# 300 Watt HID. The "Locator" - Blackhawk Targeting Light



## BVH (Jun 16, 2007)

*350 Watt HID. The "Locator" - Blackhawk Targeting Light*

I found this gem recently and just received it this morning. Pics are from before it's been cleaned. I don't remember seeing this light on CPF before but i only go back to Sept of 04.

It's a "Locator" made by Optical Radiation Corporation. They're still around, sort of, and make different products now. I think the vintage is somewhere around the mid 70's. I'm told it was/is used on Blackhawk military helicopters as a targeting light. It measures 19" tall and is about 9" at its max diameter. The reflector measures about 5.5" and is Rhodium plated. It weighs 21 pounds according to my bathroom scale. It looks "military" in all respects, very well made.

It's of aluminum construction and the dome is glass. It works off of 28 Volts and the label says it consumes 20 Amps. The person that sold it to me said he had it operating off of 14 amps @26.5 Volts. and that's how I'm powering it. 

I fired it up and ran it for about 2 minutes just to verify that it lights and moves in both axis. It appears to me as though it's somewhere between 5000K and 5500K in color temp. It appears to have a warm up time similar to the BB, 15 - 20 seconds. Tonight will be loads of fun playing with it. Looks like I'll be soldering some more Amphenol connectors!

The 300 Watt lamp in it now is an original special military version similar to the now obsolete GE Marc EZS. Replacement lamps EZS are available but require an adapter to be made to accommodate the different lamp end configuration. However, the replacement lamps are 3500K in color, not the original 5000K. The seller is sending me a CAD drawing of the adapters he has made in the past so it should not be a problem getting them made. The cooling fan comes on after about 1 minute. There are no vent holes so it just moves the air around in the chamber.

The seller, who seemed very knowledgeable, said he can see the beam from a little over a mile away. Not sure how far it throws its spot.

What am I going to do with it? Heck if I know! I just have to have these wonderful HID's to satisfy my insatiable desire for them. I'll post some beam shots tonight. Is it night time yet!!!!!


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## Eric242 (Jun 16, 2007)

Wow, very nice! Looking forward for some beamshots  How is the light moving without the helicopter controling it? Just by hand putting it into the direction you want it to or is there still the possibility to use the engines?

Eric


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## BVH (Jun 16, 2007)

Temporarily, I'm going to use 2 sets of 3-position, spring loaded (up - neutral - down) (left - neutral - right) toggle switches. One switch will be able to move the light both up and down and the other switch will move it left and right. There are built in limit switches so there are no concerns about it going to far in any direction. A third rocker switch will turn it on and off. In the future, I will buy a joystick controller so I can move it in 3D so to speak - both axis's at one time.

Everything works. I just need to figure out how I want the finished product to look.


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## java_man (Jun 16, 2007)

Sweeet !

That reflector looks nearly perfect, you can't beat the quality of good ol mil-spec hardware

Does it look like it has adjustable beam width also ?

Looking forward to seeing some action shots from that !


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## BVH (Jun 16, 2007)

No beam adjustment on her. Found some Amphenol fittings out at a junk electronics store. Kind of like an automotive boneyard but for aerospace surplus. There sure is a lot of really neat stuff in there. I'd bet they have just about every Amphenol fitting there is....The only problem is finding them. Boxes and boxes af marked, non-marked, mis marked etc.

I got a matching 9-pin female size 24 for $5.00. I'm sure that Allied would get $30.00 for it. I'll bet I could find the VSS-1 and -3 fittings there and they'd be $10.00 each instead of $65.00 at Allied. Just about got the mating plug wired and switches attached. Gonna have fun tonight.


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## mtbkndad (Jun 16, 2007)

I jut got back from BVH's house and this little light looks great. 
I can't wait to see beam shots. On of my first thoughts was this would be great as a hand held and BVH said he had thought of the same thing.

Take Care,
mtbkndad :wave:


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## matrixshaman (Jun 16, 2007)

Awesome find!  on those beam shots - oops it's probably still not quite totally dark yet in CA. Can you tells us what you are using for a power supply?


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## BVH (Jun 17, 2007)

I have three choices for power. The 4 group 31 AGM batteries that power my VSS-1, The 2 group 31 AGM batteries that supply my VSS-3 or the 24 Volt Iota inverter/smart battery charger that is capable of 40 Amps off of a 120 Volt circuit. Beam shots in about an hour or so. But with that less than perfect camera limiting me to 1 second shots. Mtbkndad turned me onto a better Canon that will give me full manual control and still give me a 12x's optical zoom. As soon as I get that, I'll redo all the beam shots here and on the VSS-1/VSS-3 shootout.


