formation 500+ yards away.

There is a similar difference with my Polarion X1 and BVH's Helios.
We both noticed that my X1 seemed to light the rock formation at the Flashapalooza Slightlybetter then his Helios.
However, his Helios has a much wider and equally bright corona.

Just like on the High end with the Polarion X1 and Helios, light output itself will not be the reason to purchase a L35 over a N30.

Take Care,
mtbkndad :wave:


----------



## Trashman

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35 --N30's Have Arriv*

Thanks, that's what I wanted to hear. I'll probably wait to see what the finished L35 will feature, but I think I can agree with my wallet on this one and be perfectly happy with the N30.


----------



## mtbkndad

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35 --N30's Have Arriv*

Paulr,

I just wanted to let you know that I found out the hard way that the NiMH packs are easy to take apart. They are held together by two screws. 

The manufacturer just sent the Li-Ion packs to be certified and was told that Li-Ion packs must be sealed so they are not able to come apart.
When pulling out the pack from the Li-Ion model I was in a hurry and twisted way too hard and too soon and the pack broke at the screw posts.
The Li-Ion and NiMH cases are structurally essentially the same.

The screws are under the decal.
This makes the current NiMH models that much nicer from a longevity stanpoint. This also brings up an important warning

WARNING TO N30 OWNERS- Do not try to force the battery pack when removing or intalling it or you may break it like I did mine  :hairpull: .

When removing and installing the battery packs, make sure to follow the groove and be sure each step is done to completion (see post 1 in this thread)

I twisted the pack before it got to the end of it's groove and being over tired when is did not move I TWISTED HARDER!!! 

The pack case will be easy to fix, but would not have had to be fixed if I would have been more careful. However I now know where the screws are
 .

Take care,
mtbkndad :wave:


----------



## paulr

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35 --N30's Have Arriv*

Thanks! That is good to know. I will still try to resist buying an N30 (I know that in reality I'd never use it, I just don't have a need for a powerful outdoor light larger than pocket size) but it's even more tempting now than before. I was able to talk myself out of the Costco/HF HID as just ridiculously large, and the Illuminator as too heavy to bring anywhere, but the N30 weighs about the same as a 2L waterbottle, not really excessive even for carrying quite a long distance. I keep being interested in going on a caving trip and having something like that would be a blast.


----------



## windstrings

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35 --N30's Have Arriv*



paulr said:


> Thanks! That is good to know. I will still try to resist buying an N30 (I know that in reality I'd never use it, I just don't have a need for a powerful outdoor light larger than pocket size) but it's even more tempting now than before. I was able to talk myself out of the Costco/HF HID as just ridiculously large, and the Illuminator as too heavy to bring anywhere, but the N30 weighs about the same as a 2L waterbottle, not really excessive even for carrying quite a long distance. I keep being interested in going on a caving trip and having something like that would be a blast.



Thats kinda where I'm at.... especially since I have the BB for outdoors, but I "know" I will be getting one for my boat "an L35" and possibly one for my car too. Small and bright is a good combination.... if I can get waterproof for my boat, that will be even better!

Good for backpacks, hunting, fishing trips..... these babies ought to bring in the minnows, bugs, and then fish very nicely when left down close to the water!


----------



## mtbkndad

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35 --N30's Have Arriv*

I just got finished replying to some emails from the manufacturer. After this shipment that Wayne has now, ALL future N30 and L35 battery backs will have one way screws and glue to permanently seal them. This is necessary to pass UL testing. 
This is not an inducement to buy but rather letting everybody know the lights Wayne has now are rather unique.
If you are the type that likes to tinker around and do not care about voiding warranties, the current N30's are the only ones that will allow this.

Once again tinkering with the battery packs will void the warranty of the light, so this message is for those that do not care and do like to tinker.

Take Care,
mtbkndad :wave:


----------



## Trashman

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35 --N30's Have Arriv*

Will there be any other differences in the future N30s? (any improvements?)


----------



## mtbkndad

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35 --N30's Have Arriv*



Trashman said:


> Will there be any other differences in the future N30s? (any improvements?)



None guaranteed or should I say none planned directly for the N30.
The "improvements" are rather upgrades from the N30 economy light to the L35 not quite as economy light.

There will be one necessary upgrade that will increase the cost of future N30's, but we do not yet know by how much.

As of July 1, 2007 there will be new regulations in place for power supplies for battery chargers in CA. The power supply manufacturer told the Spotlight manufacturer about this. They contacted Wayne and myself and we had not heard anything specific. So the power supply manufacturer faxed to the spotlight manufacturer the ruling. So now future orders of N30's (after Wayne's curent stock runs out) will have to have these more expensive and more electrically efficient power supplies.
This has caught the spotlight manufacturer and us by suprise so we do not know what the increase will be.
I can say that I know Wayne's margins on the lights are too low for him to absorb this cost. It will already take some time to get back the tooling costs for the lights.

Take Care,
mtbkndad :wave:

P.S. I have been craving O.N.E. coconut water lately  .


----------



## Cigarman

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35 --N30's Have Arriv*

Well here's to Wayne and all the efforts gone into this neato light. Couldn't stand the suspense anymore and snagged one myself from Amondotech tonight. This will be great for work since its a good size. Now for the insufferable wait until it arrives!


----------



## Meduza

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35 --N30's Have Arriv*

If you are going to make the more expensive li-ion version "better", why not replacing the LED module with one of these cree+reflector modules readily aviable from china, these do not cost a lot and if you run them at maybe 250ma you wont need any additional heatsinking and still have a much better light than the 5mm leds?


----------



## BirdofPrey

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35 --N30's Have Arriv*

Been out playing with this light and I'm very happy.

Complaints are few. First complaint is the 5mm LEDs. Bright enuf I suppose but not really worth the effort when one CREE would have done a better job.

Second is that while the large corona can be a good thing, it CAN hinder your long distance viewing if things close to you are light colored and reflect a lot of light back at you.

Other than that, this light appears to be great stuff.


----------



## BirdofPrey

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35 --N30's Have Arriv*

BTW, not very scientific but I can say this. In this google pic you can see a boat dock about the middle of the page on the north side of the river. From there, I could easily see a small boat and two fisherman sitting on the opposite bank (kentucky) with my light. They had pulled the boat up on shore and were fishing from the bank. This was on a night that the water was putting up a slight haze and I could STILL see that detail. 

So yeah, I'm happy.

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=...-86.802957&spn=0.01111,0.020084&t=k&z=16&om=1


----------



## mtbkndad

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35 --N30's Have Arriv*

Meduza,

Better is relative, I like the even wide beam of the 20 degree patterned 5mm LED's. They are great for giving just enough light when hiking or reading in a room or tent.
If I need more light then I have plenty at the flick of a switch  . In addition to that, the two models of lights will share the same molds so everything in the L35 that is upgraded over the N30 will need to be independent of paying for more tooling costs to have new molds or different components made. Plus just because one company in china can get certain products does not mean another one can easily source the same products. 



BirdofPrey, 

I am glad you like the light and yes one does have to be careful about bright objects in the foreground at times. The spill is very wide and very bright and useable. I have noticed the same thing about shiny objects and have gotten to the point where I just naturally avoid them so I don't get blinded by light reflecting back. The worst is white parked cars  if you are too close to them. 

Recently I had to jumpstart a car at night during a new moon on our street with no streetlights. One L35 in the engine compartment of one car and one N30 in the engine compartment of the other car and I had all the light I needed to see what I was doing very comfortably from the wide bright spill.
I was able to aim the hotspot and corona in such a way that they did not blind me at such close ranges. Where was my Polarion X1 during all of this? Safely in it's case where I would not get grease on it's beautiful Silver finish  .

Take Care,
mtbkndad :wave:


----------



## mtbkndad

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35 --N30's Have Arriv*

Hi Everybody,

This is a quick note to say, "if you are waiting for an L35 you will probably be waiting till next year". It is already mid June and we still have to work out the weather proofing issues in a manner that the factory is willing to do short of completely new tooling. 
New tooling is simply not an option.
After months of the factory engineers trying to re-build the wheel in order to change a tire, the factory is now waiting for my photos too :hairpull: .

I originally said no weatherproofing from factory = no L35.

So far the improvements are a more impact resistant ABS.

I have dropped the current N30's off of my kitchen counter several times with no problems the the current ABS is not too shabby itself.

