I’m looking for a thrower. I want to be able to put dots on clouds and my 75w HID doesn’t seem to be able to do it as it is too floody at a distance.
I’m wondering if there are any flashlights out there that just seem to throw and not a lot else.
Can run on as many 18650’s as it likes, run time can be rubbish. I just want a big throwing flashlight.
What would you get?
Supbeam K40 from neonlaserchina.com - about $100 shipped to UK. Review by turboBB of L3 Illumination Supply version (same thing) here
+1 this is a monster, I'm saving up for one.
I’d get the K40.
But how is the k40 going to compare to a 75w HID?
That depends on how the 75W HID throws. I talked to a guy last nite on the phone, and he said he has a big 85W HID. I ask him if it would out throw the SR90 he had, and he said nope. He said it had too much spill to do that.
Why hello Chris - you’ve finally seen the light! welcome!
The HD2010 is quite a well liked thrower around these parts.
As a rule, the larger the refelctor, the better the throw. I’m sure you won’t be short of suggestions.
Thrunite are doing some great deals on th TN31 atm. $129 with free T10.
It is the best thrower I have by far, but I don’t have a HID to compare it with. I do know it stacks up pretty well against the 12V spotlights we use for night shooting.
I’ve sent you a PM about my N30 HID. The last owner said it matched his SR90.
Who’s this guy? An 85W HID has a small intense spot of 225kcd. Just because it has spill, doesn’t mean it can’t throw.
Also, an SR90 only has 113kcd. A K40 has less than that.
What you need is to get a big reflectored HID.
This guy has owned more flashlights probably in the last 2 years than anyone on here including rikr. He’s pretty much had them all including FF3 and big spotlights, 2 SR90’s Power On Board HID, and the list goes on and on. He knows what he is talking about. I bought my Catapult V3 from him.
And he is supposed to be coming here since I talked to him last nite and invited him to sign up. He’s got a ton of experience on what is the best.
Too much spill on a thrower HID? ILF, did you ask how big the reflector is on "that guy"s HID? Is it possible he had a flood version?
All I know is he said he paid about a $160 or so for the 85W HID. He told me the SR90 had a tighter hotpsot and would actually out throw it.
He also told me one of the best HID thower spotlights he has owned has been the Vector Power on Board. He said it’s all throw.
Thanks for all of your replies.
I think I’ve got bitten by the bug again as in the last few days I’ve managed to buy
2 x Terralux TL310 dropins for a couple of 4D maglites - I’ve already got the TL300 dropin but wanted more power.
I then bought three other cheap lights for comparison:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/290777357748
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/300801203398
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/160774344556
None of these will be big throwers but at the same time I’m kinda swaying towards NOT getting a thrower. Come on, post about wanting a pure thrower and then start looking at the Sunwayman V11R.
I could wait until christmas and then treat myself but the nights are drawing in and the time to play with flashlights is now so buying sooner rather than later is better in my mind.
I just need to find an excuse to buy both the K40 and the V11R.
I’m also thinking of using an old 55w HID i’ve got in a spares box in a large reflector just so I can put dots on clouds. It is a rather pointless/childish thing to do but hey ho - I just need to find a big dish reflector to use. That’ll probably be harder than expected too.
As an idea how floody the HID is, look at this video in my back garden
Oh and where is the TN31 going for $130? ?
Schweeet.
Thanks for that. Just ordered one.
Is he comparing them by eye, camera shots, light meter? If comparing by eye, the bright spill of the HID will cause the pupils to contract, thus darkening everything to preserve the cataracts. This lessens the visual intensity of the hotspot. This may be why he thinks the SR90 out-throws an eBay HID.
Unless he has some kind of quantitative measurements to back his statements up I find it hard to believe.
Even a 85W HID with generic china-host type still does give about 225kcd as mentioned by some above, no way SR90 can outthrow those HID, not to mention if the HID is come with big reflector.
As reply to OP, if you want something really throwy under $100 then you should go for 55W Sanmak SM5200, which I already own one.
If you still want more, you should convert it with 100W ballast pushing 55W bulb, as introduced by 2100 here before. But still I don’t think you can put a visible spot on cloud with that yet. Maybe you need 13” reflector HID or go for short-arc, but definitely that is no longer within your budget.
Slewflash,
That may be correct and why he said that.