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## BVH (Jun 17, 2007)

This is a bright little pod light! I would describe the beam style as similar to my Helios - It very slightly favors a flood style and its transition/cone is extremely smooth versus having a very bright center spot and a noticeably dimmer corona. The VSS-3 is definitely a more collimated beam. To my eye, the Locator beam appears to extend out the same distance as the VSS-3. In the next couple of weeks when I have a new camera, I will take these lights to a better spot where I can actually place the spots on a target over a mile away - or attempt to. I'm extremely pleased with my POD light. For a little fan, it is fairly loud and the casing just below the lens got somewhat hot after about 25 minutes of running. It probably relies on forward motion of the helicopter to help keep it cool. I can't run that fast.





Locator on the left and VSS-3a on the right.





Locator is the lower beam.





Locator is the lower beam.





Locator beam on the right.





Locator in action.





Locator is the lower beam. Look closely above for the Barn Burner beam.





Barn burner spot on the house.






Locator spot on the house.


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## mtbkndad (Jun 17, 2007)

BVH said:


> Mtbkndad turned me onto a better Canon that will give me full manual control and still give me a 12x's optical zoom. As soon as I get that, I'll redo all the beam shots here and on the VSS-1/VSS-3 shootout.




 What was I thinking? Now you will have no need for me to hang around anymore :hairpull: . Oh well, at least you may need help moving all of those monster lights around.    .

Take Care,
mtbkndad :wave:


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## BVH (Jun 17, 2007)

Wrong! I'll still need directions on how to operate the complicated camera! No matter how much I try, nor how much of a gadget nut I am, I can't get into cameras and therefore will not remember from time to time, how to set the settings.


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## mtbkndad (Jun 17, 2007)

Wow, when you consider the reflector of the 300 watt light is only around 5 and no more then 6 inches in diameter that is simply amazing.

You really scored with this one! :thumbsup: .

By the way, you are doing a great job working within the parameters that your camera will allow. :thumbsup: .

Take Care,
mtbkndad :wave:


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## Outdoors Fanatic (Jun 17, 2007)

Dude, your neighbors must think there is an UFO invasion everytime you play with your lights.


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## FlashInThePan (Jun 17, 2007)

Nice work!

Wow. My favorite shot is the comparison between the barn burner and the locator. I can just barely make out the beam of the barn burner struggling to make itself visible above the locator.

Wow, that locator must be bright. =)

- FITP


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## LuxLuthor (Jun 17, 2007)

Another amazing light. Man, you are killing me with these gems. It looks like a blast.


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## BVH (Jun 17, 2007)

Has anyone found a chemical that will remove calcium deposits from glass without damaging it? The glass dome has what I believe to be calcium deposits on it from water droplets or some other residue. I used a razor and glass cleaner for about two hours yesterday and thought I did a good job - until I turned the light on. A lot of them are still present.


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## rdh226 (Jun 17, 2007)

BVH said:


> Has anyone found a chemical that will remove calcium deposits from glass without damaging it? The glass dome has what I believe to be calcium deposits on it from water droplets or some other residue. I used a razor and glass cleaner for about two hours yesterday and thought I did a good job - until I turned the light on. A lot of them are still present.


Aiyee! NONONO razor! You'll scratch the glass.

Try "LimeAway" in the kitchen/bathroom section of your local supermarket.

As I recall, vinegar also works.

-RDH

P.S. _Where_ do you find such toys? Mind if I ask how much it set you back?


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## BB (Jun 17, 2007)

One of the links that I followed from the Tank Light threads:

Carbon Arc Tips:


> Glass Cleaner: To remove the chemical etching off the glass you can use the Janvil Glass Restore system.
> 
> One operator reported that he had streaking on the inside his glass.... almost like water channels. It could have been from when the mirror was acid washed years ago, and that there was splash over onto the glass. It would not come off with any household chemicals. I bought the product and used it as directed. The stuff worked wonderfully. Using only the "glass renew" 90% of the staining/etching was removed. The tough spots and I used the scratch remover and then the glass renew and that took off the tough stuff. It looks 100% better.
> 
> ...



Don't know anything about it myself...

Neat "lights"...

-Bill


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## BVH (Jun 17, 2007)

Thank you BB, I just ordered some.


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## JetskiMark (Jun 17, 2007)

Hello BVH,

Congratulations on another great light. How does your LarryK14 compare to it? I would like to see some beam shots from that added to the comparison when you have the time.

I see someone posted a "Locator" want ad on eBay yesterday. I wonder where they got that idea from?

Regards,
Mark


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## BVH (Jun 17, 2007)

Like I've said before, it's an addiction.....

Darn, didn't think about my Larrk14 for a comparison. Well looks like I'll just have to light it up again tonight!


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## mtbkndad (Jun 17, 2007)

BVH said:


> Like I've said before, it's an addiction.....
> 
> Darn, didn't think about my Larrk14 for a comparison. Well looks like I'll just have to light it up again tonight!



