# The World’s Most Powerful Single Searchlight Unit



## LightSward

*The World’s Most Powerful Searchlight. :

Announcing the World’s Most Powerful and currently made today the Biggest, Single Unit, Stand Alone Searchlight!:
---> 24,000 Watts of HMI Power!, (equal up to 100,000 Watts Halogen, Xenon or carbon arc., [all about the same efficiency, HMI nearly 4 times as powerful per watt, but until LightSward reflectors came along, not really useful].).










The LightBeam will be 23 times brighter than this.


Several bulbs under consideration: Photo below shows 18,000 watt HMI @ 1.7 million Lumen. Another more powerful bulb, the 24,000 watt HMI puts out 2.3 million lumen.




A more powerful bulb at 24,000 watts HMI = to 75,000 watts Halogen or carbon arc.===Specifications:


New four foil technology provides a 25% increase in life.
- HMI 24000W/DXS is the brightest HMI lamp on the market, at over 2,300,000 lumens.
- High color rendering index (CRI>90) typical of all HMI lamps.
- Excellent hot restart capability
- Light Arc Length: 50 mm
- Bulb Diameter: 83 mm
- Bulb Length Max.: 500 mm
- Luminous Efficiency: 95 lm/W
- Average Service Live: 375 hours

- eXtreme Seal (XS) technology allows up to 450°C at the pinch seal

Searchlight itself: Under consideration:






7 foot diameter using split hinged reflector technology for easy transport. Drastically improved reflector design, layout, precision manufacturing mold production using superior screeding technology and application. Highly researched and developed reflective material with lifetime ability for anyone to repair/ replace any section with ease and low cost. Low maintenance. Brightest beam around. Look and basic optical Design similar to Gorilla, NightHawk and SportLight Technology. Very affordable for average person. Projected sticker cost is less than $27,995.00

Back in the late 1800's GE built back then the World's largest diameter searchlight at 80 inches, but not used too often and is in the roof of a school, occasionally used in some celebration. This searchlight I'm building is more practical at over 72 inches in diameter!*


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## AnthonyMcEwen2014

TAKE MY MONEY!!!

Just a wee bit to big for EDC use though.

Haha! That thing is gonna be insane!


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## cland72

Batsignal: acquired


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## DIWdiver

Are you signaling humans or martians?


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## LightSward

The ultimate signaling device for all creatures in the universe. Improved reflector optical shaping and reflective surface technology, long focal lengths and the most powerful light bulb, (24,000 watt HMI technology), make this an attention gathering device for all interactive and curious photonicly excited entities.

I'm working on several options to make transport relatively easy for a seven foot searchlight. I'm experimenting with several scale models.


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## Epsilon

A totally different level of power .

Will be following this build .


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## Roger Sully

Subscribed! Looking forward to seeing this as it progresses.


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## LightSward

Fun looking at all the options. 

Looking at frame types, construction methods, parabolic shape tolerances, etc. 

For shipping or just regular transporting options to parties, events, search and rescue, or just a nice light to sit by during long Winter months. I may build the Biggest using: Quarter sectioned, half sectioned or whole searchlight pieces...maybe all three types available. 

Ballasts are a little pricier than I first anticipated, so I'll have to up the minimum finished price by four thousand dollars:

EB425CP Ballast 4000 / 2500 5 141
EB640 Ballast 6000 / 4000 6 225
EB1260 Ballast 12 / 6 Kw with trolley 11 620

When or if I find a better deal on ballast, of course the price will go back down.


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## LightSward

The first run of the World's Most powerful single unit searchlight will probably be four equal pie section quarters with the light unit placed in center and yoke and base attached to assembled basic unit. Barrel and protective lens or front glass will be louvered or pied for cost and weather. May have a similar appearance to the 60 inch carbon arc searchlights. The basic searchlight isn't very expensive to build, just the light bulb and ballast and maybe the front glass, (lens).

This is going to be exciting!:thumbsup:


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## LightSward

*For starters, I'll probably start with this 6 KW HMI lamp. With the Searchlight at 72 inches and 570,000 lumen, it will have a lot of lumens and be quite large. The arc is under an inch, (21 mm), gap and the reflector having a smoother, larger, more precise shape, the beam will be closer to being collimated* *than my other searchlights.


OSRAM metal halide HMI *lamps are the professional’s choice for exterior and interior daylight lighting. Thanks to the special blend of mercury and metal halide in the arc tube, HMI lamps generate the 6000K color temperature required to match natural daylight, making them very effective for *stage lighting* and large screen projection applications.*I apologize, but one of my photo hosts has unreliable and unstable links, (Facebook based), and this caused a large amount of my photos to vanish over he last few days. Apologize, but with all the photos I posted I'm not able to update all them do to a variety reasons, mostly time. *

(Sneak Preview) Here is a quick look at the Searchlight when half finished, using only a 100watt HID bulb. Eventually I did Upgrade to a 1200 watt HMI with the help of the IgnITEor.









  









SKU54315UPC Code046135543159ManufacturerOsram SylvaniaBaseS25.5Bulb TypeHigh Intensity Discharge Bulbs (HID)Color Rendering Index (CRI)90Color Temperature (K)6000KDiameter (in)2.126Lamp FinishclearLuminous Flux (LM)570000Maximum Overall Length (in)17.71Rated Life (Hours)500ShapeDouble-EndedVoltage (V)123VWattage (W)6000W
 
*Product Manuals*

*Arc Gap* 21 mm


Here is a HMI ballast that can deliver both a 6 kw and 12 kw bulb it's juice!




Many sizes to choose from. 





 *Osram 54315 HMI 6000W/DXS* (Size: 128.2 KB)
 _You need Adobe Acrobat Reader to open the Manuals._



Download Adobe Acrobat Reader


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## LightSward

Almost ready to build the primary reflector sectional mold. Figuring the best surface finish for wax adhesion. Too shiny and the wax 'sloughs off', too rough and the finished wax surface can distort and cause an orange peel finish. 








Will post photos of the design and build progress as they become available.

Working out the framing details and hardware arrangements.

This is going to be awesome.


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## neutralwhite

this will be my new EDC


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## TEEJ

Does it come with a decent pocket clip?


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## LightSward

TEEJ said:


> Does it come with a decent pocket clip?



No pocket clip, but the fully assembled basic lord of searchlights will carry conveniently on a specially designed back pack. Some of the units will have very light weight shells for this portability. Wattage will likely be anywhere from the current 1.2 kw, 4 kw, 6 kw, 18 kw and 24 kw HMI high power per watt bulbs..


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## tobrien

holy cow, this'll be good


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## LightSward

tobrien said:


> holy cow, this'll be good



Hopefully in the next few weeks, I can start building the primary mold for the reflector! I'm excited.


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## LightSward

Here are some of the drawings I'm preparing for building the base reflector mold and frame work.






*I apologize, but one of my photo hosts has unreliable and unstable links, (Facebook based), and this caused a large amount of my photos to vanish over he last few days. Apologize, but with all the photos I posted I'm not able to update all them do to a variety reasons, mostly time. *

(Sneak Preview) Here is a quick look at the Searchlight when half finished, using only a 100watt HID bulb. Eventually I did Upgrade to a 1200 watt HMI with the help of the IgnITEor.










Just getting this thing ready to transfer to the framework that will become the primary reflector mold.


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## tobrien

nice work! what are those designs from? AutoCAD?


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## Esko

This is one interesting project. Looking forward to seeing the final product.



LightSward said:


> For shipping or just regular transporting options to parties, events, search and rescue, or just a nice light to sit by during long Winter months. I may build the Biggest using: Quarter sectioned, half sectioned or whole searchlight pieces...maybe all three types available





LightSward said:


> but the fully assembled basic lord of searchlights will carry conveniently on a specially designed back pack.



Any ideas concerning power sources? 24kW is quite a lot for ordinary apartment buildings, not to mention the possible search and rescue situations (6kW is quite lot, too).



LightSward said:


> No pocket clip



Not a problem. I prefer keychain carry anyway. :thumbsup:


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## tpetsch

All this powered by a single 18650?

Sign me up!

...But seriously a very cool concept. I'll be watching & thanks for sharing, good luck


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## LightSward

The 24 kw may be hard for most households unless you're an electrician and know how to tap safely into the main buss line and not kill thy self....easy if you know how. This high wattage is really intended for businesses as this wattage is equal to a 75,000 watt Xenon, if they existed. Only 3 of these 24,000 watt H.M.I. lights, equal to 96,000 watts xenon, would slightly exceed the brightness of the Luxor hotel's bright pyramid light in Las Vegas now the brightest with those 40 inefficient 7 kw Xenon light, (each equal to a 7 kw incandescent halogen bulb or 1.75 kw H.M.I. if they existed). total 280,000 watts Xenon, halogen. I'd go ahead and use four of these 24kw (,equal to 96kw xenon), lights to make it brighter, still less wattage, and operating and bulb costs, making one light for each side of the pyramid top.

Most household stoves have to have a dedicated 50 amp 240 power circuit, so unplugging the stove and wiring up the pig tale to fit the stove outlet would give you the power needed for the 6,000 or 4,000 watt bulbs, equal to 24,000 or 16,000 watt Xenon or halogen respectively well within the 12 kw available on most home stove wall outlets. The lumen output of these lower wattage bulbs are in the ballpark if not exceeding lumen output of the '''60 inch carbon arc searchlights of WWII'''. This should be much brighter than just about anything out there anyway. The higher watts are just simply insane...
*I apologize, but one of my photo hosts has unreliable and unstable links, (Facebook based), and this caused a large amount of my photos to vanish over he last few days. Apologize, but with all the photos I posted I'm not able to update all them do to a variety reasons, mostly time. *

(Sneak Preview) Here is a quick look at the Searchlight when half finished, using only a 100watt HID bulb. Eventually I did Upgrade to a 1200 watt HMI with the help of the IgnITEor.





Very efficient and good beam design using AutoCAD. Searchlight has a parabolic shape design that uses 60% of the available light radiating from bulb onto primary reflector. Searchlight uses much of the remaining 40% of the otherwise wasted light by bouncing it from the split reflector back through the H.M.I. arc chamber onto the large primary reflector making a brilliant collumnated searchlight beam..






Life size of half the reflector profile of eventual total diameter of 72 inches. Test image was not the actual one used, the finished image was more aligned and then stripped to the basic parabolic profile. Eventually the template will be finished to with in a thousandth of an inch accuracy. This gives me a good idea of what to expect.


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## LightSward

tobrien said:


> nice work! what are those designs from? AutoCAD?



I like designing from scratch using AutoCAD. AutoCAD's 3-D is fun and very interactive, feel like I can reach into the screen and play with, adjust and work on my design. I could use blocks, x-refs or other stuff from the internet, but I really do like to derive my own design totally from scratch, bedrock, nothing but a blank screen. I have several other programs, and several are quite powerful, but often I like to use the basic part of CAD, then fill in with coloring, perspective, scenes, etc.:thumbsup:


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## LightSward

Here are some of my analytical drawings I made using AutoCAD 3-D modeling. Did most of this by hand, didn't use much of the computer processing power as I learned how to do this stuff "Old School".
*I apologize, but one of my photo hosts has unreliable and unstable links, (Facebook based), and this caused a large amount of my photos to vanish over he last few days. Apologize, but with all the photos I posted I'm not able to update all them do to a variety reasons, mostly time. *

(Sneak Preview) Here is a quick look at the Searchlight when half finished, using only a 100watt HID bulb. Eventually I did Upgrade to a 1200 watt HMI with the help of the IgnITEor.






Doing some basic re-calibration. Double checking the template making adjustments as necessary.
















Perhaps after some quick studies, I may build the searchlights out of cast aluminum! Both economical and perhaps safer with the higher wattage H.M.I. Technology bulbs. 

3-D check of critical dimensions with actual [email protected] template.






Some of these photos aren't exactly the ones lost, but these can help remind readers of what I had here. 







→ →  ⤡ 



  


jaredwells2001 










3-D Views in both Perspective and Isometric views below.





This searchlight will start it's run as a four panel assembled reflector for ease of production, limited space for storage and ease of transporting in a small car, all will be made easier using this quarter panel design.





Shell will thin and light weight.

Almost figured the best way to make this. This week I'll be trying various experiments to see how I'm going to build this...mainly the 'host material'.:thumbsup:


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## LightSward

With an arc gap of around 3/4 of an inch a pretty low price of around $300-400 for a bulb and possibly a ballast next few days (used), for around $450 and a lumen output 3/4ths or 75% the 60 inch carbon arc of 380,000 lumen to 60 inch carbon arc of 520,000, If all goes well, and for starters I'm going to 'lamp' this searchlight with the 4,000 watt HMI system. Should make for quite an impressive sight for a new kid on the block. If not I'll start things out with the 1,200 HMI series I already have. I'm juggling $$$ around and so I have to make 'others' happy too. This is a fun hobby, but sometimes a little out of my reach. Hopefully the date of the Seattle area March Get Together will be enough time for me to get this thing ready to show!


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## LightSward

Sorry if some of the photos haven't worked properly, I forgot to check the "public" feature on some of them. Fixed.

Here is a photo of the Yin Yang profiles of the reflector, put together to give an idea of the 72 inch diameter of the World's Biggest.





The Profile is used to determine Styrofoam layers and orientation. 
The original mold for the 50 inch Monster Searchlight was in bad repair so I have cannibalized it to become the mold foundation for the World's Biggest, and Brightest Single Bulb Searchlight.





Building the basic profile for the world's biggest search light reflector. Will start building the end components and rotate bearing assemblies for the "Screed". Have to do a double check on the parabolic profile of the screeds main board. Remember the searchlight will be four quarter sections bolted together to make the one reflector. In future designs, the four, (or six or eight), sections will move slightly, with a control "ring", and slight rotation to give what appears to be multiple searchlights. the slight movement needed to create this effect, allows just one lens unit< (front glass), to cover the whole front of searchlight.


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## LightSward

Well, hopefully my 4000 watt equipment gets here soon. Ballast is used and may need an ignitor. I may for the time being just use one of my homemade tesla Coils to ignite the bulb until I get a 'real' ignitor. I've done experiments and watched others on YouTube...Tesla coil is nice because I don't even have to connect a wire, just have the coil with in a few feet and the arc tube energizes, arc establishes itself and the ballast takes over from there.









The bulb and Ballast should arrive within two weeks or less.









Here are some group 3-D photos I used to analyze the set up.










Some critical numbers setting up the frame work for the quarter reflector and completed reflector sections below.




Hopefully the mold, and framing systems will start to fall together in the next few weeks. This is very exciting.


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## LightSward

With this homemade pipe bending tool, I can now make very nice, near perfect circular steel, aluminum, or copper pipe into 72 inch diameter or 36 inch diameter hoops yokes etc., for the searchlights or other things I need anywhere from eight inch to one and a half inch diameter pipe bent to a huge variety of different smooth curved shapes etc...






Metal steel bending tool.


One of my three Tesla Coils will temporarily be used to excite and ionize the arc tube with the magnetic ballast. i shouldn't even have to connect the Tesla coil, just bringing it near causes any arc tube type bulbs; including burnt out CFL or fluorescent bulbs, with in twenty feet to light up some what.




This Tesla coil has a thin diameter winding tube for less expense. It uses an old school ignition coil, a relay wired to act like a 'buzzer' wired to interrupt the 12 vdc current so coil makes it's 11,000v which charges the homemade high voltage capacitor I made with a three liter Shasta Bottle, (works better than standard two liter)., interacts with the 9 wrapped wire coil under 900 winding separate coil using an adjustable 'spark gap made of bolts and PVC pipe. 






Link to a 'cheesy' video I made promoting the Searchlight.:

*
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10201277199307160&set=vb.1087492680&type=2&theater*:thumbsup:


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## Illum

:wow:

Subscribed. :twothumbs:


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## LightSward

The latest is the parabolic 'Screed", (one of the most important items), is ready to be mounted onto bearing system with flat tracker base, to help in the making of the main reflector mold.





This curved shaped item; the screed that helps me make the mold for the Giant searchlight. This precise parabolic shape is extremely important.

*I apologize, but one of my photo hosts has unreliable and unstable links, (Facebook based), and this caused a large amount of my photos to vanish over he last few days. Apologize, but with all the photos I posted I'm not able to update all them do to a variety reasons, mostly time. *

(Sneak Preview) Here is a quick look at the Searchlight when half finished, using only a 100watt HID bulb. Eventually I did Upgrade to a 1200 watt HMI with the help of the IgnITEor.
Hard to imagine this high technology HMI bulb produces almost as much light as the brand new 60 inch carbon arc light used in WWII and now days for promotions and other big events at nearly 400,000 lumen from only 4,000 watts..

 Couldn't find the defect picture, but this shows it when I finally obrtained the working one and tested it. 







  









It was tested in Germany; were it was manufactured, but bulb connector wire dislodged from arc tube after testing, perhaps during transport? Usually these types of light bulbs are very tough and can almost be dropped kicked. They usually only make a few thousand of these a year at most, and done mostly by hand. I'm surprised they didn't find this defect since they test every bulb in this German factory.


Here is a closer view up of that manufacturing defect that almost never happens with these beautiful bulbs.




It's a German Company, one of the few in the world to make these 4,000 watt HMI, (15,000 halogen equivalent), stage, projector, searchlight bulbs. The manufacturer has been contacted and is "Bummed" they let this slip out...

In this close-up, disconnected, badly attached wire separation is seen. The connection point was characterized by a sooty looking black mark where wire was connected.





It's a German Company, one of the few in the world to make these, manufacturer has been contacted and is "Bummed" they let this slip out...

I'm excited anyway, as the distributor was very accommodating and had already sent the replacement before I even sent the old one back. Ballast should be here soon and socket too. I may test fire this in the 36 inch Gorilla or the 50 inch Monster, depending on existing hardware.


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## LightSward

Well, I received what appears to be a new light bulb in good condition. 






Unfortunately, the separate, different seller of the 4kw Ballast, never sent me the tracking number for the ballast delivery, so I can't pick up the unit at the delivery dock, after they called, (and won't talk to me without the tracking number), without the tracking number and am being charged storage fees after 48 hours. Seller isn't all that easy to contact. I don't want to say anything bad, but c'mon, three request?









Hopefully I can soon test all these, now that they are within ten miles of each other.


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## LightSward

:thumbsup: Excellent...it's here! Got it home in one piece. 






Finally the pieces of an incredibly bright searchlight are coming together.


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## LightSward

*I apologize, but one of my photo hosts has unreliable and unstable links, (Facebook based), and this caused a large amount of my photos to vanish over he last few days. Apologize, but with all the photos I posted I'm not able to update all them do to a variety reasons, mostly time. *

(Sneak Preview) Here is a quick look at the Searchlight when half finished, using only a 100watt HID bulb. Eventually I did Upgrade to a 1200 watt HMI with the help of the IgnITEor.
Slowly I'm getting this together. Four thousand watt HMI ignited for the first time with my homemade Tesla coil ignitor. Will use a spark gap to connect to the ballast.:thumbsup:





First time ignition of the 4000 watt H.M.I. hi tech light bulb arc chamber. Now I just have to hook up the ballast with this home made Tesla coil, possibly with a spark gap. 





