Red L1 Runtimes?

scottaw · Jul 21, 2007

So i've been hunting for a red led light for awhile, and i read the thread here about the L1's on sale w/ 50 free batteries from lapolicegear, so i had to go for it. They list 2/30 hours runtime for the light on high/low, but i think that was just specs for the white led. Anyone own one of these? Know if it's just going to run forever? For 50 free 123's it was like getting a high end surefire for $50, had to bite.

scottaw · Jul 22, 2007

Nobody has a red L1?

aggiegrads · Jul 22, 2007

scottaw said:
Nobody has a red L1?

I just purchased a red L1, but have not had a chance to do a runtime test. I checked the Lumileds website, and the voltage and current specs for the red and white emitters are identical. I would expect the same 4/90 runtime spec as the white L1, which I also own. I was thinking about getting a red X5 to do a runtime comparison between the two.

scottaw · Jul 22, 2007

Everywhere i look the numbers are the same too, but from everything i've read about the super low voltage of red leds it should run WAY longer. Also, i forget the website, but it listed the lumens for red as 2.2/22 vs white at 10/60

aggiegrads · Jul 23, 2007

I started a runtime test last night, but I do not have a light meter. I'm not sure what my criteria for "cut-off" will be.

I do not have another red light, so I was thinking I'd get a red Photon and take beamshots at various time milestones vs a new Photon. Would that be easier, or should I take beamshots at known (fixed) exposure values throughout the test?

half-watt · Jul 23, 2007

aggiegrads said:
I started a runtime test last night, but I do not have a light meter. I'm not sure what my criteria for "cut-off" will be.

I do not have another red light, so I was thinking I'd get a red Photon and take beamshots at various time milestones vs a new Photon. Would that be easier, or should I take beamshots at known (fixed) exposure values throughout the test?

Since no better means may exist at your disposal, you can try this (though correlating this method's results to specs or other's measurement means will not be possible)...

Using something like Microsoft Word, type out a line of text in a very large font size.

copy and past it in a number of times (10-20 times) with a couple of blank lines between each line of text.

make the font successively smaller for each line.

See how far down you can read at 10 or 20 feet away when the batts are fresh. Take hourly "readings" (pun intended) and keep notes of when you are no longer able to read lines of smaller text that you could read before.

Like i said, it's NOT a great method (it's not even a good method), to say the least, but perhaps it's better than nothing.

JNewell · Jul 23, 2007

Is a photographic light meter (either handheld or in-camera) at all useful for this purpose?

aggiegrads · Jul 23, 2007

JNewell said:
Is a photographic light meter (either handheld or in-camera) at all useful for this purpose?

I think most on-camera light meters do not resolve more than a third of a stop. There is also wide variation from camera to camera. For instance, I have a Canon Digital Rebel that is always set at -2/3 exposure comensation by default. Definitely not a reliable indicator, but handhelds may be different. I don't have any experience with handheld meters.

By the way, JNewell, I am jealous of your black L1.

aggiegrads · Jul 23, 2007

OK, Here is my plan. I have a white L1. I would consider the white L1 on low with a F05 filter to be a "minimum acceptable" amount of light for the red L1 to produce. The amount of light produced by this combo is sufficient for task work with very little ambient light.

When output drops to that level or lower, I will record the overall runtime. It seems like a lot of people have this light, so this is the most worthwhile comparison I can think of. It is certainly what I would consider the runtime.

Any thoughts?

Lightingguy321 · Jul 23, 2007

The runtime on a Red L1 should be a tad longer than that of the other colors since red LEDs draw slightly less current/voltage while running. I know that a luxeon I red will has a draw of 270mA typically and needs around 3 volts or so this is compared to the other Luxeon I's (excluding the red-orange/amber) that draw around 350mA and around 3.2(?)volts. This is just some information that has sat in my head for a while, but double check the spec sheets on the lumileds web site.

JNewell · Jul 23, 2007

As the sig indicates, that black L1 is a red LED version, amusingly enough for purposes of this thread.

Have never done a runtime test on it, though!

aggiegrads · Jul 23, 2007

JNewell said:
that black L1 is a red LED version

That's why I am jealous!

souptree · Jul 23, 2007

I put a half dead battery in a blue L1 once and it was visible through the wall of a backpack for FOUR days without being turned off. This was after it would no longer output the high level. For much of the four days, it was out of low regulation as well, and the light it was outputting was useful for seeing the light, but not for actually illuminating anything. Remember -- it was a half dead battery from an incan when I put it in the L1. We were using the L1 to tag the lead hiker while hiking at night. It was amazing to behold how long it stayed lit.

I also have a red L1, and if I had to guess, I'd guess it would run even longer than the blue. But I haven't bothered to test this.

A red L1 and a blue L1 on high, held on either side of your head while walking down a trail will make everything look like one of those old 3D movies. Using colored lights out in the real world can produce some interesting and unusual effects.

JNewell · Jul 23, 2007

Here's a true recent battery experience that's non-quantitative. I have a spare red old L1 head. I screwed it onto an old L1 body in place of the white head, which was only getting the low beam out of the nearly depleted cell. The red head got both high and low, so it is presumably drawing a fair bit less current.

scottaw · Jul 23, 2007

This is the kind of info i've been looking for, real world usage. I mainly bought this light for camping and getting around the house without disturbing people. I got 2 months out of a P2D battery, im thinking 6 months of usable light from the L1. So with the 50 free batteries i got with it...hmm 25 years of light for $135, sweet.

luminata · Jul 24, 2007

the only thing is Lithiums have a shelf life of 10 years. I am sure they can be used after that but... what brand are the free batteries and how old are they , if they are already 5 years old or something? I would ask when /if ya order

scottaw · Jul 24, 2007

The picture on the website shows surefire batts as the freebies, im not sorried about them being too old, and besides, i have a lot of other 123 lights, im sure they won't last me 25 years. Maybe 3 at best.

aggiegrads · Jul 27, 2007

aggiegrads said:
I checked the Lumileds website, and the voltage and current specs for the red and white emitters are identical. I would expect the same 4/90 runtime spec as the white L1, which I also own.

My initial assumption appears to have been correct. The red L1 lasted right at 90 hours on low. It was still producing usable light at 90 hours, plenty to read by in total darkness or navigate around the house.

I turned the light off after 90 hours and the light would not turn back on. I let the battery rest for a few hours. I turned it back on high (no resistor in the circuit, hence lower voltage requirement) and it lasted another 8 hours or so.

90 hours is more than enough for me given the number of spares I always have at hand. This is a great little light.

Has anyone done a runtime test with a red X5?

scottaw · Jul 28, 2007

Holy crap 90 hours?! That's amazing. And thanks for your time. So im gonna say a good couple hours on high then too, sweet. It's coming tuesday, i can't contain myself.

JNewell · Jul 28, 2007

I thinnk the runtime tests on the first and second type white L1s reported in several threads here have been in the range of 160-190 hours total on low power.

Red L1 Runtimes?

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