# Metal halide floodlights



## Rascal_69 (Sep 20, 2009)

Wheres best to purchase these? 

Nothing to fancy. To replace my halogens as they dont show up everything


----------



## Rascal_69 (Sep 20, 2009)

What wattage are folk using with the metal halide? 

70w
150? 
400?


----------



## Rundie (Oct 2, 2007)

I'm sure mines only 70w, still very bright and perfect for showing up swirls etc. When you first fire them up they look rubbish, takes around a minute or two to reach full brightness.


----------



## Rascal_69 (Sep 20, 2009)

Rundie said:


> I'm sure mines only 70w, still very bright and perfect for showing up swirls etc. When you first fire them up they look rubbish, takes around a minute or two to reach full brightness.


70's are decent price. 30+

Found 150's at 40 odds.

Halogens arent showing up light marks on light paint.


----------



## Rascal_69 (Sep 20, 2009)

What k rating bulb you using. 

I cant find 4700k bulbs


----------



## Rascal_69 (Sep 20, 2009)

Anyone know what bulb I should be buying thanks


----------



## Rascal_69 (Sep 20, 2009)

No one help with what k rating bulb I should be getting?


----------



## SteveyG (Apr 1, 2007)

Any will do. I tried with coloured lamps and it still works. Just needs to be bright.

A lot of people on here seem to prefer daylight lamps, but they just have more blue content and don't necessarily improve the colour rendering and has no effect on swirl spotting. 4000K should be fine.


----------



## deano93tid (May 8, 2013)

I brought a set of these ebay item number - 360595295471

Work very well used them over the weekend outside in the sun and still work great.


----------



## SteveyG (Apr 1, 2007)

He already has halogen ones


----------



## Rascal_69 (Sep 20, 2009)

Yep halogen are getting binned. Not good enough for the perfect finish. 

Fine for good finish not the perfect finish. 

And on white cars the glow hides abit.


----------



## Rundie (Oct 2, 2007)

Sorry for the late reply, mine is 70W and very bright, I've machine polished on the drive as it's got dark and it lights half the street up !

Edit: pretty sure it's 4200K


----------



## Wingnuts (Sep 3, 2012)

Something like this?

Ebay number 360253582488


----------



## Rascal_69 (Sep 20, 2009)

Rundie said:


> Sorry for the late reply, mine is 70W and very bright, I've machine polished on the drive as it's got dark and it lights half the street up !
> 
> Edit: pretty sure it's 4200K


Yeah i wasnt sure if 4000k or 4200k 
Were better than 5k.

As the 5k seems less away from the desired 4700k light.

Trying to get a deal for a few lamps


----------



## Rascal_69 (Sep 20, 2009)

Wingnuts said:


> Something like this?
> 
> Ebay number 360253582488


Thats them.

Paul dalton has loads of them :buffer:


----------



## Danny B (Apr 14, 2010)

anyone know if these can be mounted on a stand, say as a pair?


----------



## -Raven- (Aug 26, 2010)

Rascal_69 said:


> Wheres best to purchase these?
> 
> Nothing to fancy. To replace my halogens as they dont show up everything


take a look at some 50w LED lights. :thumb:

They cheap off ebay and are better than the MH lights IMO.


----------



## Wingnuts (Sep 3, 2012)

-Raven- said:


> take a look at some 50w LED lights. :thumb:
> 
> They cheap off ebay and are better than the MH lights IMO.


Do you have any examples please mate

Thank you


----------



## Rascal_69 (Sep 20, 2009)

-Raven- said:


> take a look at some 50w LED lights. :thumb:
> 
> They cheap off ebay and are better than the MH lights IMO.


Honestly? I thought metal halides were the best to use and rated the most.

You have now made this choice harder


----------



## Rascal_69 (Sep 20, 2009)

Warm white or cool white raven?


----------



## -Raven- (Aug 26, 2010)

Wingnuts said:


> Do you have any examples please mate
> 
> Thank you


http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1-x-50w-L...159?pt=UK_Garden_Lighting&hash=item46125ed397


----------



## -Raven- (Aug 26, 2010)

Rascal_69 said:


> Warm white or cool white raven?


