LED lights with "throw"

LED lights with \"throw\"

It looks like the incand. lights still have more throw than the LED's at this point.
My question is -which LED lights have the best throw.
My LSH-P has "ok" throw, about the same as my KL1 was,but are the Electrolumens Blaster series that much better ?
Does the 30mm optic really help that much?
I am basically looking for an LED light that can throw as good as a 4D mag or better-is this possible?
The 5watt Blasters look like they might be good candidates.
Thank you in advance for any comments/observations.

Re: LED lights with

space needle, original or II. Nexneedle. Blasters are second best, still awesome.

Re: LED lights with \"throw\"

I think the 216 lumen Space Needle II would be the brightest with most throw LED light.

Re: LED lights with

My cyan-Luxeon-in-Legend-LX mod (*Cough*) has surprising throw, but it's due to the Fraen narrow-beam optic combined with the fact that the eye is so sensitive to that particular shade o' green. Its hotspot is perceptible for over 200 yards at night and when it's humid outside the beam coming out of the business end is quite visible. (Tested its "throw" last night, in fact. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif )

The bigger optics are MUCH better at gathering and redirecting the light from a Luxeon, so if you can get a light that uses a Lumileds 30mm or a Fraen narrow-beam you'll get more "throw" than you would from the same LED/power source combo using a NX05.

As for what lights have that all-important usability at distance, the high-end Space Needles and Blasters seem to be stomping all comers in that department, as was noted already.

oO

Re: LED lights with

Make me wonder some times...how come our own shoe string budget modder/members beat the crap out of the deep pocket big boys?

Re: LED lights with

a 5w luxeon and a mag reflector gives a very good throw. this is what the sn uses.

30mm optics also throw well, but can't really compare to mag reflectors.

Re: LED lights with

I don't often get over to this part of CPF. We hope to have a new reflector that works well with LEDs available within a few weeks.

Re: LED lights with

[ QUOTE ]
KenB asked: "Make me wonder some times...how come our own shoe string budget modder/members beat the crap out of the deep pocket big boys?"

[/ QUOTE ]

Not adding anything, but just thought that question needed more emphasis and thought.

/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thinking.gif

Re: LED lights with

[ QUOTE ]
KenB said:
Make me wonder some times...how come our own shoe string budget modder/members beat the crap out of the deep pocket big boys?


[/ QUOTE ]

KenB, just a guess, but I suspect most big boys either are more interested in higher volume (saleswise, which usually means NOT cutting-edge capabilities) lights, or they just don't have much experience in LED flashlight design, which after all is still fairly new and requires some new thinking designwise... not to mention that incandescents (to grossly generalize) are still cheaper, more available, and more consistent in quality from part to part. Modders, on the other hand, carry with them all the virtues of hand crafting, not the least of which is extreme passion...

Re: LED lights with

This has kind of already been said, but I wanted to emphasize the importance of the reflector to the overall throw -- and output in general -- from any light. Even the lowly TurtleLite II delivers more light than it really deserves to, mainly by virtue of its relatively large, faceted reflector. Don't get me wrong; I *love* both my TurtleLite II's! I just mean it runs with two Nichia LEDs, and has no business putting out the amount of light that it does... it even outshines the lights I have that use 3 Nichias, and the only real difference is that big faceted reflector.

I modded one of those standard Energizer flashlights for which the bulb slides out of the reflector to convert from flashlight to lantern. I dropped an EverLED into it, and WOW! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif MUCH better than I expected. It absolutely blows away any 1W Luxeon light I own except for my cherished LGI... and quite honestly, the modded Energizer has a nicer hotspot than the LGI despite the lesser light output. Again, the beneficiary of a huge, faceted reflector, plus in this case a small magnifier or partial acrylic ball built-into the polycarbonate lens.

Incidentally, I have some photos of this mod and will be posting them soon, perhaps later today if I'm not too lazy. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crazy.gif (It's Sunday after all!) It's embarrassing even to call this a mod in that it involved almost trivial work, though I did have to cut down some parts on the light a little.

I'm not an optical engineer, and I'm most certainly not the sharpest tool in the shed /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif, but it seems to me that the quality of the reflector is crucial to long throw, even with LED lights, and the Mags that most modders use generally have very good reflectors. As far as smoothness of beam in general, in my experience the faceted reflectors smooth the imperfections one might otherwise see with Luxeons (due to quality control issues, misaligned optics, squareness of the emitter, etc.) and result in a truly wonderful light.

With apologies to James Carville, "It's the reflector, stupid." /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Re: LED lights with

The Mag's reflector (in C or D cell configuration) is hard to beat considering the quality of the mod base.

Re: LED lights with

The 3AA Streamlight 1 Watt Luxeon Task Light WITHOUT optics gives a very fine beam. Modders should look at it, perhaps copy it. It's the DEEPEST reflector I've seen. Quite remarkable.

Re: LED lights with

>>The 3AA Streamlight 1 Watt Luxeon Task Light WITHOUT optics gives a very fine beam.<<

Yes it does! I don't have other luxeons to compare it to, but it does a fine job outdoors, and makes a Lightwave 3000 look very dim by comparison - indoors or out. Battery life seems good also. I have "tested" mine at every opportunity for over a week on the original batteres with no perceptible dimming. No sign of heat build up in runs of 45 minutes.

Re: LED lights with

SF KL6, hopefully!

Re: LED lights with

[ QUOTE ]
Spectrum said:
>>The 3AA Streamlight 1 Watt Luxeon Task Light WITHOUT optics gives a very fine beam.<<

Yes it does! I don't have other luxeons to compare it to, but it does a fine job outdoors, and makes a Lightwave 3000 look very dim by comparison - indoors or out. Battery life seems good also. I have "tested" mine at every opportunity for over a week on the original batteres with no perceptible dimming. No sign of heat build up in runs of 45 minutes.

[/ QUOTE ]

This is a little off-topic, but does this light give a reasonable amount of side spill as well? Personally, I prefer outdoor lights that light a reasonably wide space directly in front of me plus have a hotspot that throws far. That way I can see the path directly ahead and, if need be, also see that strange object farther in the distance.

Re: LED lights with

This is a little off-topic, but does this light give a reasonable amount of side spill as well? >>>>>

Yes it does, but it's not a "flood" like a SL 4AA7LED. I like mine well enough to order another

Re: LED lights with

<<This is a little off-topic, but does this light give a reasonable amount of side spill as well?>>

Definitely. I agree with what JohnK said, including planning to order more. This light seems to have a good combination of throw and flood - and if you think about it, it is really cheap for what it is.

Re: LED lights with

My 5 Watt Cyan, 2-D Mag -W- reflector made by Wayne "Electrolumens" has an excellent throw & really brighten's up the Night.