The may seem like it does not apply, but BVH will understand.
I am looking for an affordable electric cart or wagon  .

Take Care,
mtbkndad :wave:


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## lotsalumens (Jun 18, 2007)

Yow that is a neat light! I have seen some similar "night sun" type helicopter lights on ebay in recent years, but never won one. That is about the neatest one I have seen though. Nice job getting it working and taking those beamshots! That thing is going to be a blast to play with once you have a joystick on it.

Charles


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## JetskiMark (Jun 18, 2007)

Anxiously awaiting a report on the LarryK14 comparison....

Regards,
Mark


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## LuxLuthor (Jun 19, 2007)

--


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## BB (Jun 19, 2007)

LuxLuthor said:


> Oh man, I'm so glad you mentioned this Janvil stuff. I always end up with minor speck damage to windshields which nothing has ever worked to remove....until I saw this link.
> 
> Thanks!!!! :thumbsup:


You are very welcome... I am just here...

But... On a quick read through--Janvil says it is not very good for windshield pitting (I think the pits are too deep to polish out... IIRC, they are polishing out 0.004" max. depth scratches and etchings).

Read through the website and give them a holler if you have questions. If you get some, I sure hope it works well for you... And let us know what your results are.

-Bill


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## TOOCOOL (Jun 19, 2007)

You will not restore a windshield with that kit the little impact craters are just to deep. Even if you worked like a crazy man polishing and just did say a 12x12 inch area and removed the pits the glass would now be distorted.:mecry:

There are much larger systems that can be used but they are expensive and its so time consuming its better just to buy a new windshield.


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## larryk (Jun 19, 2007)

Great find. Very, very nice, I love it.


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## LuxLuthor (Jun 19, 2007)

BB said:


> You are very welcome... I am just here...
> 
> But... On a quick read through--Janvil says it is not very good for windshield pitting (I think the pits are too deep to polish out... IIRC, they are polishing out 0.004" max. depth scratches and etchings).
> 
> ...



Yeah, that's why I edited my post....because they said I must replace it once a certain amount of pitting occurrs. Too bad no one has made a surface polymer that could fill them in.


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## BVH (Jun 19, 2007)

I was supposed to do the LarryK14 comparison Sunday night but ended up doing other things. Then I took the cam to work and left it there. I will try to get it done in the next 2-3 days. I have a new Canon S5 IS coming as soon as they start shipping later this month, early next month so I won't have the problem of forgetting the camera and I will be able to do proper beamshots with full manual control. Gee, I should even get a tripod then I are a reeeel prffeshnal, rite? For you real professionals and excellent picture takers, will you recommend a hi-quality tripod - nice and light and compact when collapsed?


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## Handlobraesing (Jun 19, 2007)

BB said:


> One of the links that I followed from the Tank Light threads:
> 
> Carbon Arc Tips:
> 
> ...



Would this remove the separating boundary at wiper blade path on the windshield?


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## BVH (Jun 19, 2007)

I'll let you know how it does on the water/calcium deposits that no amount of elbow grease and razoring could get off. soon. I should have the product in a day or two, I think.


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## BB (Jun 19, 2007)

Handlobraesing said:


> Would this remove the separating boundary at wiper blade path on the windshield?



What ever you do... I would be careful with car windshields and only test it on a small spot first...

I have read that car makers have tried various types of windshield and plastic combinations to meet safety requirements (and probably to make windshields cheaper too). In the US, I believe, the outside (front) of the windshield has to be glass. But inside may be a plastic coating (for safety). For out-of-US folks, it is possible that the front surface of the windshield may not be glass.

Also, there are a vehicles here that have metallic coatings on the windows for various reasons. Don't know--but in some cases the coatings may be on the inside surface of the window and cause issues when polishing.

-Bill


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## scottaw (Jun 19, 2007)

If you don't want to get too fancy with your glass cleaning, i use white vinegar to remove calcium deposits from fishtank glass. Just put it on a paper towel, rub it all over, let it work for a bit, and wash away with clean water. You can use glass cleaner afterwards as well. It literally just dissolves the deposits away.


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## BVH (Jun 23, 2007)

Just a follow up on the Janvil glass restoration product. It works VERY, VERY well! I bought a kit for about $35.00 that contains 3 products. Scratch remover, a polish and their glass cleaner. I only had to use the polish to get the water spots off. I did not use the heavier grit scratch remover. It didn't really take that much work. I highly recommend it.


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## chakrawal (Jul 19, 2007)

I love it. Where can I get this beast?