Since my kitchen floor is a custom country plank wood floor that I made for my wife about 9 years ago and just refinished last week, I won't be doing that again in the near future    .

The Current N30 does use a heat, moisture, and impact resistant glass made for lenses.
I believe it is 2mm thick 

The L35 would have a 4mm thick lens and the manufacturer tested the lens by dropping a 1.25 lb steel ball onto the 4mm lens from aproximately 50" and 10 out of 12 lenses were fine.

The Li-Ion pack is a large part of the increase in cost itself
These packs have individual cell protection and cell balancing circuitry.


Having gone through this process with numerous products in different industries over the years, unless something really changes fast, I do believe it is safe to say we will not see L35's this year.


Take Care,
mtbkndad :wave:


----------



## Quazar

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35 --N30's Have Arriv*

Is there any likelyhood of the N30 being available with a 230V charger for those of us on the other side of the pond?


----------



## mtbkndad

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35 --N30's Have Arriv*



Quazar said:


> Is there any likelyhood of the N30 being available with a 230V charger for those of us on the other side of the pond?



The charger itself is in the battery pack. What you would need is a 230V power supply that provides and output of 600 mA and 18V DC.

The L35 is going to have and interntaional power supply. 
If it ends up getting delayed for a very long time then that may be something that can be included in the N30. I cannot make any guarantees, but the whole power supply issue is having to be addressed anyway because of the new CA power supply efficiency standards that are going into effect in July.

Take Care,
mtbkndad :wave:


----------



## Cigarman

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35 --N30's Have Arriv*

How long does Amondotech usually take to actually ship out a N30 when one is ordered? I got an automated sales reciept with the details of the order but I havent seen any fedex tracking number from them yet. Just curious as I saw someone post a jeer about their lack of communications regarding an order. Bear in mind I'm not knocking them, just looking for a timeframe.


----------



## mtbkndad

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35 --N30's Have Arriv*



Cigarman said:


> How long does Amondotech usually take to actually ship out a N30 when one is ordered? I got an automated sales reciept with the details of the order but I havent seen any fedex tracking number from them yet. Just curious as I saw someone post a jeer about their lack of communications regarding an order. Bear in mind I'm not knocking them, just looking for a timeframe.



Normally they are pretty quick. I do know that Wayne has been short one employee lately and in addition to that; the person who was hired to do email correspondence was not working out. PM me your shipping information and I will see what I can find out.

Take Care,
mtbkndad :wave:


----------



## Quazar

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35 --N30's Have Arriv*



mtbkndad said:


> The charger itself is in the battery pack. What you would need is a 230V power supply that provides and output of 600 mA and 18V DC.
> Take Care,
> mtbkndad :wave:



That is easy to source. Thanks.
One other question, is a special connector required for the battery pack?
Or could I just cut the one off the 110V charger and use that?

I forsee a new light coming this way.


----------



## nonotmethanks

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35 --N30's Have Arriv*

I bought the N30 and looks well-worth the money. :twothumbs

Wanted to get it weeks ago but have been out of town. 

Of course, I'm one of those people who insist after checking it works - void the warranty by taking it completely apart!

Personality, I think the little extra size from a "c" would of been a better choice than using "sub c" in the battery packs - that would of given the option for much higher capacity. I would suspect cost would be lower at the low 3600mah rating since "c" is more standard. 

I can put the large D cell pack I made for the AI in my backpack if I want to run this light a long time.... I'll try it and see how long it lasts compared to my AI.

I would think the front glass assembly is not tight enough against bezel to not leak water if dunked in a puddle but probably ok if sprayed.

I'm thinking about a mod for the 5mm LEDs... just to do it, don't really need it.... and maybe make a custom battery pack using 3 inch PVC just for kicks.... I'm dangerous with a Dremel tool :thinking:


----------



## mtbkndad

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35 --N30's Have Arriv*

nonotmethanks,

Sub C's utilize a different compontent ratio that enables them to handle higher amp loads better then C's. Plus there is next to no room in the pack for 11 sub C's let alone 11 C's.

With aligator clips on the proper pins a large D pack could work very well.

You are right the N30 is a very modifiable light.
Of course since I do not work for Amondotech I must, as you did too, say that any such modifications would void the warranty.

I agree about the front Lens retaining ring and water, but wait till you see how I plan to seal that  . I don't think the front will be much problem because of the rubber that suspends the lens. I do believe the back of the lens retaining ring could use being sealed.

I would love to see picks of whatever mods you come up with.

Quazar,
I do not know what you have in the UK. but here in the States we have stores like Radio Shack where we can go and buy whatever types of electronic plugs we may need.
I would be more likely to go to one of those stores with the 110V power supply and whatever 230V power supply you find and say, "I want this 230V power supply to have this plug interface(showing the 110V's plug), what do you have that I can use?" .

Take Care,
mtbkndad :wave:


----------



## BVH

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35 --N30's Have Arriv*

As suggested, finding the right input and output wall wart and cutting off and attaching the original Amondotech wall wart plug (the flashlight end) would work fine.


----------



## nonotmethanks

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35 --N30's Have Arriv*

I charged the NiMH battery pack I made to fit inside my AI (12pcs 10AH D Cells) and hooked it up to the N30.

Here are the run times, I include from my previous post the AI information with exact same battery pack. The N30 draws ~36 watts, the AI is ~43 watts.

N30 is on the left and Illuminator on the right.
2.40A 15.09V - 30 Minutes - 2.88A 14.92V
2.40A 14.91V - 60 Minutes - 2.89A 14.81V
2.47A 14.57V - 90 Minutes - 2.90A 14.74V
2.51A 14.34V - 120 Minutes- 2.94A 14.52V
2.57A 14.07V - 150 Minutes- 3.03A 14.20V
2.71A 13.43V - 180 Minutes- 3.29A 13.22V 
The N20 turns off in another ~20 minutes, AI turns off in another ~12 minutes. 

:thinking: With 7 watts less draw I should get longer than 8 minutes over the AI, but my temporary arrangement was not very good (weak alligator clips, 18 gauge wire). I'll try it again soon but want to ponder some basic weather proofing next.


----------



## Cigarman

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35 --N30's Have Arriv*

http://uk.farnell.com/jsp/home/homepage.jsp

These guys might be handy for UK electronics. They are the UK branch of Newark here in the US.


----------



## gchand

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35 --N30's Have Arriv*



mtbkndad said:


> When the light is charging the red LED will be on.
> It will turn off and the green LED will go on when the light is charged.
> These are not quick chargers. You can expect around 8 to 12 hours if the battery is pretty low depending on your electrical service. The batteries come with a certain degree of charge but not usually full. I do not know how long you charged them, but what I do is plug mine in at night when our electrical grid has less load on it and they are generally charged by morning. I will periodically run them till they strobe and then charge them up.



When charging is complete and the green LED comes on, does the charger 
terminate charging as does my AI, or do we have to watch for the green LED 
and manually terminate charging to avoid over-charging?

Edit: I was too impatient, and missed post #85. It appears to me that the charger has a timer to prevent over-
charging.


George


----------



## BVH

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35 --N30's Have Arriv*

I forgot and left mine plugged in for two full days. When I picked it up and check for high temps, including taking the pack out, there were none. It was cold. Light works fine.


----------



## mtbkndad

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35 --N30's Have Arriv*

gchand,

The AI has a simply cutoff relay that terminates charging until the voltage drops low enough for it to switch back on again.

The N30 has a true smart charger that checks for the target cutoff voltage, has a safety temp cutoff, and a timer cutoff if the charge takes too long.

The charger will also go into trickle mode once the green light goes on.
That is why BVH noticed his light cool and functioning fine after being on the charger for two days.

Take Care,
mtbkndad :wave:


----------



## BirdofPrey

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35 --N30's Have Arriv*

Any time frame on the weatherizing tips?

Been loving my light.


----------



## mtbkndad

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35 --N30's Have Arriv*



BirdofPrey said:


> Any time frame on the weatherizing tips?
> 
> Been loving my light.



I could have sworn I hit submit instead of preview earlier.

I will try to work on it this week and post instructions over the weekend.
These really are fun little lights aren't they  ?

