LED Test Rigs?

[jch79]

I'm getting ready to test some Cree XR-E's for brightness, color, and Vf, and wanted to know how you all test them?

My gear is: power supply & leads, a digital multimeter, soldering station, and a light meter.

So does anyone have photos of their test rigs, so they don't have to solder anything to the LED? Ideally, I'd like to hook it up to a reflector, to take a measurement off the hotspot, since I don't have a lightbox to take a measurement with.

Any suggestions would be appreciated!

Thanks!
john

 

[jch79]

Weird, I would have thought someone had made a rig to test LED's? :thinking:

Anyways? :candle:

john

 

[jch79]

:shrug: Hmph!

FWIW, I'm trying to test the Cree emitters - if they were on a star, it'd be easier, but they're not, so it's not!

john

 

[VidPro]

i use the power supply with REALLY low current, so it doesnt get any more juice than a few 5mm led (100ma or burned finger whichever comes first).
then that is it, if shes'a working, similar to the others in Vf AT that current, then i stuff it in something, and test it at full when its almost permamnentally stuck in something, once it is on the items heat sinc, i will test MANY times when connecting configuring and changing things.

just a couple a clip leads, and or feelers (short wires) on the ends of the leads, or them smp connection leads things.
nothing sofisticated or pretty, even the Power supply is cheap, but it does insure enough control to keep from smoking it.

i have a set of them stupid aligator clip Holders with the weighted base. from radio shack, that can hold stuff (sometimes) its just more frustrating than nothing sometimes too.

one of the smarter things i heard about buying HERE , when discussing this stuff, is one of those small bench "vices" even a suction cup type one, something that you can put hard or soft jaws into for different tasks. i still have not been wise enough to get one, and swearing at radio shack fingers , doesnt do a lick of good. i have a massive vice in the garage, but a small vice for the electronics would be great.

ya see to test optics or reflectors, or focal lengths or lensing or anything, there is always some item that runs any of the leds that will open up and accept it. some mag i can pop the top on, or some star item that is in some weird project. so trying to test a little (runs away from you) emitter thing isnt nessisary, there is something somewhere or some star thing that can have those tests done with it.

the crees havent acted like some lottery for odd colorations, and weak output, and green slimey low output, so far most of the stuff i used looks pretty much the same (to my eye) and if it looks the same to me, i am going to be the one using it.

i thought i DID see a carved out plate thing with connections on it, that sombody made to drop in the emitter hunk, so they could get it connected, but without full assured mounting to a sync, you could just toast or cripple it, before its even in something :-( not me, i can toast it AFTER its in something

 

[jch79]

i thought i DID see a carved out plate thing with connections on it, that sombody made to drop in the emitter hunk, so they could get it connected, but without full assured mounting to a sync, you could just toast or cripple it, before its even in something

This is the thing that I "envision" - a jig that's connected to the power supply, where you can drop the Cree emitter into it. Ideally, I'd even like to get a reflector hooked up to it, to really be able to test a hotspot for brightness.

I guess it's time to get my thinkin' cap on.. :tinfoil:

Thanks!
john