  









One of my homemade Tesla coils with PVC and 1/4" bolt adjustable spark gap, 915 turns of bell wire on PVC 'tower' and high voltage 2 liter/ foil capacitor with bleeder safety resistors instead of $200 'bank capacitor' or equivalent.




Using a 12 volt relay as an 'interrupter' to "pulse" the steady dc current to act like the points of an old school car ignition allow the ignition coil to power the homemade high voltage capacitor, spark gap and Tesla coil tower. The relay and coil I purchased at NAPA.


Don't have to actually hook a wire to get the arc chamber to ionize...just having the Tesla coil in the vicinity ignites any discharge bulb in vicinity such as CFL, fluorescent, metal halides, sodium vapor and of course HMI.




First time ignition with homemade Tesla coil as the ignitor. This will be used in conjunction with a real magnetic ballast to regulate, ignite and operate the four thousand watt HMI bulb.


One of my three Tesla Coils. I have better designs but cost have kept me with this smaller one as the main working unit.





Homemade Tesla coil cost far less than when I was trying to build one in the 1970's... Today internet demonstrates how to make high voltage parts like capacitor out of foil and 2 liter soda bottle and coil tower from plastic pipe and bell wire, for pennies that would otherwise cost hundreds of dollars if purchased. Estimated voltage, determined by length of spark, is around 250,000 volts

Five hundred dollars to build a Tesla coil back in the 1970's, and no guarantee of operating, I abandoned "Tesla" until a few years ago thanks to the internet.


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## LightSward

Here's kind of a scale model made from silver spray painted paper bowl to demonstrate how the world's biggest searchlight will be transported and shipped in four pieces for easy construction and road tour assembly.

Funny, this cut up paper bowl I spray painted, has actually been a real help visualizing key aspects of the manufacturing process, including the mold machining process and construction.:thumbsup:





The 4, 6 or 8 reflector pieces, (depending on model), will move independently, making multiple beams of light.

Next few days are going to be busy ones getting down to business, with the first wiring of the ballast, bulb, plugs and Tesla coil ignitor. The first test will likely power up the "50 inch Monster", one of my early big lights on the map...sort-of-speak.


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## LightSward

*Here's the inside of the '''Alimarc 4000 watt HMI transformer''', as the ballast is named. * 
Finally got this 165 pound beast on the workbench, cover off, checking out the contactors, basic wiring and most notably the output cable connect for bulb, ignitor, safety and supply for remote operation. 

For my purposes I need tpo make a few minor changes. I almost have all of this figured out, the output jack has a few wires such as safety and re-ignitor and remote operation that I need to build...into my connection cables. 10 wires just in the plug output such as the Ignitor and five buttons on the control panels, three are on/ off switches and two pulse power buttons and reset..






More than likely for my purposes and UV shatter safety bulb, I only need the two bulb power leads, ground wire and will use a separate ignitor system for my homemade Tesla coil until I get a real ignitor.

I'm building the mold and screed tracer track; part of the newer,:thumbsup: better reflector forming process.


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## Epsilon

Still lurking along here .

This goes way beyond "flashlights"


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## LightSward

I've got most of the framing for the basic mold holding gimbal finished. The mold will be reposition-able throughout the process to obtain the best angle for gravity feed molding process to make a superb reflector...better than any before...I know many of the little things that can affect the reflector outcome, such as temperature and humidity during the forming process.




:thumbsup:


The mold for making the reflector for the world's largest 72 inch diameter searchlight, is halfway finished. At this point I'll be recycling the mold core from the 50 inch Monster. It will get a slightly better mold as time goes on.


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## LightSward

Playing with different ignition system potentials. A 750 and 1,200 watt HMI bulbs with 10,000 volt system.




I'm igniting several bulbs through each other using a 10,000 volt ignition transformer from a boiler. 


First layer of cement.




First layer of cement finished and now I'll put a layer of concrete after steel fabric and re-bar is installed.:thumbsup:



Old 50 inch Monster Fiber-glass mold interior was recycled for this event.




Have the re-bar already bent, will add a starter layer of cement then add steel fabric and then pour the concrete shell making the reflector mold just about complete after a thin finishing layer of cement.


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## LightSward

Tilted the mold frame today and then placed the re-bar and steel fabric for reinforcement in place. Later I added concrete and some Styrofoam pieces to lighten things up...gonna weigh 200 pounds. I am building a small crane to move these multi-hundred pound items around.






Steel fabric and re-bar installed now ready for more coats of concrete.






The World's biggest searchlight's manufacturing mold's main concrete layer finished, now I just have to put the finishing form layer on. Going for some precision at this point...:thumbsup:


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## LightSward

Just a quick gripe about this wonderful web site...It really ticks me off when I'm putting a post together and hit post and then in less than five minutes it seems, I'm logged out for inactivity and my entire post is lost, have to find photos and caption again. Doesn't always seem to do this, but often when it's not easy to re post...whew.

Okay, now with that said:
I'll try and remember what I just hit post was all about...lol.

*I apologize, but one of my photo hosts has unreliable and unstable links, (Facebook based), and this caused a large amount of my photos to vanish over he last few days. Apologize, but with all the photos I posted I'm not able to update all them do to a variety reasons, mostly time. *

(Sneak Preview) Here is a quick look at the Searchlight when half finished, using only a 100watt HID bulb. Eventually I did Upgrade to a 1200 watt HMI with the help of the IgnITEor.
I'm about half way through figuring out the ballast wiring so here is sort of a pictorial electrical schematic, half completed. I pretty much know what I need to do, but like double checking.




*

Still working out the wiring on this home made drawing and operating instructions I'm compiling, but I already pretty much know what I need to do to build my own wiring harness with the nine internal leads. I have to change the 4kw HMI ballast to work on 240 vac not 120, since most homes or businesses don't have high **wattage 120 vac plugs on hand.*
:thumbsup:

*
The main concrete layers are finished and now I begin final smooth layer preparations to get the mold ready for manufacturing the reflectors.*




Final concrete and cement layers applied. Will now apply various finishing layers in preparation for the release wax to be applied prior to Fiber-glassing. I'll eventually use this to press green sand when molding the reflectors out of aluminum. 

I've been working on the ballast schematic and will post it soon...at least partly finished soon...lol. I better post this again quick before CPF logs me out...copy first then...here goes...."cli....c...k...".


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## LightSward

WARNING: My candle Power Forum account may have been hacked. If you don't hear from me for a while you'll know why, or if my post seem more weird than usual, you'll know why. 
*
Here is my little, quarter ton, two axis crane to help with moving heavy objects around shop. fairly lightweight and easy to move around and set up and stores nicely away.*




Well hopefully this little homemade portable quarter ton crane can lift up some of the heavy things around my shop. Seems to work well lifting the water jug. With a few refinements, should do pretty well helping me build searchlights, etc. 

Well hopefully I can figure out the changes CPF has made making my password not work at all for several minutes and then work just fine. I can't seem to change it because the verification code never works, hard to see letters and numbers and it always says they're wrong.

Cheers


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## LightSward

Here are a few images of my 1/4 ton crane in use lifting 180 pound 4kw ballast from workbench to floor. Before and After. Crane can be lifted with one hand and easily repositioned.




















Crane ready lift hoist 180 pound 4kw ballast off workbench to floor.

I need to add a few accessories such as a better crank system.






Crane has lifted the 180 pound 4kw ballast off workbench to floor.

The reflector mold concrete is curing after a few touch ups. Should be ready to produce first reflector section for the World's largest diameter single bulb searchlight, after mold cures and sets for a few more weeks and is treated and coated. At the same time I'm building the frames and connector system for joining the sections together into the single reflector.


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## D2000

Most impressive! I have been watching the progress for a while and i can't wait to see it in action


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## LightSward

D2000 said:


> Most impressive! I have been watching the progress for a while and i can't wait to see it in action



I'm excited myself..! This thing is going to be awesome. There are interested individuals desiring to put this searchlight to use right away.










  










Building the "linkable reflector frame" members and other hardware to connect the quarter sections into the World's Largest searchlight, while I let the cement, (and recent touch ups), set for a few weeks, is the next step before I finish the sealing of the reflector mold and begin molding the fiberglass sections. 

A side note on one aspect of the searchlight I'm working on is another advantage of using the Tesla Coil for the ignition system of the 4kw HMI hot re-strike-able bulb is just that, being able to hot re-strike the searchlight after just ten seconds or so. The Tesla coil kicks out up to 250,000 volts at a very high frequency in the millions of hertz which easily ionizes the arc chamber that does not have to be directly wired to the system and can be up to five feet away.

Fun, fun, fun...as this is all coming together.


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## Mr. Tone

There are many cool things going on here, keep it up. This is a fun thread and it is fun seeing you create new things as a means to another end, such as the crane. The Tesla coil is quite impressive and I am still trying to get a grasp on some of his work and theories. It is cool to see that arc lit up without you having the wires hooked up to anything!


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## LightSward

Mr. Tone said:


> There are many cool things going on here, keep it up. This is a fun thread and it is fun seeing you create new things as a means to another end, such as the crane. The Tesla coil is quite impressive and I am still trying to get a grasp on some of his work and theories. It is cool to see that arc lit up without you having the wires hooked up to anything!


*I apologize, but one of my photo hosts has unreliable and unstable links, (Facebook based), and this caused a large amount of my photos to vanish over he last few days. Apologize, but with all the photos I posted I'm not able to update all them do to a variety reasons, mostly time. *

(Sneak Preview) Here is a quick look at the Searchlight when half finished, using only a 100watt HID bulb. Eventually I did Upgrade to a 1200 watt HMI with the help of the IgnITEor.
Thanks. It's a lot of fun and cool to see the results I can get now that seemed impossible years ago.:naughty:

The ignition of HMI bulbs with the a Tesla Coil routine is my temporary remedy for item that's turning out to be hard to locate the exact type and so far the ball park figures look expensive. So until I can afford a real ignitor, Tesla is it..!. Also the Tesla Coil seems to be somewhat friendly to the bulb and allows for the hot re-strike feature of the bulb to be a real possibility with this equipment. 

Other benefits of Tesla for now, because of it's 250,000 volts of several megahertz resonating tuned frequency mixed with 300 hertz pulsating signal giving a proper ignition and an occasional manually induced 'cleaning and re-ignition' sequence, (as the electronic ones do), without extinguishing the bulb, just by adding the high voltage while the bulb stays lit for straggling salts that can sit idle)', as per manufacturer recommendations. The Operating Manual is quite long on these bulbs, with lots of little suggestions, but all this is to help prolong the life of the bulb, or at least have better performance for the normal operating lifetime range. 

Beginning to experiment with using the Tesla Coil myself and then looked it up online to verify feasibility, and saw a kid demonstrating it on his modern pulse 'grow lights' wired to an old school magnetic ballast with no high voltage capabilities just by placing the Tesla Coil with in five feet or so. I watched a British man working with the 24,000 watt HMI bulb I someday want to lamp this searchlight with so it will be the Brightest without a doubt..,(24kw bulbs are currently used in lights that do not make for a narrow beam. Even my less focused searchlights produce a better beam than those Hollywood type lights. 

When using the Tesla Coil, often fluorescent bulbs light up from as far as ten feet. Some day I'd like to build it to better dimensions and get much larger results, but for now it does the job of a little Tesla.

For many things I do, such as the crane, I take quick looks at ancient methods using hand tools to build large, impressive items. It may sound odd going as far back as some original theories, then trace the improvements made over time and eventually make my searchlight(s) or what ever else, from the best and most feasible options, often with my own improvements, making, I hope a remarkable and fun filled and even useful product, perhaps out the loading doors, someday...in theory.

I hope you and everyone else who reads this at the very least finds this an inspiring motivational piece that perhaps even gets someone to go out and do something maybe not even related, but good.:twothumbs


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## LightSward

Applying sealer coats to reflector mold, while also constructing the steel frame. Will build layers up and end with release layer of candle wax, buffed and shined to give fiberglass a smooth finish.





Mold almost ready.




Hopefully have much of the wiring figured out. Feel confident changing ballast from 120 volt operation to 240 vac by switching wire from plug to the 240 spot from 120. Common becomes hot but stays on the tab marked '0'. 











All other voltages are generated through the coils marked for each voltage needed as usual.  I'm not sure about the grounding or secondary tab of the control contactor coil. I'll be building my own high wattage and low wattage, plus ignition and emergency stop leads on my own connector cables.

Frame is a little tougher than I thought as shaping the metal has caused unexpected failures at just one weak point during simple curve press. Making design changes as needed.


----------



## LightSward

Frame's beginning to take shape with steel angle tape and electrical conduit as the main inexpensive steel members.





The metal pieces will be matched to each section and all four quarters will be identical and hopefully interchangeable.
Additional layers of sealer and paint will be added until a fairly smooth surface is achieved and then the release wax layer goes on.


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## LightSward

Moving closer to actually making the World's Biggest Searchlight at 72 inches diameter. I've finished the seals and now applying the release wax to the mold. This is another point I need to be very precise to get good optical purity. I have improved the wax application finish to be very precise, a great improvement over earlier models. The less than precise wax application in the past, has caused the reflectors to have that orange peel look and not create as collimated beam as will now be achieved.





Final seal coat applied, ready for '''wax on'''.

*I apologize, but one of my photo hosts has unreliable and unstable links, (Facebook based), and this caused a large amount of my photos to vanish over he last few days. Apologize, but with all the photos I posted I'm not able to update all them do to a variety reasons, mostly time. *

(Sneak Preview) Here is a quick look at the Searchlight when half finished, using only a 100watt HID bulb. Eventually I did Upgrade to a 1200 watt HMI with the help of the IgnITEor.




Equipment at the ready with an old candle with higher melting point outer shell to be applied and not be as much of a problem in high Summer heat.






The slow process begins.







First wax layer almost done.







"Wax On", almost complete, After allowing to cool 24 hours, I'll apply the final precise coating with the 'screed'. This will create a much better optical finish than all my other reflectors. Great Improvement.

Fiber-glassing may start at this point. after the final ''wax screeding'' is done.


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## LightSward

Took a little longer to reach this stage. Wax a bit fussy. I will buff and calibrate wax and then hopefully be ready for Fiberglass.





Close-up of almost screeded release wax. I will fill in the low spots, but wax is not filling low spots very easily.


Closer look. Been attempting to fill low spots, will buff and check calibration.




Almost smooth, will use buffer to shine and smooth it out, then re-calibrate to make sure it's ready for Fiberglass. I will crank out a few of these started...soon.:twothumbs


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## LightSward

Update:
Because the whole searchlight beam comes down to this exact spot of manufacturing, I'm taking a little more quality time to try and get something looking like a six foot diameter laser beam.




I'm learning much about wax. Has to be heated just right and spread almost like an art such as doing a painting, (I do art on the side for extra cash).

Always tempting to redo a spot. My quality is significantly improved. Should be one heck of an awesome searchlight.




Gentle buffing and readying for the next micro finish.


Taking a quick break.




I'm keeping my smile through this tedious part.

Wax is much 'trickier' than I remember.




Still trying to get that last little bit of shine on the release wax. I'll be ready for producing the searchlight soon...lol. It really does all come down to this for how good of an actual light beam is produced. I'm aiming for a laser looking beam, slightly wider.:thumbsup: Remember there will be four of these bolted together to make the one reflector at 72 inches diameter.


----------



## LightSward

The fiberglass phase is a bit tricky when first applying to the release wax layer. It likes to coagulate into lumps and not spread evenly.





The beginning of the Fiberglass poor begins at the very top where it's not going to matter because this part gets cut out. Working out a few details about how the center section will be handled. I'll probably adjust things as I produce these in number.:thumbsup:


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## LightSward

Well I made a nice big reflector today. Basically I finished the optical layer and then started with the reinforcing layer and added the glass fiber clothe, lovingly sandwiched between layers of gooey Plastic Glass, all put together known as fiberglass...that wonderful post WWII stuff that still rocks to this day!





Glass fiber clothe is positioned on top of optical layer.


Pre-cut and positioned Glass fiber clothe and ready to finish the basic reflector itself. I'll begin installing the frame elements tomorrow.





Plastic Glass applied over glass fiber clothe. At this point the steel and PVC frame will be assembled and then encased with more fiberglass.

I'm beginning to ready the ballast and bulb for first full power up, after a series of little test to make sure all the safety and control circuits are operable. I'll be using my Tesla coil for the starter, (ignitor), until I locate an inexpensive one. I will contact IgNITEor for suggestions. :thumbsup:


----------



## LightSward

"World's Biggest Searchlight", also known as: "Lord of Lights" is moving right along with the first quarter reflector section is half finished. Few more days and I may install the reflective surface and do a test run for decent light beam.

*I apologize, but one of my photo hosts has unreliable and unstable links, (Facebook based), and this caused a large amount of my photos to vanish over he last few days. Apologize, but with all the photos I posted I'm not able to update all them do to a variety reasons, mostly time. *

(Sneak Preview) Here is a quick look at the Searchlight when half finished, using only a 100watt HID bulb. Eventually I did Upgrade to a 1200 watt HMI with the help of the IgnITEor.
Here's how it looked yesterday.





These attachment points will be placed along the sides and additional framing members installed mid section to protect the vulnerable 'bottom' during 'stacked' transporting.

NOTE: I'm building the 72 inch diameter reflector out of four 'quarter sections' that quickly bolt together. This allows for much easier manufacturing and floor space issues, storage and easy transport in the trunk or back seat of a regular sized passenger sedan. The precision I'm hoping to get is a great improvement over past reflectors. 
Wattage will range from 1,200 watt HMI, (100,000 lumen), --- 4,000 watt HMI, (380,000 lumen), represent in production now,
---to 24,000 watts HMI, (2,300,000 lumen) in the very near future..!:thumbsup:


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## LightSward

:thumbsup: Have attached and glassed in the basic framing elements of the first quarter reflector section. Here are a couple photos, a before and after set.


I measured and taped the elements exactly where I want them and hopefully everything will line up when all is assembled. I'll test each panel separately to make sure it meets my rigorous demands.:thumbsup:




Basic frame members are taped with metal fasteners to the fiberglass shell, ready to be clothe and glassed in with resin and hardener.









Elements clothed and fiberglass-ed coated onto shell. More coatings will be added.


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## LightSward

With the World's Biggest Searchlight, (at 72 inches diameter being built right now), hopefully scheduling will allow me to perhaps bring it to the June CPF 'Seattle Area Get together'. I'll need 40 amp?? ..220 volt generator power outlet, but will bring the 1,200 watt HMI set up to install into the 72 inch searchlight if needed for lower power availability.
*
Here is a snapshot of the current stage of production.*




Well almost done with this part of the searchlight reflector 72 inch. Appears to have gone well I will put more fiberglass on. Next will pry reflector off the mold and hopefully it came out well.

Now I just have to make three more of these and bolt them together to form the one 72 inch reflector.

Cheers.


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## LightSward

I'm pleased with how well the reflector quarter section came out after all the effort to get this thing going. Each section should be faster now, as the wax release layer seems to have stayed fairly well intact. I'll do a re-calibration and prepare it for the next section and start on that next few days. I want to do a little more checking on the section just completed and look for any flaws that need to be dealt with before I make quarter section number 2.
*
Reflector just came right off the mold after I cut away the over-dripped Fiberglass.*




*
The first quarter reflector section came out a glittering success.*

After some sanding to get rid of minor mold blemishes, an Acetone wash and apply some reflection tape and check how well it actually came out.


