# What is the minimum bulb wattage to start fires? 100watt?



## bigchelis (Apr 14, 2015)

Ok...so, I have a handful of IMR 26500's and love Maglites. Have metal reflector, high temp UCL lens, and Fivemega G6.35 socket kit.


Ideally; I would just stick it all inside a 5D Mag and power it with a 24V input bulb via 6 IMR 32650's/26650's but trying to keep the size down and such.

I was really hoping a 100watt halogen or 150watt halogen bulb would be enough to ignite newspaper, just haven't tried it yet.


12V bulbs would be awesome since that means I could use a 2D Mag host, but limited to 100watts of power

or

15V bulbs would mean I can use my 3D Mag hosts (4 IMR 26500's) overdrive a bit and get awesome 150watts of power.


https://www.bulbamerica.com/product...15v-hlx-g6-35-single-ended-halogen-light-bulb


For the record. I have a 250watt Transformer and 400 watt bulb too. Just hate loading and unloading 6~9 IMR 18650's because those battery carriers it came with are soo sloppy its just silly and upsetting. Love the simplicity of just loading cells the traditional way.


bigC


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## broadgage (Apr 15, 2015)

Probably about 100 watts to start a fire fairly reliably, but a great deal would depend on the flammability of the paper and the weather. Black printed paper will light more readily than white as it better absorbs radiant heat.

Accidental fires have been started by lamps of much lower wattage, for example tissue paper surrounding a Christmas decoration light of only a couple of watts, not comparable though to a lamp a bit further away and behind glass.


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## dc38 (Apr 15, 2015)

Focusing optics also help


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## bigchelis (Apr 15, 2015)

Ok...I think I will go with the Osram 64623 which is a 12V bulb, but run it with 4 IMR 26500's


Thank you,
biGC


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## fivemega (Apr 15, 2015)

bigchelis said:


> What is the minimum bulb wattage to start fires? 100watt?


*Wattage is not the only factor for start firing. Well overdriven 30 watt bulb can start fire faster than correctly driven 75 watt (2000 hours) bulb.

Please see post #26 here.*


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## cloudbounce (Apr 16, 2015)

bigchelis said:


> I was really hoping a 100watt halogen or 150watt halogen bulb would be enough to ignite newspaper, just haven't tried it yet.



100 Watt are definitely enough. Here is a video from BlackEgoBrain igniting a newspaper and a match with his Osram 64623 Maglite.


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## bigchelis (Apr 16, 2015)

fivemega said:


> *Wattage is not the only factor for start firing. Well overdriven 30 watt bulb can start fire faster than correctly driven 75 watt (2000 hours) bulb.
> 
> Please see post #26 here.*





I see your point and actually having a nice reflector to focus the light is what is primarily needed.

My 250watt Transformer with the 250watt bulb/25V input with a dull veryyyyyy Heavy OP doesn't produce much heat if any at all out the front. With a new SMO reflector though its a firestarting dragon.



bigC


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## Bimmerboy (Apr 19, 2015)

fivemega said:


> Wattage is not the only factor for start firing. Well overdriven 30 watt bulb can start fire faster than correctly driven 75 watt (2000 hours) bulb.


True.

My 11.1V, D1 regulated Mag85 at about 38 Watts lit up a brown paper bag found near a public garbage can on a damp, chilly night, so the bag was far from crisp and dry. Took almost a full minute, and a lot of smoke before it finally went up in flames. This was using an old style Fivemega non-removable cam SMO, though for years now it has FM's 2" deep SMO, which focuses "hotter".


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