P7 performance in Mr. Bulk DragonHeart and Lionheart

[milkyspit]

Good job! I really didn't intend to doubt they were running that kind of output but I didn't know the Lioncub drivers were unregulated. Mr. Bulk's lights are really works of art and your mods are great. :thumbsup:

Matrix, thank you for the kind words! I still have my LionHeart and even my VIP, both originally purchased from MR Bulk himself back in the day. Since then I've (of course) modified both fairly extensively... the VIP got a particularly nice Seoul P4 and a BulkHead with modified Goldston combo smooth/op reflector for beautiful clean beam with plenty of punch in the hotspot... the LH got a Luxeon K2-TFFC emitter with heavily customised McR27L reflector... that one is darned close to my perfect beam: gorgeous ever-so-slightly-warm tint, as if you'd added a dash of vanilla extract to a pure white; long-throwing hotspot; unusually intense sidespill; great brightness. I also mounted a Chameleon driver (which IS regulated) in my LH. Very, very happy!

 

[LEDmodMan]

No... the P7 datasheet stipulates a maximum current of 2.8A, meaning 700mA per die... on a fresh charge the cells should deliver something in the 2.4A-2.8A ballpark.

Glad I asked for clarification. That is GOOD NEWS!

All of the MC-E data is measured at 350mA per die (and they're binned at 350mA too), but the datasheet basically says they're good up to 700mA. Some people say that 350mA is spec, and some say 700mA is.

2.8A to the LED puts a properly sinked MC-E at somewhere between 750 and 850 Lumens at the emitter. :thumbsup:

 

[Weylan]

milkyspit,

Was it really as simple as replacing the reflector and changing out to the P7?
I am think of doing this also.

LionHeart - SSC P7 CSWOI, Khatod 28 reflector, UCL

LionCub-?

so The P7 needs electrical isolation, or is that just the Crees... I always forget.

So am I stuck finding a star mount for the P7 to get it into the LionHeart and Lion CUB?


I went and upgraded to the P4. About 6 months ago and liked that.
But you know us, I want more, but is it really worth the trouble going to the p7? Or should I just wait?

 

[milkyspit]

milkyspit,

Was it really as simple as replacing the reflector and changing out to the P7?
I am think of doing this also.

LionHeart - SSC P7 CSWOI, Khatod 28 reflector, UCL

LionCub-?

so The P7 needs electrical isolation, or is that just the Crees... I always forget.

So am I stuck finding a star mount for the P7 to get it into the LionHeart and Lion CUB?


I went and upgraded to the P4. About 6 months ago and liked that.
But you know us, I want more, but is it really worth the trouble going to the p7? Or should I just wait?

Weylan, electrically it's not a big deal to mount a P7 in a LH or LC. It won't work very well with Chameleon circuitry.

The bigger deal has to do with getting the P7 well heatsinked, mating with a suitable optic, and seating at proper height. In my case I used my IR reflow oven to reflow solder the P7 to a heatsink and fabricated a custom secondary heatsink out of copper or aluminum (I used copper in one light, aluminum in another) to get the emitter sitting at the right height for the reflector I was using. Those are the things that tend to take a lot of time in this retrofit! Getting it right is a tedious process.

Electrically, the biggest issue IMHO is checking the ground path, which sometimes isn't all it could be... with the P7, you really want everything to be electrically as conductive as possible.

 

[Weylan]

One of the other awesome things about the Mr. Bulk lights are the beam. And while you get the significant amount of light out the front. You can end up with this new beam with an "+" shadow in it. While it is a trade off, I am not sure I can deal with such a trade off. Thanks Milkyspit for pointing that out.

Also thanks for pointing out the steps to do it. I may just stick with the P4 I put in.

As it is I use 2-3 Mr. Bulk Lights a day as room lighting I have stashed around the room to provide ambient lighting in the room. And maybe a p7 might be upgraded in one of them if we don't see the "+" in this state.

Definitly food for thought when contemplating the upgrade..

 

[Weylan]

Based on your upgrade. If I just put down the P7 though and widened the reflector to accomidate the P7. IT should work and I would get more of a MULE worth of light you think, even if the LED is not quite at the sweet spot of the reflector?

Or given what I have to work with and no lathe, how much shimming of the P7 really needs to be done? Lots or just a little, or can I get away with it you think, and not loose all that much?

 

[milkyspit]

Weylan, there doesn't have to be a cross artifact in the beam. There doesn't even have to be a donut in the beam... but if one wants the high lumens a P7 can deliver AND wants as long throw as possible, the beam is going to have at least a bit of a donut in the center, by definition: focusing a tight beam for throw will also focus the donut itself, and vice versa. Really depends what one is after.

 

[Weylan]

ok. so since you have done it before. Would you be willing to share a few details?

If we were to get just p7 on a star of some kind and had an option of just using the stock reflector or geting a new one what works?

And what would we end up with as a beam pattern? The "+" or not?
How far off in height are you talking about the heatsink has to be changed from the normal Lux3/p4 star compared to what you had to make?