# When was the first HID flashlight?



## Jamesmark72 (Mar 30, 2008)

I got a friend that's writing a book, and i can't find the answer nowhere except for cars.


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## iced_theater (Mar 30, 2008)

That's hard to say, I know the Underwater Kinetics Light Cannon was an older light. Also the X990 is an older light. Around 2002 for both of those, I'm not sure of any other's older than that though.


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## Patriot (Mar 30, 2008)

exactly...but I believe the Light Cannon predates the X990 by at least two years. 

The UK Light Cannon was the first mainstream widely available HID if I remember correctly.

http://www.brightguy.com/products/Light_Cannon_HID_Dive_Light.php


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## Jamesmark72 (Mar 30, 2008)

Great. Thanks


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## FILIPPO (Mar 30, 2008)

Jamesmark72 said:


> I got a friend that's writing a book, and i can't find the answer nowhere except for cars.


 

is that a book all about flahlight???

:devil:


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## qarawol (Mar 30, 2008)

To the best of my knowledge, it was the Streamlight 1 Million. Though it was not in an all-in-one package, I believe it to be the first production HID for sale to the public. This was back in the 1980's. It had a price tag of over $1500.00 back then. I have one of the original Streamlight catalogs that have the 1 Million as well as the Kel-Lite brand before they changed it to their now discontinued Excalibre line of D cells.



Here is picture of the cover of the old catalog and one of the 1 Million (courtesy of Streamlight 1980’s)…















I have four in hand (two less battery packs), Streamlight only has one (per Streamlight - SHOT Show 2008 booth)… 








I hope this helped.


Njoy…


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## tvodrd (Mar 30, 2008)

According to Peak Beam Systems site, the Maxabeam started in the "late 1980's."

Larry


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## Marduke (Mar 30, 2008)

Osram introduced the xenon short-arc lamp (a type of HID) in 1951. It wasn't exactly in a "flashlight" form factor however.


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## Patriot (Mar 30, 2008)

qarawol said:


> To the best of my knowledge, it was the Streamlight 1 Million. Though it was not in an all-in-one package, I believe it to be the first production HID for sale to the public. This was back in the 1980's. It had a price tag of over $1500.00 back then. I have one of the original Streamlight catalogs that have the 1 Million as well as the Kel-Lite brand before they changed it to their now discontinued Excalibre line of D cells.
> 
> Here is picture of the cover of the old catalog and one of the 1 Million (courtesy of Streamlight 1980’s)…
> 
> ...





Wow! Amazing I forgot about these. What a cool collection. This would have to be the first HID for the masses even at that early price.


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## Jamesmark72 (Mar 30, 2008)

Wow. Talk about some flashaholics. I thought i had it bad.


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## IgNITEor (Apr 3, 2008)

Jamesmark72,

Maybe your author friend has already checked this out, but I remember 
very well how I choked, gasped, and nearly fainted when I saw the write-up
on the Streamlite 1-mil in a Popular Mechanics from the late eighties (?) and I have the whole page torn out and stashed somewhere. 
Oh man, was that an issue to remember.
I wanted that light soooo bad.
I recall the Cousteau dive teams from the late sixties onwards were sometimes experimenting with radical underwater HID's and always trying to get better lighting to work with. There may be notes on the early gear in the Society's collection.
Can you tell us more about the book?

Note to qarawol, THAT is a nice collection ya got there. Take care of them!


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## Joseph35w (Nov 6, 2017)

What about BVH's pichel mini novas; aren't they like from '67 or '68 and they're handheld too like a case looking flashlight frame ,Joseph


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## BVH (Nov 6, 2017)

May 8, 1969 was the patent application date for the Pichel lights. Patented July 4, 1972. Not sure of actual production date.


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## search_and_rescue (Nov 10, 2017)

HID is still the way to go! 😁


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## Joseph35w (Nov 13, 2017)

BVH said:


> May 8, 1969 was the patent application date for the Pichel lights. Patented July 4, 1972. Not sure of actual production date.


So the Streamlite 1 million is as young as the Pichel Mini-Novas, both arc lamps, & finally a case looking searchlight frame shaped like a box; oh and I am aware that this thread is like 9 years old now but I'm trying to post with yoy guys about things that catch my eye, I guess this is this threads last post...?


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