Fire

Data

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SPY 007 XM-L2 and Dragon Fire Nozzle


The nozzle contains two aspheric lenses and a platform for the char cloth. It holds the char cloth at the focus point of the light. This is a stock 007 cool white XM-L2 with no alterations. It is of course running at its maximum output.

This video showing the char cloth igniting tender as is common when making a campfire.




Some of the requirements for this to work are that you have full power programmed of 3300mA and the batteries are adequately charged. The Dragon Fire and the light lens optics need to be clean. The SPY and its emitter need to be cool.

What can you ignite? Well so far I have managed to ignite fire cloth and various papers. White newspaper without print works fine and so does a brown paper bag. The darker the better, I have darkened objects with a black Sharpie and it defiantly helps. White notebook paper is not dark enough and any reflective surface is not going to work either. If you look on YouTube, there are thousands of videos on starting fires. So many, that I have only seen a small fraction of them. There is definitely a lot of experimentation that can be done. I suppose the ultimate solution would be some kind of char cloth and tender mix that would have the potential to flame up really quick.

Back Story
For several months now I have been showing off the 007 by having people hold out the back of their hand while I show them how much heat comes out of the light when it is on high-power. I put the light right up to their hand, and within a few seconds you can start to feel the heat. I realized long ago that LED emitters can singe paper because when I was building my 500W mammoth with 10 SST 90 emitters, I managed to burn a dark spot in one of my shop towels that was lying on top of an emitter. But that was a lot more power and I was not sure the 007 was up to the task with a reflector head and glass lens.

Then one day a few weeks ago I decided to see if I could focus the light that comes out of a stock 007. And much to my amazement, I fairly quickly was able to put a brownish burn spot on a piece of paper. I was intrigued, so I set off trying to figure out how to get enough power focused from the flashlight to actually start a fire.

Success came after I configured my height gage with a special light meter fiber optic. It lets me measure light output at a tiny 1mm size point. I was able to measure varying light intensity based on the distance from the lens. I repeated this process until it determined the proper lens spacing and the proper platform height.

2013-08-15%2023.46.26.jpg


2013-08-15%2023.47.01.jpg


LED's put out mostly visible light EM radiation. The infra-red component to the output is not so high as I understand it. But the emitter is heating up and that will add IR to the mix. However, it also means that the total output of the emitter will be dropping because these LEDs only put out their maximum when they are cool. The heat sinking in the tiny spy only affords you a few seconds of truly maximum output. If it does not create the heat you need in about 10 seconds, it is not likely going to do it in 30.

Lighting a match.



This video shows the SPY burning holes in paper and lighting char cloth. On top of the SPY is the Dragon Fire Nozzle.





Cheers
Dave


:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Copied from below ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

The price on this is $255 shipped. Sorry but when you only make 10 of something . . . and the aspheric lenses (two in each) . . .

There is 1 left.


I am not going to make a sales thread for this gadget. Just post here if you want one.

Cheers
Dave
 
Last edited:

Data

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+1 I was just thinking the other day when an LED can set fire to paper. Do you plan to release this as an accessory?

Yes, they are already machined and will be ready to go next week. I am trying to find a nice case for them like a pelican case that can hold the nozzle and some fire making stuff.
 

X_Marine

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Sweet Dave, the brass housing is holding target at optimal distance as I understand?.
Beats the hell outta spinning a stick.. lol
Thanks
X/BillyD..
 

Data

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Sweet Dave, the brass housing is holding target at optimal distance as I understand?.
Beats the hell outta spinning a stick.. lol
Thanks
X/BillyD..

The distance from the lens where the light focuses down to a small point is aligned with the platform. The spot of light there is very bright if it bounces off something light is color. It is so powerful it will burn almost anything you put in its path.

Cheers
Dave
 

karlthev

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I need one of these Dave, my lighter is busted and I'm otta matches!:devil:

DO want one though!!



Karl :party:
 

Data

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Nice. What about an XML from the last run? Not enough light, I guess?

Nice execution of an old survival idea!

However, if you have the nice tinder.... :)

obi

It is all about the tinder. ;)

The 007 XM-L is close but not enough. It has 20% less efficiency from the emitter and 10% less power from the converter board. The 007 XM-L2 with the STFu MK4 just finally reaches the mark that makes this happen.


Cheers
Dave
 

Zandar

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What a really neat idea. Since your using aspherics to concentrate the 007's beam, could this design be adapted into an aspheric throwing head for the light, something like the Tri-V has? I would be very interested in an accessory like this as well.
 

Data

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What a really neat idea. Since your using aspherics to concentrate the 007's beam, could this design be adapted into an aspheric throwing head for the light, something like the Tri-V has? I would be very interested in an accessory like this as well.

That is not great like in the Tri-V because the head of the 007 is in the way of getting the aspheric lens close enough to the emitter. It would not gather enough of the light to even compare to the Tri-V.

Cheers
Dave
 

KuanR

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I really want one too, but I'd have to revert my 007 back to the standard head....I have to think about what to do now:whistle:
 

Launch Mini

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That is wild. I was thinking about the heat that comes out of my 3,000 SPY. I was up at Whistler 2 weekends ago, lighting up the forest with it, when my buddy asked to look at it. He put his hand in front & noticed it heated up his hand from about 3 inches with just the beam, not the head from the head.
Very cool, or hot.
 

Data

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The price on this is $255 shipped. Sorry but when you only make 10 of something . . . and the aspheric lenses (two in each) . . .

There are 8 left but I could order more lenses if anybody wants.


I am not going to make a sales thread for this gadget. Just post here if you want one.

Cheers
Dave
 
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