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## LightSward

The surface of the first quarter panel is: smooth, shiny and appears to have one fairly small, geometric focal point. The orange peel affect should be minimal. I'll know in the next few days when I apply reflective film and test it with a light source...fingers crossed, (Until I see someone I know and trust; demonstrate in front of my eyes, a suitable, inexpensive easy to use substitute for the reflective film, I think for now I'll 'stick to it").

*Here is a photo taken when I noticed fiberglass can be distorted and have a memory just by sitting on something. I may strengthen it, but I want to keep it light weight and inexpensive for now. Commercial versions, I may build like a tank and heavy too.. Some may be produced as a single reflector for those not wanting the sections.
*




I often work on my paintings and sculptures at the same time. I consider many mechanical things, like engines, transmissions and of course sculptures...art.
*I apologize, but one of my photo hosts has unreliable and unstable links, (Facebook based), and this caused a large amount of my photos to vanish over he last few days. Apologize, but with all the photos I posted I'm not able to update all them do to a variety reasons, mostly time. *

(Sneak Preview) Here is a quick look at the Searchlight when half finished, using only a 100watt HID bulb. Eventually I did Upgrade to a 1200 watt HMI with the help of the IgnITEor.
*
The Acrylic paint layer was applied only to smooth out the occasional air bubble hole, etc., and looks uneven, but is smooth as a car's hood.*




---Fiberglass appears to have a temporary memory when its resting on something, so I had to push it out.
---I need to figure if need to strengthen it further. I'm trying to keep it light weight.
---Here it is with some other artwork I'm working on.

First quarter panel of The World's Biggest Searchlight is looking good.

Wax layer on mold is ready and second quarter goes into production tomorrow.
Cheers!


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## langham

Try to use a small piece of aluminum that will fit against the outer ring at the top. I would use angle and it should work to strengthen it and still allow for flex like the fiber glass does naturally.


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## LightSward

langham said:


> Try to use a small piece of aluminum that will fit against the outer ring at the top. I would use angle and it should work to strengthen it and still allow for flex like the fiber glass does naturally.



*UPDATE: I may not have to add additional ribs after all. The fiberglass continues to strengthen these last few days. Seems to have doubled in strength. When I press on reflector, very difficult to distort when pushing on it, campared to just two days ago.
*
---I'll add some ribs, perhaps as you suggest. 
---I was initially surprised about the slow flex-back, but makes sense now. It occurred when I'd placed the reflector on some supports. Reflector shifted to where support pressed on right third near lower corner, while I worked on it, causing a reverse bulge. It didn't immediately flex back so I layed that portion on a pillow and placed a heavy weight on it for fifteen minutes to counteract the bulge. That seem to have done the trick. 
---I'll probably add two more ribs at angles to intersect those last two vulnerable spots.:scowl:
*
Here is a crude artist rendering of ribs that cross paths where the pressure bulges occurred.*





A crude conceptualization of some additional ribs added to prevent optical distortions due to unexpected object contact and pressure zones.


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## LightSward

Been busy, readying the mold for the second reflector quarter section. I'm analyzing the first section to see what improvements can be made in the molding process or any other improvements.*

First Reflector quarter about to be covered in reflective coating.
*




The slightest blemishes are showing through, so I may re-surface after first set of test on the next quarter panel.
*I apologize, but one of my photo hosts has unreliable and unstable links, (Facebook based), and this caused a large amount of my photos to vanish over he last few days. Apologize, but with all the photos I posted I'm not able to update all them do to a variety reasons, mostly time. 
(Sneak Preview) Here is a quick look at the Searchlight when half finished, using only a 100watt HID bulb. Eventually I did Upgrade to a 1200 watt HMI with the help of the IgnITEor.

Overall Good News!*
Reflector has good optical focal point precision.:twothumbs:twothumbs Not only that, but it appears fiberglass continues to 'cure', as it definitely doesn't distort anywhere3 as easily as just a few days ago. i have to experiment with the surface. Makes a small point of light hundreds of feet away using LED. Slight halo, from the minor imperfections, but will make a very narrow, bright, collimated beam.







---The reflection off the reflector looking good. Makes a nice small point of light hundreds of feet away. The surface needs a little work, more for cosmetics, but will make performance a little better.
---Each quarter section will have refinements and some experiments to achieve better performance. Eventually I may redo this particular reflector surface.


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## LightSward

Each of the four quarter panel sections comprising the whole 72 inch reflector will be made differently, depending on outcome of each previous panel. I am most concerned about the smooth perfect optical qualities. harder to achieve than I expected, but making much progress. This searchlight should make a beam similar to the giant WWII Sperry searchlights.






*I poured the 2nd quarter reflector for searchlight a little differently today, (Wednesday). Ready to attach the frame to mate with the first quarter.*

Looks crazy on top, but I think the surface on this one might be a tad better than the first epic quarter.
*I apologize, but one of my photo hosts has unreliable and unstable links, (Facebook based), and this caused a large amount of my photos to vanish over he last few days. Apologize, but with all the photos I posted I'm not able to update all them do to a variety reasons, mostly time. *

(Sneak Preview) Here is a quick look at the Searchlight when half finished, using only a 100watt HID bulb. Eventually I did Upgrade to a 1200 watt HMI with the help of the IgnITEor.


----------



## LightSward

Finished the first quarter reflector. Has good focusing, few minor blemishes as a result of wax density issues. I'll work on a thinner release wax layer and make sure the wax has all the same consistency...some of the wax seems slightly harder and deforms under the pressure of the fiberglass pouring.





This seems to be Optically better focused than other reflectors. A few minor blemishes, I hopefully fixed on quarter number two. May add reflector strip at edge, depending on support systems, etc.,. Can get with in a few feet and image sharp enough to shave with.



*Reflector does a decent job reflecting the surrounding area.*



*
May add reflector strip at edge, depending on support systems, etc.,.*
*

Number 2* The second quarter section is almost finished. Grind and touch-up pour tomorrow and allow to 'set' an extra day.



*
FINISHED THE MAIN POUR, ADDING SOME 'TOUCH UP' CLOTH FOR A SMALL POUR TOMORROW.*



I went out side and held a small 200 lumen LED at the approximate focal point and the beam spot after traveling a hundred plus feet is about a foot and a half in diameter.  Holding the camera, reflector balanced on garage door and LED in hand at approximate focal point, hard to get a decent photo. I'll maybe have more time to take a better photo next couple ni....?





cell camera by itself, below I added a night vision camera, but couldn't find the connecting cable so I photoed the view finder.






Took photo with one camera and used smart phone camera copied from viewfinder...just so I could get this uploaded. Sorry for this, when I have a little more time I'll do better...maybe not.:laughing::naughty:


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## LightSward

I pulled the 2nd quarter from the mold today, and with a few touch ups, came out well. I won't know for sure until I apply the reflective material. (will always be on the look out for a good material replacement.






Fresh off the mold. Ready for sanding, touch-ups and surface prep.


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## rusto

Ok. Gotta start with my smart a__ contribution: Will it be able to handle RCR123a's? Would hate to blow it up first time starting it.
Non-Smart a__ reply: Great job of documenting your work. That's very time consuming and tedious. Tip o' the hat to you, good sir. WebRep


currentVote


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## langham

Looking good, have you ever looked into the spray chrome? http://www.sprayonchrome.com/equipment.html this might be a viable option. Maybe if you could find someone around you that already had a machine, like a body shop or something? I think it would do well, you would probably be able to make a better determination.


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## LightSward

langham said:


> Looking good, have you ever looked into the spray chrome? http://www.sprayonchrome.com/equipment.html this might be a viable option. Maybe if you could find someone around you that already had a machine, like a body shop or something? I think it would do well, you would probably be able to make a better determination.



I will look into that...right now out of my price range, but maybe...



rusto; said:


> Ok. Gotta start with my smart a__ contribution: Will it be able to handle RCR123a's? Would hate to blow it up first time starting it.
> Non-Smart a__ reply: Great job of documenting your work. That's very time consuming and tedious. Tip o' the hat to you, good sir. WebRep.


Don't know about those, but maybe a jumbo pack can be built. igNITEor has some aweom power supplies.

*
Just kind of placed the first two reflector quarters together to see how awesomely they look!*




I'm probably going to have the outer ring have slip tong assembly with a few nuts and bolts on the sides.
*
Here's a few from the front.*




Each quarter is being made in a slightly different way to see the best feasibility of mass producing this wondrous thing.
*
First reflector shine* 






Will get better photos now that I found the connection cable for the Kodak awesome SLR optical zoom, night vision camera.


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## langham

I wouldn't think that it would be worth buying the whole assembly just to try, but I have heard of some plating shops and custom car shops having those rigs. You could probably convince one of them to plate one for you for a small sum just to test it out.


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## LightSward

langham said:


> I wouldn't think that it would be worth buying the whole assembly just to try, but I have heard of some plating shops and custom car shops having those rigs. You could probably convince one of them to plate one for you for a small sum just to test it out.



I really am interested in doing alternative reflective coatings. I haven't had the capital to do much, but hopefully things will get going soon, with work or sales of a few of my lights, then I can really make this thing into a 'Beta' product.! 

I've half covered the second reflector with the reflective film and have half fiber-glassed the third reflector..!

Here I have half completed the third Quarter of the reflector for the 72 inch diameter World's Biggest Searchlight with just one bulb. ( I actually may put a 'turret' on the first demo model and have my 100 watt HID, 1,200 watt HMI and 4,000 HMI. That way, depending on power supplies, locations etc., I can have several options for putting on one heck of a show..!:tinfoil::naughty:

*
3rd 1/4 half finished with the fiber-glassing and framing.!*




I have the frame all ready to mount and will make a few calibrations and then...finish this. After looking at the first three reflectors and how well they line up, reflect, etc., I'll make any differential calculations and make adjustments in the forth reflector to make all the quarters fit and interact well.


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## langham

Sounds good, I had to sell a lot of my light to make my wife happy. I now just buy the ones I want to mod, mod them and sell them. I want a lathe so that I can make them from scratch, but that is expensive and I will have to convince my wife. I hope it turns out well, if you sold 2 you might be able to afford one of those chrome machines outright.


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## LightSward

langham said:


> Sounds good, I had to sell a lot of my light to make my wife happy. I now just buy the ones I want to mod, mod them and sell them. I want a lathe so that I can make them from scratch, but that is expensive and I will have to convince my wife. I hope it turns out well, if you sold 2 you might be able to afford one of those chrome machines outright.



I'd like a lathe too. I used to work at a factory with hundred year old irreplaceable equipment. We made most of our replacement parts completely from scratch using Auto-CAD operated and manually operated lathes, and multidimensional machines of various types, sandblasting, etc... 

Be nice to be able to find a shop that will cover these for less than $700.oo each quarter. Eventually I will build a foundry big enough to melt recycled aluminum into the reflectors themselves and then polish to a mirror finish...lol.

I did manage to just about complete the third quarter reflector section.
*


3rd quarter, of the 72 inch reflector, is now about finished.*





Some touch ups and off the mold & into the reflector shop.


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## LightSward

Moving on:
_*Forth quarter of main reflector has now had first primary fiberglass pour. The third reflector is almost ready for the reflective surface to be applied.*_

Third reflector is in the surface prep phase and should be ready to get it's reflective coating applied tomorrow. :tinfoil:




*Third reflector quarter for the 72 inch searchlight is almost ready for reflective surface to be applied. A little more sanding and smoothing and surface prep and I can get this thing shiny.*


The forth reflector at first seems to be the best, fastest and more problem free than first three. I learned with each and now should have a good idea on how to proceed to the 'Beta"phase.:naughty:

The first part of the fiberglass pour is critical because the surface characteristics are largely determined at this phase. Air bubbles caused by mixing of ingredients or just catching air under layers can be a problem.




*Forth reflector is half fiberglass poured. Frame's exact dimensions will be determined by error additives and subtractions from the other three reflector quarters, when they're bolted together.*

Hopefully I'll have this thing all put together in basic form to test shine by end of next week. If things keep on schedule I should all this looking a little more like a searchlight and presentable by mid May and ready for the road shows by June!


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## RedLED

That is a cool light .


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## LightSward

RedLed said:


> That is a cool light .



Starting to take shape. I did a test run on the first three quarter panel sections of the 72 inch diameter reflector. Making any adjustments to the forth panel to allow for any discrepancies.

Here are some photos.:

*
Basic mock-up to check tolerances and the clearances I will need to get the forth quarter in without scrambling the focal point(s).*




Looks like everything is lining up well, but without proper supports and the forth quarter, I didn't want to tighten anything yet.
*
Another view of the basic growing reflector.*




The actual roundness and exact positioning will be more accurately done when I have connecting hardware in place.

*
Here's a nice top down view of the reflector taking over my house...lol.*




Lots of little details to work out on this 'Alpha' version. I'm beginning to wire up the ballast, ignitor and bulb mounts. Will make final design when I get things moved to the assembly stage and see what actually works best. I want to make this thing fit in my little compact car for transport. When I make my fortune, or at least a few dollars, I want a pick-up truck or cargo van.:thumbsup:


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## LightSward

Just finished the fourth and final quarter of the 72 inch world's largest search light. Have some detail work to do. Exciting time. Frame work is about halfway done for the yoke and stand to support the entire searchlight.
*
Here are the three first quarters of the four searchlight sections.*





The four sections will be detailed the next few weeks and then optical alignments made for the best focus.

Adjustments and calibrations to make the forth section fit 'perfectly' are being done now.




Forth and final quarter is almost finished. Just some detail work and then removed from mold.:thumbsup:


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## aregias

This is inspiring... awe inspiring... how do i sub? 

Just a funny thought, would you like need FAA approval to light this up at full power?


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## LightSward

aregias said:


> This is inspiring... awe inspiring... how do i sub?
> 
> Just a funny thought, would you like need FAA approval to light this up at full power?



Good thoughts and good question!:candle:oo::huh:

Research indicates lasers and pointers are the most concerning. A relatively small pointer can instantly "flash-blind" a pilot temporarily or at least be a distraction without warning during a critical phase of flight, without warning where as a searchlight like mine that has a slightly 'soft' beam has a little warning effect and is generally not moved real fast. Usually the beam is easily seen for many miles giving much prior warning, often as it is being used as an 'attention getter'. 

The light beam itself is much less dense per centimeter at typical aircraft height because the laser stays concentrated for such a long distance over a regularly focused optical system of lights who's beam spreads quickly in comparison, still able to cause concern at many miles, but again with the beam itself being very visible, often warning the pilot so they can avoid negative results, and instead marvel at one of the World's great sights...lol.. 

I Have contacted FAA in the past and was advised to ensure and operate in standard aircraft safety ways as described by FAA, mostly to try and avoid shining on aircraft and busy air routes. At the Lumen output of this big light, I am re-investigating things to make sure I stay safely within the law. We're blessed in this part of the world in having a lot of flexibility and permissibility on this issue and I don't want to jeopardize our ability to have fun so will do my part to always be safe operating my lights, especially around aircraft and routes.

I'll keep you updated on any particulars.:duh2:


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## LightSward

Making progress!

*Here is a quick look at the first initial set up of the huge "World's Biggest Searchlight" in my living room.*





Lots of detailing and aligning. Eventually the panels, (8 in some), will be hinged and able to move independently to create multiple beams from the single beam.


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## LightSward

Reflectors looking good. I am still 'plagued by orange peel look', now I know what I have to do, but will take a little more of a 'machine' to render the surface smooth with a steel finishing screed spun inside finished reflector. I still think this will be quite the performer with the low budget I put into this. Will look somewhat like the WWII 60 inch Carbon arc Searchlights, but can be outfitted with a bulb FIVE TIMES BRIGHTER than the 60 inch carbon arc lights with almost the same sized 'arc' dimensions for only $25,000 for bulb, socket, wiring, ignitor and ballast. This set up similar in brightness to 60 inch original searchlight is only $5,000...(I paid much less, I got a great special deal from a Hollywood film production rental house upgrading their equipment to electronic.
*

Four quarter sections of the World's biggest searchlight at 72 inches, together ready for detailing.*




The 4 quarter reflector sections together for the first time. Ready for pre-assembly. Some had more orange peel look, others came out almost perfect.
*I apologize, but one of my photo hosts has unreliable and unstable links, (Facebook based), and this caused a large amount of my photos to vanish over he last few days. Apologize, but with all the photos I posted I'm not able to update all them do to a variety reasons, mostly time. *

(Sneak Preview) Here is a quick look at the Searchlight when half finished, using only a 100watt HID bulb. Eventually I did Upgrade to a 1200 watt HMI with the help of the IgnITEor.
*
Test run to make sure I can get them all into my little car.*




The disassembled 72 inch reflector; fits easily into a compaq car for transporting to light shows, promotional events grand opening sales exedra.

*
120 feet from garage I hand held the Reflector against my legs, camera and LED in hand. Beam which is six feet in diameter at start and then beam doesn't spread much covering this distance.*




Small LED flashlight focused off one of the quarter reflector sections from 300 feet away. Holding the camera, reflector and LED flashlight, all by hand. Will get a better focus when I build bulb holder.




Easy to accidentally aim LED beam into window...very bright so I couldn't really do much. Harder to do stuff with the searchlight this time of year since it doesn't get dark until late. Winter months it gets dark around five o:clock so it's easier not to wake up people with bright spots of light shining around. Sometimes I wait until three in the morning when everyone is asleep or early birds are up. Easier to put a bright beam in the sky and not have so much vehicular traffic.

*
Photo and searchlight are nearly 300 feet away from garage door. Reflector is six feet diameter and beam spreads to eight or so after that distance.*




I'll get a much better spot when I semi-permanently mount things and then use a tripod on my better camera.

Things should start to progress at this point. I have many production ideas that should make one heck of a searchlight finished product.


----------



## LightSward

*
The world's largest searchlight reflector now ready for calibration.*





Put the quarter panels together and will align the quarter elements after I get the yoke and stand built and mounted. :tired:


----------



## The_Driver

Since no one else is writing much - I am following your progress and find it very interesting! 
Keep up the good work


----------



## MRsDNF

The_Driver said:


> Since no one else is writing much - I am following your progress and find it very interesting!
> Keep up the good work


+ 1 on this. I'm reading every update with great interest. Thanks.


----------



## LightSward

IgNITEor said:


> I will be bringing the 6.5 kW for the Deathray. It has a 30-Amp. 4 wire twist lock. It would be awesome if all
> the lights could be up and running, so if you score a second 3K genny that would be awesome!
> Otherwise, you can jack into my rig.
> If you're going with the parallel 3K, don't forget to bring the magic Honda paralleling cable!



