# BeamShots*BarnBurner*Harbor Freight*HellFire*Helios*Beast II*



## cmacclel (May 7, 2009)

Thanks to Shortarc for putting these into GIF format 


The Lineup











Reference 












Individual Comparisons






























Reference 0.5 Sec


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## XeRay (May 7, 2009)

Mac,

You should post a couple of photos of the (your new) unit here so that people don't have to go to the other thread with all the photos and details.

Custom & Modified/ Homemade and Modified lights/ 35w/50w HID


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## cmacclel (May 7, 2009)

XeRay said:


> Mac,
> 
> You should post a couple of photos of the (your new) unit here so that people don't have to go to the other thread with all the photos and details.


 
Good Idea 

I will add them when I organize the beamshots better.

Mac


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## XeRay (May 8, 2009)

Bump, surprised no-one is commenting yet.


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## Patriot (May 10, 2009)

Great comparisons. It certainly performs like a 50W light. 

Mac, will you be building these for to sell?


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## BlueBeam22 (May 11, 2009)

Thank you for doing this cmacclel, it is a great comparison. 

The Costco/Harbor Freight HID is just astonishing with its laser like beam and hotspot. It clearly generates the highest lux out of all the lights, and really stands out. I have the newer version of it and know what an impressive thrower it is.

The SF HellFire has an incredibly nice beam, and I am very impressed by how much light the BB puts out. I also love the perfect, extremely intense pinpoint hotspot of the Mac's Customs 50W.

Once again, very good job and I really enjoyed this useful thread.


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## DM51 (May 11, 2009)

I'm very glad to report that this thread has now been recovered, having been inaccessible for a short while.


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## Patriot (May 12, 2009)

Mac that bare PH40 is beautiful! I'd like to own a 40W X1 like that.


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## toby_pra (May 12, 2009)

Awesome Beamshots Mac! :twothumbs :twothumbs


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## Parker VH (May 12, 2009)

Great comparison photos Mac. Thanks for taking the time to do this and keep us posted if you decide to offer your light for sale.


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## Mjolnir (May 12, 2009)

That custom light of yours truly is a beautiful creation.
It seems almost like The Beast II, but with way more class. 

I would say the Beast II looks more like a medieval weapon than a flashlight.
I recently went into a store that had a Beast II in a glass case, and it really was bigger and meaner in real life. Your light seems similar in overall shape, but seems more like a precision instrument than a melee weapon.


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## bullettproof (May 12, 2009)

That Hellfire sure is nice.Perfect if u ask me


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## XeRay (May 12, 2009)

toby_pra said:


> Awesome Beamshots Mac! :twothumbs :twothumbs


 
Mac, I looked at the photos a number of times before I realized (read post #1 again) that there are 2 photos side by side every time. I was just looking at (seeing) the left side photos.

I believe the unit being compared to your light is at the top of each pair. Not at the bottom.

I got mixed up because there is a description at the bottom of the last group this got me all goofed up. when working from bottom to top. Please clarify (or correct) this a bit more.

Dan


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## Patriot (May 13, 2009)

Something happened. The pictures and text seem messed up now.


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## cmacclel (May 13, 2009)

I will resize all the photos today and take care of it. It looks fine of you have a higher resolution monitor 

Mac


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## Kiessling (May 13, 2009)

Cool comparison !
Thanx Mac !
bernie


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## Patriot (May 13, 2009)

cmacclel said:


> I will resize all the photos today and take care of it. It looks fine of you have a higher resolution monitor
> 
> Mac





The actual pics look fine on my end, it's just that somehow the pictures are now stacked with no space in between and no corresponding description tag.


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## Mjolnir (May 13, 2009)

My monitor is 1920 x 1200 (24 inches), and the pictures still don't seem right. There are 2 rows, but only one matches the description. The one on the left of each pair appears to be correct (the only way I can guess this is from the Harbor freight, which has a very distinct beam compared with the other lights), but the right ones don't seem to be correct. The second one under the harbor freight tag is definitely not the harbor freight. I don't remember it looking this way earlier either... 
Either way, they are very good beamshots.


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## cmacclel (May 13, 2009)

Mjolnir said:


> My monitor is 1920 x 1200 (24 inches), and the pictures still don't seem right. There are 2 rows, but only one matches the description. The one on the left of each pair appears to be correct (the only way I can guess this is from the Harbor freight, which has a very distinct beam compared with the other lights), but the right ones don't seem to be correct. The second one under the harbor freight tag is definitely not the harbor freight. I don't remember it looking this way earlier either...
> Either way, they are very good beamshots.


 

Did you read from post 1???

*Note* All Pictures on the *Right Side* is my light at 50 watts in comparison to the others

Mac


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## seery (May 13, 2009)

Nice comparison pics. Thanks for sharing. :thumbsup:

Any chance of getting a pic of your light laying next to the others for a size comparison?


