# NightSun, VSS-3A, Starburst - Taking The Heavy Iron Out For A Walk In the Park



## BVH (Mar 11, 2017)

I finally had the opportunity to take three of my "Heavy Iron" lights for real world "exercise". Believe it or not, I've had my VSS-3A since about 2007, My NightSun since about 2013 and my Starburst since about 2014 and this is the first time I've had the opportunity to see them perform horizontally at a ground-based range instead of pointing into the sky at clouds. There are posts specific to these lights so I won't go into much detail about them but wanted to share the beam shots. All lights are being powered by my 9-cell, 30V/100Ah LiPePo4 pack and are running at least 28.5 Volts to the light input.

Thanks to member Froggy Taco for providing the venue and pics from his great camera. The target trees are at 990 Yard and 1230 Yard distances. Each light was shot hitting the target trees. There are also shots closer in for the NightSun since this light is usually used at distances of from 500 to 1000 feet when installed on helicopters. I did my very best in trying to end up with posted pics that represent what we saw. I would probably have used the next brightest version of the pic for normal ambient light viewing. Froggy used 1.0, 1.6, 2.0 and 2.5 second exposures at f/7.1. I then picked the one most representative and used it. The camera used is an Olympus OM-D E-M1 with an Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 75mm f/1.8 lens. The temp was about 52 with light winds so you might see some particulates in the beams.

The first two daytime pics are of the range. However, the pic is from a shoot a couple years ago and this time, we were about 100' left of the position from which these pics were taken so relationships of objects is a bit different. Also only the middle red circle is relevant as it is the 990 Yard target tree. The 1230 Yard target tree is the more fuller, darker, taller vertical foliage tree just to the left of the left red circle. (I forgot to get a new daytime shot) The white objects in the foreground are stacks of shipping containers for scale.

I will say that I was Very impressed with the performance of the 500 Starburst. We shot the two Spectrolabs on night 2 of the two-night shoot and to me, I thought the Starburst performance was very close if not the same as the VSS-3A but these pics show differently and they were the longest exposures I had to choose from.

And yes, the trees and beams are as bright as you see here, no exaggeration.















Spectrolab 500 Watt Starburst at 990 Yards





VSS-3A 990 Yards Spot Beam





Spectrolab 1600 Watt NightSun at 990 Yards







Starburst at 1230 Yards





VSS-3a 1230 Yards Spot Beam





NightSun at 1230 Yards



Here's some picks of the VSS-3A in Spread Beam/Flood mode:





VSS-3A 990 Yards Spread Beam





VSS-3A 1230 Yards Spread Beam


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## FRITZHID (Mar 11, 2017)

*Re: Taking The Heavy Iron Out For A Walk In the Park*

Very nice shots guys!

can definitely see the difference between them at those distances!. it looks like the VSS-3A is almost an even column of light where as the other 2 are very heavy centered but with a lot more spill. what's the physical size comparison between the 3?


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## BVH (Mar 11, 2017)

*Re: Taking The Heavy Iron Out For A Walk In the Park*

I have to add the close-up shots and some pretty shots of the shutdown glow from the NS lamp. From memory, the NS is a 12" diameter/16" long cylinder, about 35 lbs, the Starburst is a 7" cylinder about 12" long, maybe 8-10 lbs and the -3A is about a 16-18" cube and 75 lbs.. I should have taken shots of them together, darn it. Added info about exposure times.


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## ven (Mar 11, 2017)

*Re: Taking The Heavy Iron Out For A Walk In the Park*

WOW that is literally out of this world...............amazing! I bet there were some big 's


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## egginator1 (Mar 11, 2017)

*Re: Taking The Heavy Iron Out For A Walk In the Park*

Just.....wow!


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## richbuff (Mar 11, 2017)

*Re: Taking The Heavy Iron Out For A Walk In the Park*

The VSS-3A beamshot is muquing afazing! 

Why do some people have large lights? Turn it on, and see!

Thanks for posting your exciting beamshots!


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## ven (Mar 11, 2017)

*Re: Taking The Heavy Iron Out For A Walk In the Park*

Mr buff, why do i envision you on your 6mile nightly walk , with a VSS-3A under each arm...............:naughty:


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## BVH (Mar 11, 2017)

*Re: Taking The Heavy Iron Out For A Walk In the Park*

Here's a few fun shorter distance/working distance shots from the NightSun




750 feet flood (center of spot)





Front view with light running





350 feet flood





At 1200 feet flood





Close-up of above





1200 feet tightest focus - the spot appears a little to bright in this shot.