Take Care,
mtbkndad :wave:


----------



## Cigarman

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35 --N30's Have Arriv*

Mine just showed up today! Soon as I got it out of the box, on the charger she goes! Finally turned green some time later and decided to power it up. Nice! Its so incredibly light to carry around Im amazed! Nice work Amondotech! Its so cute you just want to cuddle it. I can bet lots of folks are going to like this light once they get a dose of its niceness all around. This will fit soooo nicely in my toolbox at work. Lovin' it ^2. :thumbsup:


----------



## BVH

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35 --N30's Have Arriv*

It's just hard to know what this light looks, feels and performs like until you have one in your hands. I still call it the "Grab N Go light.


----------



## gchand

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35 --N30's Have Arriv*

Well, I made the "command decision" yesterday, and ordered my N30. It 
looks to be a superb general purpose "Grab N Go" light as BVH has mentioned. 

Now, I just have to wait a week or so.


George


----------



## NAW

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35 --N30's Have Arriv*

mtbkndad,

if you can, are you able to take a picture of the XeRay with the N30 or L35 for size reference?


----------



## jefft

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35 --N30's Have Arriv*



mtbkndad said:


> I will try to work on it this week and post instructions over the weekend.



mtbkndad, any ETA on the weatherproofing instructions? (Not that it'll be crucial this summer. Looks like it's going to be a dry year here in Northern California.



BVH said:


> It's just hard to know what this light looks, feels and performs like until you have one in your hands. I still call it the "Grab N Go light.



Couldn't agree more. I have a couple of custom HIDs in Mag hosts, the ginormous Costco thing, and a MicroFire K2000R and the N30 is the only one that I actually feel comfortable using. (as in reliability) Sure, the design's a little goofy, but the form-factor more than makes up for it.


----------



## mtbkndad

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35 --N30's Have Arriv*



NAW said:


> mtbkndad,
> 
> if you can, are you able to take a picture of the XeRay with the N30 or L35 for size reference?



Actually BVH could since he as a XeRay.
If he does not have time, I could the next time we get together.

jefft,

Sorry about the delay, I will get the materials I need tomorrow.
I will work on it this week.

Take Care,
mtbkndad :wave:


----------



## mtbkndad

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35 --N30's Have Arriv*

Mr Ted Bear asked me if I could get a quantity of these lights sent down to So Cal. to save on shipping. I talked to Wayne and he sent 10 down.
Mr Ted Bear is taking two.
If there are any So Cal members that would like one and have not ordered one yet then PM me. Maybe we could do a mini (N30) get together  .
Don't reply in this thread because I don't want this thread to become a sales thread. 
At the same time this is a one time offer so I did not want to start a dedicated thread.

Take Care,
mtbkndad :wave:


----------



## BVH

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35 --N30's Have Arriv*


----------



## 270winchester

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35 --N30's Have Arriv*

looks like i just ordered one of these N30s, I was in the market for a portable HID light for night hiking in the Oakland hills or in the SC mountains. The wide beam sounds good to me. it's rare to have open area longer than 300 yards to illuminate in the woods.

IK figured there will be a frenzy of new LED for the rest of the year so I might as well go for the bright lights and sit out on the LEDs for a while while my L1 is in transit

Good Lord the last thing I need is to get sucked into the HID thing. You guys totally suck, seriously.


----------



## windstrings

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35 --N30's Have Arriv*



270winchester said:


> Good Lord the last thing I need is to get sucked into the HID thing. You guys totally suck, seriously.



LOL!.... HID is amongst the most efficient output for the power input..... you made a good choice!

I don't know if you've ever had one or not, but when you get it, I'm sure you won't disagree!

It will blow away all your other lights..... unless you already have a HID! :twothumbs


----------



## 270winchester

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35 --N30's Have Arriv*

well I'm a little wary of the order now that I have read the jeers thread. I have been trying to call them all week to ask a few technical questions on the N30 versus 3152, and even today after I placed the order I couldn't get a hold anybody, and I called like 9-10 times. I swear if mtnbkdad wasn't so active in explaining things here I would have gotten something else by now. 

It;s funny because my other hobby, mountain biking is eating up a lot of my income as well. Oh the irony.


----------



## mtbkndad

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35 --N30's Have Arriv*



270winchester said:


> well I'm a little wary of the order now that I have read the jeers thread. I have been trying to call them all week to ask a few technical questions on the N30 versus 3152, and even today after I placed the order I couldn't get a hold anybody, and I called like 9-10 times. I swear if mtnbkdad wasn't so active in explaining things here I would have gotten something else by now.
> 
> It;s funny because my other hobby, mountain biking is eating up a lot of my income as well. Oh the irony.



I have been having trouble getting through today too.
If you have any questions regarding the N30 or 3152, I am the person to ask. The employees would not be able to answer technical questions and Wayne does not even know as much about these two lights as me.

I will guess at some possible questions and first will say that the first post in this thread includes pics of the Illuminator(3152) and N30. That post also has relative light output and throw readings and photos.

The Illuminator is around 8 lbs 10 oz . It has a sealed lead acid battery.
It has a roughly 6.5" reflector.
It also has a very smooth transition from spill to corona to hotspot. The connections inside it are all waterproof auto connectors so even if some rain gets inside the case it should be okay in foul weather. The charger is a simple on off relay with target on and off voltages.

The N30 is around 3 lbs 7 oz.(see post #1). It has a 3.5" reflector. It has a NiMH battery pack that is easily removeable. The battery pack also contains the charging circuitry. So an external power supply that supplies 18v DC and 600 mA is supplied with it. The beam is not as perfectly smooth as the Illuminator but the spill is even wider and brighter and this little light throws real nice for it's size. It is not weather proof, but can be made weather proof and I really am hoping to document instructions this weekend. Last of all the N30 does have 7 - 5mm LED's in the handle that have their own independent switch.


What do you ride?
Where do you ride?
How often?

My current main ride is a Titus Motolite that I had Bob's Bicycles in Idaho build up for me last July. 

Take Care,
mtbkndad :wave:


----------



## 270winchester

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35 --N30's Have Arriv*

I was gonna ask about the beam characteristics and size difference, since I don't want a heavy light while hiking. But your info pretty much answers it. 

In your experience how propmtly do they ship? I was hoping to get it by 4th of July by choosing the more expensive USPS option.

I ride 3 bikes, a Poverty Buck 99 BMx for street, a older Trek Bruiser frame with a 04 SHiver SC(4 inch travel, the best SC fork I ever owned since my Z1 FR) and heavy duty freeriding kit with an old school 8-speed setup and an MRP mini-me chain guide, it's a dream to ride up or down.

I'm currently throwing a bit of money to tune up my Ironhorse SGS DH, I built it from frame up with a Marzocchi Super T(needs different spring and oil), Dee Max(need replacing), Raceface kit(the BB and chain are on the way out) and Blackspire guide, basically all my bikes are built from ground up piece by piece and htat's how I learn along the way.

I ride in Santa Cruz and do a bit of street riding in the Bay Area.


----------



## mtbkndad

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35 --N30's Have Arriv*

270winchester,

Those sound like nice bikes, I agree about building them up. I got tired of having my local bike shop not do things right and a while back got a stand, some tools, and some books. Now I can do whatever I need, even build wheels. With my Motolite, Bob's bikes was willing to work with me and all of the custom things I wanted. By the time I was done it was not worth me getting the parts and building it myself. We do have about 8 bikes though and I am planning on turning my Specialized 2001 Enduro expert hardtail into a single speed when I get a chance.

Back on topic-

Up until the current employee shortage they used to ship pretty prompt.
Next day or within 48 hours max. There have been some problems with packages that have been shipped USPS getting to the Sunnyvale post office and then not getting to San Fransisco in a timely manner. Most orders seem to be going out pretty quick right now. I will call and find out.
You are fairly local to them so you should get it pretty quick once it is shipped. I will send you a PM in a little while.

Take Care,
mtbkndad :wave:


----------



## mtbkndad

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35 --N30's Have Arriv*

I got the weather proofing materials today.
I have been working on some work projects this weekend, but now I have all of the materials I need.

Take Care,
mtbkndad :wave:


----------



## windstrings

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35 --N30's Have Arriv*

Let us know an eta on the L35... right now I have to use my BB for my boat...


----------



## 270winchester

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35 --N30's Have Arriv*

got mine on saturday and have been playing with it. it gives a great beam for general purpose usage that doesn't involve shiny at basketball sizedo bjects at 800 yards. I told my gf to take away my wallet if she sees more than two HID light(I guess I need soemthing to top this thing now), because this stuff is totally addicting. 

