# New Sunforce 25 million HID - Big center shadow???



## DavyCrockett (Aug 20, 2010)

Well, after waiting for 7 weeks, the Sunforce 25 million cp spotlight finally made it here. Yes, it said charge it up before using...and it WAS at low power. But i tried it out for 10 seconds anyway before charging. There was a fairly big center shadow/dark spot and little line shadow going out from the center. Will the big black shadow/dark spot in the middle continue after it's fully charged??? Common sense says it would. Man, I don't like that. Any way to get rid of that center dark spot? Will it possilby go away when fully charged?? So far, I'm disappointed. At low charge, it's no more powerful than my Newcomdogi China light 35W.


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## roadie (Aug 20, 2010)

errr ....

pics pics pics

beamshoots beamshoots beamshoots 

plse


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## kramer5150 (Aug 21, 2010)

It should be a center hot spot, witha pie shape wedge kind of cut out of it. All automotive HID bulbs spotlights have this to some degree. My DIY had it too until I removed the ceramic tube around the wire


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## fyrstormer (Aug 21, 2010)

Gotta let the bulb warm up before you can really tell what the beam will look like. Unlike with incans or LEDs, the HID arc starts thin and spreads out as the bulb warms up. The reflector is designed for the emission pattern at operating temperature.

That's not to say there might not be something wrong anyway, but I've seen HID bulbs take 30 seconds to reach full brightness, so a 10-second test isn't guaranteed to be accurate.


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## DavyCrockett (Aug 21, 2010)

So maybe I had the wrong idea...a hotspot IS the center dark spot? (it seemed to imply that it is brighter in the center.) 

I'll try it out tonight after fully charged and let her run for 10 minutes or so. :candle:


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## Locoboy5150 (Aug 21, 2010)

Hmmm...strange. My Sunforce HID doesn't have a dark spot in the center of its tight beam pattern. It does have artifacts like rings and the "pie slice" due to the HID bulb and its smooth reflector, but they don't detract from its main plus factors, its incredibly tight beam and very long throw distance.

In general, all spotlights have beam artifacts. Don't expect their beam patterns to be anywhere near as nice as those from high quality flashlights. But, why anyone would be concerned with what any of their lights (flashlights or spotlights) look like when shined on a white wall indoors is kind of beyond me. Set these lights free and get them out where they belong, in the great outdoors!


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## DavyCrockett (Aug 21, 2010)

Locoboy, i know you have one. I shined it at 60 yards last night outside for the 10 seconds...and there was this dark spot right in the center of where I was shining it. Didn't seem right. I have 3 more hours to try it again.
Looks like there ought to be a brighter spot in the center. (yes, of course it has the slice.) And it seemed to NOT have a nice tight beam, had more spill. We'll see in a few hours.

On another note: did you get the PM I sent you last week regarding this light?


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## glowingretinas (Aug 21, 2010)

I have one in transit from Northern Tool and I should have it in 5 days according to UPS tracking. When I have it and charged I'll see if you have an anomaly or if they have changed something. Slight changes like bulb brands could change the focal point/height and could explain a dark center. I'll let you know when I know.


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## DavyCrockett (Aug 21, 2010)

Okay G.R. I've had a 3million cp spotlight, and it didn't have this center shadow. Maybe I got a DUD.

Edit: (or idiot, me for ordering this) Dark now, tried it out at full charge. This thing is a piece of junk. I've got a $14 light
from Thailand, that x2000 zoom one, that out throws this, and puts out as much light. That big black hole at the center is still there. Looks like a bit blackhole dildo. I'll provide photos later, you'll see. 
This thing puts more spill and flood than throw. Piece of junk. I'm returning it tomorrow. HOpe yours isn't like mine, G.R.'s.


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## DavyCrockett (Aug 21, 2010)

PHOTOS:









These two above are the sunforce 25 million dud... it gave so much spill and flood that it wouldn't reach the salt block at 100 yards. Just gave this sick spill and flood at 30 yards with the black hole in the middle. 


And here's the 3 million spotlight lighting up a salt block at 100 yards...below


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## Illum (Aug 21, 2010)

donut...happens when something is not focused properly. maybe someone forgot a shim during assembly?:thinking:

what you are seeing is the HID lamp envelope from the top, as well as the contact pole on the opposing end. I have not recalled seeing a HID beamshot quite like this one before oo:


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## DavyCrockett (Aug 21, 2010)

thanks for the explanation Illum.

wonderful, just wonderful. i send off $139, and 7 weeks later, get a donut. :sick2:

someone get me the Chinese on the line...i want to buy a cheap communist light.
This one must have been made in Afghanastan by Bin Ladin.


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## Locoboy5150 (Aug 23, 2010)

Bleh! :sick2:

That is definitely messed up and I would return it too! :fail:

My beam pattern looks nothing like that and it certainly throws much further than you reported about yours.