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## BVH (Jul 22, 2007)

Got the joystick installed. It works perfect. It's a simple 4-micro switch (8-way, as they call it) non-electronic, (no hall-effect or potentiometers) $20.00 unit. Very simple to wire. I can now operate the elevation and azmith at the same time or just elevation or just azmith. This setup is just a temporary one to see how it works. A proof of concept so to speak.


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## lotsalumens (Jul 22, 2007)

I really want one of those!


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## JetskiMark (Jul 22, 2007)

Hello BVH,

Did you ever get a chance to compare your Locator to your LarryK14? Beamshots are not necessary, but your opinion would be appreciated.

Regards,
Mark


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## BVH (Jul 22, 2007)

I'll do that. I've been a little gun-shy with my powerful lights since the episode with the VSS-1.

Done. They were pointed at the inside of my garage door which is a primer gray color to sort of tone down the brightness. It's good for a relative comparison but does not really show the brightness of both of these lights. The LarryK14 has a bit of trouble keeping up, I'd say! The LOC is one bright sucker!


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## JetskiMark (Jul 22, 2007)

Hello BVH,

Wow, that Locator is impressive! Thanks for the comparison photo. Now I want one with a handle and a LiPo pack for portability.

Regards,
Mark


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## LuxLuthor (Jul 23, 2007)

WoW! So much for the 747 landing light. I'm amazed how much brighter that Locator is.

_**must resist temptation.....must resist....**_


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## Designer (Jul 23, 2007)

BVH said:


> This is a bright little pod light! I would describe the beam style as similar to my Helios - It very slightly favors a flood style and its transition/cone is extremely smooth versus having a very bright center spot and a noticeably dimmer corona. The VSS-3 is definitely a more collimated beam. To my eye, the Locator beam appears to extend out the same distance as the VSS-3. In the next couple of weeks when I have a new camera, I will take these lights to a better spot where I can actually place the spots on a target over a mile away - or attempt to. I'm extremely pleased with my POD light. For a little fan, it is fairly loud and the casing just below the lens got somewhat hot after about 25 minutes of running. It probably relies on forward motion of the helicopter to help keep it cool. I can't run that fast.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


 
The HB-300 is a search light unit based on contemporaneous 300 W lamp.
(see www.hbeamtech.com) , "PROTOTYPS".


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## ShortArc (Jul 23, 2007)

BVH,
Could you share the specifics on the joystick and where you bought it? Great price!
Thanks,
Willem.


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## LuxLuthor (Jul 23, 2007)

It is interesting to see that company's history, having made that light in 1970-71 of such high quality that it looks so pristine today....how they received an Academy Award for lighting, into pcb printing, and how they moved into medical contact lenses and intraocular lens implants over time.

Where in the world did you ever find that baby?

I wonder if you could adapt this remote control device used here.


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## BVH (Jul 23, 2007)

Here's the website:

.hvwtech.com/products_list.asp?CatID=99&SubCatID=217&SubSubCatID=0

I'm not really sure what "Hotlinking" is but I know we're not supposed to do it so I left off the Http:// etc.

There's 7 wires in the lights wire loom. The two large red and black wires (14 or 16 awg) want to see 24-28 Volts from your power supply. The small red wire carries system voltage back out from the "insides". Connecting the small red to the small white triggers the ignition sequence. The small red wire is also used to provide power to the 4 remaining wires, Blue & Green (one for each direction of one axis) and Yellow & Orange (one for each direction of the other axis) So I ran the small red wire to one side of the on/off switch and the small white to the other side along with a continuous pigtail loop to the input of all 4 micro switches. The Blue, Green, Yellow & Orange wires are each individually connected to the outputs of the 4 micro switches - Blue opposite Green and Yellow opposite Orange. Wired in this way, the axis movements will not work until the lamp is on. If you want axis movement with the lamp off, then connect the pigtail loop to the same terminal on the on/off switch as the red wire. The micro switches have three terminals: Input (one spade by itself) and then normally open and normally closed spades. You'll want the normally open spade which is the closest to the input spade. By the way, the spades are the small ones (maybe 3/16") not the normal size (1/4", I think) automotive connectors.

Lux, just got lucky searching Ebay one day. Right place at the right time.


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## ShortArc (Jul 24, 2007)

Thank you Bob! Just ordered the joystick!
Willem.


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## aerosimon (Jul 26, 2007)

Great beamshots and showing of some super lights Very impressive.. Dont set the house on fire.. Any idea of the heat emitted out the front of the locator? I dont own a HID and have only observed a PL24 style light and UK light cannon.. At the time I wasnt paying attention to whether HIDs emit heat and will in gereral set newspaper on fire like the incans i've seen in videos?

Also do you have a rough dimension of the length of the arc gap on the locator? Finally, what is the distance of the lights in the garage to the door?

