Lamp | Handheld Use and Mounting FAQs | Power and Hardware FAQs | Application FAQs

I hear that some searchlights have a “black hole” at the center of the beam. Is there a black hole obstructing the beam of the Maxa Beam?
The Maxa Beam does not have a “black hole” at the center of the beam from a 1° spot to a 15° flood. The tight spot of the beam in this wide range produces brilliant white illumination that is even and diffused. Beware of other illumination products that claim to have the only light completely free of this black hole; other illumination products do not offer more than a 15° beam spread. The Maxa Beam has no black hole up to a 15° beam spread. The optional Collimating Lens (MBA-3015) makes the Maxa Beam searchlight free from any black hole from a 1° spot to a 40° flood.

How bright is the Maxa Beam?
At full power, the Maxa Beam reaches an intensity of 7,500,000 Peak Beam CandlePower. This makes the Maxa Beam the world’s most powerful handheld searchlight. 

Why is the Maxa Beam's output measured in Candlepower rather than Lumens? Can I convert 7.5 million Peak Beam Candlepower into Lumens?
Very often we are asked to measure the output of the Maxa Beam searchlight in lumens because this is such a common way to rate a flashlight's power. It is not possible to convert candlepower into lumens because these units measure different aspects of a light's output.

Lumens measure how much light comes from just the bulb itself. Lumens are fairly standard based on the type of lamp (Xenon, incandescent, metal halide, etc.) and the wattage that the lamp is running. This measurement does not take into consideration the design of the reflector, the optics of the light unit and how focused the beam of light is. This is important to note since not all of the energy that the bulb puts out gets directed into the beam. The lumens measurement is very good for things like a household light bulb and other types of bulbs that do not create a beam of light.

Peak beam candlepower measures how much light reaches a surface set at some distance from the light unit. Candlepower takes into account the performance of the whole unit, meaning that this unit of measurement is more relevant than lumen output when comparing long range lights such as the Maxa Beam Searchlight. You can take a bulb with the same lumens rating and put it into different light fixtures and get a very different candlepower measurements. To get the Maxa Beam's peak beam candlepower measurement, Peak Beam engineers focus the searchlight's 1° spot on a target set at a distance of 100 feet. The engineers then measure the amount of foot candles illuminating this target with a light meter. The formula for the peak beam candlepower is the distance squared times the foot candle reading at the brightest spot in the beam.

How long is the lamp life?
The Maxa Beam’s 75 Watt Xenon short arc lamp has a lifetime of over 1,000 hours. 

Can the Maxa Beam’s intensity be varied by the operator?
Yes, when used as a portable illuminator, the intensity of the beam can be switched by the operator from regular intensity to high-beam mode or battery-saver mode (lower beam) as well as strobe mode. All of this can be done with one-handed operation. For fixed installations, the MBS-450 or MBS-430 models have a wired remote control port which can be integrated into commonly used PTV and CCTV systems so that all functions of the light can be controlled via this method. 

What is the width of the illumination field at full power? Can the width be mechanically varied?
Using the easy one-handed control of the Maxa Beam, the width of the illumination field can be controlled by the operator using a motor driven optics system. The beam spread can be altered from a 1° spot to a 40° spread in a matter of seconds. The width of the illumination field at different beam angles is as follows:

Handheld Use and Mounting FAQs [top]

Can the Maxa Beam be easily carried and handheld?
Yes, the weight of the searchlight without the battery is 3.2 lbs. Battery weights vary according to type and are available in both belt-body pack versions as well as modules which easily snap on and off of the searchlight without tools in seconds. Our lightest-weight battery, the MBP-1207L Li-Ion Battery Pack, weighs just 2 pounds and features a run time of 130 minutes.

Can the Maxa Beam be permenantly mounted and supplied with hard power?
The Maxa Beam MBS-430 model is designed with permanent mounting in mind and has a power port and remote port. It can be powered through the Direct Drive Power Supply (MBP-4000S) from AC power or through the Vehicle Adaptor (MBA-7100) or can be hard wired with the 12V Connector (MBA-7200) for DC power. The MBS-410 and MBS-450 models can also be mounted and hard-wired into any AC or DC power source.