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## XeRay (May 13, 2009)

cmacclel said:


> Did you read from post 1???
> 
> *Note* All Pictures on the *Right Side* is my light at 50 watts in comparison to the others
> 
> Mac


 
Mac, This shows up at the bottom (directly below) the last set of pics and creates confusion.

*"Mac's Customs 50w 0.5sec" *

This is directly above the last group of photos.

*"Mac's Customs 35w 0.5sec"*

I believe the correct labels are above the associated photo, not below.


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## Mjolnir (May 13, 2009)

cmacclel said:


> Did you read from post 1???
> 
> *Note* All Pictures on the *Right Side* is my light at 50 watts in comparison to the others
> 
> Mac



Sorry, I didn't see that initially. I think the first time I saw the page was with the different format (did you change it?), so I didn't see that comment initially. Maybe it got cut off, I don't know.
I also sometimes tend to skip straight to the beamshots in my haste.


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## cmacclel (May 13, 2009)

XeRay said:


> Mac, This shows up at the bottom (directly below) the last set of pics and creates confusion.
> 
> *"Mac's Customs 50w 0.5sec" *
> 
> ...


 

Yes I need to resize the pictures as if your monitor resolution is 1280 x 1024 or under the pictures will be beneath each other. On my monitors at home at 1920 x 1080 and 1680 x 1050 the images are side by side. Tomorrow hopefully I will resize the all so they will work with everyones monitor.

Mac


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## cmacclel (May 21, 2009)

Pictures Updated!! Thanks to ShortArc! Let me know if everyone can see these okay 

Mac


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## Patriot (May 21, 2009)

I can see them all just fine now. Nice work Short-arc. What jif software are you using? My free download gif software doesn't work on 800x600 images and I'm looking for a something better.

Thanks.


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## seery (May 21, 2009)

seery said:


> Any chance of getting a pic of your light laying next to the others for a size comparison?



+1


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## LuxLuthor (May 21, 2009)

The gif's made a big difference in being able to apprecate Mac's photos. 

One small suggestion is the gif that has more than two images should be a 2 to 3 sec delay so you have time to read label then appreciate the photo. No problem with 1s display time for two image shots cause the back and forth is easy to keep straight. With your permission, I adjusted it here:
















​


​All in all, very nice illustration of that XeRay ballast compared to other known lights. Thanks!


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## ShortArc (May 21, 2009)

Patriot said:


> I can see them all just fine now. Nice work Short-arc. What jif software are you using? My free download jif software doesn't work on 800x600 images and I'm looking for a something better.
> 
> Thanks.



Just Photoshop....


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## XeRay (May 21, 2009)

LuxLuthor said:


> The gif's made a big difference in being able to appreciate Mac's photos.
> All in all, very nice illustration of that XeRay ballast compared to other known lights. Thanks!


 
For clarification, the ballast being used is called the "XePod" made by XeVision. 
It is a CNC machined cylinder shaped ballast (CNC'd custom pocket both 1/2's). The complete cylinder houses a ballast with integral igniter in the attached 2nd half. In the 2nd half either a XeSparQ igniter is used with a D2S bulb or alternatively uses a std. D1S bulb. It is a 2 piece ballast assembly that can be operated as 2 separate pieces or as a single bolt together (mated) unit. See the website link: http://www.xevision.com/hid_specs.html#xepod for the details on this cylinder ballast.

The ballast circuit board inside the CNC cylinder pocket, see link: http://www.xevision.com/hid_specs.html#xv8c There is a lot more control circuitry on the back side of the PCB disc and on the other side of the vertical small PCB.
The ballast PCB installed and potted in the ballast half of the cylinder looks like a small "Puck" shape without the front igniter and bulb section attached. The 2 halves are held together by screws and they are precision mating to form the full length cylinder XePod package.

We are going into high production of the XePod shortly by using a Die Cast mold for aluminum parts (Mold is machining steel). This is being done to mass produce the 2 aluminum XePod cylinder halves both having complex shaped interiors. CNC machining is too slow (production) and expensive for large volume as we gear up volume on this product.

As Mac indicated the ballast offers dual wattage either 30/50 or 35/50 can be ordered. The 3rd input wire when tied to ground triggers to the high output. For brightest instant on output, start the unit on the high setting then "throttle" back to the low setting for longest battery runtime performance. We are considering standardizing the low setting to 32 or 33 watts instead of 30 or 35 just to simplify our manufacturing. The unit Mac has is actually close to 33 watts on the low side. We are leaning toward 32 watts to extend the battery run time.

Any thoughts ????


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## XeRay (May 21, 2009)

seery said:


> Any chance of getting a pic of your light laying next to the others for a size comparison?


 
Since the form factor is closest to the Beast II and the Polarion, I think those would be the best to show side by side in a new Photo with Mac's new creation.


