Astrolux "MF04" discussion thread

I think currently HIDs are a bit dead? But here is a good thread about the Thrunite TN42vn vs Lemax LX70 SuperPower. The latter is a 4.5k usd light with a 219mm head, guns out 4.5m lux. The focusing of the bulb and reflector i suspect should be way better with a much much higher quality hotspot than that of mine, that is probably how they can do 4.5m lux with just a 219mm head non short arc.

edit - holy smokes, did a search on Taobao (china consumer ecommerce site), seems like nowadays they have 150W variable output power ballasts and even 220W variable power ballasts. Still need to measure to see if they are able to do 220W with a proper PSU.
edit - Holy smokes x 2, i saw a 12-18V input variable output power 300W ballast cum 18” smallish reflector and bulb combo for just rmb 190 (usd 28). No host, though it has mounting hardware for mounting onto a normal tripod. It’s a fishing light meant for the fishing market, you can even put in 30k kelvins bulb, or magenta bulbs and all that car rice stuff.
https://item.taobao.com/item.htm?spm=a230r.1.14.275.53ab77f94z6JT4&id=528039049306&ns=1&abbucket=12#detail

It should be interesting to gun with a 100W bulb (4-5mm arc?) but of course you’d get higher lumens. Only usd16 for such a 220 watt HID ballast. Shipping is pretty inexpensive to this part of the globe, just usd 3 per kilogram with a forwarder as part of a consolidated order (usd4 for the first kilogram).

I remember close to 10 years ago, there were still folks playing with such things and the hardcore ones going short arc like the Maxabeam (3-6 million cd for those generations) and tank lights like the short arc AN/VSS-1 etc, shelling out obscene amounts of money. Powerful lasers with large apertures (good for focusing) are nice, but monochromatic and you can’t even see much other than a dot even with a pair of 10 x 50 binos. :slight_smile:

I think and hope that 10 years later, we’d get a 150% or perhaps even 200% increase in surface brightness with LEDs. :slight_smile: That and a corresponding increase in efficiency, so that the heat management is still ok in our commonly sized aluminum hosts.
Imagine that and with a 130mm head like MF04 or BLF GT. Not sure if that is theorectically possible though.

You can see if the aliexpress chinese seller drops price from its 189usd current price (shipping included) when it’s nearer to 11th november? Quite a few sellers on aliexpress will drop their prices on this “singles day”.

On Taobao it’s usd 129 (rmb 888) so that gives you an idea, of course that is excluding international shipping, and i guess shipping to Norway is not gonna be cheap.
They might drop the price on 11/11.

This was pretty accurate. Today I got my MF02S and I get decent light out at 300-330meters but after that it’s to dim to be of any use. So the MF04 will give about 1000meters with the same light then if it’s similar?

You seem to prefer the 1/3 distance, like me. So the MF02S is rated to 1040 meters and 1/3 of that is 346 meters.

The MF04 is rated at 2400 meters, so 1/3 of that is 800 meters. That’s what I would call it’s usable distance.

Yes I should have said that it was my subjective obeservation. It did throw longer but then it got so dark that I couldn’t see much.

The ANSI-FL1 specs measure throw until it is at 1/4 lux. This brightness level is like a full moon on a clear night. It is pretty weak, but at least it’s a standard that most companies use.

I just divide by 3 (or convert meters to feet) to get what I call a realistic usable distance.

I realize that now. After reading up a bit on the Maxa Beam I see that they have rated it at 6925m (0.25lux) at that standard but they advertise 3500m (1 lux) since that’s more realistic usable distance. The MF04 is really tempting but those maxabeam numbers are just so crazy high :smiley:

Maxabeam is $2,000-$3,000. :open_mouth:

Recieved my MF04S CW yesterday. Measured 630k cd stock, 930k after dedoming. My luxmeter is more sensitive to cool white, so because of the tint shift I’m estimating the cd to be around 1M. Did anyone else dedome his MF04S and has some values to share?

P.S.: The beam shape is still phenomenal after dedoming.

Yeah but I know I would regret not doing that route. Got one in the mail now :slight_smile:

Welcome to the club!

PS. Check out LPF/Laserpointerforums. You’ll like it.

We can’t import lasers to Norway. They forbid it after kids where pointing at airplanes so now responsible people get fined $4-500 if they illegally import it :frowning: those that did it before are prolly finding a loophole to get one anyways…

Will there be a long tube to buy ?

The problem with a long tube is that they did not design the battery carriers to be stackable. If you took two carriers right now and put them end to end they simply will not work regardless of whether or not you have a long tube.

If demand were high enough, they could design a new set of battery carriers and a long tube to put them in.

Is this 12” HID spotlight still available for sale somewhere?

I think in terms of surface brightness (luminance) LEDs have come fairly near with the performance of HID bulbs already.

What about the ones from the blf gt?

I suppose if you convert them to the 6v (2S2P) that the MF04 uses they might work. You would also need to compare the carriers diameter and length to make sure it physically fits.

I thought these enthusiast flashlights are only available for sale online. You mean they actually sell these in retail stores in China?

Yes you can buy them off retail in China esp in the big cities. Not exactly in big departmental stores, but more of enthusiast shops as well as small pushcart or “cubicle” kinda stores, which may carry other things like cigarette lighters, typical stun guns, maybe the occasional taser (or china copy of the taser, god knows what they are capable of), laser pointers, binoculars/telescopes, even fireworks cakes and cigarettes/liquors etc. Ultrafire/Trustfire/Supfire is quite easily obtainable, they’d be used by the general masses. More like a gift shop kind of thing.

You’d be able to find the higher end and specialised stuff that enthusiasts dig and don’t mind spending slightly more premium from dedicated flashlight/knives/survival stores, some people want to have a feel of the light first and they would want some after-sales support (maybe to sell as second hand later).
However, i guess more often than not, a fair % of folks buy them online via platforms like taobao, suning, JD etc, as you know……we enthusiasts probably already know what we prefer.

I’m going Taipei next week, for sure it’s going to be the same thing there in the night markets (both the touristy ones and the more favoured by the local ones), a mix of the super budget stuff, prob you’d find a good amount of fire stuff (nothing wrong with them other than the 18650s which you’d run a risk of getting fakes of the actual**fire legit product :smiley: ) , and if you are lucky you might find some Mateminco, Acebeam, Fenix, Olight etc.

Hey, i’ll keep you guys posted and post a new thread if i do find some good budget stuff in Taipei in the night markets, just for info sharing. While i do not think i’ll be able to get them for a good price, coz the sellers themselves are getting from Taobao and the likes anyway…….maybe they enjoy bulk discounts that’s the only difference.