# 300 Watt I.R. Short Arc Target Module



## BVH (Oct 23, 2014)

I found these unusual Target Module Short Arcs on Ebay from over in Israel. So you know that if one is good, 4 are better. I made an offer for 2, 3 or all 4 and they accepted the offer for 4. This is part of an 80's vintage TOW 2 Missle System Training System. I've never seen a "T" shaped SA lamp before with the extra "leg" being a separate ignitor electrode. Maybe the reason for it is to save wear on the Cathode from the repeated high Voltage strikes? The built-in ignitor is a problem in that it requires 400 VDC input in addition to 24 VDC input. Not easy to come by a 400 VDC, 3-5 Amp capacity power supply that I could also use to power the lamp once started. If using separate supplies for starting and running, then consideration has to be given to the two power supplies frying each other during ignition and startup. So I am guessing that I can ignite these lamps conventionally (between Cathode and Anode - not using the dedicated starting electrode and ignitor) with my universal arc lamp power supply. They are infra-red only with a curved window and a special coated rear reflector. Maybe I can adapt a clear lens? They weigh about 13 lbs and the manual says they are 8" tall. I just found the complete TM manual so will read up on it.


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## get-lit (Oct 23, 2014)

*Re: 500 Watt I.R. Short Arc Target Module*

What exactly can you even do with these?


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## BVH (Oct 23, 2014)

*Re: 500 Watt I.R. Short Arc Target Module*

Probably not much. I seem to be unintentionally accumulating Military Short Arc museum pieces.


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## get-lit (Oct 23, 2014)

*Re: 500 Watt I.R. Short Arc Target Module*

Are these for attracting missiles? Maybe place them around a distant perimeter of the house as a missile defense system.


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## CMAG (Oct 23, 2014)

*Re: 500 Watt I.R. Short Arc Target Module*



BVH said:


> Probably not much. I seem to be unintentionally accumulating Military Short Arc museum pieces.


SAAD (Short Arc Acquisition Disorder)


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## BVH (Oct 23, 2014)

*Re: 500 Watt I.R. Short Arc Target Module*

I like that!!! I truly am SAAD



CMAG said:


> SAAD (Short Arc Acquisition Disorder)



Yes, they are TOW 2 target painters.


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## FRITZHID (Oct 24, 2014)

*Re: 500 Watt I.R. Short Arc Target Module*

Still a unique and cool acquisition. Hope you get them, or at least 1 fired up!


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## Mr. Tone (Oct 27, 2014)

*Re: 500 Watt I.R. Short Arc Target Module*

I have never seen a lamp like that before, that is very interesting.



BVH said:


> Probably not much. I seem to be unintentionally accumulating Military Short Arc museum pieces.



:naughty:


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## JP Labs (Nov 2, 2014)

*Re: 500 Watt I.R. Short Arc Target Module*

Those are neat. I have noticed that many of the coolest ex-military pieces of gear seem to come from Israel.

When I have run my locomotive headlamp on low voltage with a dull red-orange filament, the hot spot is truly that. You can feel a well defined heat zone from 10's of feet away, even though you cannot see it. It won't burn you, but it feels like sunshine at night. 

Will these perform similarly? Do you know the lamp power or IR Beam Power? Even a few 10s of watts of IR energy in tight focus can be significant.

If your illuminators throw an intense warm spot at distance, then I could think of a lot of uses up here in the snow belt. Like taking out those high elevation icicles that you really don't want to poke with a stick, or de-icing DTV dishes. IR will tend to go through ice and warm the substrate. 

How about curiosity uses? Is eye exposure at distance still dangerous (I would think so)? Is it even a UV safe beam?

At the risk of sounding juvenile, will it burn? Can you roast a marshmallow from 50'? Paint a warm spot on your patio table, where coffee never gets cold, even on a brisk morning? Levitate a black plastic bag full of air by remotely heating it? 

You need a friend with IR vision systems to trade with. A couple of the illuminators for an IR viewer, maybe. 

