New Build - Pair of SSR-90 Video Lights

After fragging the SST-50 I decide to get serious and work with a pair of SSR-90s which arrived today.

I also switch to 20Gauge Silver Coated Teflon wire. If it's possible to be in love with wire... well call me married... this stuff is nice!

I'm waiting, will be waiting for a long time, for some drivers from DX. In the mean time I recovered the hipCC driver from the original build and am going to work out the electrics first.

I'm expecting 5 Tenergy Li-Ion 18650 3.7V 2600 mAh tomorrow for a new pack build. For the hipCC I'll configure a single 18.5volt pack which will hopefully give me 45minutes of run time. The hipCC does not drive at 2.8Amps below 7.2Volts so my options are limited at the moment.

I hooked up with an 8.4volt 5000mAh battery for testing... damn thing gave me vision spots. This is the SAME config I drove the SST-50 at and I swear the output is at least DOUBLE! I can't wait to see what 5.6Amps will do!

More to come

Codiak said:

After fragging the SST-50 I decide to get serious and work with a pair of SSR-90s which arrived today.

I also switch to 20Gauge Silver Coated Teflon wire. If it's possible to be in love with wire... well call me married... this stuff is nice!

I'm waiting, will be waiting for a long time, for some drivers from DX. In the mean time I recovered the hipCC driver from the original build and am going to work out the electrics first.

I'm expecting 5 Tenergy Li-Ion 18650 3.7V 2600 mAh tomorrow for a new pack build. For the hipCC I'll configure a single 18.5volt pack which will hopefully give me 45minutes of run time. The hipCC does not drive at 2.8Amps below 7.2Volts so my options are limited at the moment.

I hooked up with an 8.4volt 5000mAh battery for testing... damn thing gave me vision spots. This is the SAME config I drove the SST-50 at and I swear the output is at least DOUBLE! I can't wait to see what 5.6Amps will do!

More to come

Click to expand...

Where do you get the wire and what is the advantage?

Thanks.

Maybe i am misunderstadning something.

But do DX have a driver that would run the sst-90 or are you waiting for them to get some in stock?

@
I'm waiting, will be waiting for a long time, for some drivers from DX.

Codiak said:

After fragging the SST-50 I decide to get serious and work with a pair of SSR-90s which arrived today.

I also switch to 20Gauge Silver Coated Teflon wire. If it's possible to be in love with wire... well call me married... this stuff is nice!

I'm waiting, will be waiting for a long time, for some drivers from DX. In the mean time I recovered the hipCC driver from the original build and am going to work out the electrics first.

I'm expecting 5 Tenergy Li-Ion 18650 3.7V 2600 mAh tomorrow for a new pack build. For the hipCC I'll configure a single 18.5volt pack which will hopefully give me 45minutes of run time. The hipCC does not drive at 2.8Amps below 7.2Volts so my options are limited at the moment.

I hooked up with an 8.4volt 5000mAh battery for testing... damn thing gave me vision spots. This is the SAME config I drove the SST-50 at and I swear the output is at least DOUBLE! I can't wait to see what 5.6Amps will do!

More to come

Click to expand...

Codiak:
What type of teflon wire do you use? I ordered some from Ebay but the stuff is so hard I hate it... I like silicone coated better. My local hobby shop uses 200C rated. It's really soft and pliable.
Thanks

gcbryan said:

Where do you get the wire and what is the advantage?

Thanks.

Click to expand...

https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/229501

And now i have some im also wondering what all the fuss is about as Silicone wire seems far easier to work with?

Zinox said:

Maybe i am misunderstadning something.

But do DX have a driver that would run the sst-90 or are you waiting for them to get some in stock?

@
I'm waiting, will be waiting for a long time, for some drivers from DX.

Click to expand...

Probably 3 of the SSC P7 2.8 amp in parallel

gcBryan:
In a nutshell: Small size, lighter weight, heat resistent and no slippery feel. Plus I like the silver coating. Everyone has their own preferences I just changed mine and saved money
[/img] http://picasaweb.google.com/BeaverLakeNe/CPF#5442586755137647778 ( have got to figureout image posting here!)


350xfire:
I don't know what you got but stiff this ain't!
[/img] http://picasaweb.google.com/BeaverLakeNe/CPF#5442586515134400994
Take your pick of wire from here http://www.surplussales.com/wire-cable/Wire4.html.
I suggest calling them first if you want specific colors.
Cheaper than the crap from Radio Shack and close enough that next day is free for me (Really it's UPS ground but it did arrive next day, Texas is probably 2day)

Zinox:
Like everyone else I'm waiting for a 9A CC driver to appear,
*Sector, Sector he's our man if he can't do it... Ahhhhhhhh*

I ordered some cheap 2.8A CCs from DX as a stopgap measure.
It was cheap DX, 7 more hipCC $$$ or wait for SC to finish and get 2 at ???$???

I just hope the DX shipment arrives within a year.... yeah I hate them that much and they have been that bad.


But I missing something:

I am starting to wonder if there even is a CC requirement in a dive light build.

See jtr1962's comments https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/226934&page=4

Thermal control being the key, and water transfering heat 20x that of air it seems perhaps this is a case where the dive light is an easier nut to crack and we're building based on assumptions that don't apply?

Why are we not simpling wiring multiple 18650s in parellel with a reed switch and powering the LED?
I'm have to be missing something since the 90's are rated for the battery voltage of 3.7v and duration is just based on number and mAh of the cells.