BTW is it normal to have light brown residue on the bottom of the gas-area(donno the technical name for it) after a run?


----------



## windstrings

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35 --N30's Have Arriv*



270winchester said:


> BTW is it normal to have light brown residue on the bottom of the gas-area(donno the technical name for it) after a run?



Welcome to the addiction!.... yes thats normal for HID's....


----------



## LuxLuthor

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35 --N30's Have Arriv*



windstrings said:


> *Welcome to the addiction!*.... yes thats normal for HID's....



LOL! Soooooooo true. Two BB's, Acro 990, getting my NEW MaxaBeam delivered tomorrow, and still waiting on the L35 in this model.


----------



## 270winchester

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35 --N30's Have Arriv*



LuxLuthor said:


> LOL! Soooooooo true. Two BB's, Acro 990, getting my NEW MaxaBeam delivered tomorrow, and still waiting on the L35 in this model.



wow, no wonder you got such harsh words for the, what's the word, oh yes, "LED jockeys" eh? you are gonna be spoiled for life you know?


----------



## BVH

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35 --N30's Have Arriv*



LuxLuthor said:


> LOL! Soooooooo true. Two BB's, Acro 990, getting my NEW MaxaBeam delivered tomorrow, and still waiting on the L35 in this model.



Tell me about it Lux.....1 ea. AN/VSS-1 tank light, 2 ea. ANVSS/3a tank lights, 2 ea. 300 Watt Locator targeting lights, 2 ea. BB's, 1 ea. Helios, 2 ea. Costco HID's, 1 ea. Amondotech Illuminator, 1 ea. N30. I enjoy every one of them.


----------



## windstrings

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35 --N30's Have Arriv*



270winchester said:


> wow, no wonder you got such harsh words for the, what's the word, oh yes, "LED jockeys" eh? you are gonna be spoiled for life you know?



I still have a P1D CE as my pocketlight, when they figure out how to make an HID pocketlight, I won't have any use for that either!....LOL!

Actually I think the Cree LED's are quite amazing for the energy and output they use, but its like playing with BB guns when your a kid, it was really cool when they cranked out the crossman, and benjamins, and even the SilverStreak Sheratan pelletgun... you can have lots of fun, but then you grow up and can afford and handle more power..... so you go play with deer rifles! LOL!


----------



## fire-stick

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35 --N30's Have Arriv*

1) Do you have to quit using the N30 when it gets dim or can you use it until it shuts off?

2)Does the N30 have a smart chager in it?

3)Is it nessacerry discharge the battery pack?

4)Do the cells have a shutoff voltage?


----------



## Cigarman

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35 --N30's Have Arriv*



LuxLuthor said:


> LOL! Soooooooo true. Two BB's, Acro 990, getting my NEW MaxaBeam delivered tomorrow, and still waiting on the L35 in this model.






a freakin maxabeam? What the heck did you have to do to get one? Thats a lot of returnables! I really want one some day but dammit that price makes me nuts!


----------



## mtbkndad

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35 --N30's Have Arriv*

fire-stick,

Regarding 1. HID's don't get dim they just cut out when the battery cannot supply enough power to the ballast anymore.

Regarding 2. I already gave you VERY specifics yes answers in the replies to the PM questions you asked me.

Regarding 3. If you want to run the light yes    . The battery is NiMH, you do not need to fully discharge it in order to charge it again.

Regarding 4. Once again do you read your PM's :thinking: .
High end - when charging - yes
Low end - when in use, I have never asked.
However, on a couple of occsasions I have left the N30's on way too long after the light went out and the battery backs charged up fine. I will email the manufacturer about this one.

Take Care,
mtbkndad :wave:




fire-stick said:


> 1) Do you have to quit using the N30 when it gets dim or can you use it until it shuts off?
> 
> 2)Does the N30 have a smart chager in it?
> 
> 3)Is it nessacerry discharge the battery pack?
> 
> 4)Do the cells have a shutoff voltage?


----------



## nonotmethanks

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35 --N30's Have Arriv*

I have been using the N30 and AI 3152 together underground. The AI I have a diffuser on. 

Now I can clearly see all the things overhead I've gone under for years 

I notice the N30 has a slight cloudy white haze that has formed in a few small spots on the reflector. Perhaps the lens seal gets a bit too hot since nothing else could "fog" it (although I don't know anything about the reflector material). 

I was planning on running the N30 with my 10AH capacity battery pack but I best let it cool off every 30 minutes or so until I figure out what is happening. I did not find yet a PVC or other material tube that fits inside the way I would like for an extended battery pack - I will post when I do.

The Illuminator appears slightly yellow next to the N30 but both are great white lights compared to others I have tried. The Sony DCR-HC96 camcorder video is much more sensitive to bulb color changes than my eye - some interesting effects changing lights and color filters.

I have not figured out better weatherproofing yet - waiting to see what "mountain biking dad" is up too.


----------



## mtbkndad

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35 --N30's Have Arriv*

nonotmethanks,

Is there any way you can take a picture of the haze on the reflector and PM it to me or email it to me.

The lens seal can handle the heat. I have runs my N30's for hours on end on a couple of occasions switching batteries as soon as one was dead.
The reflectors are made out aluminum. I would keep using it as long as the battery allows and see if it gets any worse. You may want to carefully clean the reflector, a few months back there was a thread on how to clean reflectors. I could not find it so I was not able to give you a link.

Take Care,
mtbkndad :wave: :sleepy:


----------



## nonotmethanks

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35 --N30's Have Arriv*

Taking a picture of a reflector was harder than I thought. The picture below was made by using a LED light to enhance the area in a darken room and usng Paint Shop Pro. It does not look that solid to the naked eye - its more of a slight haze.

When I removed the glass reflector cover the haze became more apparent. It is on the top half - perhaps something "smoked" and left a film along the top. It will not wipe off, I tried lens cleaner and a brush I have for the camera. I then used my eyeglass microfiber cloth, which was a mistake because it made some small scratches.

I have looked carefully at the clear glass reflector cover and it has a slight "film" too. Harder to notice, I could feel it when I tried a cloth with windex. It does not come off. I doubt I could get a camera to pick it up since its much less a haze and the room light has to hit it just right.


----------



## Cigarman

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35 --N30's Have Arriv*

I also got the haze after the first runtime check I did on the light. It seems there was a little moisture inside that worked its way into vapor but it went away after letting the light sit for a few hours and then turning it on again. I popped off the lens to clean it and just used 409 cleaner then rinsed it off under hot water to help it air dry.


----------



## 270winchester

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35 --N30's Have Arriv*

Hi mtbkndad:

I have been using my light for about a half hour a day this last week, and there seems to be a little build up of orange-colored residue on the bottom of gas area when the light is lit and casts a huge semi-shadow in the beam, and it's gotten bigger lately and now almost 1/4 of the beam is suffering from this orange colored haze that is visibly darker when in use. Is the ballast to blame? I really don't think it's normal.

Nick


----------



## mtbkndad

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35 --N30's Have Arriv*

I am camping this week and am typing on my iPhone.
Am I understanding you right that the haze is in the bulb?
HID's do have a burn in period where the bulb can display different characteristics or some might say anomolies.

Try running the light through a few cycles charge - run till it turns off -charge & repeat.
Be sure that you are not repeatedly turning the light on and off. That will ruin the ballast. For now I would say to get 10 to 20 hours of use on the light and see what the beam looks like then.

I will be back home Friday night and will PM you then.

Take Care,
mtbkndad :wave: :sleepy:


----------



## BirdofPrey

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35 --N30's Have Arriv*

I'll get my first chance to use the light on duty this Friday night and have a question.

One, how long should I leave the light run any time I turn it on?

Second, how long should I wait between turning it off and turning it back on?


----------



## BVH

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35 --N30's Have Arriv*

The only written documentation I've seen on minimum run times for HID's came with the GE Marc 300 EZS, 300 Watt HID lamp I recently got. It very clearly says not to run the lamp for less than 3 minutes. To do so risks premature lamp damage and significant reduction in life. Not sure if this applies exactly to the small wattage lamps. My practice is to run the small wattage lights for a minimum of 2 minutes.

I will re-strike my N30 after only 5 seconds of being off. I don't do it often but if I need to, I do not hesitate to do so.


