# Cant sleep. So I took some beamshots.



## Flashanator (Jun 30, 2009)

I Couldn't sleep so rather then play counter strike, I thought Id take some of my lights out to play. 

Testing... bit too much exposure. 





3:30am in the middle of know where...so peaceful. Distance to the sign in middle of the road ~300metres.

Borealis Maglite. 





Aircraft landing light: 300watt Low Beam.





Aircraft landing light: 700watt High Beam.





VT120 :devil:





bed time... :wave:


----------



## BlueBeam22 (Jun 30, 2009)

Excellent beamshots Flashanator. I am blown away by the power and throw of your VT120. I especially like how the VT120's beams are so bright and so well collimated that I can see them side by side in the air.


----------



## Flashanator (Jun 30, 2009)

Hey,

Too bad my mega illuminator housing is empty. I Cant find a 100+watt HID to chuck in it.

I will say, my VT has such a perfect hotspot & corona. Just amazing. Plus it has so much spill for a spotlight.


----------



## Flashanator (Jul 1, 2009)

I'm so use to using my Mini HID with it's diffuser filter in close areas.

I took it out (prob takes about 2mins tops)

Dam for a H3 bulb in the small reflector it throws like a son of a ****

I might keep the filter off for a while now. Its like a new light for me.

Just hate the shadow of the bulb in the hotspot.


----------



## Patriot (Jul 1, 2009)

I always enjoy beam shots of the VT120, thanks.


So, what "mini HID" do you have that's using a H3 bulb. Whenever I hear "mini" I can only think of a Mac's mini.


----------



## [email protected] (Jul 1, 2009)

Flashanator said:


> Dam for a H3 bulb in the small reflector it throws like a son of a ****
> 
> I might keep the filter off for a while now. Its like a new light for me.
> 
> Just hate the shadow of the bulb in the hotspot.




Have you considered shimming the bulb more OR adding a light texture to the reflector with some clear acrylic? :thinking:



BTW VT120 FTW! :thumbsup:


----------



## Morepower! (Jul 2, 2009)

Just looking at the pic of the VT120 the two beams seem to converge ? You could probably get even more throw if you played around shimming the inside side of the bulbs to make the beams converge a bit further away. It would be very fiddley and the shimms would have to be pretty thin. Do you have any idea at what distance they come together ? It's a very nice light.


----------



## Flashanator (Jul 2, 2009)

Patriot, my mini hid is about the same size & weight as a N30 I assume.
I called it mini HID as its small compared to my other HID's.

~4inch reflector with a 55w automotive HID Kit (H3 4300K Bulb) & uses a Li-Ion battery.

Super compact.

Thanks for the suggestion [email protected]

Morepower, I'm really happy with the throw of the VT, Its weird because once the beams come together, it looks like 1 beam & stays that way as far as the eye can see. I reckon they come together at a very close range, probably in the distance of a small back yard.



*edit:* This is the hotspot of my mini HID, you can see the dark area in the corona. Kinda annoying.


----------



## [email protected] (Jul 2, 2009)

Flashanator said:


> Thanks for the suggestion [email protected]
> 
> *edit:* This is the hotspot of my mini HID, you can see the dark area in the corona. Kinda annoying.




I hope you keep us informed on how you get on with either the shimming OR reflector texturing, my H3 has a different pattern altogether (see below) any thoughts as to the cause of the odd beam effect? :thinking:







Kinda' almost looks supernatural/unworldly eh?


----------



## Flashanator (Jul 2, 2009)

Hmm need some experts on here like Lux or Ra to chime in.

I dunno much about what goes on in the reflector. I think that dark spot on mine is caused by the electrode of the HID bulb, & you cant avoid it as its right in front of the bulb. So reflector texturing would be a waste of time.

What is the light of?? What reflector & what bulb size? I'm beatn a big throw reflector with H7?

It looks alot like my stock Ti-Mega with its H7 bulb. Had that weird "supernatural" look too.


----------



## LuxLuthor (Jul 2, 2009)

Basically it is a mistake to white wall a HID. As Flash says, the wire starter and salts inside the bulb create artifacts and strange beam patterns that can reflect around in reflector. You can experiment by rotating light around axis of light beam to see the effect of the ionized salts vs. strike wire.

