Fraen New 30-Degree Optics

[MR Bulk]

Well I finally got'em and here's what they look like (6-degree Fraen on left):

And then I stuck one in a Super Baby Pin and left the "stock" 6-degree Fraen in another Super Baby Pin (it's good to be the Super Baby Pin developer, got'em lying around all Over the place!) and here's the beamshot from about a foot away:

And then from 20 feet up on my speckled cathedral ceiling:

You can see that the 30-degree does widen out the beam considerably, as well as diffuse noticeably. The ridges on the top of the optic also serve to create ringy artifacts with gaps in the light pattern, whether from near or far. In my opinion something like the NX-05 or even the McFlood would serve better if one is seeking a wide, diffuse beam pattern.

MR Bulk's opinion: Not Recommended

Of course I have not tested it with 1W batwings or the 5-watt Luxeon, so who knows? Might be way better, especially with the four-dice construction of the 5W, but I am not interested in using nor offering these, so I will not be proceeding with further testing. Besides, I got Super Baby Pins to develop!

With all that said, I have a couple dozen I would like to blow outta here, same price as the 6-degree optics (two for $5) plus mandatory $4.30 Priority Mail shipping.

Please do NOT Paypal yet, but contact me via e-mail to establish the purchase pecking order.

Thanks.

 

[Mark_Larson]

Interesting... the beam does look considerably more diffuse. Wouldn't pairing it with a LD widen the beam even further?

 

[hotbeam]

Definately try the 5w Mr B as more photons may fill out those black holes. Pics when done please /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[Beretta1526]

I seem to recall somewhere that the 6° optic was specifically meant for the Lambertian Lx's and not recommended for batwing. Maybe there's documentation somewhere that will make a statement as to the intended use of the 30°?

I would be up for the task of evaluating them a little further.

 

[MR Bulk]

Both of these Low Profile Fraens were developed specifically for one gigantic volume purchaser for a singualr application but since they already had the molds made they offered them to the rest of us.

The specific application is a row of Luxeons for architectural lighting use, and a long flat very diffused lens is simply laid over the tops of the emitters, which are not perfectly mounted in a straight line nor perfectly in the middle of that line, hence the "looseness" of the die cup, to allow for slight misalignment. And with the long strip of diffusing lens mateiral laid over the Luxeon tops exact centering was not a critical consideration anyway.

So now you know the whole sordid story behind the development of the Fraen Low Profile line...

 

[McGizmo]

Charlie,

Thanks for this information! I had hoped that the Fraen 30 degree might provide for a more efficient deployment of light in a flood beam. From those rings you have shown and described, I would rather have less light in a more uniform beam. I suppose a beam shaper could be used but then the loss might be down to the other options already in play.

- Don