----------



## Chronos

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35 --N30's Have Arriv*

I recently received my N30 and got about 15 minutes to play with it last night. HOLY CRAP!  This thing is hilarious! The amount of light is astounding, especially when one considers the size (I know, flawed logic, but still...). I love it. At this price it is almost disposable (almost). I may try to wrap the handle to pad it a bit and figure out a way to attach one of my older ice axe lanyards to it (both helpful when hiking). 

I'm hoping to go hiking tomorrow night, and if so, I'll take this little beast along for grins. Its output is so much greater than a 10w light I used to own. One must see the output to believe it.

Thanks mtbkndad! Though it is a bit ugly to look at, its performance makes it a little beauty.


----------



## 270winchester

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35 --N30's Have Arriv*

the irregularity in the beam of my N30 looks like the picture in post 57 of this thread:

https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/118392&page=2

maybe mine has a little bigger portion of the discoloring.

is that normal?


----------



## BVH

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35 --N30's Have Arriv*

Mine has it but not the to degree as in that picture.


----------



## nonotmethanks

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35 --N30's Have Arriv*

I don't have that color problem either. 






Is there discoloration on the bulb doing that on yours?

I think there may of been something that burned when I first left mine on - there is a black on back of the reflector. But I am not having any problems with the light.







I just got one of the Sam's Club HIDs to add to my collection. The first thing I am noticing is the light is drawing more current than the Amondotech 3152 Illuminator - since the ballast if supposedly the same I am hoping it will settle down after a few power cycles. 

The ballast of the N30 runs the light at lower wattage which saves some battery life. I suppose the AI ballast could be used on the N30 light for slightly more output - but I'm happy with the N30 as is and don't want to damage the bulb.

I would like to experiment a bit with the cheap Power/Sams HID in a smaller reflector/glass like the N30 has but putting it on a hard hat - does anyone know of a source for 4"-5" reflectors with glass? Maybe a cheap lantern that has an aluminum reflector... I looked at some today but they were plastic reflectors.


----------



## nonotmethanks

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35 --N30's Have Arriv*

Thought I'd add this picture - AI is on left - N30 on right. 16 feet away on sloped ceiling.


----------



## BVH

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35 --N30's Have Arriv*

My recollection is that the N30 bulb is actually being under-driven. Running it with a 35 Watt ballast is probably what it was designed for. I believe the L35 (the future lithium version) uses the same bulb but the ballast is cranked up to 35 Watts. Mtbkndad will chime in, i'm sure.


----------



## 270winchester

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35 --N30's Have Arriv*

I just bought a 3152 as well this week, and it's working fine so far. But the N30's artifact is getting bigger and bigger. I gotta tell you, I am reluctant to buying anything else from Amondotech again. I have been trying to call them all week and not once did they pick up the phone. I know they are working because the 3152 order was filled out within 12 hours and shipped within 24 hours, but they seem to be impossible to reach when I need something in the area of CS.


----------



## mtbkndad

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35 --N30's Have Arriv*

nonotmethanks,

I am thinking that whatever was on the back of the reflector that burned also caused the clouding in the front. 
Has the clouding increased.
I will call Wayne about this.

The AI ballast will not fit into the N30,
Your beams look pretty spot on to look at.


270winchester,

I was not able to get a hold of Wayne for about 10 days. He lost his phone just before he went out of town. I told him what has been going on phone wise at Amondotech. He told me that he told the employees to concentrate on filling online orders and check messages once an hour while the staff is so short handed. I told him they have not been calling at all and he said he would talk to them.

PM me about the bulb problem and I will take care of things and settle up with Wayne later.
Have you run the light for a few 10+ hours yet?
I just literally got back in town so now I will be able to follow this more carefully.
One of my AI's was similar in the beginning and after about 15 hours the light got much brighter as the bulb broke in. Now it is very bright and very even except where the wedge shadow is from the return wire.

Take Care,
mtbkndad :wave:


----------



## nonotmethanks

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35 --N30's Have Arriv*

I noticed the washer that is between the HID and reflector did not hold the black color where it contacts material - if it was painted perhaps that is the source of the little bit of smoking I saw on the first power cycle.

When I took it apart the first time, the bulb was in way and thought the black was to indicate "up" or something - didn't notice the extent until I removed the bulb to clean the reflector.

There has never been any other smoking or haze and as you can see in the pics, the beam looks fine. I mention it for future reference - if other users see it then Wayne has a QA issue to address with the supplier.

I have used the AI and N30 quite a bit underground and they still work great for me. Nothing else is this inexpensive that works well for video and has decent runtimes.

The only small N30 criticism I would have is the battery pack is not built strong enough if you wish to remove it often - but mtbkndad said they are fixing that by gluing the pack joints (which I hate to see but understand why). I changed mine by rearranging wires so less pressure on the joint and using better screws.

The POB/Sams would need a color diffusion filter since its throws the color off when I take videos. Since I paid only $60 including shipping - I have now completely disassembled it and will use it for some experiments. Part of the fun of getting an HID for $60 is wrecking it 

I found I can mount the N30 light/reflector assembly on my hard hat but the Sams ballast is definately a no-go. The N30 light draws 0.5 Amp more than the other lights when using the Sams ballast which is odd but I haven't tried to fiind a spec sheet to see what is normal. I wanted to keep my N30 anyway but I couldn't resist the "proof of concept".

I'll continue to try to find a "N30 like" reflector that the AI/Sams bulb will fit into (bulb too long for the N30).


----------



## mtbkndad

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35 --N30's Have Arriv*

nonotmethanks,

I am glad to hear the light is working well over all.
I will let the manufacturer know about what happened with your reflector.

You are right about the battery packs and future packs will be glued together as well as have one way screws.

Take Care,
mtbkndad :wave:


----------



## BirdofPrey

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35 --N30's Have Arriv*

No luck as of yet with the weather proofing?

I used it in the rain the other night but it was a light drizzle. I was worried anyway though.


----------



## mtbkndad

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35 --N30's Have Arriv*



BirdofPrey said:


> No luck as of yet with the weather proofing?
> 
> I used it in the rain the other night but it was a light drizzle. I was worried anyway though.



:hairpull: :hairpull: Two times I have posted a reply and two times it disappeared.
I do not know what is going on.
The first time I thought I may have hit preview instead of submit because I was VERY tired last night.
That post had detailed instructions of what I am going to do.

This morning I posted a post expressing my frustration with my post not making it on the board. This morning I KNOW I hit submit and yet it is gone again.

I will try to post instructions again tonight.

These will be instructions without pictures because of time issues.
I was camping last week and work is backed up and I will be attending MBC in August so I need to get my work on track. Instructions with photos is a very time consuming process.

Take Care,
mtbkndad :wave:


----------



## BVH

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35 --N30's Have Arriv*

When I know my post is going to be medium to long in length, I compose it in WORD first, then cut and paste.


----------



## windstrings

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35 --N30's Have Arriv*

I used to have funky problems like that when I was at my work computer, but never at home...

My work computer has an antiquated version of IE... now I use "portable Firefox" off my thumbdrive... no more problems....


----------



## LuxLuthor

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35 --N30's Have Arriv*



270winchester said:


> wow, no wonder you got such harsh words for the, what's the word, oh yes, "LED jockeys" eh? you are gonna be spoiled for life you know?


 I only go into "LED Jockeys" when they come into the Incan section of the forum trying to make a lame case for incans (or HIDs) being dead, and how LED's outperform them in every way.



BVH said:


> Tell me about it Lux.....1 ea. AN/VSS-1 tank light, 2 ea. ANVSS/3a tank lights, 2 ea. 300 Watt Locator targeting lights, 2 ea. BB's, 1 ea. Helios, 2 ea. Costco HID's, 1 ea. Amondotech Illuminator, 1 ea. N30. I enjoy every one of them.


 LOL! Man, now I feel much better. That number of those mega-mega lights is just plain sick.....and I'm in earlier stages of the same disease! 



windstrings said:


> I still have a P1D CE as my pocketlight, when they figure out how to make an HID pocketlight, I won't have any use for that either!....LOL!!


That P1D-CE that I got back when Windy and I were best of pals--and he told me to just get it--is still one hell of a light that stays on my keychain to this day. It has helped out on many an occasion.



Cigarman said:


> a freakin maxabeam? What the heck did you have to do to get one? Thats a lot of returnables! I really want one some day but dammit that price makes me nuts!


