SST-90 Thrower - Really!

[saltytri]

We all know that the SST-90 doesn't throw. Sure, that's true if you put it in a P60 drop-in but put it in a 2.5" shiny reflector and the story has a very different ending. This light was made for a gentleman who wanted a very bright light more than he wanted a small light.

Good run time was required so three 18650s are run in parallel in a very nice battery holder made by mdocod.

The switch is a 10A Judco. One of the challenges when trying to get high current is to eliminate all the small resistances that can pile up along the circuit with disappointing results. When driven by my bench supply, the isolated light engine pulls 6.88A. Tail cap current measured with a Fluke multimeter and short, heavy leads is 6.81A, so there aren't any bottlenecks in the circuit.

The light engine is a monster. The draw on High is 6.8A at the tail cap so heat management was a priority. The emitter is mounted on a copper slug that is 1.5" in diameter, an inch deep, and pressed into the aluminum body. Its not light! The driver is a ShiningBeam 3-level with three additional 7135 boards.

After running untouched on a desk for a half hour, the light is easily holdable. The light engine and head get much warmer than the body tube, which was a goal of the design. The reflector is held in the head by a very substantial retaining ring that seats against the front surface of the light engine, thereby moving heat forward. There is less contact between the light engine and the body tube, which stays cooler as a result. The new owner wants to be able to run the light on High for extended periods, not just bursts. To do this at 25W or so, there's no substitute for plenty of mass, efficient thermal paths, and surface area.

The glass is 1/8 thick borosilicate. The emitter is a 5700 WN rated at 1000 to 1200 lumens at 3.15V, which interpolates to 2100 to 2500 lumens at 6.8V

The 3D Mag is shown for size comparison.

Here are some beam shots.

The farthest tree is 250 feet away.

Same for the one below - 250 feet.

On the left is a Malkoff M60 for comparison.

With the camera lens stopped down, the very small and intense central spot can be seen.

 

[simplec6]

Can't believe no one commented on this beast back in March 2011.

This is excellent.

 

[Epsilon]

I think someone did, but they are lost in the crash. This light deserves a new set of comments though. Very very nice work. That reflector suits the stt90 well, very nice :-).

 

[KuanR]

Wow wonder who is the lucky one that got this beast

 

[S1LVA]

Beautiful work! I want one!

S1LVA

 

[Gtamazing]

The work looks nice, but the final product is ugly.

 

[CaptainBrock]

That is truly great, but OW! MY EYES hurt. If you can't do black ano or powder coat, I recommend a can of flat black spray paint from the ACE Hardware!

 

[Rat]

What a perfect beam love it. Workmanship is outstanding.
Thanks for bringing this back from the dead so we could all see it.

cheers

 

[CaptainBrock]

The emitter is a 5700 WN rated at 1000 to 1200 lumens at 3.15V, which interpolates to 2100 to 2500 lumens at 6.8V

The correct term is "extrapolate" in this case, and you should know you can't do that with a non-linear response curve that tapers off with increasingly voltage. Besides, aren't you using a current regulator? And you would certainly never achieve 6.8V at the emitter as it would be fried long before that.
Anyway very awesome job on this piece!