Sorry for the 20Qs, but looking forward to any info.. again, very cool collection. thankyou
aerosimon


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## BVH (Jul 26, 2007)

HID's don't generally emit as much heat watt for watt as incans but there is a very fair amount of heat from these 300 Watt lamps. One needs to also consider the UV emitted and not expose their skin for any lengths of time. I would be very surprised if these would not set newspaper on-fire - maybe not with the glass dome installed. Not sure of the gap but will check out a replacement lamp and report back. It's very difficult to see it when installed. The distance to the door was about 12'.


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## missionaryman (Jul 27, 2007)

now I would have really liked one of those mounted to my roof when I was pizza delivering...


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## LuxLuthor (Jul 28, 2007)

missionaryman said:


> now I would have really liked one of those mounted to my roof when I was pizza delivering...


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## BVH (Jan 8, 2009)

I just figured out that my Locators are focusable and that the one I used in Shootout IV was not focused as tight as it could have been. It a distance of about 20 feet, the corona was about 4' in diameter. After focusing, it is now about 3'. I'd love to make another identical beamshot as in shootout IV. Next time there's a Socal shootout, I'll bring it.


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## Patriot (Jan 10, 2009)

Can't wait to see that monster again. It has to be my all time favorite HID I think.


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## Illum (Apr 11, 2009)

Any updates?:nana:


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## roadie (Apr 14, 2009)

plse dun tell us that u plan to mount it on the roof of yr car?


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## BVH (Oct 3, 2009)

Update. Thanks to some wonderful work by Modamag, I now have adapters that allow me to use the obsolete, but available GE Marc300 EZS bulb in my Locators. However, I was disappointed to find that although many sellers advertised the EZS as 5000K, it is actually a 3500K temp bulb, as marked on the bulb. The Locator is just not the same at 3500K . Does anyone have experience with the GE Marc 300 EZM or other EZx Series bulbs? Some of them are advertised as 5000K but I tend to doubt that figure.

A huge "THANK YOU" to Modmag for making the adapter for me!!

Pic of adapters coming soon.


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## mtbkndad (Oct 3, 2009)

BVH said:


> I just figured out that my Locators are focusable and that the one I used in Shootout IV was not focused as tight as it could have been. It a distance of about 20 feet, the corona was about 4' in diameter. After focusing, it is now about 3'. I'd love to make another identical beamshot as in shootout IV. Next time there's a Socal shootout, I'll bring it.



That would be fun. I found out the rating for my tripod head is actually 54lbs so we could get the same angle with it too.

Take Care,
mtbkndad :wave:


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## BVH (Oct 3, 2009)

Another update: I've now found actual GE data sheets on their obsolete Marc 350 EZT arc lamp. It's a 45 Volt, 7.5 Amp bulb - which exactly matches the output of the Locator. That makes it a 350 Watt bulb which is what I measured from the Locator. (Actually, 360 Watts) All GE data sheets indicate a 5000K color temp for the EZT. It comes already mounted in a dichroic, 3" reflector. What's confusing is that in all GE data sheets, it shows a Lumens rating of 50 Lumens! This does not make any sense. A 350 watt arc tube bulb producing only 50 Lumens?

By comparison, the EZS which I tried in the Locator a few days ago is rated at 300 Watts and is putting out a blinding amount of light.

Well, the only way to find out what's up with this is to get one. I've located one and am having it shipped. Hmmm, may need new adapters....again.

I went to advanced edit and changed the title of this thread to show "350" Watt but the change doesn't show. Maybe a mod can perform an edit?


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## larryk (Oct 4, 2009)

BVH said:


> Update. Thanks to some wonderful work by Modamag, I now have adapters that allow me to use the obsolete, but available GE Marc300 EZS bulb in my Locators. However, I was disappointed to find that although many sellers advertised the EZS as 5000K, it is actually a 3500K temp bulb, as marked on the bulb. The Locator is just not the same at 3500K . Does anyone have experience with the GE Marc 300 EZM or other EZx Series bulbs? Some of them are advertised as 5000K but I tend to doubt that figure.
> 
> A huge "THANK YOU" to Modmag for making the adapter for me!!
> 
> Pic of adapters coming soon.



Locators ??? meaning you have more than one ?


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## [email protected] (Oct 4, 2009)

BVH said:


> I'll do that. I've been a little gun-shy with my powerful lights since the episode with the VSS-1.




I'm gonna' have to plead ignorant on that topic... what happened did a 747 try to land on your house? :thinking:


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## BVH (Oct 4, 2009)

No, my tank light beam drew the LAPD chopper with it's SX-16 NightSun and the Burbank PD to my back yard. Seems they thought it might be a terrorist trying to blind pilots.

But at least I had the satisfaction of out-gunning the Chopper Night Sun! I was runing 2.2KW to their 1.6KW! They had more Lumens but I had much more candlepower!

