I think something like this might work for you.
Use a good quality cap so it will have low internal resistance. Usually ones rated for 150C are good. Use a voltage of 50 volts or higher.
The circuit uses a single FET driven by your 555 circuit. The resistors don't have to be large if the pulses don't get to close together. This put about 7 amps thru each string of 2. So more light than 1 at 30 amps. Use the 12 volts for your 555 circuit so it can drive the FET.

 

Thankyou ronV I'll give it shot. Assuming a monostable 555 can handle a 1uS pulse?

 

If I wanted an oscilloscope to help measure the 1μsec pulses which one should I be looking at? at a reasonable price..

 

I like Tektronix, but that's just me. You can usually get a pretty good 2 channel one on ebay for $100 to $150.

 

I like Tektronix, but that's just me. You can usually get a pretty good 2 channel one on ebay for $100 to $150.

I ended up with a Rigol DS1102E, all the Amazon/youtube reviews were positive but it seems a bit glitchy and slow to me not that I know anything to compare it to.

What I can't figure out is how to have it measure and save a single event? I don't know if anyone has any ideas on that?

 

Did you read the Rigol User Manual?

Select Trigger Menu>Sweep>Normal

 

Did you read the Rigol User Manual?

Select Trigger Menu>Sweep>Normal

Nope, if there was one it was probably on the CD I lost.

That's working well though. Only issue I'm having now is that it won't measure anything that goes out of the screen so you have to predict the voltage range or you won't get a measurement as it won't zoom in and out. There's probably good reason for it, but a bit annoying for a purpose I had in mind.

 

FYI, here is the pdf file of the Users Manual:

http://www.saelig.com/supplier/Rigol/usersguideds1000e.pdf