I think BVH posted a thread that one was for sale on EBay...which was closed after about 4 posts by mod. Well, someone asked and it turned out to be a BRAND NEW Gen 3 in deluxe black storm case with two NiCad batteries, Covert IR #1850 filter, deluxe NiMH, Li-Ion, NiCad AC/DC charger. I think all that would have cost >$3,000 new....and I was prepared to bid $1500, but it ended up being in the $1200 range. When Peakbeam tracked its sale....it was sold in March/April 2007 to a private military contractor. It far exceeded my expectations, and is my most exciting light.



mtbkndad said:


> I am camping this week and am typing on my iPhone.


Quit showing off!! Seriously, I almost got one of them...but wanted to wait until the next gen chip comes out for 3G & larger memory. All those critics of iTunes....hard to argue with their stock chart. I got a bunch about 14 months ago @ $60/share. Oh yeah...any update on the L35's?


----------



## mtbkndad

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35 --N30's Have Arriv*

LuxLuthor,

The factory is waiting for my detailed weatherproofing instructions too.
They want to see what I do and how they can apply it to the L35 in a production setup without having to change tooling.
Unfortunately the past few months have been very challenging so I am running way behind on my volunteer CPF stuff.
As a result, I will say what I said in an earlier post, the L35 will not happen before the end of the year.
Once the manufacturer gets my instructions they will then have to come up with more refined versions that can be done on a production basis.


I have some Apple stock too and I wish I could have got a lot because I got mine back when it was $17-$21 a share  .
I was going to wait for a gen 2 iPhone but the buttons on my 2 1/2 year old Treo 650 were starting to work rather inconsistently. 

The iPhone does not cost me any more to run per month then my Treo did and it is WAY easier to keep up with CPF and emails when I am working.
Mine is a 4 gig, which I will probably never fill , and with the updated edge, it works pretty well when wireless networks are not available.

The last night of the campout the youth that were with the families that were camping were too tired for "flashlight wars", but it was to early to go to sleep so we watched a bunch of youtube videos on my iPhone. 

When I go to MBC in Colorado this August I will leave my 17" powerbook at home this year and just keep up with things on the iPhone for 4 days.

Regarding the Maxbeam, I had a chance to play with one at the LA Flashapalooza and can only say they are REALLY fun lights.
I would love to get one myself someday.

BVH,

I can only think of one thing to say about your big light collection :bow: :bow: :bow: .

Windstrings & BVH,

I usually do compose my long posts in a word processor and copy and paste. The instructions were not that long so I figured I would just type them, big mistake. 

Take Care,
mtbkndad :wave:


----------



## mtbkndad

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35 --N30's Have Arriv*

Here is what I plan on doing to weather proof my N30s.

The primary problem points for water entry are the following

Under the front band that holds the switches
The Switches
The battery buttons
The battery charging port

Secondary points that would not be a real problem in rain but would possibly cause problems if the N30 is dropped in a puddle are 

The base of the lens retaining ring where it contacts the body.
The lens retaining ring set screw 
The base of the battery pack where it contacts the back of the body of the light.

For the primary points

1. Carefully slip the foot off of the front band that goes around the handle.
( The back band has no points of water entry underneath it so you do not have to worry about it.)

2. Put a continuous beads of silicone adhesive all of the way around the body where both sides of the band make contact.
3. Re-install the black band & re-install the foot
4. I will make covers for the switches and battery buttons using silicone fusion tape and will glue them over the switches and battery buttons with silicone adhesive. This tape bonds permanently to itself so extra layers can be put together to make the covers thicker and stronger.
5. I will either make a battery charging port plug using silicone fusion tape or just cover the charging port with Gorilla tape for foul weather.

For the secondary points
1. I will put a small O-ring washer behind the head of the lens retainging screw.
2. I will take the lens retaining ring off and put a bead of silicone at the flange that the base of the lens retaining ring contacts.
3. I will put a little wax on the edge and inside of the lens retainging ring.
4. I will put these together and the appropriate wax will help prevent the parts from bonding together while creating a from fitting silicone gasket.
5. I will do the same thing at the very back of the battery pack.
6. When the gaskets are made I will clean off the wax.

Now my N30 will be VERY weather proof.

Take Care,
mtbkndad :wave:


----------



## LuxLuthor

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35 --N30's Have Arriv*

It seems this thread needs some luvin since people (**cough** yaesumofo **cough** ) are starting new threads about this light at Amondo!


----------



## Mike89

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35 --N30's Have Arriv*

Question relating to the 3152. How come in this link, there are two 3152's showing? Are these actually different lights or is this just a mistake on the webpage?

http://www.amondotech.com/index.asp?PageAction=PRODSEARCH&txtSearch=HID&btnSearch=GO&Page=1


----------



## mtbkndad

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35 --N30's Have Arriv*



Mike89 said:


> Question relating to the 3152. How come in this link, there are two 3152's showing? Are these actually different lights or is this just a mistake on the webpage?
> 
> http://www.amondotech.com/index.asp?PageAction=PRODSEARCH&txtSearch=HID&btnSearch=GO&Page=1



Mike,

Good help is hard to find. One of Wayne's office helpers did that. There is only one Illuminator. There are now two links to order the one light from that page. :thinking: 

Take Care,
mtbkndad :wave:


----------



## Mike89

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35 --N30's Have Arriv*

That's what I figured. I think it would be a good idea for someone to correct that double listing. When I ordered mine, I was a little confused on what light I was actually buying, thinking maybe one had something the other didn't. I even called the webpage phone number to ask about it but got an answering machine. Someone might even hold off on ordering one because of those two links, wondering if there was a difference. I almost did myself, I actually waited two days before I decided to pick one of those links to order.

Nice to know I got the right one, heh heh (even when I got it I was still wondering if the one I ordered was different from the other link I did not pick).

BTW, love the light!


----------



## mtbkndad

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35 --N30's Have Arriv*



Mike89 said:


> That's what I figured. I think it would be a good idea for someone to correct that double listing. When I ordered mine, I was a little confused on what light I was actually buying, thinking maybe one had something the other didn't. I even called the webpage phone number to ask about it but got an answering machine. Someone might even hold off on ordering one because of those two links, wondering if there was a difference. I almost did myself, I actually waited two days before I decided to pick one of those links to order.
> 
> Nice to know I got the right one, heh heh (even when I got it I was still wondering if the one I ordered was different from the other link I did not pick).
> 
> BTW, love the light!



I will mention this to Wayne when I get a chance.
The funny thing is that since coming out with the N30's, Illuminator sales have increased and not decreased. The N30's are doing well for how new they are but AI sales temporarily tanked for a while when the Sam's lights came out. Now their sales are on the rebound again. The really are two entirely different creatures that compliment each other very well.

Take Care,
mtbkndad :wave:


----------



## 270winchester

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35 --N30's Have Arriv*

mtbnkdad I got an AI after the N30 because of the 4200k bulb. 

BTW sorry to hear about the little accident you had, hope it heels. Last time I checked chicken soup helps a lot.


----------



## Mike89

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35 --N30's Have Arriv*



> mtbnkdad I got an AI after the N30 because of the 4200k bulb.


 
Comments regarding differences/preferences between the two lights?

I'm interested (since I only have one of them).


----------



## mtbkndad

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35 --N30's Have Arriv*



Mike89 said:


> Comments regarding differences/preferences between the two lights?
> 
> I'm interested (since I only have one of them).



I see these lights as complimenting each other very well.
The AI has more throw. It is relatively easy to make a 12D NiMH pack for the AI that will extend it's run time to 3+ hours. At 8lbs 9oz it is not light weight, but is not too heavy to carry around and with it's adustable stand it is nice for stationary use.

The N30 is much lighter and smaller. 
While it does not throw as far, it actually puts out a little more light overall (Spill + corona + hotspot). Now while it does not throw as far as the AI, it easily outthrows a 10MCP Thor. That is quite a feat for such a small light that is also so inexpensive. The LED's in the handle are very handy and useable when the HID would be too bright. 

The 4200K bulb in both is real nice and does make a real difference outdoors. I was able to demonstrate this at the LA area get together with my two AI prototypes. Once you get past around 300 yards with an AI type light(Sam's,HarborFreight) the blue hue of the 6000K bulbs tend to blend in with natural objects(plants, trees, etc.). At the same distance the greener hue of the 4200K bulbs seem to enhance the illumination of these objects. 

