Mizer vs. Non-Mizer Low Level

[KenAnderson]

Last night I was doing a comparision of my low level on my Ti-Mule and Ti-Mule Mizer and noticed the non-Mizer is considerably brighter. Taking crude measurements, I would say it's clearly 50% brighter than the Mizer low. Has anyone else noticed this? I though the lows were the same on both models. However, my measurments suggest that the mizer version may be approx 18 mA versus 30mA for the non-mizer.

 

[this_is_nascar]

I show no difference on low between my mizer and non-mizer Ti PD-S lights. Send me that mizer Mule and I'll take a look at it and compare it to mine.

 

[Codeman]

Although they aren't Mules, my Ti-PD-S is 25mA on low, while my Ti-PD-S-Mule is 20mA. Going by my calc'd lumens values, it was 2 lumens vs 3 lumens. I would expect the difference to be much more noticeable with the Mule, since the light is basically evenly spread out. So, yeah, a 50% difference doesn't sound unreasonable to me.

Plus, I think Don's done some tinkering with the low values as the PD's have evolved.

 

[KenAnderson]

Send me that mizer Mule and I'll take a look at it and compare it to mine.

Ok Nascar,

Are you sure you don't have another motive in mind here?

:naughty:

Codeman, thanks for the response. It made me wonder if the mizer modification was applied to the low setting as well as the high or if we're just seeing a variance in the LED brightness or something else. I guess I'm wondering if it's deliberate by component selection or a natural variance in component output...

Hmm...I like both and can see advantages to each...

Ken

 

[this_is_nascar]

Not to steal the thread, but what equipment do I need to measure how much mA a light is drawing and once I have the equipment, how do you hook it up?

 

[McGizmo]

The converter itself has an overhead that is relatively high when the LED is driven at low levels. There are variations from converter to converter which will effect measures. Wayne is the one to answer the impact on low with a sense resistor change on the GDx2 converter. I don't recall the relationship and dependence between low and high as they relate to the sense resistor here. Sorry.

For measuring current to the LED, I use an Extech 30 A clamp meter. I can clamp it around the leads to the LED, zero it and then measure the current when I fire up the LED on low or high. I don't know how accurate this meter is but it seems to be quite consistent as well as repeatable. I am most interested in relative comparisons when it comes to numbers and this tool has been great on the bench! I usually just look at the current pulled by the converter itself from the bench supply, when I build the lights because this is easy to see with the head assembled and there is nominal variation from light to light. I test every light with the bench supply and this has allowed me to catch a few questionable units which by all appearance were functioning properly.

 

[Codeman]

Cool mini clamp meters. I haven't seen those before.

 

[KenAnderson]

Thanks Don,

Good feedback. I sent an email off to Wayne to query the sense resister affects on the low. Good info.

Ken