It would seem HID is dead.

Lets hope so, but they still have a long way to go to make any of those other solutions affordable and mainstream. And they might not ever be suitable for modifying existing hardware to produce cost effective, simple, worthwhile results.

IMHO, for many inexpensive, high lumen applications (especially in DIY and retrofit), nothing can come even close to matching the simplicity, performance/cost ratio of a properly engineered HID solution.

Thanks Flash. Much appreciated Smile

Any time 4wheeler! Let us know how it goes.

I agree. I have the new LED lights on the 2016 BMW X1 and it is absolutely fantastic. From the outside, it’s “just a projector” but I can clearly see the emitters through the lens. The cutoff is exceptionally crisp and the light is very, very even. I am lamenting the fact I didn’t opt for the LED lighting for the 2015 Mini Cooper… only halogens swapped to NightBreakers :frowning:

Having said that, as a proper retrofit, HID trumps LED if only for the mere fact the engineering going into these so-called LED Conversion kits (hey, we sell them, unfortunately!) is a bit lacking.

Cars headlights are not designed for max throw. So it makes sense that LED’s better fit the bill. I haven’t built many serious LED throwers. Best was 800+kcd, 2nd and 3rd best were around half that. None of them throw as well as my 35 (maybe 55watt) HID spot light.

I’m sure theres more than me here that knew what you meant DBSAR. :slight_smile:

I have Microfire 3500 HID and it really sucks. From run time to output and not to mention warming up time. My first, last and never more hid.

LED is far superior technology for handheld flashlights.

But of course HID could win in a HID vs LED output competition in “Batman call” sized lights.

It would seem HID are cornered by LED into an ever receding pocket of niche usage, they are much more complicated by design especially for hand held use but LED that are now more efficient than HID still cannot touch it for ultimate intensity and CRI.

Nothing needs to die as long as it is of service.

I find little reason to switch over to led bulbs in my bathroom fixture. Little running time and frequent ON/OFF switching is the perfect recipe to keep using my beloved top CRI incans I can buy everywhere for cheap as @#$%. The fixture keeps the bulbs upside down, so when the filaments break a bit I just have to give a few taps to the bulb and it works again. ;-)

Cheers ^:)

Oh wow, you didn’t know that HID bulbs can be used in more than just flashlights?
Do you think that sky beams use LEDs? lol
HID have tons of applications.

The 2.3M lumen bulb isn’t handheld, but to prove my point here is a flashlight with ~50Mcd which is impossible to achieve with an LED:

Go ahead and try, plenty of people have, there is no LED anywhere close to this.

Also, single HID bulbs can do 8000lm+ while nearing 100lm/W efficiency.
Go try to find a non-COB LED which can do that many lumens at that efficiency. (because a COB is useless for throw)
The closest I have found is an XHP70 at 12-15 amps producing 6-7000lm at about 60lm/W efficiency.

Then why quote it?
To encourage more people to click the button?
Just press it and move on, if some meaningless words on a screen really affect you that much.

Mr. Enderman you are pure evil :smiling_imp: :smiley:

Yes you are right about HID performance and record breaking but when we need a trailer for such light it is really no brainer to make assumption that something is wrong with us; but in a good way of course cause we are probably preparing for war or alien encounter on our diy ships, helicopters and planes.

For me HID in flashlight format was dead several years ago and if you see the future for HID in our regular flashlight use and modds then I think you are very optimistic person.

+1

There is no definition of “flashlight format” other than a battery powered portable device.
Yeah I agree it’s not any good for an EDC pocket sized light, but you need to understand that not everyone uses flashlights to carry them in their pockets.
The maxablaster is still a flashlight by definition.

No, definitely not in this forum where almost everyone is buying single or double digit cost flashlights.
HID is obviously way more expensive and more for enthusiasts.
Expensive and rare =/= dead.
Or maybe you think we should say bugatti and all the other hypercars are dead just because they are rare and expensive and few people use them?