That would be great to have power. I've wondered about leaving the 4kw light version at home and just bring the 1.2kw version...but if there is power to spare, I'll bring the "Big Juan"...4kw!!! Yes.
*I apologize, but one of my photo hosts has unreliable and unstable links, (Facebook based), and this caused a large amount of my photos to vanish over he last few days. Apologize, but with all the photos I posted I'm not able to update all them do to a variety reasons, mostly time. *

(Sneak Preview) Here is a quick look at the Searchlight when half finished, using only a 100watt HID bulb. Eventually I did Upgrade to a 1200 watt HMI with the help of the IgnITEor.


electromage said:


> Re: Seattle Area Get Together May 2014 or June 2014
> That's definitely a monster! I can't wait to see it in action. Are you building some sort of housing, or will it be an open frame like the Gorilla?
> 
> 
> 
> For the show I'm probably going to still have it at the Gorilla stage,
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> but plan to 'house it' like the commercial version of the NightHawk I sent off to New York.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> For salable item, searchlight may just be one piece reflector, I don't know yet. Depends on demand. I'm going to experiment with different front lenses, (glass or plexiglass) I have a special cooling system which allows the front of the searchlight to only get to about 110 degrees farenhiet. I'll have sensors throughout to deactivate searchlight if proper cooling isn't assured.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I should have a little more than this at get together. i still have to wire up the ballast and make sure the thing even works. I don't like my jury rigging the ignitor, as finding the proper one without having to buy 200 or an entire searchlight is becoming a hassle, so I will use either my Tesla coil or oil furnace ignition Tesla coil with spark gap.
> 
> This is a post for the Seattle area get together but it gives an idea of what's happening.
> 
> Click to expand...
Click to expand...


----------



## brosius85

this build is epic! love what you are doing, cant wait to see it completed. props.


----------



## LightSward

brosius85 said:


> this build is epic! love what you are doing, cant wait to see it completed. props.



Thanks. Challenging but lots of fun.

Here is the latest. I have to re do the load bearing as the half inch bolt bends too easily, but was more than adequate on the other searchlights I built.


*Well here's the searchlight on its stand first trial run. I need to strengthen the base stand with more than a half inch bolt. The searchlight is actually 74 uneven inches in diameter around the edges, as I left some extra for trimming purposes. * 





There's the preliminary setup. The half inch bolts that was used for the main support bearing has to be enlarged...




*
Another angle of the somewhat finished searchlight.*




The Yoke to Base interface needs to be reconfigured. A little set back but a challenge that should result in a good improvement.  :shakehead  oo:  :huh:  .


----------



## LightSward

*
Searchlight panning mechanism strengthened with a 3/4 inch bolt. I added a tilt lock and other modifications.*



*
*Does okay in the rain as a bar fire version. Will have a plastic air cooled lens installed probably after the Seattle Area Get-together June 7th? 2014.*


Tilt Mechanism and locking U-bolt for now.*





Added Tilt lock mechanism and modified the panning bolt from half inch to three quarter inch bolt. Seems strong enough for now.





3/4 inch bolt works nice and the drill bit only $10.00 and drills quickly and easily through the steel.

*
Eventually the searchlight will have a look somewhat like the 30 inch NightHawk sent to New City and shining about from the 21st floor of a high rise condominium...whole floor.*





Photo of much smaller NightHawk just to show the overall look the World's Biggest Searchlight will have.




Another view of the modified 72 inch searchlight panning and tilt lock mechanisms.


----------



## FRITZHID

Gesh Sward, that things a best! :twothumbs


----------



## LightSward

60 watt light bulb from across the street. about 1/633th the eventual light output of the searchlight from 600 lumen to 380.000 lumen and beyond.




*I apologize, but one of my photo hosts has unreliable and unstable links, (Facebook based), and this caused a large amount of my photos to vanish over he last few days. Apologize, but with all the photos I posted I'm not able to update all them do to a variety reasons, mostly time. *

(Sneak Preview) Here is a quick look at the Searchlight when half finished, using only a 100watt HID bulb. Eventually I did Upgrade to a 1200 watt HMI with the help of the IgnITEor.
Here is just a 60 watt test bulb for preliminary focus and alignment.




60 watt incandescent bulb = 15 watt CFL 600 lumen. Searchlight will have 380,000 bulb in a couple weeks. Makes four focused spots on a tree 150 feet away. Will converge them into one soon.

Preliminary focusing uses low wattage bulbs so I don't scare my neighbors too bad. 380,000 lumen bulb will go in soon to replace 600 lumen bulb now in use. Will be 633 times brighter.





Four separate spots will be converged into one soon.​


----------



## langham

Looking good, I hope the focusing goes well. Good to see you have made so much progress.


----------



## LightSward

langham said:


> Looking good, I hope the focusing goes well. Good to see you have made so much progress.



 Thanks,
Makes a decent beam on the low wattage bulb. I have the four quarters "fairly well aligned"...problem was I wasn't as exact on a reference point for the reflectors as I thought I was so I'm paying a few tenths of an inch penalty. Having a small production square footage area makes it hard to get into proper position for making the mold pieces and aligning them up precisely. I'll get things lined up, but this production run is a finicky. I learned many valuable lessons. Should turn out well.:thinking::sick2::thumbsup::duh2::naughty::green: 

I have developed some significant ideas that will fix some of the fiber-glassing issues that creep up, every-time I figure out a solution, something else seems to take it's place...lol.




*Making some progress.*

Soon I should have the HID, HMI light bulbs ready...starting first with the 100 watt HID for more formal focusing, eventually going perhaps to the 1,200 watt then the 4,000 watt HMI..!.


----------



## London Lad

Why do you have gaps between the segments? I assumed they would be bolted up flush


----------



## LightSward

London Lad said:


> Why do you have gaps between the segments? I assumed they would be bolted up flush



Good question. In this section I am only responding about this very first searchlight not any additional 'beta' versions that will have the 'bugs' worked out..:
Eventually the sections will bolt directly... I'll explain. My shop is way too small to get good clearances around my work space. I realized I couldn't precisely be sure I had an exact 90 degree quarter, (spherical and parabolic 3-D 90's can be tricky) and my alignment markings were difficult to view. I decided to make each segment 89 degrees with the logic that in this case it would be easier to add "spacers" and frame work between segments instead of trying to remove any extra or chop holes for unforeseen framework. 

Found this has led to an alignment nightmare and decided to 'hinge' each segment mostly in 2 directions but can slightly change angle on a third. This shouldn't be an issue with production models, except the hinges will be used to allow beam to separate into 'multiple' beams. Fortunately the shadows from the bulb interior support structure, searchlight support structure and cooling equipment shadows will tend to line up with the gaps and not really interfere with the beam.

My biggest concern, is I made this in four sections for two reasons., (would have been easier to just make one big reflector), -1- I didn't have the room to make one large reflector in my postage stamp sized shop and -2- I figured the quarter disassembled searchlight would be easier to transport in small and midsized vehicles like Sedans and SUVs. I hope this 'alpha' model with all it's minor little problems isn't too hard to re-align after I take it apart when it's test fired. I may keep it in one piece and rent a U-haul every time I need to take it somewhere. Hope not.

I'm a little pessimistic at this stage of any searchlight making...the part when all the parts and pieces start coming together and the little bugs pop out. I always expect so much, get most of what I want but not totally satisfied until it's perfect...if ever.! If I make and sell the quarter sectioned searchlight, it will probably bolt directly together with minimal hardware and light-bulb unit and outer lens should practically 'snap' into place.

Thanks for asking.:thinking::sigh::sick2::duh2::ironic:ootwothumbs:laughing::welcome:


----------



## LightSward

Here are some improvements to the alignment process. The four movable quarters will be mostly aligned with these four adjustment sectioned bolts, and then lateral adjustments, if necessary, will be made in two other locations.
*
This is a good improvement to a problem that will basically only exist on this first model or two. A bigger production facility will help with many of this and a machine I plan on building for finishing purposes.*





The focus ring, or actually an alignment ring that helps with focus, moves the panels independently from one another to help align the slight differences my building process in a small shop created..






See a van through the focus ring, or actually an alignment ring that helps with focus.

I need to rig , wire and build the lamp and back reflector apparatus next day or so as I test the stand-in 100 watt HID Home Depot loading dock light bulb.


----------



## LightSward

Borrowing people's driveways, garages and vehicles for focusing. Actually a balancing act this time of year with the short nights. This thing will be no joke once I increase the brightness by a hundred times as this in photo, hopefully with about half the diameter spread after focusing work.
*I apologize, but one of my photo hosts has unreliable and unstable links, (Facebook based), and this caused a large amount of my photos to vanish over he last few days. Apologize, but with all the photos I posted I'm not able to update all them do to a variety reasons, mostly time. *

(Sneak Preview) Here is a quick look at the Searchlight when half finished, using only a 100watt HID bulb. Eventually I did Upgrade to a 1200 watt HMI with the help of the IgnITEor.




*The next bulb will make this over a hundred times brighter than this...! Right now I'm using only half the light from this 100 watt HID Home Depot driveway light...bulb, (no back reflector) so using maybe 2,300 lumen of the 4,600 build rated. The next bulb will be 380,000 lumen with back reflector..!*

Crane Modified for easier and safer use. Ready to change tooling for shop for next phase of searchlight by lowering the massive two hundred and fifty pound quarter section searchlight mold.




*Crane has been re-outfitted with hand cranked boom and load drivers for safer and easier operation. The old system of block and tackle is there for back up and assisting with big loads.*

Crane is lightweight and easily lifts mold:



*
Here crane has lifted 250 pound 72 inch searchlight quarter sectioned reflector mold from 30 inch high working and manufacturing height a couple inches above work bench to allow removal of saw horses and table top used to support the mold..*


Support structure removed and mold lowered to floor: I made the crane to mostly fit under the garage door...just in case the button gets pushed...





*Here crane has lifted 250 pound 72 inch searchlight quarter sectioned reflector mold to floor from 30 inch high working and manufacturing height.*






I'm almost standing in the beam here, camera two hundred feet from searchlight.







At a little over two hundred and fifty feet away, the beam has grown in diameter to almost fourteen or so feet because I can't quite get all four beams to merge yet. Have to admit I'm feeling some deadline pressures.







Beam start at six feet diameter and has spread to cover, and beyond, seven foot garage door after just a little over a hundred thirty feet


----------



## grandchamp87

Can't wait to see this baby in action!


----------



## LightSward

I'm excited to eventually finish focusing and aligning this great big searchlight. Run into a few snags, a little behind drilling last few holes and attaching brackets because with the late sunsets here this time of year, it's difficult to not upset the drunken lushes that have slowly taken over our street. 








. I'm looking to move soon if I can, but for now I may have to install the high powered bulb and try to finish this without breaking the expensive multi-hundred dollar bulb and do the alignments and focusing during the day with the 4kwatt bulb Because the sun sets so late now. Not dark until 10 pm or after..

Click here to view the original image of 847x640px.



.
. I have a few more days, I may get this up and ready for the show. Don't want to delay this now because of a few inconsiderate neighbors. Most people around here tend to be very supportive still of this, I just don't want to rock the boat unnecessarily.




I'll get this thing up and running some day, no matter what!


----------



## LightSward

*Hopefully have this thing running by this weekend.*





110 volts terminal is of course twice the size as the 220 and 380 volt terminals. I made the change to reflect the fact that the power cord has been changed from 60 amp 110 volt to 30 amp 220 volt VAC.
*
What a huge difference in cost and physical size of wires and hardware by using a higher voltage!*





The monstrous 60 amp 125 volt plug versus the lighter, smaller 240 volt plug in foreground. Wire is much less expensive for the 220-240 volt system compared to the 110-125 volt type.

I have to build the lamp housing and focus assembly for a much wider range of focus planes, etc., x,y,z axis because of the still slightly unsolved alignment issues. I wasn't as precise in my locator tick marks and so have been bogged down with hole drilling and small planeier adjustments. The hostile drunks in the building next door, have made it nearly impossible to work on this much during this time of year. The Fall and Winter months are much better suited for work on the searchlight with their shorter days and earlier nightfall.


----------



## LightSward

Making progress. Trying to get this searchlight ready for the weekend light show up in Renton, WA. Hoping I can get this done in time.




*Installing the 380 to 200 volt auto-transformer and ballast system to output plug. Changed configuration of the switch over from 125 to 220 volt systems.*

Will have ground and two stingers ready for the output and have to build the ignition system in the searchlight head.



*
Close-up of some of the changes I made today.*

I'm building a double three axis focusing plate for the bulb against the back reflector and a a larger three axis focus and alignment system for the whole bulb and back reflector system to move. I have to do this as an alternative to a more rugged, less movable focus system because the late night starts make it difficult to do much work on this without upsetting the local outdoor drunks who've invaded our community as of late.


----------



## LightSward

Didn't have a chance to show off my light at the highly successful light show up in the Seattle are. Will hopefully have this thing up and running soon. I have disassembled the searchlight reflectors four quarters to work out this annoying alignment issue. 

I will be tackling the alignment issues with my four quarters by placing them precisely on the mold and identifying "tick" mark locations and making sure all possible spots and angles are measured to make assembling this great light a success.
*The temporary decommissioning of the searchlight made very easy with my homemade portable crane friend.*



*
Searchlight is raised with crane to a workable position to be removed from the arbor yoke system,*

This crane is great when I have to move the searchlight to different positions for hardware removal.

Click here to view the original image of 934x701px.



*
Here the light is lowered to loosen and remove hardware before returning light to an upright position for final dismantling.*

Readjustment of work situation with crane manipulations.



*
Raised again after arbor yoke system removed to separate quarters.*




*
Quarters are carefully removed from searchlight frame. I may build an entirely new system or renovate what is already there...? Will have to see what the alignment analysis brings up.*





*All done. This crane makes very difficult and potentially dangerous tasks, a cinch. So easy now to adjust things right where I need them when working on stuff. *
...(the bright light over and behind crane is the 100 watt HMI that used to power the original 24 inch LightSward and got some of the drunk neighbors in a tizzy...)

This searchlight is at the phase were I need to take careful time to do this correctly. I need to work on the ignitor situation.:thinking::laughing::twothumbs:sick2::naughty:


----------



## newdeathscope

Have you looked into using silver foil as the reflective surface? It would be a bit pricey for the square footage but as it is the most reflective surface used on scientific single surface mirrors I imagine that it would be far more effective then your current coating.


----------



## LightSward

newdeathscope said:


> Have you looked into using silver foil as the reflective surface? It would be a bit pricey for the square footage but as it is the most reflective surface used on scientific single surface mirrors I imagine that it would be far more effective then your current coating.



I may look into it, but am kind of stuck where I am until I see in front of my own eyes a substantially better product by a non sales man type person. I'm kind of broke right now, but do you know much about it's applications regarding concave surfaces. What is the attachment process, i.e., glue, self adhesive, ..?
. Many foils do well on *convex* surfaces but most fail on *concave* surfaces for two main reasons...: -1- Adhesives and foils tend to bunch and wrinkle on concave surfaces as the inward curve tends to force the upper layer, the reflective surface itself to push in on itself and distort. -2- At the same time the upper layer is forced together, the lower adhesive layer tends to be stretched and forms hollow cavities and air bubbles that grow over time and cause distortions. On convex items like exhaust pipes and many chrome desired items, the opposite happens, the adhesive layer adjust itself tightly around the item and the upper reflective layer binds tightly and wrinkle free and holds everything smoothly in place.

Because of the above mentioned issue, I tried an almost totally mirror like foil but had the same issue I mentioned above. The reason I settled on the reflective surface I use, is mainly the thinness of the coating lessons the negative results often associated with Concave surfaces. Low cost and reliability and ease of spot replacement and cover ups.

I have tried Copy Chrome, and other direct mirror products, but it looks like until I make a reflector out of solid or layered reflective layer of Aluminum I can then polish which I am seriously considering with a foundry of sorts...or find something, I may just stick with this inexpensive chrome look a like coating film I use now...for now. :thinking::sick2::sigh::naughty:


----------



## newdeathscope

I am sorry, only used scientific mirrors and seen the stuff for sale. My shot in the dark would be vacuum depositing on to the glass sub straight.


----------



## LightSward

*Have mounted the 4kwatt HMI 380,000 lumen bulb socket to it's arm and back reflector. *
The arm has multiple mount points and will have some adjust-ability to reference it's image directly onto the center of the light paths through the HMI bulb and onto the main reflector, to dramatically increase the light output.





Front view of the "Split Reflector" which is the 'back-half' of a searchlight. The majority of the light coming from the bulb is reflected off the main large parabolic reflector, but the otherwise wasted light from the back half of the bulb is reflected from a 'spherical back-reflector which focuses this otherwise wasted light "through" the arc area of the bulb making the bulb appear almost twice as bright to the main reflector and thus the main light beam..!
*
Here is a side view of the recently mounted socket for the 4 thousand watt HMI bulb.*




Am slowly making progress and hope to have this secretly fired up in the next few weeks, (so the local drunks don't get too irate.:laughing::thinking::sick2::green::naughty:.), after I figure out the precise alignment of the reflectors before attempting to join them again. You can see some of the art projects I work on simultaneously in the back ground, when I'm working on the searchlights. The two are a bit intertwined for me.


----------



## LightSward

newdeathscope said:


> I am sorry, only used scientific mirrors and seen the stuff for sale. My shot in the dark would be vacuum depositing on to the glass sub straight.



Now that you've mentioned it, I may take another look at it. I've been somewhat impressed with some surfaces, only to have them 'delaminate' in just enough places to essentially ruin the reflector. I have to more dedicate my production and 'justify' some of the tools I'd like to get involved. I'd like to look into micro profile machining for the best surface and then using a vacuum or other air or fluid involved process to place the reflective surface.

For a variety of reasons, I really need to re-locate out of this area to where I could aim and focus my light without hindrance. Taking lights as large as these to a remote area is an option but somewhat impractical than having a shop at the same location and essentially making modifications real time. A pick up truck or large van could help in these situations.:thinking::twothumbs


----------



## LightSward

Drilling alignment holes independent of the builder's tape holes.
*
Lining up and readying the reflector quarters for a first light show.*




:twothumbs
Making all attempts to keep this as simple as possible and have it back in a support frame, yoke, arbor, light fixture installed and wired with ignitor. All moving nicely but carefully. This is a great project to bring people together. Some may fall to the way side.


----------



## LightSward

I've redrawn several electrical diagrams for the whole layout. This isn't exactly an off the shelf project, and I'm mixing some slightly unconventional parts on a temporary basis such as the ignitor system. I don't have much budget left for this critical section and getting info is challenging, especially since there's not much to begin with. Often in this range a large wholesale purchase is needed and I don't want a hundred ignitors...maybe in a future production run. Also concern for safety, of course, but mainly high voltage leakage from the system, interfering with proper ionization and deciding which of the three high voltage sources will be the best.

I'm making alignment decisions that will impact the layout of the high voltage source, spark gap(s) and the control of each the high amperage 380 volt open 200 run and ignition timing sequence. This will definitely be a little on the "Hill Billy" side with a "rough" finish look and not all the components of a more finished product, but this should definitely have an awesome proof of concept result.:twothumbs Taking each step a little slower than I'd like partly to keep a couple neighbors happier. I can't control everything, but I'm doing the best with what I have to work with.

I hope to light this thing up around the 4th!


----------



## LightSward

Did some work on the main support frame by collapsing some pipe walls to lesson the gap between the quarter panels to help with alignment.





*
Reconfigured the socket to produce less shadow on the edge of part of the main reflector by cutting a hole in the back reflector instead.*.