Cool white or Day white. The 6500K ones anyway. 

I got two of the 50w, and one 50w is like a 500w halogen! 

I find they show up holograms etc better than halides. :thumb:


----------



## Rascal_69 (Sep 20, 2009)

I have 3 500w halogens. Not the best for holograms on white. 

Looks perfect under the halogens when its not


----------



## -Raven- (Aug 26, 2010)

Rascal_69 said:


> I have 3 500w halogens. Not the best for holograms on white.
> 
> Looks perfect under the halogens when its not


the LEDs are a MASSIVE improvement over the halogens!


----------



## Thomas2003 (Jan 31, 2008)

-Raven- said:


> http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1-x-50w-L...159?pt=UK_Garden_Lighting&hash=item46125ed397


I was looking for some lighting and im glad I stumbled across theis thread:thumb:


----------



## -Raven- (Aug 26, 2010)

Thomas2003 said:


> I was looking for some lighting and im glad I stumbled across theis thread:thumb:


shop around, you can get a bargain if you look! :thumb:


----------



## SteveyG (Apr 1, 2007)

I wouldn't trust those chinese LED floodlights. Having seen the driver electronics I'd steer well clear.

Halides should be better anyway as the arc is much shorter than the size of the LED array, and you really want as close to a point light source as possible.


----------



## Rundie (Oct 2, 2007)

I've used LED and Metal Halide, I prefer the Halides. As said watch the cheapo Chinese lights especially if portable and being moved about outside.


----------



## Rascal_69 (Sep 20, 2009)

Just ordered. 

2x 150w halides. 
1x 50w led


----------



## -Raven- (Aug 26, 2010)

SteveyG said:


> I wouldn't trust those chinese LED floodlights. Having seen the driver electronics I'd steer well clear.
> 
> Halides should be better anyway as the arc is much shorter than the size of the LED array, and you really want as close to a point light source as possible.


I'm an electrician, mine are fine. :thumb:


----------



## SteveyG (Apr 1, 2007)

-Raven- said:


> I'm an electrician, mine are fine. :thumb:


It's the electronics you want to me more worried about. The constant current switcher in these devices is very poor and no way they'd pass any kind of EMC testing.


----------



## -Raven- (Aug 26, 2010)

SteveyG said:


> It's the electronics you want to me more worried about.


 what exactly are you worried about?


----------



## -Raven- (Aug 26, 2010)

They meet certification....

http://www.brightlightz.co.uk/products/led-smd-50w-super-bright-floodlight-in-day-white-500w-halogen


----------



## SteveyG (Apr 1, 2007)

Creepage distances, open feedback design, ceramic cap across primary-secondary  instead of at least a Y cap. Basically really poor.


----------



## SteveyG (Apr 1, 2007)

-Raven- said:


> They meet certification....
> 
> http://www.brightlightz.co.uk/products/led-smd-50w-super-bright-floodlight-in-day-white-500w-halogen


Sticking a label on the back means nothing. I've love to see the real certificates (asking for them now)


----------



## -Raven- (Aug 26, 2010)

SteveyG said:


> Sticking a label on the back means nothing. I've love to see the real certificates.


sceptic hey?


----------



## SteveyG (Apr 1, 2007)

-Raven- said:


> sceptic hey?


When you deal with the guys in China to produce your stuff, you realise nothing is tested if it's looks like it's going to fail :lol: I've come out of lots of video conferences wondering wtf they were thinking

Those iPod chargers that are killing loads of people had all the right markings on the back :thumb:

Not saying the lights won't work, just that I wouldn't recommend them over a quality metal halide light.


----------



## -Raven- (Aug 26, 2010)

What, a quality Chinese made metal halide light?


----------



## SteveyG (Apr 1, 2007)

-Raven- said:


> What, a quality Chinese made metal halide light?