Can the Maxa Beam be easily mounted to a vehicle? Are mounting brackets included?
The Maxa Beam can be easily mounted to a vehicle and remotely controlled from within for mobile security applications. Using the new MBC-1000 Wired Computer Interface, the light can also be remotely controlled from a computer using HyperTerminal and RS-232 or RS-485 protocol.

MBA-3600 Tripod Mount Plate: Allows the light to be attached to standard photographic tripod or pan & tilt mechanisms.

MBA-3605 Fixed Mount Plate: Can be bolted down to any flat surface to allow a Maxa Beam to be mounting in a variety of locations.

MBA-3610 Battery Light Top Positioner: Allows the searchlight to be mounted and positioned on top of a battery.

MBA-3620 Uni-Clamp Positioning Head: Allows the Maxa Beam to be mounted to bars, pipes, and poles up to 2” wide. The positioning head allows operator to make pan and tilt adjustments.

MBA-3650 Searchlight Camera Mount: Attaches to the handle of the Maxa Beam and allows the mounting of a camera or other device on top of the light.

MBA-3660 Uni-Clamp Fluid Pan/Tilt Head: Allows the Maxa Beam to be mounted to bars, pipes, and poles up to 2” wide. The fluid pan/tilt head allows operator to make tilt adjustments and features an easy to grip handle for smooth panning.

MBA-3680 Horizontal Bar Mount: Allows secure mounting to horizontal bars and objects up to 2” wide.

MBA-3800 Remote Control Rooftop Enclosure: Mounts to any vehicle rooftop and allows easy snap-in of the Maxa Beam for complete light operation by remote from inside the vehicle.

MBP-5200 and MBP-5600 Series Multi-Voltage Smart Chargers: These chargers are available with vertical mounting options that allow the charger, battery, and searchlight to be securely bolted to any horizontal or vertical surface.

Power and Hardware FAQs [top]

What are the dimensions of the Maxa Beam searchlight?
Height: 5.75”, Width: 5.75”, Length: 11.00”, Weight: 3.2 lbs. 

What features make the Maxa Beam notably suited for outdoor use?
The Maxa Beam was originally designed for use on Navy submarines, and its weather-resistant features have been field-tested and refined for over 18 years. 

What other products does Peak Beam Systems, Inc. offer for integration with the Maxa Beam?
Peak Beam Systems manufactures a full line of filters, mounts, maintenance kits, and many other accessories. Please see our catalog for a complete list of accessories..

Application FAQs [top]

What filters are available that can alter the wavelength band of infrared illumination?

We offer several filters that each target a certain level of infrared illumination:

MBA-1715: Cuts off all frequencies below 715nm (visible to the naked eye)

MBA-1850: Cuts off all frequencies below 850nm (only visible to the naked eye if bore-sited with beam)

MBA-1900: Cuts off all frequencies below 890nm (virtually undetectable to the naked eye)

MBA-1950: Cuts off all frequencies below 950nm (undetectable to the naked eye)

Can I control a Maxa Beam from my computer? How?
Yes, using the new MBS-430-RS Maxa Beam with Internal Computer Interface you can control all standard features of the Maxa Beam including beam intensity, stobe function and rate, beam spread from 1° to 40°, and start-up characteristics. The MBS-430-RS Interface runs from any Windows-based PC through included HyperTerminal or other available freeware programs using RS-232 or RS-485 protocols.

Can I synchronize the zoom of the Maxa Beam with my camera lens?
Yes, using the new MBS-430-RS Maxa Beam with Internal Computer Interface, an operator can synchronize the light’s zoom with that of any camera zoom lens.

Can I signal in Morse code with a Maxa Beam?
Yes, using the new MBS-430-RS Maxa Beam with Internal Computer Interface a typed message is instantly relayed from the operator’s PC to the Maxa Beam and the corresponding Morse code flashes are automatically produced.