I'm trying to balance the preferred horizontal burning position of the bulb and the keeping both electrodes visible to the main reflector as much as possible and then using the back reflector to bounce as much light back as possible.:naughty:


----------



## LightSward

This awesome 72 inch reflector has been resurrected..!



*
This is well aligned and I think I'll get a good beam out of this now. I just have to focus it and add the high wattage lighting assembly.*
:naughty::naughty:
All the components fit well and the focus mechanism shouldn't be that hard to build...finger crossed.

Getting closer to getting this searchlight to light up the heavens.:twothumbs


----------



## LightSward

*After a few modifications I think this thing is ready for the big bright 4000 watts HMI (4 times Xenon's efficiency) Super Bright Bulb..!. 
*

*I apologize, but one of my photo hosts has unreliable and unstable links, (Facebook based), and this caused a large amount of my photos to vanish over he last few days. Apologize, but with all the photos I posted I'm not able to update all them do to a variety reasons, mostly time. *

(Sneak Preview) Here is a quick look at the Searchlight when half finished, using only a 100watt HID bulb. Eventually I did Upgrade to a 1200 watt HMI with the help of the IgnITEor. 
*

*After making some minor adjustments and modifications in some key hardware components, I believe I have this just about aligned and ready for the 4 thousand watt HMI super bright bulb.




*Reflector has been aligned and only a few minor adjustments need to be made to get thins thing "shining"..!*



Bulb is aligned with the back reflector meaning the otherwise wasted light is reflected back through the arc chamber and onto the large primary reflector.




*
A few holes are drilled to let ambient heat and "gentle" air flow over the bulb to help keep an ideal operating environment.*


I'm working on the safety and operating circuits and figuring the best arrangement for the ignition section. Time to get this thing shining, perhaps by the fourth of July..! :thumbsup:


----------



## TEEJ

Wow, really nice work.



I bet having for the 4th would be sweet. 

Good luck!


----------



## LightSward

*615-5470* Federal Aviation Administration Control Tower


I have to call soon.







Nearby Airport I want to stay friendly with. One of the runway approaches is sort of near by all the Nike and Intel Corporate jets flying in use.


----------



## LightSward

*I apologize, but one of my photo hosts has unreliable and unstable links, (Facebook based), and this caused a large amount of my photos to vanish over he last few days. Apologize, but with all the photos I posted I'm not able to update all them do to a variety reasons, mostly time. *

(Sneak Preview) Here is a quick look at the Searchlight when half finished, using only a 100watt HID bulb. Eventually I did Upgrade to a 1200 watt HMI with the help of the IgnITEor.


TEEJ said:


> Wow, really nice work.
> 
> 
> 
> I bet having for the 4th would be sweet.
> 
> Yah that would be awesome.
> 
> Good luck!



*615-5470* Federal Aviation Administration Control Tower


Getting the Alpha version ready to decide what the production beta and delta versions will be geared towards as far as upgrades, large modifications, hardware, etc. 

*This should be one heck of a searchlight...hopefully around the fourth. Now mostly the wiring is the main thing.
*




Here you can see the lower two quarter reflector sections aiming the magnified light-bulb area towards us. If the light was on, even in the day time, it should look as if you're staring into the sun, look like direct sunlight for filming purposes on any wall nearby next to real sunlight...just for comparison purposes. Will bring many customers to businesses all over. Awesome what my salable beta and delta versions will be like..!.

*
A close-up of the two pin 4kwatt HMI socket. Back reflector is about 12 inches in diameter.*



*
Large two pin socket with large adjustment range for back split reflector adjustments.*


Should make a crowd drawing beam; visible for many miles. Out of the four reflector sections, each was a slight variational experiment, with two finishing well, smooth, etc, and one a bit orange peel textured, but interestingly, it reflects almost as well as the better two. The third was 'average' in for my homemade sequence.




I think this shows, HMI's can economically be used for long distance throw searchlights in an economical sense, so they aren't just used for the flood spots HMI's are mostly used for now a days in Hollywood. Advertisement lights are now economical and will actually work in today's competitive night-sky street light glare.

The HMI arc now happens to line up right at the focus spot, so I didn't bother building too much focus ability as I have determined using an intense LED pin point source, that when the HMI is installed it will be at the exact spot, plus or minus half an inch, it needs to be, so that's all the focus ability I needed to give it, plus a little extra, just in case..




The 1/4 inch nuts can be adjusted in a half inch window, plus other nearby hardware can be adjusted to move the bulb's arc area into a better position if needed. When working at this large of a scale of reflector, the focus spot is usually at the exact spot the hardware lines up at, and a few millimeters doesn't make much difference like it would on a much smaller, 'flashlight' sized searchlight were millimeters make a much bigger difference..
*
The searchlight Alpha version is moving along. I just had to take a step back during June and will get this running, assuming the wiring and a few other minor annoyances are worked out in a timely fashion.*



A little rough around the edges, but for an Alpha proof of concept, I think this will come out a "glittering success". I just have to get the wiring inside the ballast finished and figure a few unknowns out for sure; safety wise so I don't ruin some hard to replace items. A wooden 2 x 4 held at the focus 'instantly' burst into flames. I need to get this on video, but last sunny day I could do it, timing and camera battery charge were off.
:sick2:
Next few days I hope to fire this thing up, at least in a crude way, and some new neighbors moved into a home formerly occupied some very searchlight elderly couple who have to move into a retirement community closer to their children's home state, so I don't know if the new people will be able to handle any heart conditions as well as the ones who just left.:naughty:


----------



## likevvii

I CANT WAIT FOR THE BEAMSHOTS!!! It is going to be soooo amazing. Do you think you can get video too?


----------



## cullen.salisbury

Hey I live in pdx may by I will see your beacon lol nice job though for real !


----------



## cullen.salisbury

Also do you know of any places that sell olight or eagle tech in are area or any good places to flashlights in person


----------



## LightSward

likevvii said:


> I CANT WAIT FOR THE BEAMSHOTS!!! It is going to be soooo amazing. Do you think you can get video too?


:naughty:
I'm excited as well. Video may actually be possible at this brightness. I'm nervous; I hope the first set of breakers can handle the beast. I notice a slight 'surge' when the ballast is powered up with nothing on it, and if the 'switching sequence' isn't performed properly, it blows the breaker, with no bulb installed yet. This ballast has seen better days, (why I got it at such a bargain), and the magnetic core is probably 'magnetically aged' and isn't as efficient, and the coils look 'dark', again there may be nothing to worry about...lol. I hope I don't have to rewind this thing, but that was a chance I took when I bought it. Says it was supposed to not be 'dead on arrival'. You get two weeks to find out and that was back in February 2014.
*
Here's some of my terrific rewiring job converting this from 120 to 220 volt input, so I included an output of 120 volt plug for accessories. All the electrical tested great, checked out okay. This crane has really helped me lift this 200 pound beast up and down the work bench..*




Have done much, but still need to confirm and or recreate; start, strike, ignite, run, shut down, safety and Emergency shutdown circuits. So much for the nice neat perfect job of the originally modified and re-modified jobs from the seller of this beast.*I apologize, but one of my photo hosts has unreliable and unstable links, (Facebook based), and this caused a large amount of my photos to vanish over he last few days. Apologize, but with all the photos I posted I'm not able to update all them do to a variety reasons, mostly time. *

(Sneak Preview) Here is a quick look at the Searchlight when half finished, using only a 100watt HID bulb. Eventually I did Upgrade to a 1200 watt HMI with the help of the IgnITEor.
*
Got to love this re-wiring job I'm doing on a budget. Scarey this is when it all has to be done correctly. I'm hoping the contactor coil operates at 220 volts as I've determine the best I can due to the only tap used in the safety and control cuicuit was from the 220 volt part of the auto-transformer.*




There's as much juice going through this baby as a large home oven on; Broil / Bake. The orange 120 volt cord runs off the 110, 120, 130, 220 / 380 volt Auto-transformer for ignitor and accessories like small cooling fans, small portable low wattage lighting and such perhaps an old analog clock to act as a time keeper for bulb life log.


*This crane has been an awesome third hand able to lift this ballast and even heavier items.*




This inexpensive heavy lift crane is light weight and very portable, AND a total back saver. It's like having a super powerful third arm. This crane makes the 200 pound 4kw HMI ballast a breeze to lower and raise to the work bench and into/ out of the trunk of my car or back of a pick-up truck, van to show or job site. Some scrap electrical conduit, saw, drill, nuts and bolts with some hand cranked boat trailer pullers,; make a totally awesome tool. Can make it much taller for out side jobs with some re-engineering, etc....
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________

*cullen.salisbury* : Hey I live in pdx may by I will see your beacon lol nice job though for real !

*LightSward*



: *Totally, that may actually be possible given the proper atmospheric conditions.* *

cullen.salisbury:* Also do you know of any places that sell olight or eagle tech in are area or any good places to flashlights in person ?(added) 

*LightSward*



My apologies, I don't know of any local dealers.
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________

Hopefully I'll get this Awesome Searchlight going into the sky just after this weekend. Lots going on, so I had to lay low on the searchlight scene. Cheers.


----------



## LightSward

*Getting the fine details, the little wires, high voltage spark gap, Etc., all wired in with power boxes etc...*

The edges around the reflector's four sections, is not even because I was experimenting with many finishes and edges and had not made it a priority to get a perfect circumference on this first product run. This doesn't have any effect on the other parts.




Sun shines at focal point reflection.





*
Close up of horizontally oriented socket before wiring.*




Many different discussions on the best way to mount bulb...horizontally, manufacturer 'lightly recommends', but list it as a universal position burn. Sometimes because of the characteristics of the arc tube and electrodes, and a bunch of other reasons, I'm going for the horizontal burn position and will see what type of beam that produces.


Just the little details to get this Alpha baby into action..!




Some of this may be more than necessary. but since there's no instructions on homemade ignitors, etc., I'm taking a few extra precautions, not only to prevent shock, electrocution, but to prevent high voltage leakage out of the system, preventing bulb ignition.

Here is what I've got so far, but next day or two as I prepare to fire this thing up, I may make some changes...we'll see.




I used asbestos panels from an old electric heater to space the high voltage infused four thousand watt, 380 down to 200 volt main lamp run lines separated to insure high voltage delivery to the bulb.  There are no instructions with this baby...

Hope to have this running next day or two. Holidays, and keeping things cool with neighbors, slowed me down a bit, but now it's time..!:naughty:


----------



## LightSward

I'm inching closer to light beam night..! I have to take my time at this point as there is absolutely little to nothing but experience and some vague electrical diagrams to guide me at this stage of passing a temporary 20,000 volt "pulse" down a power line ready to deliver 380-200 volts at 4,000 watts, and get the high voltage to where it's needed, (the light-bulb arc chamber), before the high voltage leaks out or is inundated with the big high amperage cables. Drilling, cutting, soldering, grinding big holes for the high voltage wires and then have to change the design from some unforeseen minor issue that just stops everything. Just have to wire all this together and positively identify the contactor coil circuit so I don't have to build from scratch my own.
*
Electrical hookups taking a little longer because I'm very particular about things at this stage.*





Electrical hookups taking a little longer because I'm being very particular about things at this stage. I have lots of scrap supplies to help with, but my budget is zero plus or minus $10, so I'm taking a little longer to hook things up and get the contactor function squared away. This thing is just about all set to light. I need to fill in some gaps so "raw" light doesn't squirt out all over the place. Don't want to blind anyone with a 60 inch WWII GE or Sperry searchlight type brightness.


----------



## LightSward

Well it's come down to just a few more wires and a single switch...I hope, to fire this thing up. 
Had to reroute to a bigger 50 amp 220 volt breaker. The ballast itself, even without a bulb in it, can trip the breaker, just by the magnetic core being "juiced" up...like when the old school TV's were turned on and you could sometimes see the lights flicker as the big old transformers in them powered up.
*
Used these cut common wire terminals to join several wires together.*




Hopefully no one will turn on the broiler when this thing is on, I hate to see the breaker trip in the middle of a light show...lol.

*I apologize, but one of my photo hosts has unreliable and unstable links, (Facebook based), and this caused a large amount of my photos to vanish over he last few days. Apologize, but with all the photos I posted I'm not able to update all them do to a variety reasons, mostly time. *

(Sneak Preview) Here is a quick look at the Searchlight when half finished, using only a 100watt HID bulb. Eventually I did Upgrade to a 1200 watt HMI with the help of the IgnITEor.

Trying to get several wires safely into a slot meant for one is using a little trick I noticed manufacturers use and learned on the job from an electrician. Not always recommended, but passed safety and fire inspections, just not the best practice. Sometimes there's just no real practical option. Never had a a problem. Even the big ballast I'm using did this inside.




You can pinch roll several wires in strips of sheet metal to get several wires into slot meant for one. Learned this from several manufacturers and other product lines.


The neatly rearranged circuit box. Yes I used to be a working electrician back in the day. I can do much better when economy is better for me.




*
Everything in place, no tripping breakers now.*

I'm at this critical phase with essentially no more money, so I'm doing everything slow and carefully. Don't want any electrical issues at this kind of power. Essentially, in terms of brightness, and even a bit in the power realm, this will be a lot like powering up one of those big old majestic WWII 60 inch carbon arc searchlights of similar lumen output. (380,000 lumen for mine vs., 425,000 lumen in peak performance for 60 inch searchlight.:naughty:


----------



## TEEJ

Its nice to see you're inching towards the culmination (Fulmination?) of your dream.


----------



## LightSward

TEEJ said:


> Its nice to see you're inching towards the culmination (Fulmination?) of your dream.



Thanks. I hope it fires up the first time I try Wednesday night.

Here is an image of the air vent streaming a gentle breeze towards the bulb's socket and wiring along with just the right amount of air flow, ambiently around the bulb...per manufacturer's recommendations.




*Vent and high tension style of last few feet of wire to the 4kwatt HMI socket.
*
Here you can see the light bulb wires; strung high-tension style, and the cooling air vent port from one of the quarter reflector panel section joints with big spaces for adjusting the panels. Now I know.


Spark Gap for 20kvolt ignition integration into power supply.



*
The inside of the spark gap plastic tube high voltage coupler. This is at the heart of the next photo.
*Low budget "Jury Rigged" stuff. Will be much more "Beta", style in the production model. I'll buy a hundred ignitors. 
Plastic pipe, spark gap ignition coupler with hole drilled to act as spark monitoring view-port. I strung the wires from this point to light bulb, high tension style using asbestos cardboard plates from an electric heater, to minimize the high voltage loss into the equipment "environment" and not succeed in arc ignition.


Here is just one of several junction boxes





High Amperage, 380 - 200 sliding voltage from auto-transformer, main wire coupling, junction box.


----------



## LightSward

*Well, the day and night we've all been waiting for has finally arrived..!*
First night time beam shot test sequence for the World's Biggest Single Bulb Searchlight, with models including the Brightest on this planet..!





This one just looked good with all the different colors. 
Searchlight beam competing with an overhead, very bright, sodium vapor streetlight.






Cool shot of the beam slicing overhead.












Beam as seen passing overhead from a block away.





*I apologize, but one of my photo hosts has unreliable and unstable links, (Facebook based), and this caused a large amount of my photos to vanish over he last few days. Apologize, but with all the photos I posted I'm not able to update all them do to a variety reasons, mostly time. *

(Sneak Preview) Here is a quick look at the Searchlight when half finished, using only a 100watt HID bulb. Eventually I did Upgrade to a 1200 watt HMI with the help of the IgnITEor.
Picture of the beam shining away from the searchlight.







A view of the beam pointed away from camera. Searchlight is about a block away from camera. When I tried to go anywhere further, too many people started to arrive, having seen it over three miles away.



In the lower right corner, searchlight is visible and the side wash light is seen lighting up all the buildings much more than the street lights ever do.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10202348582411068&saved


My introduction for the local news covering this story for the searchlight...lol...I crack myself up sometimes...lol...just did it again...lol...can't stop now...lol....repeat...




Daytime. 1st test ever. Everything works great. Lightbulb fired up just fine.





You can see the cycle bars from the bright strobing of the 4kwatt HMI hi-teck, high efficiency small arc bulb.





More strobe bars from the back light shining on the house siding...looks like daylight.






You can see the horizontal position of the bulb projected onto the tree, and see the a strobe bar on top and bottom of bright image.





A distance shot, not directly in the beam, can't see anything bright intense brightness if I was in the beam itself.






A zoom shot of the searchlight seen from below beam in day time.






A comparison of beam on garage door to right to the direct sun on others. See other garage door photo for no beam light.







No beam light on garage door to right for comparison.


----------



## LeukTech

Nicely done, congrats! :twothumbs :twothumbs

Crazy that people could see it over 3 miles away!! And love the fact it drew enough attention for people to drive over to check it out, that is a huge compliment to your work right there!

Now just make a cut out of the following picture, place it in front of the giant reflector, and you will be set!


----------



## cullen.salisbury

Looking good !


Sent from my iPad using Candlepowerforums


----------



## MRsDNF

Amazing effort. I'm sitting here with a smile on my face. I bet its not as big as your smile though. Is there any fine tuning to do or is that it for now?


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## LightSward

LeukTech said:


> Nicely done, congrats! :twothumbs :twothumbs
> 
> Crazy that people could see it over 3 miles away!! And love the fact it drew enough attention for people to drive over to check it out, that is a huge compliment to your work right there!
> 
> Now just make a cut out of the following picture, place it in front of the giant reflector, and you will be set!



Awesome you should leave this message...just about everyone that came by, offered similar advice.  :naughty::twothumbs 

I would like to have operated the light much longer, and hard on the bulb, but lit up whole neighborhood like a football field light just from slight light leakage and when tried aiming into garage, felt like an oven on broil. (Of course this type of bulb is meant to be operated much longer; time wise than the fifteen minute operation I'm comfortable operating it, this time of year, mainly the late time of night it finally get's dark here. Winter brings much longer hours of operation for a bunch of reasons.)

It's finally done. I'll make adjustments over time to narrow the beam a bit, but the look as it is is very inviting. I have a brighter but slightly fatter beam the way it's set now, but I can rotate bulb for a narrower beam on the focus axis but because of the characteristics of this particular bulbs arc points, the beam won't be quite as bright. Toss up on performance, but due to intense heat, etc, this unit won't be as easy to focus as the lower wattage units until I build a newer type unit. (The large size of reflector is needed just from the intense heat of the bulb. I have some ideas for the higher wattage ones.)


----------



## LightSward

MRsDNF said:


> Amazing effort. I'm sitting here with a smile on my face. I bet its not as big as your smile though. Is there any fine tuning to do or is that it for now?



Some fine tuning, but: Just the slight light leakage from the searchlight, lights the whole neighborhood like it's sunrise, and my money flow is zero, so I have to wait until my budget resumes for other than some crude focusing. Hopefully I'll be able to keep the momentum of this going and make it a salable item in short notice. The beam shots will be awesome from what people showed me on their cell phones, but I don't know if anyone of them will find their way here with all the commotion, hard to tell if they will find this site..?

I have two, possibly three main different design streaks I want to take this down.

I look forward to some great beam shots, I'll have to see if I can get something arranged soon, otherwise just wait until the nights are long again when it will be much more practical to get some amazing beam shots and even wait until three in the morning when no one is out.


