I've got quite the elaborate idea for an LED searchlight. I've got a few questions, and I'm sure someone around here can help me out. I've got a feeling this could turn in to a giant co-operative project, if enough people become interested. I've got some basic electronics knowledge, but to get to where I want to go is going to take some learning and practicing.
Also, I'm not in this for profit, and I'm not much for patents/IP in general, the only reason I'm being vague is that most of the specifics are still up in the air for me. I'd be more than happy to see this come true whatever it takes, and I think it would be cool to have a CPF community developed light. (Open-source?)
Anyway, on to my point!
I'd like to know if anyone has experience building custom drivers, particularly high-power drivers with complex UI. I'm wondering what it would take to build a FET-based driver, and one that could provide smooth ramping from dim to bright, with a few programmable levels. Also, I'd like this to be a multi-spectrum light and I'm wondering how hard it would be to build multiple output "channels" in to one controller board.
I still don't know what materials to use, but I can say that this will have to dissipate a significant amount of heat. I'd like to build the entire thing out of one material (with plenty of heat sinking of course), but I think Aluminum would get quite expensive due to the size and shape. Does anyone have experience with injection molding? Can it be done with minimal set-up costs?
What size reflector (or optic) would be required to get a ~6° beam from a large-die LED like a P7 or MC-E?
That's all for now. Thanks in advance for your help!
Also, I'm not in this for profit, and I'm not much for patents/IP in general, the only reason I'm being vague is that most of the specifics are still up in the air for me. I'd be more than happy to see this come true whatever it takes, and I think it would be cool to have a CPF community developed light. (Open-source?)
Anyway, on to my point!
I'd like to know if anyone has experience building custom drivers, particularly high-power drivers with complex UI. I'm wondering what it would take to build a FET-based driver, and one that could provide smooth ramping from dim to bright, with a few programmable levels. Also, I'd like this to be a multi-spectrum light and I'm wondering how hard it would be to build multiple output "channels" in to one controller board.
I still don't know what materials to use, but I can say that this will have to dissipate a significant amount of heat. I'd like to build the entire thing out of one material (with plenty of heat sinking of course), but I think Aluminum would get quite expensive due to the size and shape. Does anyone have experience with injection molding? Can it be done with minimal set-up costs?
What size reflector (or optic) would be required to get a ~6° beam from a large-die LED like a P7 or MC-E?
That's all for now. Thanks in advance for your help!
