Most your questions are answered in the thread but I'll do my best to help here..
So anyways, you gave an explanation as to the layering of atmosphere from angle of the observer in great detail, which can explain a general "spot", but then you just post more photos of other people's beamshots. Which, who know's the circumstances of those photos and their relevance?
I did not say nor imply the intensity of the light in this project is like those shots. I could have chosen any beam to illustrate the difference in seeing the beam in the clouds from straight underneath and from the side, but I chose those beams because it is the Tribute in Light at WTC in NYC. Being the most well known light display in the world, it is the easiest for most other people to relate to. I also did not "just" post the beams to illustrate the answer to what you were asking, I also thoroughly explained it as well. I actually did not need to post any beams with the explanation. I did it for you to see the for yourself the affect. Since you are unable to see this common phenomenon first hand, the sole relevance of the beam pics here is to show you the effect in pictures. For the purpose of helping you to see the difference in viewing a beam in the clouds from underneath versus from the side, I actually did not even need to use a searchlight beam. I could have used a laser beam through fog to show you the effect. From straight on, you see a single spot, while from the side you see layered intensity variation as the laser impinges the various layers of fog intensities. There is no relevance in the photos beyond the illustration of this phenomenon.
Where are the photos of your prototype light, that made the beam shots?
Didn't take any.
I guess it's strange that there are plenty of beamshots, but I didn't see a single prototype light built anywhere.
I explained this in the thread.. there are various prototypes for testing and optimizing the different functions. One for testing and optimizing the actual light output characteristics, several for testing and optimizing the cooling air flow and pressure characteristics, several for testing and optimizing the air/water separation characteristics, two for testing head wind pressure characteristics, several for testing and optimizing the alignment assembly, and probably some others hanging around. There is a lot of discussion regarding many of these assemblies in this thread. I also had posted some photos of some test assemblies for the more visually oriented here to see.
Where is the prototype light at?
Most assemblies are in the downstairs workshop, some are in the garage, some things are even in my bedroom.
Are you possibly making this into a pipe dream? Wireless control, bluetooth, touch panels?
As discussed much in the thread, the last thing I want is for this to be said and done, final costs invested, everything made, assembled lights shipped out, and then come to find it could have been better. I can understand that these features you mention may seem daunting, but these are not difficult for me as a programmer. As with every aspect of the light, I want to get the most out of each component, including the controller board's expandability. As just recently stated, I will not be including all of these three features you ask about, just one of them. Touch panel is the one feature of the three I'm working on because I feel it is the most useful for this application. The other two were options in case I were unable to source the touch panels at a cost that wouldn't much affect affording the completion of the project. I only have so much to spend on this each quarter, and if I could not find a touch panel manufacturer that will allow me to make a purchase of under 5k, I would opt for wireless as a supplemental control feature. As of now, I am making the best progress over the past few days with a new touch panel manufacturer than I have since my initial inquiry to a few dozen manufacturers. Once this is squared away, supplemental control features can be handled through the touch panel, or switched over to remote control via serial connection just as other remote controllable searchlights.
You have CAD drawings so far that can't be produced because of your funds, what kind of person would keep adding things that ensure they never actually produce, well, anything besides CAD drawings?
This is a multi-part question. Also as just recently stated in this thread, I now have funds for completion but am on my last bit of patience in seeking a dependable and affordable touch panel source. I have two panels coming in the mail for testing which I do not expect to work out well for this, and I am working with another manufacturer for something I do expect to work perfect for this. Again these are my last resorts in sourcing touch panels, and if both of these opportunities do not pan out, I will then scrap the touch panel, go with wireless or strictly serial for supplemental control, rebuild the housing in CAD without the touch panel and have the molds made. After the last few hiccups with touch panel manufacturers, I've had to regain my patience for a last ditch effort because I really prefer to not have to go back and rebuild the housing in CAD to make it something less than I had already planned for.
As far as what kind of person does this, well I'm not a psychologist or mental health "expert". To be completely honest I don't give two squats what kind of person does anything they do, nor why they do what they do. As far as I'm concerned, people will do what they will do and I don't care to analyze it or even judge them. I'm also not much interested in meeting any expected social norms, especially considering how quickly today's norms change.