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## LightSward

LightSward said:


> Some fine tuning, but: Just the slight light leakage from the searchlight, lights the whole neighborhood like it's sunrise, and my money flow is zero, so I have to wait until my budget resumes for other than some crude focusing. Hopefully I'll be able to keep the momentum of this going and make it a salable item in short notice. The beam shots will be awesome from what people showed me on their cell phones, but I don't know if anyone of them will find their way here with all the commotion, hard to tell if they will find this site..?
> 
> I have two, possibly three main different design streaks I want to take this down.
> here is the basic mandrel for spinning metal reflectors. Can use English wheels too.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I look forward to some great beam shots, I'll have to see if I can get something arranged soon, otherwise just wait until the nights are long again when it will be much more practical to get some amazing beam shots and even wait until three in the morning when no one is out.



I plan to keep doing as much as I can. Here is a look at what I'm working on now as well. 




Possibly my next generation of reflectors. We'll see.

Basic Parabolic shape pounded into a flat round piece of sheet metal. I did this with 'just built' equipment, for Blandishing. This may be the next generation of searchlight reflectors. I may try 'spinning" some too.

Here is my spinning photo. Sorry for all the mix ups











Just pounded this out after just a hundred or so hammer blows.








Just pounded this out into a parabolic shape. Actually produces an upside down image of a candle flame held at focus point.


Checking out the candle reflection




Candle flame reflection off crude parabolic reflector. Does magnify and project a nice beam onto nearby wall. Upside down image of flame is fairly clear.

This is just a shot at what I may do in the future, possibly experiment using metal in many of my future and current searchlight designs.. 

For now I'll make this progress into an awesome beta and delta mode searchlight. :candle:


----------



## d-smes

LightSward said:


> Spark Gap for 20kvolt ignition integration into power supply.
> 
> 
> 
> *
> The inside of the spark gap plastic tube high voltage coupler. This is at the heart of the next photo.
> *Low budget "Jury Rigged" stuff. Will be much more "Beta", style in the production model. I'll buy a hundred ignitors.
> Plastic pipe, spark gap ignition coupler with hole drilled to act as spark monitoring view-port.



Awesome project!!! Very creative engineering here. I do hope it pans out for you in terms of light-rm-up gigs and commercial interest.

Question on the ignition system- What did you use as the high voltage source? I trust after the bulb arcs, you shut off the ignitor? Or does it need to run until bulb arc is sufficiently hot enough to self sustain?


----------



## LightSward

d-smes said:


> Awesome project!!! Very creative engineering here. I do hope it pans out for you in terms of light-rm-up gigs and commercial interest.
> 
> Question on the ignition system- What did you use as the high voltage source? I trust after the bulb arcs, you shut off the ignitor? Or does it need to run until bulb arc is sufficiently hot enough to self sustain?



Good question. The ignition sequence has been a bit of a mystery. (Three ignition sources.: -1- 20,000 volt boiler ignition transformer, makes a great "Jacobs Ladder" spark, -2- a totally homemade 500,000 volt Tesla coil, -3- finally the transformer / ballast occasionally makes it's own high voltage spike and ignites the bulb about 10% of the time without any ignitor. Other times my built in boiler ignitor does the trick, but mostly I have to hold the Tesla Coil top up to the side of the bulb and get the ionization happening while the 380-200 auto-transformer does it's thing. All of a sudden a beautiful dim glow starts up and just sits there for a few seconds, and then just brightens up in a real hurry..!

I just use a door bell button for 120 vac and power the 20,000 volt oil burner ignitor through it and then flip on the ballast power at the same time I drop the arc gap ignition.













*I apologize, but one of my photo hosts has unreliable and unstable links, (Facebook based), and this caused a large amount of my photos to vanish over he last few days. Apologize, but with all the photos I posted I'm not able to update all them do to a variety reasons, mostly time. *

(Sneak Preview) Here is a quick look at the Searchlight when half finished, using only a 100watt HID bulb. Eventually I did Upgrade to a 1200 watt HMI with the help of the IgnITEor.
The very first time I ever ran the bulb was after months of high voltage test but no running current. Eventually the bulb found it's way into the socket on the searchlight for the very first test ever. I activated the the main ballast with NO IGNITOR and bulb just roared to life in just 30 seconds bulb appears full brightness.

This light is awesome!!! I can see this thing for many miles further than any of my other great lights. This thing is visible easily for six miles or more, just the beam on a night that doesn't make the beam very visible, it still shines brightly. Can't wait to see it on the clouds. Makes a regular flashlight type beam, (kind of wide like some of the twentieth Century logo lights look like). I'll get some great beam shots posted next few days.

No continuing ignition is needed once the beautiful blue glow starts and brightens for a few seconds, then bulb seems to do nothing for about ten seconds and then fully brightens the next fifteen to twenty seconds. I hit the ignition button and Tesla coil on it after ignition but seems to have absolutely no effect once the bulb starts.

I'll get some better beam shots but here's a few from a few blocks away I downloaded already.
















*You can really see the difference having roughly four times the light output, really makes the beam much, much more visible. **At least t**wenty five cars and trucks **fully loaded with people **pulled in during the half hour I ran this.*




Hard to tell but the upper dim beam is from my awesome Nighthawk 1,200 watt HMI at 100,000 lumen. The brighter beam is the "World's Biggest Searchlight" at 72" diameter and at 4,000 watts HMI makes 380,000 lumen.

*
A few blocks away and this is how it looked.*




Hard to tell but the dim beam to our right of the bright visible beam is from my awesome Nighthawk 1,200 watt HMI at 100,000 lumen. The brighter beam is the "World's Biggest Searchlight" at 72" diameter and at 4,000 watts HMI makes 380,000 lumen.

*
I'll get some better shots, but this is how it looked a half mile and more away. The brighter beam was easily seen in the sky for miles and miles. I couldn't drive all the way out from light, as many people were converging on my condominium.*




The dim beam to our right of the bright visible beam is from my awesome Nighthawk 1,200 watt HMI at 100,000 lumen. The brighter beam is the "World's Biggest Searchlight" at 72" diameter and at 4,000 watts HMI makes 380,000 lumen.


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## LightSward

Just to let you all know, here is a link: 

*https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bd6g...ature=youtu.be*
 
Here is a link to the recent photo shoot of the Biggest Modern Era Searchlight. (Beam is very bright to the eye, but this time of year hardest to photograph, thus limiting the quality of the images taken at distances of a mile or more, where beam was still very visible to the naked eye, but was excessively grainy to the cameras we had available.)






*This view is taken about two miles off side to searchlight. Beam was bright, but this low humidity, clear air time of year makes the camera have a hard time getting the image.* 
There are actually two beams; one of my older 30 inch Nighthawk which is normally quite visible here, but again the low humidity clear air this time of year makes filming the beams more difficult. Very visible to the eye. You can see the two beams with the eye, and in the cooler Fall, Winter and Spring months with higher humidity here allows for very bright beams.


Bright to the eye for many miles distance, but hard to see with camera. 







*
Taken about a mile from the searchlight.*

Some options are to make this light as one solid unit at: 4,000 watts HMI, (four times efficient as Xenon searchlights), 380,000 lumen, 72 inches diameter, or four, (4), individual, 1,200 watt 98,000 lumen, 30 inch diameter, (glass front very inexpensive), searchlights mounted on a frame acting as one big light, and /or each searchlight could act independently resulting in four individual beams.


Late Fall through Late Spring is best time of year for beam visibility to a camera like I have, (and naked eye).

Lord of Lights, (World's Biggest) Searchlight Promo:
*https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bd6ghEpTDxo&feature=youtu.be*




​Lord of Lights, (World's Biggest) Searchlight PromoView on *youtu.be*Preview by Yahoo​
.
Lord of Lights, (World's Biggest) Searchlight Promo
Lord of Lights, (World's Biggest) Searchlight PromoView on *youtu.be*Preview by Yahoo​


----------



## LightSward

I think I figured out a switching mechanism, that didn't cost so much money, that will allow the 20,000 both ignition transformer to ignite the bul. Fingers crossed.


----------



## MRsDNF

Thanks for the video. Orsm effort.


----------



## LightSward

MRsDNF said:


> Thanks for the video. Orsm effort.



Thanks.

I hope to get better beam shots when our atmospheric conditions start to resemble the normal qualities found during most of the year here, perhaps near the end of Summer, early Fall...still this video came out well.

I'm moving forward with this by working on the ignition system, making the assembly and dis-assembly of the reflector quarters, barrel, lens, arbor, yoke stand, much quicker and easier. I'll be painting the reflector back side(s) for cosmetic purposes and adding a fan forced cooled, (safety thermostat optional), plastic front lens for inclement weather operation. I'll add a panning mechanism as I strengthen and advance the stand and arbor, yoke system.


----------



## LightSward

I have some great plans for this light. Found out recently that the lack of work I've been getting, which slowed things down at my searchlight factory, was largely due to a hospitalization, that I still don't have all the details about, about my income source company owner's hospitalization incident, but this man is quite quiet about such things. Hopefully I can get things moving a little faster after I get some budget improvements.

Slowly getting back to work on the Giant Searchlight, now that the end of this "heat wave" is in sight. Our weather is supposed to go back to "perfect" for a while, starting tomorrow. View of the recent "giant moon" event this past weekend, along with the annual *Perseid* meteor shower




I'd love to split this view up with my awesome looking searchlight beam, but I'll be nice for a few more nights...lol. 

*I apologize, but one of my photo hosts has unreliable and unstable links, (Facebook based), and this caused a large amount of my photos to vanish over he last few days. Apologize, but with all the photos I posted I'm not able to update all them do to a variety reasons, mostly time. 
(Sneak Preview) Here is a quick look at the Searchlight when half finished, using only a 100watt HID bulb. Eventually I did Upgrade to a 1200 watt HMI with the help of the IgnITEor.
The high voltage ignition system is a little foreign to me, such as black items can remove high voltage current like a conductor...etc., grounding an otherwise ungrounded circuit and causing no high voltage to reach the light-bulb arc chamber, unless absolute care is taken. There's probably some batch of circuits that are way easier, but I have to investigate further.*




I'm getting a better ignition system installed that should temporarily be a big improvement from what I've been using. I'll buy in bulk, real ignitors, and won't have to go through this "Jury Rigging" in the future.
:thinking:

Much Traffic shows up, during searchlight operation, and these people see the stop signs much better than the people who live here. Sometimes while testing the searchlight, even in the day, I might shine the searchlight on one of the ignored stop signs when I noticed a driver known for stop sign running came through. Helped get their attention. 

So during the last few years, people say they don't see the stop signs very well in our neighborhood, so I was hired to paint the word "STOP", directly on the pavement, with big stop lines and double yellow lines for first thirty feet or so from stop line, in situations where costs would be prohibited if I didn't just do this. Normally it seems, the only people aware of the Stop signs, seem to be the crowd driving in their cars, coming to see my searchlight beam, they were very well behaved, much better than some of the people who live here. This is actually the third time of painted these intersections, time, the elements, and some asphalt re-coatings, all caused fading over the years, which brings me to this point. These stop lines actually help the traffic flow for everyone all the time and has been done well, while I worked on the searchlight.
*
One intersection is double STOP worded and lined, while this one is a "single". I'm always concerned about traffic when ever I fire up one of these searchlights..*




*Here it is.* 

*
It's hot..!*

My working umbrella needs a new support stand, better suited for commercial ventures,so I was pounded by the heat and took shade across the street in the nice cool woods. This Heat Wave's heat today, reminds me of how much infrared and convective heat the 4,000 watt HMI light generates, even though it's one of the most efficient forms of light on earth. Amazing what it feels like anywhere near this bulb operating. The beam itself is very warm for quite some distance. The 1,200 watt HMI doesn't act much like this, but the 1,000 halogen bulb does generate a fair amount of heat, since it's only 1/3 as efficient.

The 4,000 watt HMI at 380,000 lumen seems six times brighter or more to the naked eye than the 1,200 watt HMI 100,000 lumen, (98,000). In fact in this clear air, I could hardly see 1,200 watt HMI NightHawk a mile away, when normally it's very visible at four miles or more. The 4,000 watt HMI Lord of Lights, (World's Biggest), was very visible for many miles, while I couldn't see the normally very visible other light. During the time of year,, searchlights seem much more visible, I might be able to see the Lord of Lights ten miles or more, as the NightHawk could sometimes be easily seen that far.:thumbsup:



*
I appreciate the cooler weather whenever we get one of these Heat Waves... I grew up in the desert southwest, but wasn't bothered much as a youth, but now I can handle it well for maybe a week at most.*


----------



## LightSward

Exciting. I added a none breaker switch and added high voltage guards to separate the 200vac-380 auto circuit from the 20,000 volt ignition to bulb system. Works! still a little fussy, but pretty sure now...I'll still maybe keep a Tesla coil handy just in case. I'll post some pics., videos soon of the progress.:thumbsup:


----------



## LightSward

Just a couple videos to help see what I've been doing to the 72 inch Lord of Lights.: Sorry had the link settings set wrong..!! May still have some issues. Apologies.

*https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10202543922934459&set=vb.1087492680&type=2&theater
**
https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10202543911774180&set=vb.1087492680&type=2&theater*
*
https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10202543657207816&set=vb.1087492680&type=2&theater*

Fall, with it's long nights is upon us. Lots of time and good skies to capture beam shots...!:thumbsup:


----------



## LightSward

I'm starting with the 24 inch LightSward reflector redesigned and turned from a solid steel, and eventually aluminum, and eventually the World's biggest searchlight. I was supposed to have started an architectural drafting position doing a large project, but all got sidelined when the president and main contact person was hospitalized, derailing the progress of this Big Lord of Lights project. Hopefully in the months to come I'll be able to scrape some money together and resume work on this. For now, just some experimenting on the 24 inch LightSward and the 30 inch NightHawk.

Here is the starting phase of the mandrel for spinning the metal reflector. Much like a potters wheel for clay pottery, I am now spinning the reflectors and will see how this turns out.






Hopefully in a few days this will be mounted on the homemade spinning lathe.


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## LightSward

Making good progress in my quest for metal reflectors. Here you can see the mandrel ready for final shaping and spinning mechanism readying for a short production run of 24 inch LIGHTSWARD reflectors.*

*

*
https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10202761724419360*


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## LightSward

Eventually I'll spin my reflectors out of metal...set up a factory for these giant searchlights. For now I'll perfect it with these smaller ones. For now a little closer, these next few days, (I'm down for a couple due to surgery), but almost ready to spin my 24 inch reflectors out of metal. Here is the nearly finished mandrel, photos and a video.

After a couple more test and finishes I'll install the flat metal disc to be "spun" into a nice reflector. 






Just about finished with the mandrel profile for the metal spinning made reflector.










Wood treatment and final profile


Try this video of the above spinner.:*https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10202782673703079&set=vb.1087492680&type=2&theater*


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## LightSward

Results on this first real attempt for making a 24 inch reflector from sheet metal came out about what I predicted. Learned much...first of all use hard, stron wood or steel for mandrel...the soft particle board type ply I used disintegrated during shaping and caused a pitting to occur. Still I was impressed with the overall concept proving this test showed me. Now I just have to raise capital for real tooling...lol.





Looks nice and smooth, while spinning 800 RPM. The final finished product will be quite impressive.


Using primitive tools, I was able to cut this just about perfectly and centered it without much vibration during high speed operation. I used a foot pedal to control the lathe motor, (an inexpensive drill...very impressive how much power that thing delivered.)




Piece of flat 26 inch diameter sheet metal blank ready for being spun into a 24 inch reflector.

Not too pretty when viewed after slight disintegration form my shaping tools I made from Re-Bar pieces. I polished the ends into a "Cobra Head" shape, but I had to apply so much pressure, I accidentally cut and mangled the reflector at the end of the spinning. Still I learned so much from this. Now I just need another shop location,...my neighbors ran out of patience with me and now even just drilling a single small hole into some wood, just drives them crazy. Sigh.





Mandrel was made of not so strong particle board and liquid wood fixer upper, so it slightly disintegrated during the spinning, which caused all these little deformations in the metal. Surprisingly...Works well reflecting the light into a fairly tight beam..:shrug:


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## LightSward

:thumbsup: I'm able to spin highly accurate reflectors after a few practice runs, but: 
-- I need to be quieter in my shop; so for now my searchlight activities are now severely limited until I can find a new place. The drunk neighbor is bothered by sand paper sounds. I make too much noise for this area. I'm on notice...after living here twelve years, never had problems until this drunk moved in. Sigh. It's understandable the drunk who builds bonfires:thumbsdow in the condominium driveway wants to do so in quiet darkness...lol.


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## LightSward

Well, I have a few dollars to spruce this thing up for some public displays. I'll be adding a barrel and perhaps a lens system for rain protection. I' almost finished with the new base system, mainly for lowering the searchlight closer to the ground level to make transportation and handling easier and providing a more stable platform in case of strong winds.
*
The searchlight is getting a makeover, ready for some shows. Starting with a new base to help sturdy things.*





The bottom of the searchlight will be three wheels and two stabilizing rods to keep the searchlight steady in most weather conditions. The four small upright wheels will support a rotating platform the searchlight will be attached to. The color will be perhaps this cranberry color that sold out already, and some white and blue pin striping.
*

Here is a quick look at tools and near completion of the new searchlight panning platform foundation. Should be a little more steady.
*




Tools out and ready. A little paint running on a few spots when I had to move platform when it started to drizzle.


I have some different washer and sleeve combinations I'll experiment with to get the smoothest and stabilize rotation of the searchlight itself if all this works out reasonably well.






3/4 inch bolt and a set of washers, rings, shafts and placement holders will help keep searchlight aligned during movement.


Should look good with this new platform and a barrel and subsequent raising of the light output efficiency as I'll be able to unmask more of the light bulb and make the beam about 15% brighter and slightly thinner with some alignment of the four reflector quarter panels.


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## LightSward

*Making some progress.*
I apologize, my once trusty photobuckets are giving crummy quality images and services. I am doing my best to salvage as much of this as I can.



 








Here you can see the turntable, with four tracking wheels underneath and large sleeve bearing in middle with large steel support brackets for lateral forces should hold the yoke steady.



*
A closer look at this turntable for the searchlight.* 




Close up of the steel lateral force brackets integrated with the sideways, forward and back forces common with searchlight manipulations. You can see the top of the 3/4 inch diameter bolt used as the inner section of a sleeved and back side washer bearing. I hope to have the searchlight mounted tomorrow and begin the construction of the "barrel". Light works awesomely, but have to make it look like what people expect to see...lol.


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## LightSward

Added those searchlight support arms and then mounted the searchlight again...Yeah..!
*
Assembling the basic searchlight components.*





Just mounted the arms to the panning base platter...awaiting the searchlight to be installed using portable '"lifting crane".

*

Crane is great. I could not do so many things without this indispensable tool...like a big, silent, strong, helping hand.



*
This portable crane is a back saver. It's literally like having a super strong extra helping hand. Here I have the searchlight lifted and will simply slide it and the searchlight base together to install searchlight.*



Different color ideas, leftover paint**, **finally decided on Cranberry red with blue and white "pin striping" to be added when cranberry red painting and searchlight component assembly is finished**.




