Chris M.
Flashlight Enthusiast
As promised on this page of the 42-led maglite thread... http://www.candlepowerforums.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=3&t=000297&p=3
...here are the results of test-firing a white LED next to one with one of theledlight`s little reflectors. Thanks again to Doug (videocal) for sending them, but no thanks to the postal service, who smashed one into teeny bits and cracked the other in 2. After extensive reconstructive surgery (glue) I have got one back in a useable shape, so here goes...
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The top pic is the 2 LEDs as they come, I tried to select 2 out of my limited stock that were closest matched in colour and intensity. They`re all over the place so this is as good as it gets I`m afraid.
The bottom pic shows a plain LED on the left and one fitted with a reflector on the right. Please note that because of my postman stomping on them, or whatever happened, there`s glue and cracks in there (and the inevitable clouding due to the cyanoacrylate solvent in the glue evaporating) that will spoil the reflector`s effectiveness, new un-stomped ones should perform a bit better.
The effect ins`t blindingly obvious, but look closely and you`ll see the reflectored LED has a slightly brighter and less blue beam (the manually set white balance is a little off, sorry). This is because the reflector will capture the more yellowy side-spill light and fire it into the blue hotspot of the beam, therefore cancelling out some of the blueness. The result- a nicer beam in my opinion.
However you won`t get quite so many of these in the head of a MAGlite as I originally thought. They measure 12mm overall and significantly increase the space you would need for your array of leds- after playing round a bit I came to the conclusion that 12 or 13 may be a more realistic figure to fit inside. I will, in time, be buying a load of leds and more reflectors from theledlight, so will try fitting 12 inside a 3c or 3d mag and see how it goes. I reckon the reflectors wil improve the beam by making it 10-20% brighter and less blue as well. If you want the most light (from the most leds) in the least space then they aren`t for you, but if you want a clean pure beam and don`t mind a little overdriving either, then I`d reccomend them.
...here are the results of test-firing a white LED next to one with one of theledlight`s little reflectors. Thanks again to Doug (videocal) for sending them, but no thanks to the postal service, who smashed one into teeny bits and cracked the other in 2. After extensive reconstructive surgery (glue) I have got one back in a useable shape, so here goes...
<center>
The top pic is the 2 LEDs as they come, I tried to select 2 out of my limited stock that were closest matched in colour and intensity. They`re all over the place so this is as good as it gets I`m afraid.
The bottom pic shows a plain LED on the left and one fitted with a reflector on the right. Please note that because of my postman stomping on them, or whatever happened, there`s glue and cracks in there (and the inevitable clouding due to the cyanoacrylate solvent in the glue evaporating) that will spoil the reflector`s effectiveness, new un-stomped ones should perform a bit better.
The effect ins`t blindingly obvious, but look closely and you`ll see the reflectored LED has a slightly brighter and less blue beam (the manually set white balance is a little off, sorry). This is because the reflector will capture the more yellowy side-spill light and fire it into the blue hotspot of the beam, therefore cancelling out some of the blueness. The result- a nicer beam in my opinion.
However you won`t get quite so many of these in the head of a MAGlite as I originally thought. They measure 12mm overall and significantly increase the space you would need for your array of leds- after playing round a bit I came to the conclusion that 12 or 13 may be a more realistic figure to fit inside. I will, in time, be buying a load of leds and more reflectors from theledlight, so will try fitting 12 inside a 3c or 3d mag and see how it goes. I reckon the reflectors wil improve the beam by making it 10-20% brighter and less blue as well. If you want the most light (from the most leds) in the least space then they aren`t for you, but if you want a clean pure beam and don`t mind a little overdriving either, then I`d reccomend them.
