epitome Posted August 19, 2010 Report Share Posted August 19, 2010 epitome You are making it more complicated than it needs to be. Yes, if you use an H3 as we used to, we put a heat sink in to adapt it and make it fit the cavity that the globe goes in. The even better news is if you use the right HID Globe, you DON'T need to use an Adaptor !!! Lightforce are not that proprietary. I just checked the 7 finished 170's and 240's sitting here. It's a much nicer fit, easier to adjust the focal point to get the best light output without any of the dark shadows or "stars of death" that are common place with badly set up HID's. In that case, can you explain how you go about converting a Lightforce spot light to HID? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sirusa Posted August 19, 2010 Report Share Posted August 19, 2010 Just chanced upon this thread. Question: with a HID conversion would I get more running time out of my Lightforce 140 handheld spottie compared to the stock (halogen, I suppose) version? Right now on full noise I might get 30mins out of a 12V battery..more run time would be great to have. Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shane111 Posted August 19, 2010 Report Share Posted August 19, 2010 You are comparing 35W HID to around 100W halogen. Should significantly improve battery life. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sirusa Posted August 19, 2010 Report Share Posted August 19, 2010 Yeah that's what I thought. Aha! New project coming up! Thanks Kilroy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
epitome Posted August 19, 2010 Report Share Posted August 19, 2010 You are comparing 35W HID to around 100W halogen. Should significantly improve battery life. +1 You should get nearly 3 times the battery life. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
500Nitro Posted August 19, 2010 Report Share Posted August 19, 2010 Just chanced upon this thread. Question: with a HID conversion would I get more running time out of my Lightforce 140 handheld spottie compared to the stock (halogen, I suppose) version? Right now on full noise I might get 30mins out of a 12V battery..more run time would be great to have. Thanks. Yes, on start up, an HID uses approx 4.5, once started up it uses about 3 so better battery life. Best bet if you can is to start up the light and get it to full power (20 - 60 seconds depnding on what you are using) from the car as I have noticed that once it has been fired up once it seems to take less time when you do it again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gigitt Posted August 21, 2010 Report Share Posted August 21, 2010 Yes, on start up, an HID uses approx 4.5, once started up it uses about 3 so better battery life. Best bet if you can is to start up the light and get it to full power (20 - 60 seconds depnding on what you are using) from the car as I have noticed that once it has been fired up once it seems to take less time when you do it again. Firing up HIDs takes about ~1-2 seconds... it is the intensity and colour of the light output that takes time to adjust. This can vary in time with the quality of the bulb and HID's electrics used. Normal good light output can take 10 seconds but the colour has to settle down and reach max light output and this can take 20-60seconds (from cold), again on the quality of the HID system and bulbs used. HID's work on a special combination of gasses and salts inside the bulb. Once turned on an electric arc forms that heats up the gas and salt crystals inside the bulb. If you turn off the light the bulb cools down and the vapor recrystallizes. While the crystals are still hot and vaporized you can turn the light back on to get nearly NO loss of light colour or output. The longer the light is off the longer for it all to return back to normal. Why HID's are more efficient or use less power is that a normal Halogen globe uses a wire filament that has to heated up. The hotter it gets the brighter the light it emits and also the more energy it uses. The Rating of WATT is the actual heat energy emitted at it's operating voltage. Because HID's do not use a filament but use a controlled electric arc that jumps between 2 points (like welding) it does not have to heat a wire element and most of the energy used is converted to light output and not heat - That is why they run cooler - you use less energy so your battery lasts longer ~2.5-3 times compared to a 100w halogen. SAomething you also need to consider about HID's On Start up the electronics emit a high pitched buzz... this can startle prey close by. The sound diminished as the bulb get up to temperature. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The.Diko Posted August 21, 2010 Report Share Posted August 21, 2010 I've never heard a sound from the HID spotlight I use on startup or anytime. Neither with the car. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pig.slayer Posted August 22, 2010 Report Share Posted August 22, 2010 Mine makes a very slight buzz when fired up from cold (first use, Once running it's fine), I doubt it would ever scare anything through. I hardly hear it if wearing ear plugs and it's only about 12" from my head. From 5-10 meters I doubt you'd hear it at all, and anyway it's only on a cold start up and not when running. I just know I'm never going back to a regular spotlight, Once you have used a HID there is no turning back.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