I'm not going to dig into this too deeply but I actually don't think I've actually added much that would delay the project as a result of lack of funding. Much of the time invested was in experimentation, and the design changes resulting from that experimentation. Thus far, the delays due to lack of funding were the result of necessary costs not associated with new features. This is all outlined in the thread. It is many times more expensive to design something to be produced rather than a one off. It also takes all the more work to plan properly for. There's also more involved in the process when it's to be easily worked on beyond initial assembly, and to adopt modern design and construction standards. All of this I had to learn along the way. Even if you really wanted to figure out what kind of person does this, I would have to say a most reasonable person would.
You need a working light.
No. I need working functional prototypes (done), and a fully defined functional plan of assembly (done).
You don't need biometric fingerprint encryption and remote access from a VLAN to throw lumens.
I'm surprised you would think I believe these things are necessary to produce throw. Trust me, I know exactly what it take to produce throw. You need to understand, this project is a collaboration of ideas from many different people. There is absolutely no harm in considering the ideas proposed by others. The only harm in is offending them by shooting them down for their ideas. As far as biometric, I'm not sure how much, if at all, we may have considered biometric. Maybe it was just mentioned when we were assessing an access control feature for safety. Access control is imperative. Children are curious, especially about something new and different, and they will find a way to get their grubs on it behind your back. And they will hurt themselves, likely permanently. Not on my watch. Also not sure how much, if at all, we may have considered VLAN. I'm fairly certain it was never more than a fleeting thought for me along the way. Serial accomplishes the same thing in a much more universal form.
If it's a project, you move in steps to build, not merely steps to imagine more things you wish you could build but know are far too expensive to ever do.
Again, the features have not added much to expense, definitely not to the point of delaying the project due to expense.
A significant consideration is that since the major components cost thousands of dollars, why not take the effort to include features that best take advantage of those costly components while not significantly adding to the cost. This also was explained in the thread.
Sorry, I'm just seeing 35 pages of a project that is no more than a dream.
You need to read the thread, and you will see much more than just 35 pages. Most applicable to your concern this may be nothing more than a dream, are the particular discussions within the thread regarding the steps taken to identify issues and how to best address them. If you were to read from beginning to end, you will see an ongoing progression through the issues with unwavering perseverance toward the end goal.
You can't seem to hold yourself still and make something, it's always a new idea, but no progress.
No progress? No offense by this, but you've just pulled off the single most ignorant statement in this entire thread.
I have to play devils advocate, because sometimes you may need to check yourself, ask, are you really developing anything at all, or just adding complex ideas to barrier your production entirely?
What may seem overly complex to you thus far is surely not for me. You're making the mistake of assuming that if something seems too difficult for you, it is too difficult for anyone. For me, it has not even yet gotten past fun.
Carbon fiber molding...I used to mold carbon rocket parts for large motor rockets--you producing that bike crank is most likely out of your production abilities. If I were you, I would analyze immediately what you can't do now, say hey, I realized I took this idea too far, and change the design to be building this light out of steps of milled aluminum at 1/10 the price, if you can't produce a carbon example product this far (years) into your journeys.
Composites had not held up the project, they helped move it along by a long shot. If you read the thread, you will see that I consider metal housings too dangerous to hold in the hand with 35KV ignition inside. The alternative to a metal housing is plastics. And I can't use thermoplastics because of the heat in the optics housing. I'm also not venturing into injection molding. Not because it's "too complicated" for my meager self, but because it's not cost effective for a production run that would suit this project. Composite laminates are simply the best solution for a number of reasons. First off, they are by far the strongest while being the lightest weight and most durable. They are electrically isolating. Composite laminates are also the most cost effective manufacturing method for production runs on the order of this project. About all of this is covered in the thread. I actually can't think of anything mentioned here that hadn't already been discussed at least once before.
All of the prior years working on this project were primarily involved in learning and pioneering on my own without having the information available to me anywhere. Only relatively recently in the long timeline had construction been worked on, and it's moved along much more quickly than the research and experimentation phases.
Edit - Don't forget I'm making a light that's more powerful than Spectrolab's $25K Nightsun Enhanced SX-16 for a fraction of the cost, in a much more convenient and easy to use hand-held form, with much more weather resistance, 1/6 the weight, consuming half the power, and without having the entire engineering and manufacturing staff and facilities of Boeing.
