Replacing a Lux I batwing LED

kosPap

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Mar 1, 2007
Messages
2,909
Location
Naoussa Greece
indeed! i am not joking...there is a guy from a Greek forum that want to amek his first mod of a flashlight....

here is the assembly

led2.jpg


So the obvious route is the SSC U-bin...but what about the reflector?
I mean is it compatible with the batwing LED (though I think yes the SSC beam being rather wide)

thanks beforehand, kostas
 

darkzero

Flashaholic* ,
Joined
Oct 7, 2003
Messages
4,459
Location
SoCal
That is not a batwing, that is a side emitter. Batwings were known as "low dome". Generally lambertians (high dome) work in place of the side emitters but need to sit higher to achieve proper focus in the same reflector. If replacing with a Seoul P4 it may need to sit even higher but it all depends on the reflector & the focal height. Give it a shot & see what happens, then adjust if needed.
 

HarryN

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Jan 22, 2004
Messages
3,977
Location
Pleasanton (Bay Area), CA, USA
I have seen a lens that converted a lambertian output to the same as that side emitter output. Sorry - but I don't remember where - maybe on future?

In any event, I used a few of those side emitters - they are just ideal for great focus, but for various reasons were not popular enough. It is not easy to get that original style beam back. Possibly an optic would work in place of the reflector.
 

Illum

Flashaholic
Joined
Apr 29, 2006
Messages
13,053
Location
Central Florida, USA
Side emitters uses glass optics while batwing and lambertians use polymer domes, and they have a tendency to chip. they are nice for reflector lights but hardly makes a dent for anything if used without reflectors
 

uk_caver

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Feb 9, 2007
Messages
1,408
Location
Central UK
I've replaced side emitters with P4s with good results, but as darkzero suggested, the P4 does need to be a little higher in the reflector.

Also, side-emitters often poke through a small hole in a reflector, whereas the P4 needs a much larger one - easy enough if it's a plastic reflector.

I wrote more on:
https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/247997
a couple of days ago
 

kosPap

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Mar 1, 2007
Messages
2,909
Location
Naoussa Greece
I've replaced side emitters with P4s with good results, but as darkzero suggested, the P4 does need to be a little higher in the reflector.

you are reffering to the .030 difference in die height (LuxIII?SSC P4) or is it more inthe case of the side-emitting ones?
 

uk_caver

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Feb 9, 2007
Messages
1,408
Location
Central UK
I didn't do any measurements, but in the image below

cybalite_open_side_emitter_small.jpg

you can see a pre-conversion light open, with the three ribs that the reflector sat on (at roughly 3, 7 and 11 o'clock).

To get correct focussing, I shave maybe 80% of the thickness of those ribs off, judging by eye, and that seems to give a decent beam in the 25-30 units I've modded (someone was selling them off very cheaply).

A couple of rough comparison shots, both on the same power level, with the original side emitter on the left, the P4 on the right.
The dark image
cybalite_old+new_dark_small.jpg

shows the hotspot size and brightness

the lighter image
cybalite_old+new_light_small.jpg

shows the massive difference in spill.
 

Latest posts

Top