Oh, no I didn't get a PM from you for some reason.


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## ANDREAS FERRARI (Aug 23, 2010)

kramer5150 said:


> .......the ceramic tube around the wire



You can see a blank spot in the beam shot where the ceramic tube surrounding the wire leads to the top of the bulb.


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## petersmith6 (Aug 23, 2010)

try taking the bulb out and replaceing it.it was probly assembles by some dimwitted shovel head.


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## DavyCrockett (Aug 23, 2010)

Yeah Ferrari, but as the feeble light tried to make it out to that 100 yard shot, the black hole in the center was about 20 feet in diameter at that point.

Petersmith, no doubt a shovelhead did it while textmessaging his other shovelhead buddies. :green: 

I'm thinking PM's don't get through then, LB. Maybe only for paid members? 

I'm afraid to try replacing the bulb, might mess up my return privileges. Besides, they should have turned the thing on for 30 seconds to confirm it worked okay. I've already made arrangements to return it. 

So disappointed after 7 weeks waiting. So I had 3 strong drinks and when they kicked in, I ordered some camo 15 million spotlight on the Bay...that's what i recall anyway.(don't suppose this has ever happened to anyone else) 
With my hoped for refund, I may also order that 25 million one with the LED backup lights. 

The lady at customer service was very nice, however. She's going to send me a prepaid return sticker.


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## glowingretinas (Aug 31, 2010)

Yup, mines bad too, but not as bad as Davy's. There is a small center hot spot and further out a slightly dark ring. Upon inspection, I found two large common washers used to shim the bulb base rearward in the reflector. The retaining clip was very tight so no more rearward movement is possible without mods.
I held the lamp base by hand and was able to produce a tight beam by moving it rearward a tad more.

Also after a night and day charge the battery status light may have failed(no lights), unless the green (full) comes on at a lower voltage later? If this is the case, it's goin back.

Perhaps they don't build them like they use to.


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## DavyCrockett (Aug 31, 2010)

...I don't think so, GlowingRetinas, They said they'd send me a paid return postage stamp...it's been 8 days, and so far nothing in the mail. I'll give it one more day. Shoulda been here by now.


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## big4x4 (Aug 31, 2010)

Hi, before you return it, if you feel comfortable, refocus it yourself. Try finding a way to shim the hid bulb and either take it out or push it forward a few mm's... this will most likely be an easy fix for your problem.


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## DavyCrockett (Aug 31, 2010)

Thanks, but am afraid I'll mess something up. Plus they should have tested it for 10 seconds anyway before shipping it. I've already planned the return.


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## Locoboy5150 (Sep 1, 2010)

glowingretinas said:


> Upon inspection, I found two large common washers used to shim the bulb base rearward in the reflector.



Those washers may be the problem. My Sunforce HID spotlight has no washers or bulb shims in it at all. Maybe other customers were complaining about the tightness of the beam pattern and thus Sunforce added the washers to flood the beam a bit.

When I first got my Sunforce spotlight, I popped it open to shim the bulb and hopefully make the beam pattern even tighter. I tested it out on a white wall indoors and any little movement of the bulb rearward via shims resulted in a more floody beam pattern. Thus, I just left it shim-free and in stock condition.

I would suggest taking out the washers and then see what it does to the beam. Please report here what you find out if you do take them out.


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## glowingretinas (Sep 1, 2010)

I added one more washer(about 1/16") thick and safety wired the bulb in place. The beam had much less flood and a larger brighter hot spot. I think there's more to found, just need more shims. Just shouldn't have to do this.

In the last year, I've notice a big drop in quality in all kinds of products coming from Asia. Somethings going on over there.


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## Illum (Sep 2, 2010)

What probably happened was the procurement of reflectors that are the same in radial dimension but different focal lengths...which could have happened if they were cutting prices and buying surplus.

while conducting tesrs the QC/QA department probably did not use a long enough range to see it as a concern...which may be plausible but nonetheless inexcusable


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## kramer5150 (Sep 3, 2010)

OP... I think you are better off getting a refund, if you are at all uncomfortable dealing with 12V electrical systems.

It could be either a manufacturing defect or an intended design change... hard to say for certain.

Another bay area CPF'er tried a DIY build, and unfortunately he could not get his lamp shimmed properly. (using a different host). In his case, shimming the bulb back only made the doughnut worse. So (IMHO) there are models out there that are designed more for flood than throw.


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## Stirdy (Sep 15, 2010)

I just got a couple of these and noticed that they made a design change from the one I got a few months ago. Its more compact, and seems to flood a lot more than the older model, so I will try to shim the bulb as well.I have no problem removing the lens/ reflector on the new ones but can't seem to open the older one. There's a single screw in the lens cover but I can't tell if it twists open or pops straight off ( I feel like I'm about to break it) Any advice?


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