epitome Posted August 23, 2010 Report Share Posted August 23, 2010 Mine makes a very slight buzz when fired up from cold (first use, Once running it's fine), I doubt it would ever scare anything through. I hardly hear it if wearing ear plugs and it's only about 12" from my head. From 5-10 meters I doubt you'd hear it at all, and anyway it's only on a cold start up and not when running. I just know I'm never going back to a regular spotlight, Once you have used a HID there is no turning back.... +1 Same here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sneaky Posted August 29, 2010 Report Share Posted August 29, 2010 I installed the conversion kit in my Lightforce 240 yesterday, took it out to the range last night, EASILY able to see the 500m targets. As a comparison I have 2 lightforce 240's on the bullbar, both of them together give about half the illumination of the single HID converted light. I didn't have a camera on me unfortunately. I'm sold, best light I have ever used, now to go blind some kangas with it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shane111 Posted August 29, 2010 Report Share Posted August 29, 2010 My Pro-9 makes a slight humming sound for about 10 seconds. I doubt you would hear it above a diesel engine. Unbelievable output from 35W. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
assailant Posted August 31, 2010 Report Share Posted August 31, 2010 I installed the conversion kit in my Lightforce 240 yesterday, took it out to the range last night, EASILY able to see the 500m targets. which kit, sneaky? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
huntingbloke Posted November 19, 2010 Report Share Posted November 19, 2010 Hey fellas, Those of you who have purchased a kit...where did you get it? I have purchased from Nigel at hidspotlights.com.au and APS Outdoors but they didn't include the instructions and I can't get them to send me one as they never answer the phone or return my calls. A copy of those instructions would be very handy. emailed or posted please contact me. Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moph Posted December 28, 2010 Report Share Posted December 28, 2010 So at full power on high beam, I have two 60 watt halogen and four 35 watt HID globes burning. Did I mention I'm driving across the Nullabor in October for a wedding in Dubbo?? Is that all? My Sierra runs 2x55W HID 240 XGTs, 2x55W HID 170 Strikers, and 2x130W halogen high beams. I have a bit of a thing for seeing where I'm going at night ... especially doing 100+kph across the Nullabor in something with the structural rigitidy of a Milo tin! Though I should swap the 130W high beams out for some 60W'ers ... they're technically illegal, but all I had on me as spares when my three day old Narva Blue Power 55/60W globes both blew in the middle of the Nullabor... Reason for bumping this thread up was just to comment that HIDs (5000K at least) do have a big weakness if you have low mist. A yellowish halogen beam will burn through the mist, similar to fog lights on a car. An HID will just bounce straight back and blind you with a wall of white. Not that shooting through mist is most peoples' idea of fun - but something to be aware of. Other than that they're awesome Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
epitome Posted December 29, 2010 Report Share Posted December 29, 2010 Is that all? My Sierra runs 2x55W HID 240 XGTs, 2x55W HID 170 Strikers, and 2x130W halogen high beams. I have a bit of a thing for seeing where I'm going at night ... especially doing 100+kph across the Nullabor in something with the structural rigitidy of a Milo tin! Though I should swap the 130W high beams out for some 60W'ers ... they're technically illegal, but all I had on me as spares when my three day old Narva Blue Power 55/60W globes both blew in the middle of the Nullabor... Reason for bumping this thread up was just to comment that HIDs (5000K at least) do have a big weakness if you have low mist. A yellowish halogen beam will burn through the mist, similar to fog lights on a car. An HID will just bounce straight back and blind you with a wall of white. Not that shooting through mist is most peoples' idea of fun - but something to be aware of. Other than that they're awesome It's enough for me. My BA has good reflectors anyway and with the Hella Rally 4000 FF lights do as well. I can see nearly 4km down the road. Well, correctly speaking I can see road signs that far down the road. My experience so far has been that in misty conditions (common around the south west during winter), the HID's burn straight through it very well. I have not had a "white out" type of problem occur yet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
assailant Posted December 30, 2010 Report Share Posted December 30, 2010 seeing as though its been bumped... the question has been asked a number of times; which kit? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
epitome Posted January 5, 2011 Report Share Posted January 5, 2011 Hmmm I KNOW I posted a reply somewhere about this. Must be another thread. I used a 35W kit off ebay. It costs $69 from a seller called 95Soarer Like this: 35W HID H3 etc kit Or from the same seller there is this kit: HID kit for Lightforce SL170/SL240 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
epitome Posted January 5, 2011 Report Share Posted January 5, 2011 I installed the conversion kit in my Lightforce 240 yesterday, took it out to the range last night, EASILY able to see the 500m targets. As a comparison I have 2 lightforce 240's on the bullbar, both of them together give about half the illumination of the single HID converted light. I didn't have a camera on me unfortunately. I'm sold, best light I have ever used, now to go blind some kangas with it. Which kit is this exactly mate?? Is it the second one on my previous post? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sneaky Posted January 5, 2011 Report Share Posted January 5, 2011 (edited) *EDIT* hunted through my emails, it was from 95Soarer, the top link in your post above. The one I got had 2 kits in it, obviously for doing a set of driving lights, I gave one set and the packaging and instructions to a cocky who has helped me get onto a dozen properties (got to look after guy like him) I'm loving it!! The second one looks the goods though for handheld, mine is roof mounted. Edited January 5, 2011 by Sneaky Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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