5mm LED questions for Solitaire mod

[Bimmerboy]

For almost two years now, I've had a natural HAIII Solitaire laying around doing absolutely nothing, and it's time to do something about it.

The plan is fairly straightforward. Run the brightest 5mm I can get off a Li-ion 10440 and a resistor. I can dig up the old threads on tailcap resistoring myself, but need to ask a couple LED questions to clear up my confusion as to the ultimate brightest 5mm. Jtr1962 has a great thread on the topic, but I haven't yet understood what really is the brightest, and don't want to noob up such a well written topic for my mod purposes. After searching, I noticed this particular question hasn't been asked in a while, so let's dredge it up once again.

What's the brightest 5mm LED? Is it the 4 die SMJLED @ 80mA?

If so, I'll get a cut down one to make some use of the Soli reflector as well, and I'm done, simple as that. If there's anything brighter though, I'm definitely open to suggestions... might even do a grind and polish on it myself to get the SMJLED-like wide dispersion.

Last question. Will a wide angle, cut down LED actually make much use of the reflector, or might it be better to just use the full dome and let the LED make it's own throw?

 

[TMorita]

Yes, SMJLED is brightest afaik.

Yes, a wide angle cutdown SMJLED will use the reflector better than a full dome.

Toshi

 

[zeeexsixare]

Have you seen this:<p>
http://theledguy.chainreactionweb.com/product_info.php?cPath=48_52_82&products_id=861
<p>
I'm thinking about doing this to mine too. Is it really just this easy - a quick drop-in mod with no soldering required?

 

[Bimmerboy]

I went back and read jtr1962's thread again, and the following quote pretty much locks it in for the SMJLED. Guess it didn't sink in the first time.

As of July, 2006:

"Lumen output far exceeds any 5mm LED tested to date, reaching 17.67 lumens at 100 mA."

It's cut down SMJLED time! Maybe a few of them for various things, and a couple uncut for Photon duty.

TMorita - Agreed on both counts.

Zeeex - I spotted it, but have always known that drop-in to be a 3mm (uses stock size reflector hole... no drilling). If that is actually now using a 5mm 4 die, that would be quite cool! I'd most definitely get one for another Soli using a primary batt. I'll find out and post back, but I do think it's the 3mm.

Thanks for the responses, guys.

Edit: It actually states the opposite of what I said. From the Shoppe...

"The new SMJLED2 bi-pin bulb has a regulated converter and is brighter than the former 4-die SMJLED."

However, that info sounds strangely like the PR2 drop-in, and there's even a dead link below it that once would take you to a suggested host for the PR2. I suspect it's just a mix up of info there.

 

[TMorita]

I think it means the SMJLED bi-pin regulated is brighter than the SMJLED 4-die unregulated on 3 volts.

The SMJLED 4-die has a low Vf, but it's still around 3.1v - 3.2v, so it won't draw full current at 3 volts. Maybe like 40 ma or so.

Toshi

 

[cratz2]

I never got around to having a tailcap resistor, but I absolutely LOVE my Solitaire with an Nichia CS direct on a 10440. Very little throw, but the widest beam I've ever had, I think. Think an L4 on low.

https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/102899

 

[Bimmerboy]

I never got around to having a tailcap resistor, but I absolutely LOVE my Solitaire with an Nichia CS direct on a 10440. Very little throw, but the widest beam I've ever had, I think. Think an L4 on low.

https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/102899

Hi, Cratz... long time no see!

Good info in your thread. Especially regarding the bins. How blue is the Nichia CS in real life (especially when overdriven), as opposed to photos?

My limited experience with SMJLED's is with the PR2 drop-ins (4 die only!). But as far as 5mm's go, I like the output and tint quite a lot. On 2AA's in a Garrity G-Tech host (has what could easily be considered a "turbo head" for a 2AA host, and large, facteted reflector!), it's quite the useful light, with a highly acceptable color for a 5mm.

I'm gonna' try some of these bad boys direct drive with an approx. 5 ohm resistor, and see what we get.

 

[cratz2]

Of course, my camera doesn't capture the blue tint very well, but honestly, that Solitaire with the CS C0... it isn't really horribly blue. Actually the frosting/sanding I did gets rid of quite a bit of the blue because the little bits difract/refract etc the blue and the yellow and sort of homogenates the color of the beam. The Nichia CS in the current inova X1 has more of a blue center and a yellow corona/spillbeam than the overdriven, but frosted, one on my Solitaire.

If you are going to use a resistor, you might consider using a Sno29 LED if you have any. They are the whitest I've used, but they don't overdrive nearly as well as the Nichias.

For my uses, I'd rather have the whiteness of the Sno LEDs than the added brightness of the Nichias.

 

[paulr]

I've always hated the Solitaire but if you're going to use this approach at all, why a 5mm instead of a 10mm or XR-E?

 

[r0b0r]

I've always hated the Solitaire but if you're going to use this approach at all, why a 5mm instead of a 10mm or XR-E?

Cost and simplicity. Elegance

10mm might look a little funny in the head of the soli, and the XR-E is a totally different package so it'd be a lot more work. A 3mm or 5mm will plug right into the bipin socket, no hassles. And its cheap

You'd probably need a regulator for the XR-E if you didn't want it to be too bright, or would a resistor be suitable for dropping the brightness to near CS levels?>

 

[carbine15]

I'd stay away from 5mm LED's. Go with 3mm that way you can fit them in without drilling the reflector wider.

Say, does anyone know of a small 3mm bi-pin 3.6 volt incan bulb for the soli? I wanna run one with my 14400 AAA LIIONs.

 

[Mav]

What is the brightest 3mm white LED out there? Do you know where to buy those LED's?
And where to find 10440 Li-ion battery for my Solitaire mod. I have not found a shop which is shipping worldwide.

 

[Robocop]

I have made 3 of these using the MJLED and direct drive with no resistor on the AAA Li-Ion. The stock reflector does very well with the cut down MJs and I simply started out with a very small drill bit and got larger each pass on the reflector opening.....if done slowly you can make it an exact fit and it looks very factory.

Mine are all petty blue however personally I like the cooler blue look as it seems to just "look" brighter. The hardes part of this mod actually was getting that reflector out and that took about 3 minutes really. If you mess with the reflector height a little you can get a nice spot with a very nice flood for a 5mm. It reminds me alot of the RiverRock 2-AAA light as far as output.....good luck

 

[cratz2]

I have made 3 of these using the MJLED and direct drive with no resistor on the AAA Li-Ion. The stock reflector does very well with the cut down MJs and I simply started out with a very small drill bit and got larger each pass on the reflector opening.....if done slowly you can make it an exact fit and it looks very factory.

Mine are all petty blue however personally I like the cooler blue look as it seems to just "look" brighter. The hardes part of this mod actually was getting that reflector out and that took about 3 minutes really. If you mess with the reflector height a little you can get a nice spot with a very nice flood for a 5mm. It reminds me alot of the RiverRock 2-AAA light as far as output.....good luck

So... no issues with killing the MJLEDs? I thought two fresh E2 Lithiums would kill the MJLED... So I would have thought a LiIon would kill it even quicker. I've killed two or three Nichia CS B0 LEDs with a 10440 but the two CS C0 LEDs stayed together fine.