Help with first Aleph purchase...

[LEDagent]

I love my Surefire L4. It is currently still my number one, all around, utility light. I love the fact that i can use 2 CR123s or 1 4.2V R123 to get 60 lumens, and then switch to 1 3V CR123. My L4 is able to match my modded 750Mah LuxIII when it is out of regulation running on just one fresh CR123 battery. This is about 30-45 lumens - roughly half of what a full powered L4 can do.

What i want is an Aleph light to be brighter and last longer than my KL4 with the same power sources . Is this possible? I don't care really about throw, just sheer lumens, so i'm going with an Aleph 2 head. And since i don't leave my lights on for more than 2 minutes at a time, heat issues aren't a problem.

I'd love to have full output using those nifty 4.2V R123s or Pilas, but also the flexability to use 2x123s. Then, if i want low power, the option to switch to low-mode using an aleph tailcap, or just 1x123 battery. (Am i confusing you yet?)

From what i understand so far, i would have to find a pretty good 5W LED first right? I don't think a LuxIII will produce the lumens as effieciently; I think to get at least 60 lumens, one has to drive the LuxIII in excess of 1.5A right?

Anyway, I hope this isn't too demanding. I plan on replacing my L4 with something more exciting...and i think the Aleph is the way to go. The KL4 or TW4 setup feels a little akward in my pants because the KL4 head seeem a bit bulky. The Aleph 2 head with the better clip option for the Aleph body seem to look much better. Plus the dozens of options i can go with are too tempting. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[McGizmo]

Be brighter and run longer. I don't think so. One or the other, maybe. It seems you want to put a 5W in the Aleph 2 and this can and has been done. However, if you want to run the 5W on a Li-Ion cell, don't use a BadBoy driver as these have been known to die in such an arraingement.

If you are willing to accept similar flood levels but a tighter spot beam angle (brighter too) then a Lux III with a DB 500 would work on the proposed cells and give you longer run time. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/icon3.gif

 

[LEDagent]

Ok...how about a light just to match the performance of the KL4? It just seems so flexible, all i wish to do is make it as small as the Aleph 2 but with more lumens. There is a group buy for W-bin LuxVs and i have my foot in it just in case i can make such a light.

I don't know what kind of driver the Kl4 has but it seems to work nicely. On full brightness it blows anything in my collection away in the same size category...and on "moon-mode" using one cell, it matches my moded Arc LuxIII.

 

[McGizmo]

The BB driver can't opperate in the range of Vin that the KL4 will as it seems to bewilling to draw a fatal amount of current from the Li-Ion batteries. If you are willing to forego using the rechargeables, then a BB700 with a 5W will likely meet your needs.

 

[Darell]

Tell ya what you do...

Get yourself an Aleph-2 head, 1x123 body, single R123. Use a T??J Lux3 emitter in DIRECT DRIVE and you'll see about 1200 mA to the emitter when the battery is fresh. The thing will be crazy bright, and surprisingly efficient for such a drive level. I've built a couple of these, and for short bursts, they work really well. If you plan on also using 2x123 with this.... *don't*.

 

[cy]

Don, I've had excellent results running several BB750 5watt PR's built by you.

They seem to work equally well w/1x R123 li-ion or 2x CR123.

only have a 3watt LE in an Aleph and have not tried a 5watt LE yet.

 

[McGizmo]

CY,

BrightNorm has now had three BB700's die on a Pila. I don't know if the IC has changed or what but I will not knowingly build for that combo and I can't stand behind it. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/icon3.gif It's a moot point since I don't have any 5W LED's anyway! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif I do caution others though!!

 

[Chop]

OK, I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that a T bin Lux III driven to spec (about 700mA) will put out 60 lumens (according to lumileds specs). If you want a nice medium range light, I'd go with a Lux III in an Aleph II head with either a NexGen or Wiz2 running at 500mA. This will give good runtime and brightness. If you want to run li-ions too, go with the Wiz2.

 

[LEDagent]

The Wiz2 sounds like a good idea...but i did some reading on previous posts that the Wiz2 does not work with dual stage tailcaps. While i need a bright light, i also need the low mode 80 percent of the time.

Gosh...there is so much to think about. Looks like i'll have to dump the idea of using rechargeable batteries, like McGizmo says, if i want a bright, dual stage 5 watter.

Do you think the BB will ever be made to handle rechargeable batteries? I don't have the patience to wait, but i would be content to know that better boards are on the way to support Pilas and R123s.

Thanks for your repsonses everyone....200 dollars are about to leave my pocket. I just have a few more things to think about. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[Chop]

Laurence,

The Wiz2 will work with the two stage switch. I've been packaging my Wiz2 lights with two resistor PCBs. Once for use with 2X123 and one for use with a li-ion. I've had good results with 7 ohms for 2X123 and 4 ohms for 1Xli-ion.

The BB/5W combo does work, but you have to watch the heat. A li-ion cell has just enough voltage to allow the combo to run in regulation, but it works the hell out of the converter which causes tons of heat.

If you want a BB/5W combo, and want to run it on a li-ion, all I can suggest is to limit the current to 500mA. You still get tons of light, but the converter doesn't have to work nearly as hard.

Oh, the Wiz2 will only drive a Lux III. If I were building myself a light, and have done so many times, I would go with the Wiz2 for li-ion applications with the ability to use a 1X123 or 2X123 in a pinch.

 

[LEDagent]

Oooh...this is definately getting closer. Thanks Chop!

The battery configurations sound on par with my requirements with the Wiz2 boards but it only can run LuxIII. I'm still reserving the use of a LuxIII because i'd like a light to edge out the lumens of my L4, which a LuxIII probably can't do as easily as a LuxV could.

Anyway, back on the BB/5W configuration. I think i'd be willing to give this a try if i could get one configured to around 750mAh, especially using a W-bin 5W. I would probably never use it more than 1 or 2 minutes continuously on one cell, and i'm pretty good at watching the heat. But then again...i don't want to go against your approval of this configuration if it is dangerous for the converter board. Do you think a W-bin at 500mah will be brighter than a stock L4?

One last question (for tonight /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif) on the BB-5W setup though... If I were to use one standard 123 cell, it should still light up right? I'm not looking for anything bright using one 3V cell, but more like a last ditch effort as an emergency light if i needed it. Since it's not in regulation, i could at least sqeaze the last bit of juice out of each cell.