What's the best way to defuse a beam?

IsaacHayes

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Jan 30, 2003
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Probably a orange peel reflector is best for smoothing out a beam. If you want to convert to flood beam, then a heavy orange peel refelctor.
 

CLHC

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Dec 25, 2004
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PNW|WA|USA
For me, well, started off with replacing the reflector and lens then "misting" the bulbs/lamps. As of late that is!

Personal preference dictates more of a short to medium range lighting area over mostly throw. Light loss isn't so significant in my case, as long as it doesn't come out looking like the batteries are dying. With the equipment on hand the torches still put out a lot of light.
 

pedalinbob

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Dec 7, 2002
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Michigan
Writerite and sputtering has generally worked well for me.
Some people like satin Scotch tape.

However, when Writerite is used on my UK4aa incan, it positively kills throw...but does smooth out the beam nicely.
I wish they would make an orange peel reflector.

I have considered sputtering the reflector, but I wonder if the result would be similar to the Writerite.
Frosting the bulb would be a real pain!

After all that, I prefer the orange-peel reflectors. I think Princeton Tec makes some great ones ($2.50 for a Tec-40 reflector if you want to experiment) as well as Surefire, Pelican, Streamlight, etc.
It seems like the orange peel reflectors don't totally kill the throw.

Bob
 

Luxman

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Jun 20, 2005
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Local dark area
Since I use a red light very often during my back yard astronomy sessions, I have found a rear clickie light was most convenient to use for me. I wanted to use the SF L1 Red LED but it was far to much of a spot and too bright.

I took a Mini-mag filter accessory kit which fits the SF L1 perfectly, and sanded the clear filter to Diffuse the spot. I also added the cyan filter to dim the light further..
The filter also can be easily removed to return the light back to stock if needed.

The L1 + diffuser + cyan filter appears much brighter than the beamshots show. The camera settings were done at close to saturation for the L1 - No filter, so due to the dynamic range of the digital camera (20D), the L1 + diffuser + cyan filter shots look quite dim.
The Beamshots were ALL done using the L1 at LOW Intensity. I find this intensity works great for reading eyepiece values and maps.. I use the high intensity for walking near the telescope to avoid tripping on wires etc.
This Diffusing Filter works Great!

Beamshots were taken at about 2 ft distance, so the sanded filter scatters the light much more than would appear in the shots.

Here is the L1 with the filters next to it:
0977l1filteroff700q99rg.jpg


L1 with the filters attached:
0974l1filter700q96cd.jpg


(Camera settings are constant in the Beamshots)
L1 - No Filter:
0979nofilter700q90pm.jpg


L1 + sanded clear filter
0980difusd700q98ee.jpg


L1 + sanded clear filter + cyan filter
0981difusdcyan700q98xs.jpg
 
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Sub_Umbra

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Mar 6, 2004
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la bonne vie en Amérique
Taking the Subject and question posed by the OP literally I would suggest a lense made of optical quality glass that alters the beam's shape while decreasing the output as little as possible. Someone makes a custom lense for the HDS EDC that works that way.

Since no other goal (like getting rid of beam artifacts) was mentioned, I would go with a lense.
 

D MacAlpine

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Nov 10, 2005
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London (UK)
I've found the ultra clear lens with diffusion film (UCL, LDF) from www.flashlightlens.com to be a nice, easy solution. You get a high quality lens (very possibly better light transmission than your stock one) that evens out the beam (you still get a hotspot, but it'll be larger & smoother) and removes artifacts.Reviewed here http://www.flashlightreviews.com/reviews/replacement_lenses_ldf.htm

This answer on the assumption that you're looking to sort out an existing problem. If you're starting from scratch I'd go for a good textured reflector and a plain UCL.
 

pizzaman

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Sep 24, 2005
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263
I use clear contact paper on most of my flashlights as beam diffusers.

You can pick up a roll of the stuff (contact brand) at wally world for around $6.

It is a semi-clear plastic film with a removable paper side to protect the adhesive side. I cut out a square slightly larger than the lens. Pull off the protective paper and put the lens in the center. Push and rub on the film to get a secure application. Trim the excess film around the lens. I install the film on the inside of most of my lenses to protect it. I only install on the outside if the lens is a pain or impossible to remove. If I had a hot-wire flashlight, I'd look for another solution (the film would probably start smoking).

The contact paper (film) does an excellent job of diffusing the beam, is inexpensive, and so easy a non-modder can have success. If you don't like it, the film is easy to remove and does not leave any residue. You're not out much money and you can always paper the shelves in your kitchen when you are done.

I also use the stuff an a "poor man's" laminate to cover emergency lists in my wallet, PSK, and other kits.

Good luck, TR
 
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cmacclel

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Jul 15, 2003
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Sweden
Can the LDF only be used with Low power hot wires and LED's? Will they melt under High power use?


Mac
 
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