View single post by e.avery
 Posted: Tue Jul 11th, 2006 09:24 am
PM Quote Reply Full Topic
e.avery



Joined: Tue Apr 4th, 2006
Location: Kentucky USA
Posts: 2722
Status: 
Offline
 Here it goes, Xenon bulbs use high filament temp. over 5000 deg. F cause tungsten atoms to boil off the filament and migrate to the cooler glass wall of a lamp, where they condense to form a dark light-blocking layer.  Adding a high-pressure inert gas inhibits tungsten boil off, which increases useful life of the bulb.  The gas also permits increases light output by increasing efficiency.  Argon and krypton are used as inert fill gases, but they don't work as well as xenon, and xenon is much more expensive then the other 2.

Hellfire lights are for mounting on tanks and 50 cal. rifles.  It requires a power source and is not very portable.  It is not used by anyone other than the military.  It is not practical for anyone else.  Private defense forces which is a huge business  and is even used by the US Gov. for training and other with Spec. Ops. tend to use night vision they are light weight. Invisible lasers that operate at the 830 nm wave length and are used with the night vision sights to allow targeting.  The visible xenon lights produce enough IR light to allow the use of filters so that they can be used as night vision illuminators.  LED does not they are to efficient and do not produce enough heat.

This is a summery on a topic that is deep and we could have a website on it alone.