Designing a focusable LED dive light.

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Linger said:
it's an easy mod from Packhorse's can light to a hand light.....The rest is simple DIY stuff....
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Well sadly I know very little about such things, so while it might be simple for other to modify, I would need a fully complete and forget solution.

Packhorse said:
What LED to use?
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Wasn't the idea way back at the begining of the thread to use a SST-50, with aspherics, in a hand-held? It does seem like this thread has gone in a slightly different direction that I had hoped. Then again thats just me being selfish :devil:
 
whitenoise said:
Wasn't the idea way back at the begining of the thread to use a SST-50, with aspherics, in a hand-held?
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With a single 18650 driving a SST-50 at 50% will give you less than one hour. Simply not long enough. Sure you could run it less but why? To many compromises.

It does seem like this thread has gone in a slightly different direction that I had hoped. Then again thats just me being selfish :devil:
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Thats because its all about me ME ME ME!!!!
 
😀

Why the change of mind though? Looking at the very early posts in this thread, you seemed keen on 2 x 18650's/26650's and seemed quite keen on a hand held and can light. It's almost as though all of the (IMHO good) ideas from the start of the thread have been forgotten through the discussion 😕
 
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Pardon if this has already been shown in this thread, but I found this today and though it was a novel idea of using both a reflector and lens for adjusting the focus:
LED LENSER Technology ...

Per the animation, the reflector is fixed, and the inner lens moves IN/OUT. Based on another page in the same web site, the way to adjust it is to screw the whole head IN/OUT to achieve the focus, so the reflector must be "attached" to the body while the lens must be attached to the head. Or, maybe the opposite - moving the head in-out moves the outer reflector IN/OUT. Either way it looks pretty neat.

Will
 
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whitenoise said:
😀

Why the change of mind though? Looking at the very early posts in this thread, you seemed keen on 2 x 18650's/26650's and seemed quite keen on a hand held and can light. It's almost as though all of the (IMHO good) ideas from the start of the thread have been forgotten through the discussion 😕
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Ideally I would have liked one light head that could have been attached to a cannister or a small battery for a hand held. Mainly because if I decided to produce some for sale I knew there would be interest.
There seems to be a growing number of focusable hand helds available now. So the question becomes can I make a better one or a cheaper one?

It really came down to simplicity and what I really wanted now for my own use.
 
wquiles said:
Pardon if this has already been shown in this thread, but I found this today and though it was a novel idea of using both a reflector and lens for adjusting the focus:
LED LENSER Technology ...
Click to expand...

Interesting site Will, I like the idea! Shame that none of that cool technology is implemented in their singular dive light rated 100 lumens...:banghead:

Packhorse said:
It really came down to simplicity and what I really wanted now for my own use.
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Fair enough. Shame that you decided not to go commercially though. Which leads on to the next poiint...

Packhorse said:
There seems to be a growing number of focusable hand helds available now. So the question becomes can I make a better one or a cheaper one?
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There are a few, but I wouldn't say there were that many. You've either got ones which are powerful enough, but not dive rated, or ones which are, but are a bit weak or use old technology. That's why I was hoping a handheld could be made here that uses the latest tech, be dive rated, and be powerful!
 
Just had a brain wave about an adjustable focus system.

Problem with a threaded head design to adjust focus like the miniMAX is that it requires a lot of turning to change the focus and in the W200 design full adjustment isnt really available.

So with the idea of keeping it simple use the W200 head again, a POM body but instead on the aluminium tower threaded into the POM handle it extends right out the base of the handle sealed by 3 O rings.
To adjust focus simply pull or push the tower. A lip on the tower will stop you being able to pull it right out of the handle and the cable can run right out of the end of the tower through a gland.
heat disiption is probably optimal as the aluminium the LED is mounted to is exposed to the water at one end!
Biggest issue is where to mount the driver. But if its direct drive its not an issue. Or mount it in the cannister.

The idea is so simple there must be something wrong with it.
 
@ all

I will present in some days pictures of our new focusable LED head.
Yesterday i got the prototype of our VB-50.

@ Whitenoise
This LED-head works also as a HAND LIGHT together with the battery-housings of our PHOTON or PHOTON2.
http://www.mb-sub.com/photon/?L=2
or
http://www.mb-sub.com/photon2/?L=2
The burning time with the small battery pack (12,6V-1,6Ah) will be > 1hr with 100% power setting (approx. 1250 lumen).
The second power step will be only 35% electrical power, this is equivalent to 50% of the light power.
The burning time with the battery pack of the PHOTON2 will be double.
The focus can be changed between 8° and 36°.
Logically this head will not be cheap.

Michael
 
Packhorse said:
Just had a brain wave about an adjustable focus system....
Click to expand...

In a handheld maybe? :devil:

mbsub said:
I will present in some days pictures of our new focusable LED head. Yesterday i got the prototype of our VB-50. This LED-head works also as a HAND LIGHT together with the battery-housings of our PHOTON or PHOTON2....
Click to expand...

Cool! :twothumbs Thanks for that update Michael, can't wait to hear/see more information and pics! :popcorn:
 
Packhorse said:
The idea is so simple there must be something wrong with it.
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Assuming enough surface area exposed to water to cool down the tower which holds the LED, no, I don't see anything wrong with it. Sounds like a great idea. You can even add an external screw that would put pressure on the tower/piston for those folks who want to stay at a particular focus setting for longer periods (set and forget it type of operation).
 
mbsub said:
@ all

I will present in some days pictures of our new focusable LED head.
Yesterday i got the prototype of our VB-50.

@ Whitenoise
This LED-head works also as a HAND LIGHT together with the battery-housings of our PHOTON or PHOTON2.
http://www.mb-sub.com/photon/?L=2
or
http://www.mb-sub.com/photon2/?L=2
The burning time with the small battery pack (12,6V-1,6Ah) will be > 1hr with 100% power setting (approx. 1250 lumen).
The second power step will be only 35% electrical power, this is equivalent to 50% of the light power.
The burning time with the battery pack of the PHOTON2 will be double.
The focus can be changed between 8° and 36°.
Logically this head will not be cheap.

Michael
Click to expand...

That sounds very interesting indeed - looking forward to pictures 😉
 
How much output would be lost if water was between the LED and the reflector?

Seal the LED on the tip of a POM and just let a reflector (unsealed and no lense) slide up and down?
 
Hello,

sorry, the first pictures are ready, but i dont find the possibility to attach them in the text.
The written rules in FAQ don´t accord with the practice.

Michael
 
I dont like such a system.
In this case i will change to another forum with better rules and present the pictures there.

Michael
 
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