I believe the reason for this is that the bluer hue of the 6000K bulb tends to bring out the blue in the different green objects and that is what causes them to blend together.
I also think the greener hue of the 4200K bulb just enhances the different greens, at whatever level of green they are, so they seem more visible and the natural contrast of one green to another can still be seen. 

This is just my theory regarding what everybody I have shown these to has agreed to in terms of which does a better job of illuminating natural outdoor setttings. The most common comment I hear is that the bluer lights seem to make things blend together more and decreases the contrast of different natural objects.

270winchester,

Thank you for the encouragement. :thinking: Believe it or not, I have been craving chicken soup.
It is amazing how one simple slip of the hand resulting in one freak accident ended up instantly stopping 3 months of plans and work.

Take Care,
mtbkndad :wave:


----------



## windstrings

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35 --N30's Have Arriv*

I see these as an excellent fishing light.... a light to get to your fishing spot while its still dark or even fish in the dark and get there without worry of hitting a floating log etc....

Once your there, the led give you light to tie knots etc without totally killing your night vision for everyone else in the boat!

Heck you could even sat it on the console to give a soft overall lighting to the whole boat area without fear of ever running down the battery.....

I'm still waiting for the Lithium though.


----------



## LuxLuthor

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35 --N30's Have Arriv*

I just realized that if mtbkndad had not mentioned the L35 was coming, probably many more of us would have bought this model, and also the Lithium when it came out later.


----------



## BVH

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35 --N30's Have Arriv*

Lux, did I miss something about an "N35"?


----------



## mtbkndad

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35 --N30's Have Arriv*



BVH said:


> Lux, did I miss something about an "N35"?





No the L35's are still a long way off. Luxluther has a very good point. A couple people even suggested not mentioning anything about the L35 in the N30 announcement thread. However, at that time the manufacturer was making such good progress with the improvements I want and they were still saying weather proofing would be no problem to whatever spec I wanted.
Because of all of this, I did not want to announce the N30 alone if there was a chance the L35 would be getting announced a couple months later. I did not feel that would be fair to people that may want an L35, but not be able to get one if they just bought a N30.

Now with all of the delays, most of which have been Wayne's pressing family and other matters in the last couple months, I wish I had not mentioned
the L35.

The simple fact is that the N30 is such a handy light that once you own one you use it so much the NiMH self discharge rate will not be an issue.

So let me say again, there will be no L35's available this year.
Buying N30's may well actually help  .

Take Care,
mtbkndad :wave:


----------



## LuxLuthor

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35 --N30's Have Arriv*



BVH said:


> Lux, did I miss something about an "N35"?



Sorry, I meant L35 (corrected my previous post).


mtbkndad, what is that quote...."[SIZE=-1]*The best intentions are fraught with disappointment*." Or the other version: [/SIZE]*[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica]"The best laid plans of mice and men go oft astray."[/FONT]*


----------



## 270winchester

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35 --N30's Have Arriv*

is there a way to get rid of the haze from the rubber seal from the heat? I ran my N30 for a full run last month and the reflector is coated with a layer of white haze and the light is visibly dimmer now than before.


----------



## mtbkndad

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35 --N30's Have Arriv*



270winchester said:


> is there a way to get rid of the haze from the rubber seal from the heat? I ran my N30 for a full run last month and the reflector is coated with a layer of white haze and the light is visibly dimmer now than before.



The silicon Rubber seal that holds the lens does not create a haze and can handle high temps so it is very well suited to this use. Did you use the light in a salt water environment? Could salt water have gotten inside the bulb, lens, reflector section?
Are you sure the haze is on the reflector as oppoed to the glass. I have had to clean both sides of the glass before with one of my N30's..
Can you take a picture of he "hazed" reflector? 

Run it through a few cycles and see if it stays dimmer or gets brighter.
Also do you have an objective way to determine if it is lighter or dimmer?

Somewhere on CPF were instructions for cleaning reflectors, but I do not know where.

PM me when you get a chance with answers

Take Care,
mtbkndad :wave:


----------



## LuxLuthor

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35 --N30's Have Arriv*

Here were a couple threads about cleaning reflectors. Not sure if it is what you meant.


https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/127058

https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/60225

https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/157574

https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/169538


----------



## mtbkndad

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35 --N30's Have Arriv*

Thank you LuxLuthor for your help :goodjob: .
The first thread was the one I remembered and all of then 
were very informative.

Take Care,
mtbkndad :wave:


----------



## Northern Lights

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35 --N30's Have Arriv*

So, How do you do you make the N30 weather resistant? Did not see that answered in the thread. Mine is on order and will be out it the rain fishing for sure.


----------



## mtbkndad

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35 --N30's Have Arriv*



Northern Lights said:


> So, How do you do you make the N30 weather resistant? Did not see that answered in the thread. Mine is on order and will be out it the rain fishing for sure.



I have detailed written instructions in post 205

https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/156617&page=7

I was in too much pain from Monday's surgery to do anything this week.

https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/172441

This current splint and bandage will be changed on Monday and the new splint and bandage should be more comfortable, if so I wll try to take pics and post picture instuctions later next week.

Take Care,
mtbkndad :wave:


----------



## Northern Lights

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35 --N30's Have Arriv*

Thank you for the response, I guess I got tired reading and gave up looking for the information too soon, post #203 or so.

I wanted the HID for so long now, can't justify another light or any reason for it. What the heck, I just bought it for because.

Sorry about the loss of the boots, I hope the altered routine can serve you well. Do take it easy and let it heal. Push it too soon and you start over.


----------



## LuxLuthor

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35 --N30's Have Arriv*

Hope you are not in as much pain as time goes by. There is also something to be said for when these threads get into an overwhelming number of posts. It can take so long to read through everything that many don't bother. For me the threashold is at about 100 posts. After that my brain suffers meltdown.


----------



## mtbkndad

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35 --N30's Have Arriv*

The pain is getting better thank you. Once I get the new splint/bandage on Monday, the pain should decrease even more. I am going to post an update on the "Could use thoughts and prayers" thread that will have a rather funny, though painful, thing that happened this week.

I agree about the posts. CPF used to limit threads to 200 posts when the servers were slower. Now threads get much bigger. I have, in the past, had moderators lock threads at around 200 posts but that creates a new prolbem of having to hunt down the old thread once it dissapears. So I just try to find my post and give a link to the page if somebody asks a question that has been answered before.

Take Care,
mtbkndad :wave:


----------



## paulr

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35 --N30's Have Arriv*

Best wishes for quick recovery mtnbikedad, sorry I didn't notice earlier about that situation.


----------



## Nos

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35 --N30's Have Arriv*

i ordered one too, cant wait for it to arrive


----------



## Daekar

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35 --N30's Have Arriv*

I got my N30 a few days ago and I've now charged/discharged it twice - on the second run I got a 63 minute runtime. After the run I removed the battery and checked the voltage with a multimeter and got 13.61v... isn't that a little high to be terminating the HID circuit? I assumed that it would run til each cell was at least 1.1v... should I run it down using the LEDs to get the voltage a tad lower during "break-in?" Or do you think there's something funny with my particular light?


----------



## mtbkndad

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35 --N30's Have Arriv*



Daekar said:


> I got my N30 a few days ago and I've now charged/discharged it twice - on the second run I got a 63 minute runtime. After the run I removed the battery and checked the voltage with a multimeter and got 13.61v... isn't that a little high to be terminating the HID circuit? I assumed that it would run til each cell was at least 1.1v... should I run it down using the LEDs to get the voltage a tad lower during "break-in?" Or do you think there's something funny with my particular light?




NiMH batteries don't have a memory like NiCad so don't worry about it.
The ballasts draw a lot of current and make a hight voltage to power the bulb.
As soon as the battery is not capable of supplying the minimum current for the ballast to keep the bulb lit, the light goes out.

It is better to have the batteries end with a slightly higher voltage then be depleted too far.
Your light is doing fine and you should get over 70 minutes once the battery 
pack has run through a few cycles.

Take Care,
mtbkndad :wave:


----------



## SCEMan

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35 --N30's Have Arriv*

How accurate is the battery indicator? I've run my new N30 thru 2 full discharge/recharge cycles. When the HID lamp died the last time, the indicator showed 80% and that was after running the LEDs for another 20 mins.

Is this typical? If so, they're not really very useful...


