Brightest, Highest Output & Throw Red LED Light?

[Atomic6]

Who makes the baddest Red LED flashlight? Cost& Runtime are not factors; and I'll even consider mods. I have a special application which requires powerful red night vision. Thanks for any suggestions. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/help.gif

 

[Rothrandir]

a red luxeon is likely to provide the highest power.

put it in a mag reflector and overdrive it a bit for some crazy brightness /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[tylerdurden]

Re: Brightest, Highest Output & Throw Red LED Ligh

would a red luxeon be able to handle 3D direct drive?

Another alternative would be a red 1w luxeon with a downboy400 in a PM6.

 

[tylerdurden]

Re: Brightest, Highest Output & Throw Red LED Ligh

Or an inretech Trilight or Super6 with red luxeons!

 

[hawkhkg11]

Re: Brightest, Highest Output & Throw Red LED Ligh

Your needs would be better met with a spotlight with a red filter, or one of those special hunting spotlights.

 

[Atomic6]

Re: Brightest, Highest Output & Throw Red LED Ligh

Thanks for the responses so far. I do want a handheld; something I can hang on a hand or belt lanyard. The modded PM6 modded sounds cool. I need a good blast of light at a range of up to 80 feet. It is a work light application.

 

[Atomic6]

Re: Brightest, Highest Output & Throw Red LED Ligh

[ QUOTE ]
hawkhkg11 said:
Your needs would be better met with a spotlight with a red filter, or one of those special hunting spotlights.

[/ QUOTE ]

Thanks for the suggestion. OK-I took an E2e+ (P-61 LA) and put a SF Red Beam Filter on it. It sure is bright and red. It also gets hot fast and I hear they only run 6-7 minutes before going into thermal overload-shutdown. So I want something like this but in an LED.

 

[Doug S]

Re: Brightest, Highest Output & Throw Red LED Ligh

It should be noted that overdriving red LEDs is less productive than overdriving white and shorter wavelength LEDs. This is because the output of red LEDs suffers more from the elevated temperatures caused by overdriving.

 

[Rothrandir]

Re: Brightest, Highest Output & Throw Red LED Ligh

yes, doug brings up a good point.

red, red/orange, and amber luxeons will degrade output considerably if the junction temperature is too high.

a pelican m6 modded with a downboy 400 or 500 would be a good solution i think.
both are overdriving slightly, but not too much.

also keep in mind, that red luxeons need to have their slug electrically isolated, as does the downboy converter.

 

[radellaf]

Re: Brightest, Highest Output & Throw Red LED Ligh

Brightest I've seen is an easy mod, it's the EverLED in red. Works in almost anything, and bright as hell.

I don't think I like bright red. It kills your night vision, which is the only reason I know for having a red flashlight. The MiniMag with Inretech's $5 red/orange spiderLED is as bright @ 110mA as can, IMHO, be useful in red.

Digressing, I'm tempted to get an A2 and the red LEDs do look rather cool but I wonder how much I'd like them. White seems a safer bet. I'd rather have to wait to get a Red LED ring than a white one, when/if the rings are available. Plus, what I think I'd really like, in terms of coolness, is a R-G-B ring /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[McGizmo]

Re: Brightest, Highest Output & Throw Red LED Ligh

A6,

I have done a few red PM6 modules and they be bright! If I can be of assist, you know how to reach me. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif You can even use one of the white reflectors for red flood if the need arrises.........

- Don

 

[tvodrd]

Re: Brightest, Highest Output & Throw Red LED Ligh

A6,

The one in the cave was a red-orange LS, DD on a CR2. I haven't a clue as to what Vf bin the emitter was. It didn't seem to get warm, so I suspect that driven at 350mA and up it would have been scary! (Cans left today.)

Larry

 

[Alan Hsu]

Re: Brightest, Highest Output & Throw Red LED Ligh

Larry,

I think an E1e modded with red 1W SE LS/BB400 by McGizmo is quite bright and SMALL.

 

[markus_i]

Don't know if he does them in custom configuration already, but have a look at Wayne's (Elektrolumens -> Dealer Forum) Trilight. Even if he won't build it, swapping the whites for reds and maybe some resistors shouldn't be impossible.

Bye
Markus

 

[revolvergeek]

Re: Brightest, Highest Output & Throw Red LED Ligh

I just got a Surefire L1 yesterday with a RED ls and it is by far the brightest red led light that I have seen. A little too bright for me though, so send me a pm or email if you want to work something out on it.

 

[INRETECH]

Re: Brightest, Highest Output & Throw Red LED Ligh

We make the TriLight in RED the light output is DANGERIOUS

 

[JJHitt]

Re: Brightest, Highest Output & Throw Red LED Ligh

I'm suprised that no one has pointed out that "bright" and "night vision" are mutually exclusive.

If it's bright enough to perceive what color it is, you're not using night vision.

 

[IsaacHayes]

Re: Brightest, Highest Output & Throw Red LED Ligh

But if you are illuminating a large area then maybe you do need bright red... Flood... A red LS I wouldn't DD on 3D. 2D is pushing it I'd say.

 

[Quickbeam]

Re: Brightest, Highest Output & Throw Red LED Ligh

"If it's bright enough to perceive what color it is, you're not using night vision. "

Not exactly true. Red light is invisible to our rods, so it can be bright and you'll retain your "night vision". Problem with very bright red lights is that they leave an afterimage in your field of view from bleaching the red cones in your retina and that afterimage overlaps your rod's field of view in your brain, essentially obliterating your ability to see well until the afterimage goes away.

Moderately dim red light, however, won't leave afterimages, you'll easily be able to see the red color, yet your night vision will be intact.

For every other color though, you're correct. If you can "see" the color, your night vision is being degraded.

 

[Atomic6]

Re: Brightest, Highest Output & Throw Red LED Ligh

OK- A little clarification and some futher questioning of the jury:

I do need a red LED that will provide a very bright beam with throw up to 80 Feet and some useful side spill for close-up work. I will be using it to illuminate a work area for others from medium close quarters to the 80 foot mark-in total darkness. This is not a light for illuminating my own personal work area-and for that application I would get a red L1 and be happy.

Secondly, the PM6 with its great reflector looks like a possible winner. I have the PM6 McModule in white and it kicks out the photons for sure.

Also-the TriLight sounds promising. I wonder just what it is all about?

Can anyone offer a comparison betwwen the McGizmo PM6 Red Mod proposal and the Inretech Trilight Red?

Thanks.