LarryK, 2


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## BVH (Nov 1, 2009)

Last year, we had 0 Trick-or-Treaters. I think it was IgNITEor that posted today that he was going to break out his VSS-1. Well, I decided to break my Locator out to try to draw some kids. I put in one of my new 3500K bulbs (Thanks to Modamag again!), set "Lokey" and my 50 Amp Power Supply on a rolling bench and wheeled it outside. I turned it on at about 7:30 and withing 5 minutes, cars began to drive up our very short cul-de-sac. We're kind of in no-mans land so it's very unusual for any non-resident cars to drive up the street. "Like bugs to a light" someone once said and how true it is. 26 cars drove up and made the tight U-turn just to see the light. Some had kids and I asked them to get out and hit the 5 houses near us because all 5 of us were complaining about no kids last year. Well, We had 22 kids this time. Pretty much all of them said they saw the light and had their parents bring them. I tried to ask each person where they saw the light from. The furthest viewing was from a Walmart over a 300' hill and a few feet under a mile away. Not bad throw from a 368 Watt, 5" reflectored HID. And, I was surprised how OK the color temp was of the 3500K bulb. This is the first time I've used it for long distance throw outside since being able to use the 3500K bulbs. Up until now, I just noticed how yellow it is in the garage. When brightly - and I mean brightly lighting up trees 2000' away, it is actually a very pleasing color. This is the first time I've run it for more than 15 minutes. I ran it for 1 hr, 45 min. I also played with my LarryK14, Twin vector, 160 Watt HID, and Costco 80 Watt. Yep, I had fun tonight! Both my wife and I are happy because we're not stuck with tons of candy that we would have to eat to get rid on. We now have only a half ton.


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## LightSward (Nov 1, 2009)

BVH said:


> Last year, we had 0 Trick-or-Treaters. I think it was IgNITEor that posted today that he was going to break out his VSS-1. Well, I decided to break my Locator out to try to draw some kids. I put in one of my new 3500K bulbs (Thanks to Modamag again!), set "Lokey" and my 50 Amp Power Supply on a rolling bench and wheeled it outside. I turned it on at about 7:30 and withing 5 minutes, cars began to drive up our very short cul-de-sac. We're kind of in no-mans land so it's very unusual for any non-resident cars to drive up the street. "Like bugs to a light" someone once said and how true it is. 26 cars drove up and made the tight U-turn just to see the light. Some had kids and I asked them to get out and hit the 5 houses near us because all 5 of us were complaining about no kids last year. Well, We had 22 kids this time. Pretty much all of them said they saw the light and had their parents bring them. I tried to ask each person where they saw the light from. The furthest viewing was from a Walmart over a 300' hill and a few feet under a mile away. Not bad throw from a 368 Watt, 5" reflectored HID. And, I was surprised how OK the color temp was of the 3500K bulb. This is the first time I've used it for long distance throw outside since being able to use the 3500K bulbs. Up until now, I just noticed how yellow it is in the garage. When brightly - and I mean brightly lighting up trees 2000' away, it is actually a very pleasing color. This is the first time I've run it for more than 15 minutes. I ran it for 1 hr, 45 min. I also played with my LarryK14, Twin vector, 160 Watt HID, and Costco 80 Watt. Yep, I had fun tonight! Both my wife and I are happy because we're not stuck with tons of candy that we would have to eat to get rid on. We now have only a half ton.



Good to read about the Locator and the success of bringing more kids in for Halloween.

My 50 inch 'Monster' searchlight will definitely make a brighter, thinner beam, when I can afford a small arc sized HID, and maybe bring in some extra kids...our neighbors also complain about not enough trick or treaters. At least we got a few extra kids, but the moon seemed especially bright tonight and white washed the sky with lit haze, making the searchlight barely visible less than half the normal distance.

One day I'd like to get my hands on a "Locator" or a VSS-3A type light.


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## rhodiuman (Nov 4, 2009)

Found a neat use for my Locator, I've been painting all the rooms in my house and was having trouble getting enough light.
No longer a problem, I just used the searchlight and pointed it up to the ceiling and now I have more than enough light.
I pointed a small desk fan at it as it tends to get pretty hot other wise.
Just got thru running it 4.5 hours, just got a little warm, not hot.

I've added 3 toggle switches and a handle for ease of use, the two toggles on the left control up / down, right / left.

The toggle on the right is on / off.

Cool thing with the handle is you can hold the lamp with one hand and have full pan / tilt / on / off capability. 

I use a 14 amp Lambda 24vdc power supply tweaked up to 28 volts for power.
Tom


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## BVH (Nov 5, 2009)

Tom, are you using the original special military, 5000K or 5600K color temp lamp that has the round nosed bullet shape on the back end and the screw terminal on the front end?

http://candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?p=3123483#post3123483

If so, have you had any success in finding any? They're supposed to have only a 25 hour life to 75% brightness. At least that's all the data I can find regarding the GE Marc 300 EZS 3500K lamps that I can now use with Modamag's adapters. I notice the GE Marc 350 EZT has a 50 hour life. Not much better.

