Astrolux "MF04" discussion thread

[2100]

@minim

Have you seen anyone comparing MF04 to a HID lamp before? From all the videos I found of the MF04 it has pretty impressive performance. I really can’t imagine how anything can be that much brighter at the same distance

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.

Giants of the throw in the sky of Rome!

I’ve enjoyed making a comparative tests between the major throw torches: the Thrunite TN42vn NW and the Acebeam X65vn NW, alongside with what is currently considered to be the world's most powerful portable HID torch: the Lemax LX70 SuperPower. I chose the X65 because - even though it has less candles than other torches - it has a wider and shaded hotspot that lets you better see what you are lighting. With the tiny TN42 hotspot, it's often necessary to "investigate" a bit by moving the …

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.

I think and hope that 10 years later, we’d get a 150% or perhaps even 200% increase in surface brightness with LEDs. 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.