UK made Fitzgerald one :thumb:


----------



## B17BLG (Jun 26, 2012)

-Raven- said:


> http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1-x-50w-L...159?pt=UK_Garden_Lighting&hash=item46125ed397


This is a great shout, also think of the energy saved with LED over MH or Halo! And no cost in bulb replacement


----------



## SteveyG (Apr 1, 2007)

B17BLG said:


> This is a great shout, also think of the energy saved with LED over MH or Halo! And no cost in bulb replacement


Pretty minimal compared to your polisher though, and I'd be surprised if you see the end of life of a MH lamp before the LED floodlight dies  50W is how much the LED draws - the power consumption from the mains will be greater.

It should however be more rugged.


----------



## B17BLG (Jun 26, 2012)

SteveyG said:


> Pretty minimal compared to your polisher though, and I'd be surprised if you see the end of life of a MH lamp before the LED floodlight dies  50W is how much the LED draws - the power consumption from the mains will be greater.
> 
> It should however be more rugged.


LED if looked aftercorrectly should not fail, certainly not before a bulb.

50w is what it draws? Isn't it drawing the power from the mains? Or are you saying it goes through a transformer first to step the wattage down?

I have a electricity monitor and and LED form of lighting is far superior in terms of energy consumption.Not sure why these should be any different.


----------



## SteveyG (Apr 1, 2007)

B17BLG said:


> LED if looked aftercorrectly should not fail, certainly not before a bulb.
> 
> 50w is what it draws? Isn't it drawing the power from the mains? Or are you saying it goes through a transformer first to step the wattage down?
> 
> I have a electricity monitor and and LED form of lighting is far superior in terms of energy consumption.Not sure why these should be any different.


Yes there's a converter in the back of them. The die has a series-parallel combo of LED dies in it running in total only around 9 or 10V.

LED fittings still don't match discharge lighting for efficacy. The energy consumption may be lower, but so is the light output especially once they start getting warm.

Manufacturer claimed lumen figures are at 20°C die temperature and don't include any driver circuitry. You're more likely to see close to 100°C die temperature on these floodlights.


----------



## B17BLG (Jun 26, 2012)

SteveyG said:


> Yes there's a converter in the back of them. The die has a series-parallel combo of LED dies in it running in total only around 9 or 10V.
> 
> LED fittings still don't match discharge lighting for efficacy. The energy consumption may be lower, but so is the light output especially once they start getting warm.


strange even my kitchen lightingtakes less energy and has a higher lumen output through a light meter (measure through a photography light meter) when switched to LED!


----------



## SteveyG (Apr 1, 2007)

B17BLG said:


> strange even my kitchen lightingtakes less energy and has a higher lumen output through a light meter (measure through a photography light meter) when switched to LED!


Compared to a discharge lamp? The light meter may also be being fooled by the spectrum from the LED as it won't be wavelength compensated.

If it was compared to incandescent lamps then it makes more sense.


----------



## MB93 (Aug 16, 2013)

Rascal_69 said:


> I have 3 500w halogens. Not the best for holograms on white.
> 
> Looks perfect under the halogens when its not


where did you end up getting your halides from?


----------



## Rascal_69 (Sep 20, 2009)

Friend got me 2 metal halides 150w's with bulbs. 

Upgraded all my lights. 
This is what I have 

5x 50w LEDs on roof. 
1 x 50w led floor
2x 150w metal halides floor
2x 30w leds on stand


----------



## organisys (Jan 3, 2012)

SteveyG said:


> It's the electronics you want to me more worried about. The constant current switcher in these devices is very poor and no way they'd pass any kind of EMC testing.


They do make my near by FM radio buzz like crazy!!

They are cheap, work well enough........


----------



## organisys (Jan 3, 2012)

SteveyG said:


> Compared to a discharge lamp? The light meter may also be being fooled by the spectrum from the LED as it won't be wavelength compensated.
> 
> If it was compared to incandescent lamps then it makes more sense.


I work in Lighting design. This phenomenon is correct. All depends on the calibation of the light meter in terms of frequency sensitivity.


----------



## Gadgetguy (Jan 20, 2013)

See these in B and Q the other day


----------

