Ultimate LED Thrower Challenge

[kevin812367]

Hey, guys I'm hoping I can get some help. My friend just recently bought a 2 million candle power (1365 lumen) spotlight from Black and Decker. We played around with his light for a while and after an hour of putting my lights to shame he gave me a challenge.

The Challenge:
Buy, Build, or mod an LED flashlight for under $100 that can out throw his light.

I was thinking of using one of these to start:

http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.4081
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.6965

http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.7613
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.7614
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.2067



Friends Light: http://www.blackanddecker.com/productguide/product-details.aspx?productid=17985&toolview=5#details

 

[KeyGrip]

I'll ad an Aspheric mag mod to the list, as they sacrifice any and all spill for a laser-like beam. Search around, and you may be able to cook up one hell of a monster for $100 or less. How are you determining the winner? Is it just visual, or are you going to take lux measurements?

*Edit* If you go the mod route, it may be more appropriate to ask in the Homemade and Modified section. Good luck.

 

[Handlobraesing]

That's a tough one. He already has an advantage with the huge reflector.

 

[Phyte]

I'd go with either 7613 or 7614. I'm a huge fan of the Romisen lights. I don't have either of those, but will have all available Romisen's soon.

Phyte

 

[paulr]

How about $26.31:
http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?t=177103

 

[Gunner12]

I'll ad an Aspheric mag mod to the list, as they sacrifice any and all spill for a laser-like beam. Search around, and you may be able to cook up one hell of a monster for $100 or less. How are you determining the winner? Is it just visual, or are you going to take lux measurements?

*Edit* If you go the mod route, it may be more appropriate to ask in the Homemade and Modified section. Good luck.

+1

Nothing that I know of in the LED world out throws a well made Aspheric Mod.

Also look a the HID Killer thread.

 

[saabluster]

Hey, guys I'm hoping I can get some help. My friend just recently bought a 2 million candle power (1365 lumen) spotlight from Black and Decker. We played around with his light for a while and after an hour of putting my lights to shame he gave me a challenge.

The Challenge:
Buy, Build, or mod an LED flashlight for under $100 that can out throw his light.

I was thinking of using one of these to start:

http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.4081
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.6965

http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.7613
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.7614
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.2067



Friends Light: http://www.blackanddecker.com/productguide/product-details.aspx?productid=17985&toolview=5#details

Of that group only the 6965 gives you a chance. And that only if you mod it with new drivers and a Q5/R2 Cree led. The last three you mention will never get you enough throw.

 

[cdosrun]

As the only requirement is that the light is LED, it doesn't have to be efficient. Providing you are using an aspherical lens (larger dies), perhaps one of the higher-powered (less efficient) LEDs such as the Osram ones would serve your purposes.


Andrew

 

[kevin812367]

Thanks guys i will have to look into the asperical lense. We are planning on using some known visual land marks and a lux meter to determine the winner.

 

[Brozneo]

Good challenge! But sorry no suggestions from me...

 

[cryhavok]

There is no way those lights from DX are going to come close to that spotlight. They MAYBE will put 20,000 lux@ 1 meter on a good day. My aspheric mag puts out 71,000 lux@ 1 meter with a Q2 XR-E. When I get the chance to drop in a Q5, I'm expecting over 80,000+ lux @ 1 meter.

See these threads for info:
http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?t=148821
http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?t=166544


You can definitely make one for less than $100 using a stock mag host.

Also, for your test, a lux meter will be your only reliable source to tell which is a brighter light. The warm incand from the spotlight compared to the cooler light from the LED can play tricks on your eyes as to which is "brighter"

 

[LEDninja]

You should counter challenge:
How long will the batteries last in a 5 day blackout.
The batteries do not last long in those spotlights and in a blackout condition can not be recharged.

 

[IsaacHayes]

Get as large but short focus apsheric as possible, and a Q5 Cree. I plan to put a Q5 cree on a big heatsink, run 2 amps to it, and focus it through a rear projection TV lens assembly.

 

[kevin812367]

Okay, so i plan on using a CREE XR-E Q5 that i have. After looking in to the maglite mods i am really liking them. i will have to get some more info but i will let everyone know what parts i decide to use.

 

[kevin812367]

About countering with an endurance challenge. i beat him a few nights ago when we had to use my T20 to navigate the dark after his spot light died.

 

[Outdoors Fanatic]

One thing I know for sure: you won't defeat your friend's light cannon with a Deal Extreme LED light...

 

[kevin812367]

So I've been getting lots of info from some of the mod forums and I'm stuck between two possible ways to go. I'm looking at either a 2xD Maglite with the 2D to 8AA battery holder giving 12V, or a 3C Maglite powered by 2 18560 cells.

So what would you guys recommend for a control board powering a CREE Q5 at 1000mA with either 7.4 or 12v.


Now the manufacture says 1000mA is the max current according to the pdf am i reading this right?

http://www.cree.com/products/pdf/XLamp7090XR-E.pdf

 

[Gunner12]

You can power the Cree to 2 amp without worrying about an immediate burnout if you have a good heatsink and a good connection from the hearsink to the LED, but yes, Cree doesn't recommend anything over 1 amp to the LED.

For your task, I think two of these buck drivers in parallel from DX and total voltage input between 6 and 8v should be fine. Coupled with a Cree Q5 LED and a good aspheric lens, I think your task should be entirely possible with out spending too much.

Did he say just one emitter? If not, you could use more emitters and more aspheric lenses and have them combined for even more throw, extreme example being the Data Bank.

 

[sims2k]

I am very interested in making one myself. Anyone care to write up a guide or a list of what one needs to make the super thrower ? Thanks.

 

[J_C]

Decide which you want - either abandon the idea of it being as bright, or abandon the idea of using one LED in a single-cell wide housing.

You simply cannot use only one Cree XR-E Q5. It will not work it will fry out unless you had a peltier on it. Hmm, there's an idea... but really no, if you are going to really try to get that much light it's not even worth trying with a single XR-E. It's not even worth trying with a mere two of them.

FWIW, I have made a spotlight with a Cree XR-E Q2 where I actually started out with a Vector (who also makes the B&D light, IIRC) 1 Mil halogen spotlight, took out the halogen bulb and ground down the back of the reflector just enough to mount the LED star plus a heatsink (and of course a driver). One Q2 in it is nowhere near as bright as that light started out and it started out a little less than half as bright as you friend's light is.

Anyway, you need a larger diameter flashlight so you can use several XR-E. Maybe 6-8 of them then having narrow beam optics in front of each. Figure out the total diameter then you'll know what flashlight body will work. I'd guesstimate that one of those old fashioned lantern bodys that takes the 6V would provide enough space, or imagine how many more LED you could get in a mutated 6V lantern like this:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000E846OY/?tag=cpf0b6-20