----------



## mtbkndad

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35 --N30's Have Arriv*



SCEMan said:


> How accurate is the battery indicator? I've run my new N30 thru 2 full discharge/recharge cycles. When the HID lamp died the last time, the indicator showed 80% and that was after running the LEDs for another 20 mins.
> 
> Is this typical? If so, they're not really very useful...



The indicator is approximate, but mine are more accurate then that. 
I am not sure what you are saying.
Does the LED indicator read 80% while the light is on or off?

The important thing is how long you got with your run time tests?

Take Care,
mtbkndad :wave:


----------



## Daekar

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35 --N30's Have Arriv*

I'm going to go out on a limb and guess that the battery indicator goes by voltage. I say that because after a full charge the meter shows red+yellow+green+green, when the HID is first turned on (seconds after it warms up) it shows red+yellow+green, just before it goes out it reads red only, and after it turns off after a run it reads red+yellow+green. I'm thinking the meter is calibrated to be accurate when the batteries are suffering voltage sag from current draw and are therefore inaccurate when the HID is off. I left my LEDs on for at least a few hours after a run and the battery indicator still read red+yellow+green when I checked.

Still... that just means that if the HID is turned off and it reads red+yellow+green it needs to be charged. I'm pretty sure that it will read red+yellow+green+green if it's pretty full - please correct if I'm wrong. 

Even with the slightly-confusing battery meter, I can't begin to say how happy I am with my N30! The giggle-factor is incredible, especially for the price... I'd recommend this light over the Boxer24, Xenide25, or Microfire 3500 for a normal person any day of the week. Way cheaper, easier recharge, good color temperature (It was so cool to actually SEE things that far away, not just bright fuzzy blue lumps), and ridiculously bright! :thumbsup: Plus... if you compare a premium-built ROP or other hotwire to this light, your lumens/dollar and (lumens*minutes)/dollar ratios are very favorable...


----------



## mtbkndad

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35 --N30's Have Arriv*

Daekar,

You are correct and that is essentially what happens. I generally recharge a battery that has been sitting as soon as the last green LED does not light up.
NiMH has a relatively flat burn curve and then has some voltage rebound when turned off. This is what helps give the confusing results.

Li-Ion batteries don't have the same rebound and will hold voltage longer so the L35 prototype I have will only light 3 LED's when the pack is low. The engineers wired the LED's in two parallel series, one with 4 LED's and one with 3 LED's and a resistor. I told them 7 LED's in series would be much better but do not know if it will be changed when L35's come out.
I never get tired of using the N30's because they look so plain and unimpressive which really increases the wow factor when the light turns on.
When you add to that how light and useable they are the N30's are my most used lights.

Take Care,
mtbkndad :wave:


----------



## SCEMan

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35 --N30's Have Arriv*



mtbkndad said:


> The indicator is approximate, but mine are more accurate then that.
> I am not sure what you are saying.
> Does the LED indicator read 80% while the light is on or off? The important thing is how long you got with your run time tests? Take Care,
> mtbkndad :wave:


 
80% with HID off (went out). After first recharge approx. 52 mins. 2nd recharge approx 60 min.

So does this mean the battery indicator should only be used with the HID on? How about LEDs instead?

Thanks


----------



## mtbkndad

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35 --N30's Have Arriv*



SCEMan said:


> 80% with HID off (went out). After first recharge approx. 52 mins. 2nd recharge approx 60 min.
> 
> So does this mean the battery indicator should only be used with the HID on? How about LEDs instead?
> 
> Thanks



It means the indicator is just very approximate.
If you are getting 60 minutes after your second recharge everything is probably working fine. 
The run time should be a little longer as the batteries are broken in properly.

Take Care,
mtbkndad :wave:


----------



## Border

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35 --N30's Have Arriv*

Is it recommended to break in a new battery (and bulb?) by leaving the N30 constantly on until the light runs out? Maybe for two or three recharges?

So far I have only used my new N30 for shorter periods, perhaps 4-5 minutes each time. I am still on the first charge.

And still very happy about the purchase.


----------



## mtbkndad

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35 --N30's Have Arriv*



Border said:


> Is it recommended to break in a new battery (and bulb?) by leaving the N30 constantly on until the light runs out? Maybe for two or three recharges?
> 
> So far I have only used my new N30 for shorter periods, perhaps 4-5 minutes each time. I am still on the first charge.
> 
> And still very happy about the purchase.



You can do this either way.
The original stock that is still being sold sat for many months before Matt was able to buy the company and then get them up for sale again.
As a result, I would say that with the batteries so depleted it is good to run them through a couple cycles to get the batteries charging well and to be able get a real feel for just how long the lights last on a charge.

I do not feel this will be necessary on new orders that Matt will place in the future.

Take Care,
mtbkndad :wave:


----------



## spacetroll

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35 --N30's Have Arriv*

Will that include orders place now? I am gonna be placing a big order for batteries, adapters, chargers and the N30 tomorrow, will my N30 be a new one that wasn't sitting?


----------



## mtbkndad

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35 --N30's Have Arriv*



spacetroll said:


> Will that include orders place now? I am gonna be placing a big order for batteries, adapters, chargers and the N30 tomorrow, will my N30 be a new one that wasn't sitting?



Matt is still selling the original stock so just put it through a couple run and discharge cycles. The lights work fine. They just need to be charged first and will need a few charging cycles to get to full run time. They are all NEW lights. They have just sat longer then they would have if Wayne had not had the issues he had and needed to sell his business. Add to this the fact that Wayne and Matt are literally on opposite ends of the country and this original production run of N30's has been waiting a while to get into the hands of happy owners  .

Take Care,
mtbkndad :wave:


----------



## spacetroll

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35 --N30's Have Arriv*

Today is the day!! N30 on the way! I am listening for the rumble of that beautiful big brown truck as I type.


----------



## naicidrac

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35 --N30's Have Arriv*

I just bought my first N30 and I am pumped. Now I have read everywhere that the N30 is not weather proof, but can be made so by the end user. May I ask how I can make my new N30 weather proof?


----------



## Border

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35 --N30's Have Arriv*

Hi naicidrac,

There's another thread on weatherproofing which also refers to mtbkndads post about how to weatherproof N30.


----------



## stollman

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35 --N30's Have Arriv*

Has anybody figured out to put a Diffuser on the light? I think is has a 4.5" o.d. Bezel

I haven't found any other HID manufacturers who sells a pop-on diffuser that would fit (similar to what AE Light sells for theirs).

I guess maybe buy an extra lens and then spray a frost on it?

Any ideas?

Stollman


----------



## Superhenrik

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35 --N30's Have Arriv*

Intresting question, hope we will get a answer on this one =)


----------



## mtbkndad

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35 --N30's Have Arriv*



stollman said:


> Has anybody figured out to put a Diffuser on the light? I think is has a 4.5" o.d. Bezel
> 
> I haven't found any other HID manufacturers who sells a pop-on diffuser that would fit (similar to what AE Light sells for theirs).
> 
> I guess maybe buy an extra lens and then spray a frost on it?
> 
> Any ideas?
> 
> Stollman



Do some searches on this. One CPF member made a diffuser using a sewing or embroidery hoop. I made a diffuser that clicks on the inside of the bezel  . The outside method is better because the diffusion is more even and with mine the plastic cracked ice florescent light diffusion filter does not let heat escape like the glass lens does.

Take Care,
mtbkndad :wave:


----------



## abarth_1200

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35 --N30's Have Arriv*

i know this is maybe a bit off topic but i have been searching for the past 3 hours trying to find a vendor of the little n30, have they stopped producing them? 

Anyone know where i can get one, and at a longshot deliver to uk...


----------



## BVH

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35 --N30's Have Arriv*

There is only one exclusive vendor - Battery Junction, a member here as MattK. They may be out of them at the moment and the new crop may be undergoing a few changes so I don't know if they are currently available. Contact MattK.


----------



## abarth_1200

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35 --N30's Have Arriv*

thats what i suspected and was affraid of that, ill send mattk a pm ans see, cheers


----------



## mtbkndad

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35 --N30's Have Arriv*

BVH is correct.
The N30's are getting a few tweaks before being reordered.
Color change & a couple other things.

Take Care,
mtbkndad :wave:


----------



## MattK

*Re: Announcing AmondoTech HID N30 & Preview The AmondoTech HID L35 --N30's Have Arriv*

The new batch of N30's production is starting soon. Color will be a dark silver metallic - more details to follow ASAP.


----------

