Red & IR filter w/ LED

[Wick]

Do filters attached to an LED light have any drawbacks? I ordered a red filter for an E series Surefire the other day to use on my E2e. I'm wondering if there would be any great drawbacks to using the same red filter on my E1e with my kl1. What about IR filters with LEDs? Any roblems there that anyone knows about.

I know there are red LEDs out there, but I already have a KL1 white and an opalec white. Using these as small nav lights at nice would be nice. I havn't seen anyhting that resembels a IR LED.

Thnaks for any thoughts.

-Wick

 

[EMPOWERTORCH]

IR LED's are in fact very common!
They are used in remote controls for TV's, Hi Fi's, and in my case provide a wireless link from my keyboard to the web browser box!
It is more efficient to use the LED's you need to provide the right frequency. White LED's are in fact blue LED's gooped in yellow phosphor. The resulting light is usually very weak in the red zone, so your light output will be considerably lower than if you use red LED's. As for IR I'm not sure that the phosphor on white LED's extends down that far!

 

[INRETECH]

There would be no reason to use a IR filter on a LED

Normally, you use a IR filter to "block" the unwanted wavelengths from a source that is Uncontrollable; such as a incandescent light bulb - which puts out light in a wide spectrum

A LED on the other hand, is nearly Monochromatic and puts out a very narrow wavelength, you can purchase the desired wavelength

If you purchase a LED for Frequency X, and then put a filter over it for Frequency Y; you are going to block most of the light and get very little; depending on the pass width of the filter

If you need an IR source, just purchase the correct wavelength LED and do not use a filter

 

[BULLDOG]

The filter does not and is not intended to fit on the KL1.

 

[INRETECH]

With the invention of LEDs, there really isn't a need to use an incandescent source and a Filter