multiple reflectors -- is there more throw?

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akula88

akula88

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I've been wondering about trilights and the triple-reflectorized McGizmo M6... How much more light is being actually thrown versus just 1 larger reflector.

Let me put it this way, will how much more light can be thrown by three 17/20mm reflectors all with its own emitter vs 1x38mm light. I know with 3 emitter, total output would be more, put how about the overall throw?
 
If I have time, I'll let you know tomorrow. I have a 3X3 Lux III mag mod that I did with three IMS reflectors. It throws pretty well, but not nearly as well as the single Lux III in the A3. I'll try putting 3 McR20s in it to see what it does then.
 
I would think having multiple reflector throws combined would probably depend on where the the beams converged and crossed as when the beams all line up the intensity of lights is added and increased over a single source. but where the beams are not aligned you will most likely have a large hot spot of flood instead. You could probably focus the reflectors/assembly at 100 feet and around that distance it would have better throw than a single light source but at a percentage before/after that distance it would be the same as a singe source or less due to smaller reflected light from smaller reflectors.
 
17mm reflectors can't throw like this 52mm can.
DSC00084.jpg


It's a 3c cell osinked lux3magg.

DSC00072.jpg
 
I don't believe it is that difficult to get the axises(sp) of the three LED sources aligned and parallel so at a distance, you will essentially have 3x the light of one LED in same reflector. Since the lux reading of the 38 mm reflector is typically twice that of a 27 mm reflector, I would expect that 3x 27 mm would throw further than the single 38 mm provided the divergence was similar in both reflectors. However, I doubt the amount of divergence is the same.

If a single reflector were designed with the max diameter equal to the diameter required by a cluster of three reflectors and if the single reflector were also deep enough to catch the same percentage of light as the smaller clustered ones, my money would be on the single larger reflector, I think. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/icon3.gif
 
For throw, reflectors/optics are an elegant solution and more photons are brute force. You need some of both, but an increase in reflector surface area will probably go further than a few more lumens.

A 3x LuxIII light should put more light on any target than a single 3x LuxIII using the same collimation, but the perception of "throw" will only be slighly greater.

How to explain it better... A large reflector concentrates more of the light into a smaller area where an array puts more light into a far larger area than you're interested in when trying to illuminate at range.
 
[ QUOTE ]
Kryosphinx said:
whats the distance of those nice beamshots?

[/ QUOTE ]

The tree was about 20-25 feet away.
The ceiling with the par40 tracklights, was about 15 feet away.

Here's a shot of a W flux luxeon5 in a dd 5D magg.
Same distance to the overhead lights.
DSC00071.jpg


Bigger emitter in same reflector resulted in a bigger diameter spot.

The smaller and brighter the light emitter is, and the bigger the reflector is, = THROW !
 
I can personally vouch for 3rd_Shift's claim that a LuxIII combined with a 52mm Mag reflector == THROW.

I got > 1/4 mile in bright moonlight the other night - I'd probably get much further in total darkness.
 
Hmmm... talk of throw, let me also add my 0.02 cents that 3rd_shift isn't kidding. I took a walk, plenty of moonlight and all, and even with somewhat-depleted cells in the OA4D Cookbook Mag running 750mA, I managed to light up a building at 330 yards (300+ meters), straight-line distance as calculated by my Garmin GPS.

Now a lot more of my neighbors must think I am nuts, but all in the name of lighting science, that is. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

The implications of what I've done are SLOWLY beginning to sink in. I've heard someone mention that an M3T/M4 can throw out to 150+ yards, and I was thinking "That's REALLY far.. can it really do that?". Then again it's hard to argue when I just did it with a Mag and saw this brilliant white splash light up four floors with my own eyes..! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/ooo.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/eek.gif I was thinking I'd have to strain my eyes to see it, but I'd be BLIND if I couldn't see the big white spot.

Large Mag reflector + Luxeon 3 = One HECK of a Turbohead!

I've owned this Mag for quite a few months, I've seen more than 20 Lux3s pass through my hands and soldering irons, and I'm still going "The Lux3 can do *THAT*? At 750mA?!"

And they told me LEDs couldn't throw /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crackup.gif
 
been taking MR-X X3T on dark camping trips. Don't know the distance. But throw is far, hot spot is large!

Waiting for Barbolight U-09 to come in. dying to see if claims of outstanding throw is true. Also want to verify 200+ lumens against MR-X's 200+ lumens.

promise to be solid showdown of large reflector single LED VS three relectored LED light.
 
[ QUOTE ]
Kryosphinx said:
3rd_shift,
Are those tracklights ON?!?!
And your camera's balance cancelled them out?!?!?!?
WOW /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/ooo.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

That was taken with a Sony cd400 mavica.
Those are 65 watt, par40 tracklights.

[ QUOTE ]
PocketBeam said:
For the mags, is that a drop in Lux III or a custom mod? Should the C cell and D cell mag throw the same?

[/ QUOTE ]
It's a custom mod requiring some hacksawing and soldering.
DSC00115.jpg


The c and d cell units have the same reflectors.
Throw is the same.
 
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