Also, some of us have carefully crushed to remove the insulator ceramic around some of the HID strike wires which helps reduce the shadow, but you must make sure you don't damage wire or have it short against the reflector.


----------



## Flashanator (Jul 3, 2009)

Here is my Mini HID side by side with the stock Halogen light. You can see the shadow defect in the mini HID.




*
Stock light with 6v 55w Halogen H3 Bulb* 





*Mini HID 43w output H3 Bulb* :naughty:





Have any Aussies in Victoria seen the Arlec RT500? I cant find the ones with the deep reflectors, only the shallow ones. The deep ones can fit a H7 HID bulb within 1-2mm from the glass. I need the deep ones, I cant find any. 

EDIT: I just realized the shallow reflectors are the ones I need, & I have them.  they work great with the H3 HID bulb.


----------



## BVH (Jul 3, 2009)

Flash, I can't tell if you crushed and removed the ceramic insulator on the return wire?


----------



## Flashanator (Jul 3, 2009)

Nah I haven't touched the bulb at all, just put it in & BAM. I can't complain for a cheapo reflector that wasn't designed for HID bulbs. It's pretty sweet beam pattern.


----------



## BVH (Jul 3, 2009)

Removing the ceramic will probably eliminate at least 50% of the shadow.


----------



## Flashanator (Jul 3, 2009)

Are there any threads or tutorials on the removal? 

Thanks


----------



## BVH (Jul 3, 2009)

No. just take a pair of nimble pliers, hold them steady and very gently squeeze them over a portion of the material starting at the top. If you can, and it doesn't always work, try to leave the material towards the bottom so it remains as an insulator thru the reflector. Just take little bites with the pliers and squeeze only enough to crush the material and not the wire. It's not as difficult as it sounds.


----------



## [email protected] (Jul 4, 2009)

Flashanator said:


> I think that dark spot on mine is caused by the electrode of the HID bulb, & you cant avoid it as its right in front of the bulb. So reflector texturing would be a waste of time.
> 
> What is the light of?? What reflector & what bulb size? I'm beatn a big throw reflector with H7?




It's a H3 HID kit in an Arlec RT3500 host :twothumbs


BTW I note that the bulb in your mini HID (pictured above) is out of alignment with the reflector, did you have issues mounting the bulb? this mis-alignment would also cause a shadow effect, I minimized a similar 'shadow' on my first HID build by spacing/aligning the bulb within the reflector assembly (see animated comparison below)... still worth a shot before crushing the bulb's ceramic insulator :thumbsup:


----------



## Flashanator (Jul 4, 2009)

Yeah I noticed that. It's because I took the reflector out & bumped it. I corrected it just before.

Basically its because the metal pin that holds the bulb in place at the back of the reflector is not super tight like the bigger torches.

BTW, cool GIF comparison


----------



## Flashanator (Jul 4, 2009)

lovecpf Learn something new.

That crush ceramic idea is gold. Virtually 90%+ of the shadow is gone. Gone to the untrained eye. Maybe it helped also by putting a tighter metal clip in the back of the reflector that holds the bulb in place.

*No Shadow*:devil:


----------



## [email protected] (Jul 5, 2009)

Great outcome... I'm in two minds about doing that because it's a high voltage return wire and IIRC such a 'mod' has been touted as reducing the lifespan of the bulb


----------



## Patriot (Jul 5, 2009)

I don't think I've heard of that shortening bulb life before Maelstrom.

Anyone else know how or why it could shorten the life?


----------



## Flashanator (Jul 5, 2009)

Just ask Xeray, he will know.

Even if it does shorten the life, it doesn't bother me, the beam looks so much better.


----------



## Patriot (Jul 5, 2009)

You're beam looks so much better it's almost like an entirely new light.


----------



## toby_pra (Jul 7, 2009)

Very nice shots...impressive!


----------



## Flashanator (Jul 10, 2009)

LOL, ive taken the ceramic off the return wire on every HID I got.

Any word on if it affects the life & performance of the bulb? :shrug:


----------