Are you, by chance the one who sold me a Locator and at the time mentioned he had made bulb adapters?


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## rhodiuman (Nov 5, 2009)

I have not located any of the origional bulbs, I use the GE EZS with modified bulb holders I made. I could not tell any difference between the military bulb and the EZS.
In fact I had one military bulb that had a distinct yellow incandescent look to it, did not care for that at all.
Yes I am the one who sold you the searchlight some time back.
Looks like you did some cool stuff with it.
I always wanted to build a battery back pack for one and make it portable, never got around to it.

Tom


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## BVH (Nov 5, 2009)

Tom, do you have any other lights in your inventory that are 5000K - 6000K in color temp that you could shoot a beam shot with against a garage door or something like that so I could see what your EZS's looks like in comparison? I've only tried 1 EZS but all of mine are marked "35K" right on the metal base end so I am assuming they are all the same. Does yours have the same markings? The one I'm using is much yellower than the two originals I have.


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## rhodiuman (Nov 7, 2009)

My lamps are all 35K

Here are pictures of the clamp I made to attach the white wire to the end of the bulb.
Made from a 3/8" stainless steel one piece clamp collar, McMaster-Carr # 6435K33 @$5.56 each.
I cut off part of the collar as show and tightened the 6-32 set screw down against the bulb and tightened the jam nut to keep the collar in place.

Had to make new bulb holders on each end one being brass and the other teflon, they are slightly different than the origional military parts as the bulbs are not exactly alike.

Tom












GE MARC EZS 35,000K bulb on top
Military bulb on bottom


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## BVH (Nov 7, 2009)

Thanks for posting this, Tom. It's fun to see different ways of accomplishing the same task.


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## LightSward (Nov 7, 2009)

BVH said:


> This is a bright little pod light! I would describe the beam style as similar to my Helios - It very slightly favors a flood style and its transition/cone is extremely smooth versus having a very bright center spot and a noticeably dimmer corona. The VSS-3 is definitely a more collimated beam. To my eye, the Locator beam appears to extend out the same distance as the VSS-3. In the next couple of weeks when I have a new camera, I will take these lights to a better spot where I can actually place the spots on a target over a mile away - or attempt to. I'm extremely pleased with my POD light. For a little fan, it is fairly loud and the casing just below the lens got somewhat hot after about 25 minutes of running. It probably relies on forward motion of the helicopter to help keep it cool. I can't run that fast.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


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## BVH (Nov 7, 2009)

Great thoughts! That's exactly what I did on Halloween. I ran it for 1.75 hours straight with a couple 6" fans on the case hot spots. Someone at a brightly lite Walmart parking lot about 5000' distant and over a hill, said they saw the beam quite clearly. That surprised me. I had no idea it reached that far in a light-polluted environment.


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## KD5XB (Dec 18, 2009)

I've never been around Blackhawks much, but it seems like I saw this kind of light either on S2's or P3's, where it was used to identify ships at night. Must be quite a feeling, being in, say, 20-foot seas and having this light come at you at 150+ knots!


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## BVH (Sep 10, 2012)

So that I keep all infomation I've learned about these lights in one place, I'm reviving this thread.

I came across a Locator for Sale on Ebay recently that advertized a manual coming with the light. So I asked the seller if he would make me a copy. For a fee, I got a great copy on nice paper of the original Optical Radiation Corporation Operation, Maintenance and Trouble shooting manual including all the fold-out electrical schematics. I learned that the light can handle input Voltages of between 23 and 32 - although it may perform kind of "buggy" below 24V. Also found out the fan is supposed to be variable speed depending on temp and angle of reflector relative to the fan. The trouble shooting section is nicely detailed, not just a replace this, replace that.


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## FRITZHID (Sep 11, 2012)

BVH said:


> So that I keep all infomation I've learned about these lights in one place, I'm reviving this thread.
> 
> I came across a Locator for Sale on Ebay recently that advertized a manual coming with the light. So I asked the seller if he would make me a copy. For a fee, I got a great copy on nice paper of the original Optical Radiation Corporation Operation, Maintenance and Trouble shooting manual including all the fold-out electrical schematics. I learned that the light can handle input Voltages of between 23 and 32 - although it may perform kind of "buggy" below 24V. Also found out the fan is supposed to be variable speed depending on temp and angle of reflector relative to the fan. The trouble shooting section is nicely detailed, not just a replace this, replace that.




CPF needs a "like" button! Wtg bob!


