Description:
X990 35W HID 6MCP Rechargeable SpotlightFirst Impressions:
From the photos I was seeing on the net, I was alittle worked about the build quality of the X990.
It looks like a light that you would buy at a hardware store that uses drill battery packs.
Giving the light a somewhat “cheap” appearance.
I was pleasantly surprised when I opened the X990s provided carry case.
The light is alittle on the large side, but as soon as you hold it in your hands you realize its construction is better than something found in your average hardware store. The body and some of the head are mostly plastic, the head is made of chrome plated metal.
The X990 quickly proved that even though it doesnt look the part of an expensive high end spotlight, its usability and performance do.
Size/Weight:
The X990 is not small or light weight.
The battery pack alone is fairly heavy, but I found that it can be surprisingly well balanced to hold if the adjustable head is tilted down slightly. The X990 also comes with a should strap that connects via two metal loops on the head and tail end of the light.
Grip/Handling:
The handle of the X990 is plastic, there is a textured block pattern to server as “knurling” on the sides.
It can be alittle slippery with wet hands, but for its weight you can hold onto it fairly well.
The 90 degree tilting head is what makes this light alot easier to hold, and more comfortably balanced.
The on/off switch located on the back of the handle, just below the tilting head, can be easily operated with one hand while holding the light.
There is a locking button on the pivot point of the head, that you much press in order to tilt the head in the desired position. This requires 2 hands, as the head is rather heavy and will fall down to the 90 degree position with a bit of force if you are not supporting its weight.
When the button is released the head is locked in place securely.
Build Quality:
This light is more focused toward performance, rather than looks or fit and finish.
I would not say that the X990 is of poor construction, but it could have a bit better construction for its price range. I would compare its contraction to a well made light from Dewalt, Craftsman, etc. I am confident that the light can be used as it was intended to be, and be trusted not to fail.
The battery pack locks into place securely without and rattle.
Features:
Adjustable Flood/Spot Beam, via twisting the front yellow plastic bezel.
Nimh Rechargeable battery packs.
Home Charger included.
Charger plugs directly into battery pack instead of the light itself.
Battery packs have red led charge indicator.
Hard plastic carry case provided. Holds light, charger, and two battery packs.
The head pivots up to 90 degrees, with several locking points between 0 and 90.
Output:
Heres where the X990 really “shines” with its 35W HID system.
Dont let the 6MCP rating fool you, I have seen it dominate 10MCP lights as far as sheer output.
It may take up to 20 to 30 seconds for the light to reach max brightness. This is a normal trait for HID systems. It will start out with a blue tint and become whiter and brighter.
HID systems are very white when compared to conventional incandescent bulbs, and a great deal more efficient.
The X990 does not have a super tight beam, nor is it the furthest throwing light I have used. This doesnt stop the X990 from reaching out well over 200 yards though. At that distance the beam will light the entire side of a large house. When the beam is adjusted to a flood, the X990 easily lights up an entire backyard. I find this very useful. Most spotlights do not have adjustable beams, and are fixed to a tight spot. Thats great when you want to know who or what is walking around at the other end of your 30 acre property. But not for lighting up a larger area, suck as your entire backyard after a party, trying to pickup all the trash left from your guests. Something else I have found very useful, is the fact that you can set the light down on a table, pointing toward the ceiling. The battery pack have a wide flat bottom that does a pretty good job of keeping the X990 standing upright. You can then adjust the pivoting head to point toward the ceiling, the light bounces off the ceiling lighting the entire room with an even smooth flood of light. Very handy in a power outage.
The beam is quite smooth for a spotlight of this type.
You do not notice any rings and beam artifacts in normal outdoor use.
There are some rings along the outer edge of the corona when the light is adjusted to flood, but nothing that should bother you during use.
Up close, you will notice a dark line running up the bottom of the beam. This is normal.
You are seeing a shadow created by the return wire of the bulb.
Runtime:
The X990 will run approximately 70 minutes on one battery pack.
The great part is the output remains very close to max output throughout the entire runtime.
This is due to the HID ballast. Similar to fluorescent lighting ballasts.
After about 70 minutes the X990 will begin to flicker, this is an indication that the ballast is not getting enough voltage from the battery pack, and is about to shut down. The X990 should be turned off as soon as you notice any of this flickering. Running the battery pack completely down may damage the ballast.
Heat Issues:
As you can imagine, the X990 can put out some heat, and the head can become warm to the touch.
I expected alot more heat buildup than what occurred. I left the light on for about 20 minutes laying on a table. The head was still not too hot to comfortably touch. I would not recommend leaving it laying on something like a pillow or blanket, where the light can not breath alittle, but in normal use I see no problems.
Pros:
Very high overall output.
White HID color beam
70 minutes of consistent brightness Runtime
Adjustable Beam
Tilting Head
Carry Case
Good “bang for your buck” in the Super Light Category.
Cons:
Alittle on the heavy and large side. But acceptable, given its output and runtime.
Not water proof. It will survive light to medium rain. Not submersible.
Cheap hardware store light “Look”
Needs time to warm up to max brightness. Typical for most HID systems.
Conclusion:
The X990 is considered to be in the “super light” category.
It can be rather expensive compared to other spotlights you may have seen, but it will generally out perform them. Other lights in its same performance range can easily cost 2 to 3 times as much.
If you are ready to fork of the $$$ for a quality spotlight, that has excellent output, and has a functional design, look no further. I believe the X990 is the “bang for your buck” when it comes to the high end spotlights.
The X990 works great as portable area lighting or as a search light.
X990 shown with THOR and 2D Maglight for Reference.
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