On another note
After clearing the spots from my eyes yesterday, and then sleeping off the only 2.8A, that was only 1/3 the brightness...gezzz
I woke this morning thinking for the first time about how many lumens is too many lumens. This LED seriously packs a whallop, if I can figureout how to properly use it do I seriously need more? There was a recent discussion on Scubaboard about how big a HID with most homing in on 10w being good enough and 25w being useful... this LED is in that range.

More effiencent LEDs will mean smaller battery packs but does anyone really need brighter?

for the record I tested the angle of the emitter and regardless of specs it does through 180 degrees (half a sphere).. far wider than I need for video... so I'm looking for reflector and optic recomendations that will get me close to 104 degrees in the smallest smoothest package possible

350xfire said:

Probably 3 of the SSC P7 2.8 amp in parallel

Click to expand...

4 was the original plan as they actually output has been measured at 2.3A

I say original as I currently don't believe I need that much output see previous reply

gav6280 said:

https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/229501

And now i have some im also wondering what all the fuss is about as Silicone wire seems far easier to work with?

Click to expand...

I find Teflon easier.... but to each their own

where is a good supplier of SST 90 ? cause I would like to get some myself ..

Why are we not simpling wiring multiple 18650s in parellel with a reed switch and powering the LED?

Click to expand...

Been there done that.

The issue I had was since the voltage is so low that the MOSFET didnt turn on. I tried a different MOSFET and it would turn on but not properly and would loose a few tenths of a volt. This makes a huge difference to the output of the SST-90. It would start off at 6 amps but soon only draw 2 or 3.

I guess if you were to use a toggle switch instead it would help alot but you still wouldnt get full current for all that long and you would be stuck with a toggle switch which I am not willing to compromise my lights with.

Packhorse said:

Been there done that.

The issue I had was since the voltage is so low that the MOSFET didnt turn on. I tried a different MOSFET and it would turn on but not properly and would loose a few tenths of a volt. This makes a huge difference to the output of the SST-90. It would start off at 6 amps but soon only draw 2 or 3.

I guess if you were to use a toggle switch instead it would help alot but you still wouldnt get full current for all that long and you would be stuck with a toggle switch which I am not willing to compromise my lights with.

Click to expand...

Piezo Electric with latching IC rather than a toggle.

Though I was thinking of the Reed AS a toggle:
18650 -> Reed -> SSR-90

This be a lot easier if SC would finish soon
^----------------------|

H20doctor said:

where is a good supplier of SST 90 ? cause I would like to get some myself ..

Click to expand...

Photonfanatic.com
avnetexpress.avnet.com

Codiak said:

Piezo Electric with latching IC rather than a toggle.

Though I was thinking of the Reed AS a toggle:
18650 -> Reed -> SSR-90

This be a lot easier if SC would finish soon
^----------------------|

Click to expand...

If using a piezo you still need to use a MOSFET and you will have the same issue.

I guess you could use just a reed.... if you can find one that is reliable at 9 amps.

Packhorse said:

I guess you could use just a reed.... if you can find one that is reliable at 9 amps.

Click to expand...

have one rated for 5A still looking for 9-10

Codiak, where did you get the soft Teflon? How much?
Thanks

350xfire said:

Codiak, where did you get the soft Teflon? How much?
Thanks

Click to expand...

http://www.surplussales.com/wire-cable/Wire4.html

25ft for like $7.50

Codiak said:

http://www.surplussales.com/wire-cable/Wire4.html

25ft for like $7.50

Click to expand...

OOPS! I just reread your previous post and saw you had already listed it. Thanks

Codiak, try a Ledil Iris collinating? lens. It's one of those plastic lenses. This is what I'm going to use on my prototype set up. I got a pretty nice big spot with it. I have a medium Fraen reflector that makes a really nice flood with SSC P7 and Cree MCE that may also work! I'll try it and see.

Also, if I was you, I would not worry about pushing 9 amps to that thing. I think for the additional amps brightness, anything about 5 amps is probably a waste... Pack, what do you think? It seems to me that the more juice you put into this thing the less and less you get. Also, as it heats up, it's luminoscity is going to decrease so no sense in trying to push maximum lumens, 'cause I don't think you'll get them for very long....

350xfire said:

OOPS! I just reread your previous post and saw you had already listed it. Thanks

Codiak, try a Ledil Iris collinating? lens. It's one of those plastic lenses. This is what I'm going to use on my prototype set up. I got a pretty nice big spot with it. I have a medium Fraen reflector that makes a really nice flood with SSC P7 and Cree MCE that may also work! I'll try it and see.

Also, if I was you, I would not worry about pushing 9 amps to that thing. I think for the additional amps brightness, anything about 5 amps is probably a waste... Pack, what do you think? It seems to me that the more juice you put into this thing the less and less you get. Also, as it heats up, it's luminoscity is going to increase so no sense in trying to push maximum lumens, 'cause I don;t think you'll get them for very long....

Click to expand...

Thanks for the lens suggestion! I've got a couple reflectors on order right now which I'm going to try pairing with a glass optics from Edmund... I'll look at this next

As for 9Amps, there is a thread with test data showing a near linear improvement to lumen output up to and beyond 9Amps. But as I said in my previous post I'm begining to believe that 5Amps will provide plenty of output if I can effectively use it.

Can you picture every diver with SST-90 lights at 9 AMPs... it wouldn't be a freaking night dive... it'd be daylight dive in the sauna!


I do need to get some pipe and rod threading done :naughty:


new subject.... just came across this
http://cds.linear.com/docs/Datasheet/1038fa.pdf

Was this the golden egg? Says Obsolete... looking for it's replacement

Yeah, I would agree. 9 amps is over kill and 5 amps would make a lot more sense in terms of efficiency, heat management and finding a suitable driver.