*Searchlight installed. originally I was experimenting with different colors, yellow, blue, now "cranberry" red. I'll add Blue pin striping to balance the two main gang colors I may run into in Detroit...lol.*


Nice frontal view showing what will be a better looking searchlight next few days as the "barrel" is added for light protection and a "finished look".
*





A yes...this will light the way to some positive changes ...coming to a city near you...lol.

*
Things will look much more professional in the next week or so while searchlight is prepared for "SHOWTIME"!*





Here's a nice profile shot, showing some of the electronic start and control equipment.. The uneven searchlight rim was a result of experimenting with different finish parameters and different ideas of how I was going to connect the four quarter sections. 
. > The "barrel" I'm about to build and install will even this out and give a more attractive look and make the searchlight look more like a "searchlight". Won't really change it's beam, although I will adjust the back reflector to allow more light onto the primary since the barrel will now protect people's eyes from the blinding raw light from the bulb.

At this point the searchlight is not being finished as a dissasemblable unit, but as a whole single unit. I would have manufactured it as a single unit and maybe cut int into four quarters but i had to make it this way because of severely limited space. My quiet neighborhood has become restless at all my noise. I can't wait to find another place, shop, business location or a whole new home where it will be quiet when I want it to be, but i can somehow make lots of noise at three in the morning when I feel like working on stuff...LOL..".:thinking::twothumbs:naughty:


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## LightSward

*Here is a back up Tesla coil ignition device for the searchlight. This Tesla coil in of itself is a light show with over one foot or longer electric sparks.
*




This new, Tesla coil uses an old school design, producing anywhere from a quarter to half million volts of electricity at 250 MHZ frequency...sparks over a foot long. This one is built to last using mechanical spark gap and fan and neon transformer to power the primary coil with five 'tuned' windings. The new electronic Tesla coils have to have their solid state MOSFETs replaced often.! The other electronic and homemade Tesla coils were only about 75,000 to 150,000 volts, with less than six inch sparks. 

*
Some of the following images show the stunning lightning display.*




With out the lightning rod.


With a lightning rod but no hand wand...(even though you don't 'feel' these high frequency sparks at RF wavelengths, they can still be potentially harmful to nerves and blood vessels without feeling the damage.).




Here the Toroid has a lightning rod added to draw a more concentrated spark. Other methods are flat shaped Toroids, etc., and other properties of the current can be changed.:naughty:

A little over the top, but I wanted to be sure to ignite the searchlight during the show without ignitor issues. A light show for sure....(just have to keep anyone with a pace maker, insulin pump, etc, away along with computer stuff. My personal experience is there is an occasional glitch in any nearby computer or printer, so I isolate the lines as best I can and clear the area...out door use mainly, or large rooms...yeah sure). Many engineering or science based fraternities have these inside during parties but people can be potentially harmful to themselves when they party too much.:thinking: As I showed earlier, I have built a homemade one, but I can't completely rely on the lower voltage to ignite the bulb under the current conditions until I have more developmental money to throw at this.


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## LightSward

Working on the final "barrel design", and making adjustments to the searchlight bulb orientation and focus-ability.
Here are some really cool photos of my Tesla coil making lightening bolts a foot and a half long.

Just by having this nice big Tesla coil, i can be sure I'll be easily igniting my searchlight during this time I'm figuring out just how I'm going to get affordable ignitors for the production run of this searchlight.

I took some photos of the Tesla Coil in front of a Grand Canyon Painting I'm still finishing, now with electronic lightening. This is a light show of itself. Now I can feel confident I can ignite the searchlight.




Here the Toroid is open top with no lightening rod. 
The Toroid, (the doughnut shaped metal object on top), can be changed in various ways, creating different type lightening. Adding miniature lighting rods creates the concentrated long bolts, where just the doughnut shaped toroid creates more random bolts like these.










Kind of hard to see it in bright light, but here's a photo anyway.




Hypnotic just watching the sparks. Feel like a little kid playing with a science fair project, that I actually like.


*
Voltage for budget people, can be measured in this range by measuring the length of the spark. Yes that is a small bolt of lightening traveling 12 to 14 inches up the side of the yard stick. As yardstick chars, the carbon ash conduct electricity much more easily. At high voltage, anything dark colored, tends to conduct electricity, even plastic.*




As you probably already know, a low budget method of approximating voltage in the tens of thousand plus range is to measure the length of the spark...

*
Just having a little fun with the Tesla coil, before I wrap it up for the light show.*





Didn't want to risk staying too close to the lightening to get a clear shot, ...bolts were making the camera take pictures at random when I approached too closely..

For my Video, see if this link works:
https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10203064552829881&set=vb.1087492680&type=2&theater


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## LightSward

Don't know if anyone has been paying attention to some of these neaw searchlight companies like NASA and a few others that make ridiculous Candle Power claims..?..! NASA Searchlights make some of the most outrageous claims that some of their lights make 2.8 Billion C.P. or more...!...all on 2,000 watts...! Total B.S. :toilet:
*
Both pictures of one of my older 1,200 watt lights to the right in both photos, with halogen 1,000 watt to left in first photo. Nice focused beam is a tank light with 2,000 watt Xenon to left in second photo, with an incandescent 1,000 watt bulb, another 1,200 watt HMI but with total parabolic reflector at only 7 inch diameter and then my 1,200 HMI with 'efficient' reflector.*








The reason I bring this up is Lumen and Candlepower. Lumen being basically light output from source such as my 380,000 lumen 4kw HMI bulb I currently use, and Candle Power largely being how well collimated those lumen photons get aligned. Several companies claim their 250,000 lumen 2 kwt modified HMI produces 3 billion, (that's right 3 BILLION they claim), something for nothing. I realize my present reflector still needs work, but the beam is "efficient" and bright for the wattage, because the lumen output from the bulb is largely placed in the beam. Candle Power rating is high but could be much higher when perfected in due time. My gripe is NASA searchlight, among other things clams their searchlights which can be plugged into a regular wall outlet far outperform any of the old 60 inch GE or Sperry or 24 inch tank lights searchlights by a factor of 5 or more, yet their resulting beam isn't impressive at all. In fact they have to point the searchlight near horizon, and it's only as the beam passes directly overhead do you really even see it, unless it shines on nearby trees or buildings too. They have the larger one, (refurbished 60 inch lights, gutted with three of their lights instead), and it's dim. It uses, (as they show in video), hardly any power, thin wires etc. Wow, amazing how they get supposedly so much light out of a small amount of power, yet they claim new technology from the '60's with a small 30 percent increase in light but they parade it like it's way out of this world. Like I said, the results are ho hum for what they claim in Candle power.

My searchlight has been booked and ready to go to a big event in Detroit, planned for December 3rd, 2014. This event will be downtown between the river front and the GM and other high rises downtown.:twothumbs Investors have paid for an elaborate antenna system installed on top of these buildings to beam internet signals to the impoverished neighborhoods in Detroit.  Half the people in Detroit don NOT have internet access at all, even cell phone coverage is spotty. :sick2: The signals beamed from the highrise buildings downtown will be a high speed internet link that will be transmitted to various "Safe Centers of Hope, eventually numbering in the hundreds, throughout the city. During the day and night, various 'gala' events are to be held, the best WAS going to be when the Mayor of Detroit turned on the light of hope, (instead of the ribbon cutting), he'd throw a switch and my searchlight would come on, along with many others I was bringing. He mentioned the competition. Politely reminded him on the physics of light beams shining in the night sky. The competition uses stretched figures, because according to them a pocket laser pointer is billions of candle power where as my big ole' searchlight is only one 250,000,000, (250 million), candle power. Yes my beam spreads a little faster than a laser, and if it was tighter I could claim up to 800,000,000, (800 million), like the WWII 60 inch lights, mine can still be seen for many more miles. Those ads are full on misleading lies.:candle: In a few days, I'll post some of their garbage so you can make up your minds.

What the heck happened. Well it was all arranged, reservations made and then the final meeting to discuss the show's details, an accountant with a lot of power, joins the multi person phone conversation, and after a while, in the middle of the meeting, just starts destroying my, long ago approved, budget for getting the searchlights out there to Detroit...I wasn't cheap, being an upstart business with prototypes in tow, heading into a snow storm, for many miles with more than a mere rental to own, but a whole production run, (strung along was I ..?),.... He starts acting like no one approved it, or that my prices are too high, etc, as if no one had approved this or anything. The accountant head honcho, tried to get me to drop a significant dollar figure in exchange for all the publicity I was to get as payment instead, (I was already expecting publicity, anyway...lol). Don't have the money to do that, I explained, otherwise I may have originally considered it while carefully constructing the road trip and shipping costs budget. Anyway, without going into detail, I was shocked, (not electrically...lol.), my this irate accountant who froze my contribution. Well good luck to them, because after seeing what they have available to them, and looking at the competition, they aren't going to see the searchlights they do rent from someone else, more than a few blocks. They won't be able to see them in Canada like they would have seen mine. I looked at the competition's beam shots and they just don't have the "punch" to compete with the city lights and be seen very far. Most of the competitors beam shots involve foggy conditions and the searchlights aimed low to the horizon and beam can only be seen passing directly over head or opposite, when hitting a building or nearby tree.

Now I'm in dept for extra work done on the searchlight in anticipation of going to Detroit and need to sell some items...such as the cool looking Tesla Coil I was going to use as an emergency back up bulb ignitor....basically brand new with only about five minutes testing use., for a mere $525. Hope for the best to them and already re-pitched them on my brighter light, for when they come to their senses and come crawling back to me. I'll be nice.:wave:

There, got that off my chest...damn accountants...okay my friend accountants, don't get too mad at me please. LOL.


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## LightSward

:sick2:...Just have to harp on this misleading Candle Power claim by these low wattage searchlights from NASA searchlights. I noticed many of their high candle power searchlights have such a low lumen count that their beams can only be seen if beam is shined directly overhead and near horizon in semi-foggy conditions.









*
Notice how small the wattage is for the slightly advanced HMI light, (same as I use).*
[Some of these NASA searchlights aren't even bright enough to be seen more than a few blocks away, unless they aim the searchlight directly overhead near horizon and in foggy conditions. Notice these outrageous, almost never heard of Candle Power Claims. Total B.S. in effective crowd gathering ability. Just had to get that off my chest..]


Just to compare, a high candle power light compared to a low candle power but high lumen count searchlight that I made...as seen on other posts...just for comparison.






The brightest searchlight on the right side is one of my old homemade HMI 1,200 watt searchlights at maybe 80,000,000 candlepower compared to the Xenon, 2,000 watt, (estimated), 200,000,000 million candle power searchlight with a thinner, but slightly dimmer beam. Most individuals could only see my light on the right more than a mile away. Candle Power is good at describing beam shape and thinness, but not total brightness. with that said I'd like to acquire one of those tank lights in the future.:thinking:


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## lucca brassi

LightSward said:


> Results on this first real attempt for making a 24 inch reflector from sheet metal came out about what I predicted. Learned much...first of all use hard, stron wood or steel for mandrel...the soft particle board type ply I used disintegrated during shaping and caused a pitting to occur. Still I was impressed with the overall concept proving this test showed me. Now I just have to raise capital for real tooling...lol.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Looks nice and smooth, while spinning 800 RPM. The final finished product will be quite impressive.
> 
> 
> Using primitive tools, I was able to cut this just about perfectly and centered it without much vibration during high speed operation. I used a foot pedal to control the lathe motor, (an inexpensive drill...very impressive how much power that thing delivered.)
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Piece of flat 26 inch diameter sheet metal blank ready for being spun into a 24 inch reflector.
> 
> Not too pretty when viewed after slight disintegration form my shaping tools I made from Re-Bar pieces. I polished the ends into a "Cobra Head" shape, but I had to apply so much pressure, I accidentally cut and mangled the reflector at the end of the spinning. Still I learned so much from this. Now I just need another shop location,...my neighbors ran out of patience with me and now even just drilling a single small hole into some wood, just drives them crazy. Sigh.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Mandrel was made of not so strong particle board and liquid wood fixer upper, so it slightly disintegrated during the spinning, which caused all these little deformations in the metal. Surprisingly...Works well reflecting the light into a fairly tight beam..:shrug:



I did not see how did you bend metall sheet , but i think you could use wheel in way similar https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FHvtieU4-7Y and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1EtApg0Hgyw

PS: Can you tell me why is a problem to use normal satellite dish antenna as parabola ?


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## LightSward

lucca brassi said:


> I did not see how did you bend metall sheet , but i think you could use wheel in way similar https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FHvtieU4-7Y and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1EtApg0Hgyw
> 
> PS: Can you tell me why is a problem to use normal satellite dish antenna as parabola ?



The two videos are exactly how I'm attempting to do this, but I've had to stop all searchlight production until I can find an affordable shop location, (Attempting to finish the World's Biggest Searchlight, in secret, cosmetically and functionally). My condominium association told me to end ALL manufacturing processes in my garage, or face fines. I had poor results because I was just learning how to do this and did not have the proper tools...so as usual I made my own. I didn't have the strong wood type I really needed and I used a top coat layer to harden the "Dremel", so it disintegrated as the metal was shaped. I'm very hopeful to take this further, but now I'm broke, and no income source for now. Full Stop on all my searchlight activities. BUMMER.

Why I don't use satellite dishes is for several reasons. First of all; every-time I looked into using one, ...non available.  The optical characteristics as far as focal length and total light output captured did not align with my requirements. If you look at most dishes, the feed horn, (focal point), is usually far enough in front of the dish, that a large amount of the light would be wasted. I have seen several dishes that came close to what I was after, but it was still very much in use, and many units I like, use the old screen mesh, which I would have to cover and build up to create a reflective surface. 

If you find a dish that seems reasonable, it will probably work. You can try covering it with many different materials like fiberglass boat repair kits, build up with cement, platic, liquid wood, all kinds of possibilities. I think people could have good results with dishes. I just prefer to do things the hard way, (laugh), and make them from scratch myself. :naughty:

Good luck.


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## lucca brassi

no thanks , I'm more in dive lights waters ;-)) , but I would like to made tesla coil , like you to inspire students or visitors when visiting our laboratory


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## LightSward

lucca brassi said:


> no thanks , I'm more in dive lights waters ;-)) , but I would like to made tesla coil , like you to inspire students or visitors when visiting our laboratory



Let me know how I can help inspire visitors visiting your laboratory.


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## LightSward

Very unsettling, but many of my photos have vanished from this post. I will try to find out what is going on here. My photo buckets seem to be just fine.
*I apologize, but one of my photo hosts has unreliable and unstable links, (Facebook based), and this caused a large amount of my photos to vanish over he last few days. Apologize, but with all the photos I posted I'm not able to update all them do to a variety reasons, mostly time. *


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## LightSward

Well I've started a new Photo-bucket site. I hope that clears up all the vanishing photos and the low quality replacement photo-bucket site that used to work well.

Originally I built the World's Largest Searchlight, (otherwise known as the; "Lord of Lights"), for a light show scheduled and rescheduled multiple times, until I don't think Quicken Loans has much money now, so the show is probably off. I won't be able to completely finish the cosmetic properties or make this into the 
beta version i was hoping for. This is mainly due to limitations on space and my lack of large enough vehicles to transport this beautiful masterpiece. I am going to semi-temporaily/permanently; mothball the large components and transfer the light bulb and support equipment to the 36 inch Gorilla. I'll be able to manage my shop space more effectively until I get a contract I can use to afford leasing factory space. Will be able to transport this smaller version of still a very bright light easily in my compact car. Will still be in the 380,000 lumen range ans compared to the WWII giant Sperry and GE 60 inch searchlights with 425,000 lumen output.

H:thumbsup:ere are some of the last photos you will see of this beauty for a while.




Nice profile view showing half completed cowling to reduce light glare. The light is fully functional, the additional work is for cosmetics and all weather operation. This is ready to be re-engineered for Beta and Gama production. See the next operating version in the 36 inch Gorilla.


View of the searchlight overseeing the quiet neighborhood.




Photo shows how big the light is. I didn't get all the sheet-metal complete, the exhaust ports and access panels installed. Light works as is, but I needed to still install a front lens to keep the rain out and fans for cooling.


Nice frontal view of the searchlight




Hopefully someone will be able to sweep me off my feet with a great offer to buy, lease, trade and or barter some kind of searchlight base, kit or assembly ability so I can make these out of "spun metal", in my much needed larger shop space.


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## LightSward

https://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/16091593017/

I'm not able to keep the quality of photos as high as I have, due to photobucket issues. My apologies.


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## LightSward

Well I'm getting the miniature version the modified Gorillaz searchlight almost ready I've got the generator so I should be ready to go to renting this thing for a while


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## LightSward

Just about ready to start testing out and nearing completion of the 4,000 watt upgrade to the Gorilla. Will use this to help open a new McDonald's near here, if I can get this finished real soon..!

This Gorilla conversion, is similar to the upgrade going on with the Nighthawk and it's 1,200 watt powerful HMI arc light-bulb., to make it all weather ready with it's new glass lens top and yoke system.




With the massive amount of heat produced by the 4,000 watt HMI bulb, I had to use three cooling fans with a forth passive forced exhaust vent mounted directly over the intense light-bulb, integrated with the split back reflector..! I've had to upgrade my, still home-made, ignition system directly into the fiberglass shell to make all the components weather resistant to allow searchlight operation in rain, sleet, light hail, snow with little or no winds, or fair to light winds with no precipitation, all possible to operate the searchlight in. I have to work on the ballast and generator being more weather resistant now... This is going to fit on the roof of my car now. Maybe I can transport the Monster with my near homemade roof rack that's better than the one I purchased.





Will upgrade to a better photo system soon.





Wish I hadn't lost all the photo locations...taking things a little longer to find and upgrade to a photo-bucket system that I can afford on a Bum Budget.


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## LightSward

Here is What the new World's Biggest Light looks like. All the components from the 72 inch light are now in the 36 inch Gorilla. The focal length isn't as big, so it's beam will be a little wider. The focusing is accomplished with a delta plate for three dimensional adjustments. I'll add vent hoods and other weather proofing soon. I have a tempered glass front lens and a plexiglass front lens for when I need the searchlight to be lighter in weight. The cooling fans provide more than adequate air to keep things cool under 100 degrees on an 80 degree night. I was surprised by how well the bath fans work at only $15.00 Home Depot.


Click here to view the original image of 953x1024px.




More finishing has been done since this photo was taken.

Ready to test after some basic adjustments. Gorilla searchlight now outfitted with 4k watt HMI 
The 36 inch Gorilla has been outfitted to operate in inclement weather, a four thousand watt HMI lamp producing over 385,000 lumen light output.


Here's the new 36 inch Gorilla reconditioned into the 4 Kwatt beast it is now. Want to test this at night, but the touchy situation with a neighbor having a fight with her boyfriend means I'll probably have to pack this like sardines into my car and find a parking lot somewhere and not get into too much trouble...lol. 

Click here to view the original image of 1600x1242px.




The horizontal bars are from the magnetic ballast lag wave.




Plastic lens works well under the heat, but I wasn't cooling the back reflector enough so it tarnished unevenly into a deep golden color. Will have to work on that, add maybe a forth fan just for cooling some of those critical components, or decide it works well enough for now and make improvements along the way...it's already way super bright..!