Actually, this thread is about HID in general.
I don’t see anywhere that it says “HID is dead for pocket lights” it just says “HID is dead”
The flashlight world is larger than just pocket lights, and just because the majority of people don’t use something doesn’t mean it’s dead.

This is a flashlight forum after all, not just a pocket light EDC forum.
PS- there is no such thing as “HID form factor” you just made that up xD
Did you mean to say “EDC”? Because I can see how what you’re saying applies to EDC lights, but definitely not all flashlights.

Pfft…the HID on my boat makes the longest throwing LED flashlights seem like dim candles blowing in the breeze. It is said to be “portable”, and I would almost have to agree. :laughing: They are only fun for about 5 minutes when stationary, then you’ll be wondering how to make it portable to use on the go.

Has anyone else grabbed one (or similar +1kW) to play with and mounted atop a pickup truck or boat? A manual roof mounted pan/tilt would be interesting and a whole lot less complex/expensive than my mod.

Ok,

All mentioned above have sense and it stands weather we talk about our classic handheld flashlights(90% of market) or about specialized vehicle or huge HID lights(10% of market?) but also because of everything said and mentioned in previous posts flashlight manufacturers will tend to work with more cheap and reliable parts in a future so yes I agree with DBSAR… HID is not dead yet but it will probably be in a future, and all that because HID technology probably reached its maximum potential while LED has still more room for developing (although currently in LED technology I don’t see any progress especially when it comes to super throwy emitters we had 2 years ago).

Are you referring to the adjustable 360* Remote searchlights that are magnetized and remotely operated? If so, yes I occasionally stick one atop my car or truck when I want to have fun… The beam is un godly bright!I believe mine is a “Go Light Wanna-be” made by a company called Afterpartz but it has to come close to a real Go Light’s output. Anywhere you aim it, you can see as far as your eyes can go :+1:
I personally own a Xenonics Nighthunter 1 short arc ,a 12W HID dive light Darkbuster brand good for 550 lumen, two different Jobsmart HID lights, one being handheld and the other an actual big spot light both modded with 4300K bulbs and 55W ballasts, and as of lastnight I am the new owner of a Peak Beam Maxa Beam 450. Go big or go home right?

Thanks for sharing your experiences. It sounds like you enjoy scaring the dark into hiding from you! If you have a means of powering large HID’s, they are by far the highest light intensity/most powerful single light source/portable light sources available to the consumer. By their very nature, I doubt LED technology will ever be able to compete in that realm… not even close.

I was asking if anyone else had mounted a 1000 watt (1kW or larger) short arc on a moving vehicle. Id be interested in which alternator(s) and controllers they chose for power. Check my sig for my 1kW short arc, pan/tilt and power system mods. Before that, I had a 450 watt ORC searcher (for aircraft mounted search and rescue) but it didnt have the massive swath of light provided by the 1kW when the beam was adjusted for maximum flood. I got a demo of the older (and comparatively much larger) 2.5kW version, but the optics weren’t nearly as efficient as the 1kW illuminator, and it lacked many of the design features of the newer unit. Because I sometimes run in salt water, I also opted for the waterproof military version for its sealed active heat exchanger and internal shock absorption system. It lived on top of a main battle tank barrel, so I figured it would be tough enough to survive the G shock loads incurred on a boat. Hitting waves at speed, the entire boat often leaves the water and lands with a good amount of impact.

I had a HID Go Light Stryker (with remote) on my play pickup for a while, but replaced it with 3 x 100 watt HID conversions using the huge Hella Rallye 4000 housings to maximize lumen efficiencies and provide nice beam patterns.

Congrats on your 450. How do you like it so far?

A beat-up old maxabeam appeared on craigslist, but it was an early version with less wattage, and the guy was asking far too much for it.

How about “ultraportable”, “affordable”, “HID”…“headlamp” ?


No.

Just… no.