If you don't know, near IR wavelengths are often visible on a video camera, DSLR, or even a cell phone camera. IR Filters can be removed from the camera in some cases to improve this performance; you may already own a makeshift IR viewing system. I demonstrate this by aiming a TV IR remote at my cell phone camera - it is how I test a remote.


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## BVH (Nov 3, 2014)

*Re: 500 Watt I.R. Short Arc Target Module*

Just confirmed that these are 300 Watt Short Arcs, not 500 Watt as the seller guessed. Confirmed they can be ignited conventionally, not having to use the dedicated ignitor electrode.


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## BVH (Nov 4, 2014)

*Re: 500 Watt I.R. Short Arc Target Module*

Some pics and a video.






IR Lens removed






1 second after shutdown






5 seconds after shutdown


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## Illum (Nov 4, 2014)

*Re: 500 Watt I.R. Short Arc Target Module*

Mount it on a revolving thrust washer and use it to bake the thanksgiving turkey


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## FRITZHID (Nov 5, 2014)

Ok so it's an IR flood lamp.... neat! A new backyard bbq light? :sly: 
It would be interesting to see it in full IR in the dark, see what it really does.
Tnx for the vid Bob! Cool toy


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## FRITZHID (Nov 5, 2014)

Fired it up with the IR filter on yet? With that kind of power any digital camera should pick up something.... just make sure to have the ambient light off it at all possible.


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## BVH (Nov 6, 2014)

Yes, fired the first light up with the IR filter still installed before I removed it. It is definitely not a dark filter. There is a very visible red light emitted and you can see all the components inside the light very clearly. It's almost more like a red filter but it is definitely IR. Will make a video once I clean up the 3rd light. The lamp blew on light #2. Blew as in a nearly black with some blue tint coating on the entire inside of the arc chamber. It struck 3 or 4 times, lit but was obviously less than 1/4 the output of the 1st light before I could shut it down. Tried one restart and it blew an N-Channel Mos FET on my PS with a loud bang. It was not a productive day yesterday. Lamp is destroyed. Years ago, I bought a basket case partial PS of identical model so I was able to swap the main board and get the PS going and I have some FET's coming to see if I can fix the original board.

I assume it is over current that causes an explosive FET event?


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## FRITZHID (Nov 6, 2014)

Sorry to hear about your 2nd lamp & PS, but yes, over current & voltage spikes can pop mosfets, chances are when the bulb blew, the electrodes vaporized and then deposited on the interior causing a direct short between them resulting in PS overload.
It sounds like the IR is akin to the lower covert filters that maxabeam uses, which is nice in the fact that most ANY ccd type camera will pick up the wavelength emitted, it's just that the lamps will be easily seen as well.


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## BVH (Nov 8, 2014)

Here's a video of the start up in I.R. mode. The very visible Ruby Red light creates a party-like atmosphere in my garage. The IR filter must be very low in the spectrum.


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## FRITZHID (Nov 9, 2014)

Vid is set to private


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## BVH (Nov 9, 2014)

Changed to Public. I frequently forget that setting.


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## BVH (Feb 7, 2015)

test post


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## FRITZHID (Feb 7, 2015)

Still works


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## FRITZHID (Feb 7, 2015)

How many of those do you have left?


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## BVH (Feb 8, 2015)

All 4 but one is lampless as one failed on startup. It is probably possible to find a like-size, 300 Watt lamp and to mod it in. Maybe a rainy day project in the future. The guys at A.R.C. made them and have all the plans and facilities to make them but they don't want to.


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## BVH (Jun 21, 2017)

Putting one of these up for sale.

$285.00 plus $35.00 shipping to U.S. only addresses.

http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb...inting-Short-Arc-Module&p=5108102#post5108102


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## BVH (Oct 14, 2018)

I put a couple of these up for sale dirt cheap in the For Sale marketplace.

http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb...-Short-Arc-Light-Module&p=5250008#post5250008


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