Click here to view the original image of 1600x1205px.





Getting an idea of the beam


Forms a nice tight beam for several hundred feet, but I wasn't able to shine it way out, for fear of disturbing people....I'm going to have to work on this.


Click here to view the original image of 1600x1195px.



Looks like daylight. 



With the performance of the Gorilla adequate, but not as well focused as the Monster will be, with a longer focal length, will make a more collimated beam, though it may not be quite as bright, as it gathers less light by design to get it's incredible focal length.
Had everything set up and by chance many neighbors weren't home and others were up past their bedtime, so I took a quick ten minutes and fired up this bad boy and took some night shots. Beam isn't as well collimated as I wanted, still needs some focus fine tuning, but it still makes a very impressive beam that can be seen for many miles and draws quite the crowd. 

Click here to view the original image of 1600x1055px.




Here's a view from a block away. Very impressive. I'll get better photos as time permits.


Beam as seen from near my shop with searchlight.




Click here to view the original image of 1024x628px.







As seen from a block away, The 36 inch Gorilla has been outfitted and upgraded for weather resistance but now Much Brighter at 385,000 lumen.


Click here to view the original image of 1600x1085px.




Beam looks cool seen through the trees. Dominates the sky and looks quite beautiful. Won't look like UFO's in the clouds, as the beam spreads just enough to still light the clouds, but not so bright and with a beam that can be seen connecting it to it's source for customers to travel joyfully to...lol.


I coudln't go very far as I only had a few minutes, as many people noticed this bright beam in the sky and start to travel towards it. I had to stop the migration before my neighbors got upset over another spotlight traffic jam.


Click here to view the original image of 1024x732px.




As seen from half a block away, The 36 inch Gorilla has been outfitted and upgraded for weather resistance but now Much Brighter at 385,000 lumen.

In the Monster, the beam will travel farther, just not as bright as the beginning, but brighter out towards it's ending part of beam.

Coudln't get too far from the searchlight, as crowds started to gather.

Test at Stores and restaurant openings soon, when the nights are longer again.


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## Mike V

I didn't read all the posts in this thread, but are you running a HMI open faced?
Please say you are not.

Also if you like this sort of thing, check out the LightningStrikes 200K PAR, 250K Linear or the 100K SoftSun for cool massive output lights.
Now those things put out a heap of light.

Xenotech 7K Xenon has insane throw and very big output too.


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## LightSward

Mike V said:


> I didn't read all the posts in this thread, but are you running a HMI open faced?
> Please say you are not.
> 
> Also if you like this sort of thing, check out the LightningStrikes 200K PAR, 250K Linear or the 100K SoftSun for cool massive output lights.
> Now those things put out a heap of light.
> 
> Xenotech 7K Xenon has insane throw and very big output too.



Some really powerful lights.

Be cool my friend...I wouldn't expose anyone to UV light. Most of my bulbs are single end, UV protected lamps, with additional lenses placed on my most recent creations, offering double protection. Anytime I used a double ended, non UV shielded lamp, I used a UV protection globe and isolated the airflow to the outside to eliminate any hazardous ozone, (O3) created by the UV light onto the breathable form of oxygen, (O2). Have been well aware of UV light from unprotected arc discharge tubes, since the early 1970's when first started playing with mercury vapor lamps and the UV dangers associated with them.

My searchlight beams can be seen in the sky for many miles on a good night, from the 4kwatt lamp.


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## jso902

Are we using this to send Morse code to the space station? 
Jk... nice project.


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## ID01

I'm wondering if there is a guinness world records for this sorta thing? I know the one on top of the Luxor is (or was?) the most powerful search beam, but that one was also a permanent installation. What about a mobile category?


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## LightSward

ID01 said:


> I'm wondering if there is a guinness world records for this sorta thing? I know the one on top of the Luxor is (or was?) the most powerful search beam, but that one was also a permanent installation. What about a mobile category?



The luxor "light" is actually 39, @ 7,000 w Xenon searchlights that put out 1/3 the lumen per watt as the HMI used in my searchlights. HMI is very efficient but takes 55 seconds to light up fully and has a slightly larger arc area, so the beam is thicker or the searchlight has to be larger, like mine are. Xenon starts instantly and makes a thinner beam in a small searchlight, but uses a lot of energy. If I place the 24,000 watt HMI in my searchlight, I would only need about 3-1//2 of my lights to equal the light output of the 39 Xenon lights at 1/3 the energy and replacement bulb cost per year which is huge for the Xenon.


Of course that's no ordinary light socket it can handle up to 50,000 watts,... I'm only going to put a 4000 watt light on it ....HMI.

Click here to view the original image of 1600x1202px.






This socket will be placed into the 50 inc Monster Searchlight so we can see this babe light up the sky like the WWII 60 inch carbon arc searchlights do..!


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## LightSward

jso902 said:


> Are we using this to send Morse code to the space station?
> Jk... nice project.




My light would actually be more easily visible to the Space Station. The current Luxor light makes such a finely focused beam of light, that it's only maybe a mile or so in diameter at the height of the space station. You almost never see the Luxor light from space because the space station is traveling so fast, the chances of it passing through the Luxor light beam and being photographed is practically nil. My searchlight has a bigger, thicker beam with more side wash, resulting in a beam several miles across, dramatically increasing the chances the space station will see and photograph the beam..!


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## LightSward

*Big learning experience. I built this 50 inch Monster reflector six years ago and sort of didn't do much becasue it needed a very bright bulb to do it justice. Dimmer bulbs just barely mad e abeam. This thing took the light a and shot it into the night sky. For ease of transport, storage with ease of extraction, I have decided to make this my big light for now. The 72 inch is so big, I had to partially disassemble it just to store the pieces. For now the 50 inch MONSTER will be the big dominant light until I get a shop where I won't drive my neighbors crazy. Have to decommission things a little until I can get into a production facility.

This thing is "AWESOME" Had kind of shelved this light in favor of more efficient reflector designs. This set up allows for less light to be collected from bulb, but with a much longer focal length, the light travels further in a more parallel beam configuration. Beam had the effect of looking somewhat like a laser and was hard to tell from which direction it was coming from when beam aimed near horizon.

50 inch Searchlight MONSTER was shelved for a few years while I was waiting to secure a 4,000 watt HMI 385,000 lumen light source. It is a good substitute for the 60 inch WWII searchlights that need much loving care to keep going. This 50 inch MONSTER will help keep the big light legacy going well into the 21st century and beyond. The beautiful beam is a nice painting to a glorious night sky. Photo from a yard or two away.*






Photo taken behind MONSTER showing the beam traveling several miles.

Photo taken from a block away
 





Photos taken a few blocks away.









*Photo from a block away. Beam paints a nice color in the night sky. Turquoise blue color looks nice.

*







Photos taken around and from a few hundred feet distance.





*Photo from a block away. Walking way from searchlight, the beam appears to follow. Aimed near the horizon, people couldn't tell which direction it was coming from...nice narrow beam compared to my other searchlights.
*
 





*The beautiful beam is a nice painting to a glorious night sky. Photo from directly beneath the beam, next to searchlight.
*
 





* Photo from near mail boxes, block away...300 feet...
*
 




Some good views from a block away...several hundred feet. Couldn't go any where with the crowds coming to see. Police almost said they'd stay and watch while I drove around to take photos.







Some of these composites were hard to align with the camera tripod. Software to straighten the photos was unavailable.








*Photo from a block away.
*

 





*Photo from a block away.*








*Photo from a block away.
*





Photos showing beam traveling overhead. Laser like look, hard to tell direction beam came from when aimed near horizon.








*Photo from a block away. Beam paints a nice color in the night sky. Turquoise blue color looks nice.
*








*Photo from behind searchlight.
*I'll get back to posting on this shortly.


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## LightSward

Hard to say, I'd like to one day have the means to compare many of my searchlights together. For now I can do a 1,200 watt HMI, NightHawk or 36 inch Gorilla, comparison to the 4,000 HMI 50 inch Monster, when the neighbors won't be bothered. Have to do it when the nights come real early next month.Yes the light was phenomenal. Never had such a line of vehicles like this before.
Just wanted everyone to know this MONSTER 50 inch searchlight is a winner. So many cars came by and used up much of our trick or treat candy..! Met many people from far away towns and small cities. People from towns twenty miles distance said it was bright where they were located.

One day would like to power all the lights at once, but will take a while to have the resources to power all the lights at once. Would like to have them all on at once, some day. Here is how the 50 inch Monster looked Halloween Night.
Hard to say, I'd like to one day have the means to compare many of my searchlights together. For now I can do a 1,200 watt HMI, NightHawk or 36 inch Gorilla, comparison to the 4,000 HMI 50 inch Monster, when the neighbors won't be bothered. Have to do it when the nights come real early next month.

Just wanted everyone to know this MONSTER 50 inch searchlight is a winner. So many cars came by and used up much of our trick or treat candy..! Met many people from far away towns and small cities. People from towns twenty miles distance said it was bright where they were located.

Here are some quick photos, (better ones to be transferred soon), of the awesome Halloween night 50 inch MONSTER searchlight Trick or Treaters flood and hundreds of vehicles on our private street to see what the "Big Light", was all about.. Awesome. Met many great people.


Click here to view the original image of 1578x885px.





*Another shot taken from a camera hard to transfer photos from. Looks great, will get it in better quality soon.
*


First photo of the night my cell phone camera could actually take.
*At sunset I turned the searchlight on and found it was already dark enough to be seen.















Click here to view the original image of 1024x751px.




Searchlight is bright enough to be seen at sunset.





*
* Halloween begins with this brilliant beam that could be seen twenty miles in distant small towns.*




*My 385,000 lumen Four thousand watt, HMI high efficiency, medium arc, 50 inch diameter MONSTER searchlight drew in Hundreds and hundreds of vehicles, multiple dozens of "Trick or Treaters", more than all other years here combined. One photo is from cell phone and one with a rainbow vein, like a rainbow caught in the light beam.
(You can see the high tech light bulb cooling down next to the air cooled 'split half reflector', which redirects otherwise wasted back light, back through the arc chamber, and onto the main reflector.)
*




Beam looked thinner to the eye, but cloud nicely lit.


*Cool photo showing beam splitting raindrops up into colors like a rainbow.*

Click here to view the original image of 1578x1182px.




While the rain was falling heavily, rainbow patterns were visible at various parts of the light beam. Looked real neat.


*4,000 watt, 385,000 lumen HMI High Tech bulb cooling down.*

Click here to view the original image of 1024x774px.




The split reflector cooling system has reduced the tarnishing effects of the intense heat assaulting the back split reflector.

*
Beam was bright enough for the my cell phone to capture the beam in rain*.

Click here to view the original image of 1024x756px.





Very impressive. The beam could be seen for many, many miles. People from many of the small and large towns and small cities scattered in the area, came for some candy and to see a searchlight, many had never seen one in person before. The look on many people's faces was like they had just seen God, or were otherwise spiritually lifted. 



Car headlights compete with the much brighter searchlight beam 1:200 ratio in brightness.






Beam isn't totally culminated, but it looks like a laser when underneath it in another neighborhood...I'm told.


Way worth the effort. Now we get many Trick or Treaters when in the entire history of our small part of town, we had almost no people come by on Halloween...ever. I'm stoked....don't have to eat so much left over candy now....HA.





Will have to do this again. Originally I was going to make this the last appearance of the light, but due to high public approval, I may do it again, next year..!







When resources allow, the World's Biggest Searchlight will be "resurrected". For now the 60 inch WWII wann-a-BE Monster 50 inch searchlight will be my Big Light for now. A true WWII searchlight will blow mine away, but it'll be interesting to see how the two would compare. Maybe at Flash-a-holic event to be scheduled soon...I hope..!


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## LightSward

Took a few moments to post some fill in the gap missing pictures from the Facebook links. I'll fix it up more as time permits. 





Nice day time picture of how powerful this thing actually is..!


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## LightSward

May try to make a large reflector using metal this time for this extraordinary searchlight.

*The original big light; The 24inch LightSward, I made out of Fiberglass as my first successful light, has now been upgraded to Aluminum. Awesome..!*

*New big changes in how I make my reflectors, now in metal; and how much more significantly improved these Aluminum and steel reflectors are over my successful Fiberglass class of reflectors I've been working on for over half a dozen years on..!

These newly made Aluminum reflectors I've made, along with several others; and more on the way, are truly amazing..! The ease and precision that can be accomplished: quickly, silently, easily, artfully, and without odors or other issues with an incredible result. Still needs to be "dialed in", but the results are already better than the Fiberglass. No Orange Peal effect, that was actually a subtle defects in the Fiberglass surface, invisible until the reflective surface was applied. The metal doesn't have such an issue. Live and learn. This new personal "discovery of skills", will go across the board on all my searchlights. So far several: 7, 24, 26 and 30 inch reflectors are finished or about to be and several 36 inch Aluminum discs are on standby to be converted shortly. Several simultaneous tests on the different reflector designs will occur to determine the best route(s), to be taken at this time. EXCITING!

*_Polishing is not feasible at this time, as it involves too much noise and not as good a reflective surface as this window glazing I used. I'll use the chrome tape with it's better reflectivity in future reflectors. NOW I HAVE A LIGHT METER AND CAN TAKE ACTUAL READINGS.
_
My upside reflections caused by the 'magnifying glass' effect of the two different style reflectors. 





→ →  ⤡ 
Aluminum reflectors made from flat bottom water tank collection pan.






*
My upside reflections caused by the 'magnifying glass' effect of the two different style reflectors. One is a deep 200 degree capture design with more light reflectivity compared to the 130 degree capture with it's superior long distance light throw..* 




Click here to view the original image of 1024x773px.




These reflectors are so much more easier to make out of Aluminum discs than the Fiberglass process I've been using. I did a "quick" production routine to make these and others in progress at a larger diameter, I'm just amazed. The beams are much more culminated with a smaller diameter reflector needed for better, narrow beam effect. Will experiment with the different reflector designs.

Will get some new pieces out. My trailer is about ready too..!


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## LightSward

The powerful light will shine again soon, as I needed the room it took for other projects. Here are some of my all aluminum projects working back up to this big baby soon.
*I've made deep dish reflectors too, and am fine tuning them. Hoop shape and calibration very important. I paid the machining price not realizing just how important those were.

After fine tuning several reflectors and even making a deep dish reflector to be revealed soon;, I've more or less gotten better at these aluminum reflectors
picture shows: Searchlight coming to life during daytime test*







*New all Aluminum 36 inch 4,000 watt HMI Searchlight for Halloween*





*Beam in night rainy sky as seen from a block away*





Looks awesome 









*Powerful beam as seen from behind searchlight. Beam can be seen for 5 miles distance.*






 New all Aluminum 36 inch 4,000 watt HMI Searchlight for Halloween⤡

 Beam from behind searchlight. Beam can be seen five miles distance or more 




New all Aluminum 36 inch 4,000 watt HMI Searchlight for Halloween:candle:

Powerful 380,000 lumen beam stabbing the night sky for five miles and can be seen all over town 





Beam seen close by as cars started rolling by.

Beam seen half a block away  





Light can be seen almost focused, yet hard to do with such hot equipment
 





Searchlight seen across the street warming up with color bands formed by camera interaction with 60 hertz / 120 flickers per second.


Click here to view the original image of 1376x963px.



36 inch aluminum searchlight warming up

Searchlight as seen from a couple blocks away as seen through trees and rain patterns 

Click here to view the original image of 1376x980px.




Light beam looks incredible during rain...rainbows and different light patterns.  





Searchlight cooling down. 

Click here to view the original image of 1376x777px.




Cooling down bulb takes about a minute to stop making any light.


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## Richierich90000

Awesome. So the reflector is fibreglass with reflective Mylar .


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## LightSward

Richierich90000 said:


> Awesome. So the reflector is fiberglass with reflective Mylar .



All my original searchlights were metal framed fiberglass reflectors with a Mylar coating. All these recent ones, past year, have been made using Aluminum and polishing the reflector metal itself to a mirror, or just adding the Mylar coating to the Aluminum shape. I use Fiberglass on the outer casing to protect the electrical equipment and reduce costs of using the preferred all metal housing.


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## Searchlightexpert

Why don't you buy a proper reflector from Optiforms or Phoenix so the searchlight will perform much better? That 4kW HMI bulb will never give the performance it deserve in such a homemade reflector.

I refer to the thread's title "The worlds most powerful single searchlight". That requires a lot more performance than what can be obtained from homemade components......

For instance, this searchlight here from Francis, 7kW Xenon with Ni-Rh reflector provides a throwing length of almost 37 kilometers. That can never be obtained without professional made optical solutions.

http://francis.co.uk/_includes/docs/pdf/datasheets/MOONRAKER_7KW_manual.pdf


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## LightSward

Searchlightexpert said:


> Why don't you buy a proper reflector from Optiforms or Phoenix so the searchlight will perform much better? That 4kW HMI bulb will never give the performance it deserve in such a homemade reflector.
> 
> I refer to the thread's title "The worlds most powerful single searchlight". That requires a lot more performance than what can be obtained from homemade components......
> 
> For instance, this searchlight here from Francis, 7kW Xenon with Ni-Rh reflector provides a throwing length of almost 37 kilometers. That can never be obtained without professional made optical solutions.
> 
> *No one makes reflectors as large as I make for anything resembling a reasonable price.
> I think I get good performance. People come from many miles, several towns away. . The idea is to make my stuff...not just buy it. Your Xenon light only produces 1/3 the lumen output per watt as HMI.*
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I'm able to put complete searchlights of this magnitude for user $500 my costs. Would you be able to get to this area of price for performance at this wattage HMI.? Peace.


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## Obsessedwithlights

LightSward said:


> Searchlightexpert said:
> 
> 
> 
> Why don't you buy a proper reflector from Optiforms or Phoenix so the searchlight will perform much better? That 4kW HMI bulb will never give the performance it deserve in such a homemade reflector.
> 
> I refer to the thread's title "The worlds most powerful single searchlight". That requires a lot more performance than what can be obtained from homemade components......
> 
> For instance, this searchlight here from Francis, 7kW Xenon with Ni-Rh reflector provides a throwing length of almost 37 kilometers. That can never be obtained without professional made optical solutions.
> 
> *No one makes reflectors as large as I make for anything resembling a reasonable price.
> I think I get good performance. People come from many miles, several towns away. . The idea is to make my stuff...not just buy it. Your Xenon light only produces 1/3 the lumen output per watt as HMI.*
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I'm able to put complete searchlights of this magnitude for user $500 my costs. Would you be able to get to this area of price for performance at this wattage HMI.? Peace.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Just wanted to say magnificent job on your light. I am truly impressed by the craftsmanship and attention to detail!
> 
> I am a new member, so I do not have the ability to direct message you. I am working on a searchlight project and I could really use some help regarding the ballast and ignitor for the HMI / MSR bulbs. I can not find any information on how to ignite and run these bulbs whether it is on this forum or searching the web.
> 
> I have a standard 19" halogen searchlight I want to upgrade the light source. I have decided that HMI or and MSR bulb would probably be the best option for me.
> 
> Thank you for any input or guidance you can give me. Keep up the great work!
Click to expand...


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