Target tree at 1230 Yards





Anode Afterglow





More afterglow


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## ven (Mar 11, 2017)

*Re: Taking The Heavy Iron Out For A Walk In the Park*

Oh.................WOW WOW WOW , sat here just grinning ear to ear. I would be just giggling to myself if i switched one of those babies on. Its beyond impressive..........did i say WOW

:rock:


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## FRITZHID (Mar 11, 2017)

*Re: Taking The Heavy Iron Out For A Walk In the Park*

Damnit Bob, you're making me twitchy! *roots around in garage try'n to find 2 car batts* damn.... nope. :/

seriously nice job.


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## PolarLi (Mar 11, 2017)

*Re: Taking The Heavy Iron Out For A Walk In the Park*

That is some really nice shots :thumbsup: Thanks for posting!

EDIT, forgot to ask, what was the distance between the camera and the lights for the beamshots in post #1?


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## BVH (Mar 11, 2017)

*Re: Taking The Heavy Iron Out For A Walk In the Park*

Approx 20 feet with a solid wall blocking view of one another in the "official" shots in post 1.


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## search_and_rescue (Mar 11, 2017)

*Re: Taking The Heavy Iron Out For A Walk In the Park*

Hi BVH, great beamshot photos and it's wonderful to reconnect after the last time we met at L.A. Flashapalooza in 2007.

CPF is a wonderful community. Here is a photo of me from the Flashapalooza nearly 10 years ago:


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## BVH (Mar 11, 2017)

*Re: Taking The Heavy Iron Out For A Walk In the Park*

Wow! hard to believe 10 years has gone by since that meet. Thanks goes to Froggy for the great shots. I just provided the "iron".


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## larryk (Mar 11, 2017)

*Re: Taking The Heavy Iron Out For A Walk In the Park*

Great shots, the NightSun is incredible. Thanks to you and Froggy for taking the time and patience to finally get some horizontal shots of these powerful lights. I didn't see a wattage for the VSS-3. I'm sure most know that it is 1000 watts.


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## IlluminatedOne (Mar 12, 2017)

*Re: Taking The Heavy Iron Out For A Walk In the Park*

Its funny in the other thread with the LX-70 superpower i though to myself BVH should bring some other big lights out but thought it would be too much to ask , so thanks for doing all this.

Now just need someone with a AN/TVS-3 or Carbon Arc for another comparison 

That Nightsun is amazing to see at those ranges, as a kid i have been lit up by one of those in my garden as the police heli was searching around for someone, i remember being amazed by the power and how cool it was seeing the beam changing as they were focusing it, i waved at them they waved back smiling 

Loved seeing the VSS-3A in its wide setting as i cant remember seeing a shot like that and is seriously impressive seeing it light up so much of the hill.


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## search_and_rescue (Mar 13, 2017)

*Re: Taking The Heavy Iron Out For A Walk In the Park*

Thanks Froggy. BVH, I am over 3 years late to the party. However, a hearty hoo-rah to your Spectrolab 1.6kw Nightsun Helicopter Searchlight. That is unreal.:bow::bow::bow: Yet it is the required Search and Rescue illumination tool for any such operations and activity. Everything else, like my Acebeam X65vn Spec 2, is comparatively not powerful enough to be a primary S&R illuminator. We can call it a Wow fun toy that can double as a supplemental SAR illumination torch. It won't be powerful enough as a primary Helicopter Spotlight/Searchlight however.  You have the real one.

I have come to realize everything I have been buying are Indoor SAR illumination tools! LOL! You have enlightened me, my old Master!



free picture hosting


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## FRITZHID (Mar 13, 2017)

*Re: Taking The Heavy Iron Out For A Walk In the Park*

much you have to learn, young padawan.


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## ncgrass (Mar 14, 2017)

Wow, that's just incredible. Awesome to see those lights in a setting I can understand. That's one mighty trio of lights! I'm a thrower kinda guy, but that flood is unreal!


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## LED1982 (Mar 14, 2017)

Hahaha that NightSun and VSS-3A are insane!!! Is there much size difference between the 2? Froggy has the best playground!


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## FroggyTaco (Mar 25, 2017)

I missed this thread until now & I took the pictures Haha.

I would say the VSS-3 is roughly similar in size/volume to a small 15" house subwoofer. It's literally a cube.

The nightsun is about the size of a 10" car audio bass bazooka if you guys remember those & the starburst is like a 6.5" bass bazooka.

And for some light output context that "close up"(1200ft) of the night sun what is being illuminated is semi-truck tractor trailers with the bins for holding grapes at harvest on their side. Essentially the same siZe as a tomato semi-truck trailer.


That's at LEAST 19 semi-trailers in that photo for some context!


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