Stock would be 55W HID. Should be able to put in a 100W full sized ballast. 13" reflector.
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I am getting 1.25 million lux @ 1m (converted) for a 6-7 inch reflector with the 100W ballast and a 6000K bulb. If we are lucky we should be able to touch 5 million (4x more) or maybe 6 million with a 4300K bulb.
That could mean Maxabeam gen 2 - gen 3 performance. Hope the price is not a lot.
Ok, new discovery found. Initially i am getting a dismay 1.7-1.8 million cd while testing with 100W ballast and 4300k bulb. I put everything back, screwed it nice and tight. It seems like upon screwing it back, the huge reflector suddenly snapped into focus and the beam is a lot tighter now. I am getting 2.4 million candelas. It seems like the reflector is so big that it needs the 6 screws to hold the edge in place, else it'd warp and not hold shape. As you know it is a cone, and one the whole circular edge is supported, the reflector "parabola" (it is not a true parabola of course) is formed more accurately. It is still a star shaped hotspot but extremely tight now with little corona and lots of spill.
Longer range measurements need to be done...but that's all for now, gonna enjoy the thing. :)
Glad you like it. I've got 2pcs of their SM5200. I am got a new 1.35 million lux 1m with a 4300k bulb. This is untuned (can play with washers for focal length). I think can hit 1.5-1.6 million when optimised.
In contact with Cloris and see what she can do. Apparently there might be issues with battery going through customs and the size. But battery, what's the issue anyway...just take it out! I can get it here at just usd15 per piece. Save on shipping as well since it might need DHL/UPS. Obviously CPAM would not do, EMS may have restrictions too as it is BIG.
Let me nego with them, i'll post new findings. This one not so easy to get. They are unwilling to sell the sample, not sure what issue with the SLA with customs.
I was supposed to have bought the SM5210, but mistakenly I was sent the SM5200. So now I have 2 "Yao 35/80s"
The last time they said it was a sample and could not sell it.
They contacted me again (Guangzhou Sanmak) today. But a bit wrong timing, i am aiming to start off with astronomy and for that i need quite a fair bit of cash. I wanted to start for 2 times, but never got round to it...
yup.but that 13 incher really caught my attention too.wish they would sell it on a per piece basis. btw is its 55w h3 bulb same in intensity as a 55w h4 bulb?
Astronomy is more fun than flashlights :)I’ve done it in a relatively inexpensive way. I started out with 80mm refractor and then went to 8" reflector and now I end up using the 80mm refractor and 15x70 binoculars most of the time.
I don’t have any motorized gear and I locate things just by “star hopping” and by referring to a software program on my PC. What kind of telescope are you planning to get?
I've been interested in trying to check out the heavens since like 15 years ago but i still haven't started work then so stopped. Then 8 years ago i wanted to get one but i figured that i need to drive to a secluded place to ob so too much work/time (need to work the next day!). Just last year i wanted to start again but stopped, now want to start again. hehe.... I just moved to my place 2yrs ago which has a rooftop garden so it's going to be quite easy for me, i don't have to walk > 50m from my apartment. But there are turnstiles to negotiate so no SCTs or big mounts.
Going to use on a Twilight II Alt-Az mount. No Goto, so keep it easy by star hopping.
I figured that 2kg for the CF is not a lot of savings, but i'll be using this for quite a while, and due to the local tropical weather = lots of clouds, i need to be very fast. The CF looks good too.
The problem is the focusser as it slips a bit after a few minutes if you get in a heavy > 20 oz EP there, i guess for me starting out it's not an issue. When i was doing bird photography i had a setup which is not very ideal too (just a 486RC Manfrotto ballhead) but i managed somehow. I am not a very particular person, but i do appreciate some quality. But an upgrade to a Feathertouch or Moonlite is gonna cost!
Stellarvue has some good scopes with good focussers, but $$$...sigh. I think optically it's not going to make much of a difference esp with the ES at 127mm.
Now thats one hell of a reflector! if that thing throws close to a maxabeam we have a winner here. a pricey one at that. are your spare ballasts h3 or h4? this is a h3 bulb light so a h4 swap would need some modding.
I have like 30 over H3 bulbs 55W.... :D Purple, pink, blue, 30k, 3k, 4.3k, 5k, 6k, take your pick. Very cheap, 11 bucks shipped. I went bonkers last time with HIDs. They are also not "very dim" but i think they definitely wear down quicker than Philips/GE bulbs. But so far no failures (I don't use them that often anyway) It's hot, like XM-Ls i don't think anybody guns past 20 mins anyway....
But 75W I have only 1 pair of 4300K and 100W also 1 pair of 4300k.
I estimate 6 mil PBCP tops and 4 mil minimum with the 100W bulb (5mm arc length). It should beat the original Maxabeam, no doubt about that....which is at 2.3 mil.
I am getting 1.25 million lux @ 1m (converted) for a 6-7 inch reflector with the 100W ballast and a 6000K bulb. If we are lucky we should be able to touch 5 million (4x more) or maybe 6 million with a 4300K bulb.
