Ralf Ottow, a Dutch optics engineer, has designed the Maxblaster – a flashlight powered by 54 batteries, capable of producing a beam of light four miles long.
Ottow stripped out the innards of a powerful commercial flashlight and switched in a mercury arc bulb, which generates light by creating an ultra-hot plasma between two closely spaced electrodes inside the gas-filled central chamber of the lamp.
That results in a brighter, more focused beam but also kicks out more ultraviolet light (hence the sunburn, a product of early testing). So he added a specially coated reflector and designed, ground, and coated a new glass window that would trap UV rays while still pumping out light.
More info at Popular Science, where you’ll also find a Maxblaster gallery.
Via a bunch of great blogs:
View Comments (8)
Really good stuff.High engineering man.
Woah- are the light rays always that visible?
i want to buy it!!
How many it cost?
The was no price available for the "handheld sunbeam" Maxblaster when this article was published. Does anyone know if a price has been announced now?
I wan't one.
Wonder how much it cost to build?
Handheld Sunbeam
Ralf Ottow, a Dutch optics engineer, has designed the Maxblaster – a flashlight powered by 54 batteries, capable of producing a beam of light four miles long.
cuanto plata $
Handheld Sunbeam otro aca no no hay no
hi sir, i read abt.maxablaster n i Exat. wen i get it. pls. tel me abt. cost , n wht. pros. 2 get STIL WAIT.4 REPL. THANKS.