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## rhodiuman (Sep 22, 2012)

Awesome find Bob, 
I still have one locator left, never had any luck finding a manual / schematic though.
Still use it from time to time.
Keep up the good work!


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## cboles (Oct 23, 2012)

BVH said:


> So that I keep all infomation I've learned about these lights in one place, I'm reviving this thread.
> 
> I came across a Locator for Sale on Ebay recently that advertized a manual coming with the light. So I asked the seller if he would make me a copy. For a fee, I got a great copy on nice paper of the original Optical Radiation Corporation Operation, Maintenance and Trouble shooting manual including all the fold-out electrical schematics. I learned that the light can handle input Voltages of between 23 and 32 - although it may perform kind of "buggy" below 24V. Also found out the fan is supposed to be variable speed depending on temp and angle of reflector relative to the fan. The trouble shooting section is nicely detailed, not just a replace this, replace that.



I would be very interested in sharing your expenses in obtaining said manual for a PDF copy of it. I recently purchased a locator on eBay that is in need of some TLC. One of the tantalum capacitors is blown on one of the PCBs, but I would like to understand the whole circuit first to be sure it's not indicative of some bigger problem. Unfortunately, the reflector seems a bit tarnished / scratched as well. I don't know what the best option is for getting a new reflective coating put onto it. Maybe someone was trying to harvest the negligible quantity of rhodium in it? Otherwise it seems to be in pretty good condition.

Colby


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## BVH (Oct 24, 2012)

I just looked back at my PayPal Account. I ended up paying $140 for the nicely bound, high quality paper copy. I can't imagine more than one more person wanting a copy. So hows this...$140 / 3 = $46.00 for your PDF copy?

I'm ending up with the nice paper copy but I'm also going to have to scan in all those pages which will probably take 3 hours or so to do. Haven't used my scanner in 2 years, hope it still works. Hopefully, someone else comes along who wants a copy in the future. Also, keep in mind that on a few of the schematics, some of the extreme edges got cut off, maybe an eighth or quarter of an inch IIRC. I think that is how the sellers copy was. I don't think it will inhibit trouble shooting and understanding the circuits. I'll need a few days to get it done. Let me know if this meets with your approval.

I'm guessing you bought the one on Ebay with the lamp negative electrode wire hanging off the terminal?


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## FRITZHID (Oct 24, 2012)




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## cboles (Oct 24, 2012)

BVH said:


> I just looked back at my PayPal Account. I ended up paying $140 for the nicely bound, high quality paper copy. I can't imagine more than one more person wanting a copy. So hows this...$140 / 3 = $46.00 for your PDF copy?
> 
> I'm ending up with the nice paper copy but I'm also going to have to scan in all those pages which will probably take 3 hours or so to do. Haven't used my scanner in 2 years, hope it still works. Hopefully, someone else comes along who wants a copy in the future. Also, keep in mind that on a few of the schematics, some of the extreme edges got cut off, maybe an eighth or quarter of an inch IIRC. I think that is how the sellers copy was. I don't think it will inhibit trouble shooting and understanding the circuits. I'll need a few days to get it done. Let me know if this meets with your approval.
> 
> I'm guessing you bought the one on Ebay with the lamp negative electrode wire hanging off the terminal?



Sounds good. I would do this on PM, but I am a new user and it doesn't look like I am allowed to do that yet. Too bad you aren't a little closer (I'm in San Francisco) - I have very nice sheet-feed double sided scanner that takes no time at all and does OCR as well so that the PDFs are searchable. I did pick up the one on eBay - it needs a little love but I should be able to get it working - I am an EE with a full machine shop as well. I think the mirror might be the toughest issue to fix.


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## BVH (Mar 25, 2014)

Just found out that an air EMS company in CA is still using a bunch of these in daily (nightly) in-flight service. I'm very surprised. I thought these were long-gone from their original use. They aim them 45 to 90 degrees off-target and use their Night Vision devices to view the target and it works perfectly they say. Evidently, the corona provides ample Lumens - which I can attest to.


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## liveris flashlights (Mar 26, 2014)

Great job!!!


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## BVH (Mar 31, 2014)

Got some new info. Model A Locators, such as the one that member ShortArc has is a 12 Volt nominal model with 4-direction gimbal, no fan in the lamp housing but with a fan in the base. Model B is the same but for use with 28 Volts. Model 300 is of the same vintage but is a multi component unit. A non-gimbaled light head, a remote control and a separate power supply. The power supply looks like the base of a Model A or B and comes in an "A" and "B" model for use with 12 and 28 Volts respectively. Then we move on to my original Locator model - the model 1242. It'll be fun to see the Model "B" that I have coming to me and make some comparisons.

ShortArc, I will email you a PDF of the Model A/B/300 operation and troubleshooting manual that I got from REACH Air Medical Services.


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