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## redlaw55 (May 21, 2009)

> Originally Posted by Patriot
> 
> I can see them all just fine now. Nice work Short-arc. What jif software are you using? My free download jif software doesn't work on 800x600 images and I'm looking for a something better.


 
(Pardon the intrusion) here is good, free, clean application:

Homepage:
http://www.faststone.org

Standard:
http://www.faststone.org/DN/FSViewerSetup38.exe

Portable:
http://www.faststonesoft.net/DN/FSViewer38.zip

4.86 MB

Double-click a photo, or move the cursor to the screen edge. It's that easy.

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

In the first photo, I don't know one light from the other.

But that silver light on the right is a beauty.

.


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## Morepower! (May 22, 2009)

XeRay said:


> I am leaning toward 32 watts to extend the battery run time.
> 
> Any thoughts ????


 
Sounds like a nice little ballast. If your looking for opinions I say go the lower wattage on the low setting for extra run time *if* the 50W high setting is sustainable without a limited run time. Also just a queery, is it going to make any discernable difference to heat dissipation/sinking going from CNC billet to die cast alloy for the casing ? I heard die cast alloy tends to have a crystalline structure. I personally don't know if this would make any difference at all. Just a thought.


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## cmacclel (May 22, 2009)

XeRay said:


> Since the form factor is closest to the Beast II and the Polarion, I think those would be the best to show side by side in a new Photo with Mac's new creation.


 

I will have a picture up next to the beast next week.

Mac


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## Illum (May 22, 2009)

gosh...
why am I no longer impressed by Surefire's Beast? oo:

:mecry: what wasn't supposed to happen :mecry:

:thanks: Mac for the :kewlpics:


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## XeRay (May 22, 2009)

Morepower! said:


> Sounds like a nice little ballast. If your looking for opinions I say go the lower wattage on the low setting for extra run time *if* the 50W high setting is sustainable without a limited run time. Also just a queery, is it going to make any discernable difference to heat dissipation/sinking going from CNC billet to die cast alloy for the casing ? I heard die cast alloy tends to have a crystalline structure. I personally don't know if this would make any difference at all. Just a thought.


 
No significant difference using high grade aluminum castings vs CNC machined cylinder parts. The 50 watts can be run continuously as long as the housing heatsink is sized properly and good heat transfer from the cylinder to the housing (requires a very close tolerance fit).


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## LuxLuthor (Jul 18, 2009)

That is a very impressive ballast given the size and functions. Just looking at your specs pages now.


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## cmacclel (Jul 22, 2009)

XeRay said:


> Since the form factor is closest to the Beast II and the Polarion, I think those would be the best to show side by side in a new Photo with Mac's new creation.


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## Patriot (Jul 23, 2009)

From that picture this light is a bit smaller than I had expected, which is a good thing, of course. The Mac 50W HID is probably one of the best looking HID lights I've ever seen. Great photo!


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## jasonck08 (Aug 2, 2009)

Cool pictures... the harbor freight light doesn't seem to do very well. Is it a 35W HID?


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## LOUSYGREATWALLGM (Aug 2, 2009)

redlaw55 said:


> (Pardon the intrusion) here is good, free, clean application:
> Homepage:
> http://www.faststone.org
> Standard:
> ...


Did anybody try this software yet? How did it work if ever? :thinking:


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## LuxLuthor (Aug 8, 2009)

XeRay said:


> For clarification, the ballast being used is called the "XePod" made by XeVision.
> It is a CNC machined cylinder shaped ballast (CNC'd custom pocket both 1/2's). The complete cylinder houses a ballast with integral igniter in the attached 2nd half. In the 2nd half either a XeSparQ igniter is used with a D2S bulb or alternatively uses a std. D1S bulb. It is a 2 piece ballast assembly that can be operated as 2 separate pieces or as a single bolt together (mated) unit. See the website link: http://www.xevision.com/hid_specs.html#xepod for the details on this cylinder ballast.
> 
> The ballast circuit board inside the CNC cylinder pocket, see link: http://www.xevision.com/hid_specs.html#xv8c There is a lot more control circuitry on the back side of the PCB disc and on the other side of the vertical small PCB.
> ...



Dan, are you moving towards a new handheld HID product somewhat similar to the Mac formfactor? It's always nice to get a complete package for those of us without Mac's equipment and skills.


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## XeRay (Sep 17, 2009)

I only just saw this today. The short answer is yes.


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## BVH (Sep 17, 2009)

And the Loooooong answer is...............


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## XeRay (Sep 17, 2009)

BVH said:


> And the Loooooong answer is...............


 
Hopefully by the end of this year we will have the production units available. We will likely do a kick off Group Buy.


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## cue003 (Sep 17, 2009)

XeRay said:


> Hopefully by the end of this year we will have the production units available. We will likely do a kick off Group Buy.



You know you can count me in for one Dan...  Even moreso if there is a great group buy....


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