What is your best Luxeon Star mod???

[Bushman]

Lets chew on this awhile. Tell us about your best luxeon star flashlight mod/or otherwise if you have done something else. put in easy to read format and briefly describe power source and regulator (if any) as well as comparisons to other lights you have
I have completed my first ever real mod. a minimag LS with optics 2AA lithium pulling 140mA on fresh ones utilizing the original heatsink trimmed down to fit in head of lite. also trimmed the optics where it meets the LS with a file to allow the lens head to be screwed on a bit tighter with no rattle. Best wire i have found to work with is strands of CAT 5 networking cable. They are 22-24? ga. and solid oxygen free copper with teflon insulation. Nice! For close range every bit as bright as my proseries ledcorp LS bulb in a 3D mag lite. and much better beam pattern... Pictures to follow on this thread later. Mike

 

[Quickbeam]

My best is the DB LS with a LM2621 stuffed inside the head. Use it all the time. Pics on my web page under "Mods". Pics were taken a while ago with a webcam, before I had the digicam, but they get the point across.

You can compare it's light output with commercial lights on the Lux chart (accessable through the Reviews page). I included it's output on the chart.

 

[JollyRoger]

My best mod (still in progress) would be a modified Coleman 2AA flashlight (with tailcap switch). Inside is a luxeon star (with optics) driven at anywhere from 3V to 3.3 or 3.4V....with .8V-3V in. I have a custom-made regulator made for me by Wayne (right here on CPF, goes by Elektrolumens now, I think...) based on the MAX757 chip. It is BRIGHT. Brighter than an ARC LS. I bit bigger, though...but not that big. It is a 2AA flashlight after all. Pics to come...

 

[Bushman]

roger , how did you get it brigher than a arc ls. more volts, more current? what are you driving it at?

 

[Silviron]

Hard choice- Either my screw-in (reversible) Mag-Lite module:http://az123.com/LED/MagLSBulb.jpg
Made obsolete by the LedCorp LS "bulbs" a week before I was going to start marketing them.

Or more probably the drop-in (reversible) Wheat mining lamp module using a LS for high- beam and 2 nichias for Low beam.http://az123.com/LED/wheatconv1.jpg
http://az123.com/LED/wheatbulbsd.jpg

 

[JollyRoger]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Bushman:
roger , how did you get it brigher than a arc ls. more volts, more current? what are you driving it at?<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

I need to make better measurements, as I think something might be wrong with my dvm. I'm using a luxeon that is very bright at 2.95V (one of the rarer ones that doesn't need as much voltage). I'm driving this around 3.1V. The luxeon gets pretty warm...so I put in an aluminum disc (which it sits on) that is connected to the aluminum body. I really like the fact that the light has a tail cap switch.

 

[Luff]

Silviron:

Nice workmanship!

Didja' just resistor down the Wheat lamp's 4v for the LS and go straight to contacts for the Nichia's? If you used resistors, what values?

Mark

 

[lambda]

Great question, I don't know for sure, but probably the 3D Mag conversion, of which I have two. One uses a home made PR bulb made out of a PR lamp base, three copper washers, with the 2.5ohm resistor shoved in the base. The bulb can be use in other flashlights too. Gets way too hot for more than 5 or 6 minutes of use on 3D cells though. The other (one way mod), which I guess I like because it impresses people the most, has the luxeon mounted on a heat sink which is slid into the barell of the flashlight. The luxeon actually sits on a 1/4" heigh 3/8" aluminum rod connected to the heat sink (required to get the luxeon into the "sweet spot" of the reflector for focusing). I was doing some new measurements and have found that with brand new batteries, it may draw 650 to 700ma. It too gets hot, but seems to be ok with the heatsinking it has. After a few minutes it settles down to 550ma or so. It's real bright, I would put it up against a regular 3D mag anytime. Most people think it's several times brighter, but I think that's just due to the color and smooth beam.

Though I also use an Energizer AAA Double Barrel most every day around the house. The Mag is great outside when walking the dog.

Anyone else driven a Luxeon to 700ma? Which incidentely is what is stated on their home page, and in some press reports. But all the technical data sheets say 350ma no matter where you look........

 

[**DONOTDELETE**]

I just now completed fitting a Luxeon Star and the Zetex driver circuit into a 2AA Mini MagLite.

The rotating MiniMag switch was problematic; to shut off my mod, you have to unscrew the tailcap

and there's no beam focusing ability as with the original MiniMag.

However, the MiniMag wasn't permanently modified in any way, and I can easily take out the LS and driver and put back the reflector and bulb. It was more of a proof-of-principle experiment for me, to see if the driver could fit inside a cylinder 14mm in diameter and 7mm in length.

With two NiMH AA cells, at 2.7 volts, LS current was 380mA and efficiency was 87.4%. It's way brighter than the original using the same batteries, but I have no way of actually comparing the two side by side, as I only own one MiniMag.

I took pictures during the modification process and I'll put them up on the web if anyone is interested.

 

[lambda]

Yes, please post pictures! I want to see!

 

[TrevorNasko]

got the flu. cant type much. mine is the dorcy on quick beams site or the ls pt blast module. man i hate being sick

 

[**DONOTDELETE**]

I would say that my best mod is a AAA DB LS conversion (copied from lambda

) I use it almost every day around the house.

Eric

 

[ElektroLumens]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Bushman:
Lets chew on this awhile. Tell us about your best luxeon star flashlight mod/or otherwise if you have done something else. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>


I have two favorites. One is a 2 'C' cell flashlight I made using copper pipe. It uses a simple switch I bought from Radio Shack, mounted on the side. The tail cap is a 1" copper pipe end, and the flashlight head is the 1" copper pipe connector. The Luxeon Star is mounted on a 1" aluminum disc and mounted in the head which is pressed on the flashlight body. In between the switch and the head is a MAX757 step up regulator, on a one inch disc PCB board. I have the current set at 390mA, and it is extremely bright. The batteries last about 10 hours. The copper flashlight body absorbs the heat generated from the luxeon quite well. After going for a walk for 30 minutes or so, the head and part of the body are warm. This flashlight is out on loan. When I get this back, I'll take some photos of it and post them on my web page.


Another favorite is a Mag Lite 3 'D' cell Luxeon mod. The Luxeon Star is mounted on a aluminum plate, and is placed on the threaded end of the flashlight where the head is mounted. The power is supplied through a PR base bulb that has wires soldered to it (glass removed.) The reflector is cut to fit around the Luxeon (w/o), and holds the Luxeon/heat sink in place. One of the 'D' batteries is replace with a dummy battery, which has the MAX757 one inch disc step up regulator inside it. The current is set at 390mA. I don't know how long the batteries last, but it is really a long time. This flashlight is also out on loan, or I would have pictures of it on my web site too. (This flashlight mod has no overheating problems, as the heat is dissipated through the heat sink to the aluminum head and body.)


Wayne
<www.elektrolumens.com>

 

[Silviron]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by BeamRider:
...Didja' just resistor down the Wheat lamp's 4v for the LS and go straight to contacts for the Nichia's? If you used resistors, what values?...<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

I don't remember exactly what I did on the Nichias- I'm pretty sure I put a resistor on them too- (to protect them from the initial several minutes of nearly 5V out of the LA battery).

You could probably get away without "resistoring" the Nichias, especially since they are "heat-sunk", but I was trying to make these idiot-proof (for sale), and was willing to give up a little brightness for reliability. Especially since the regular Wheat battery has about 15 AH

Anyway, I'm guessing I probably used about 5 ohms on the Nichias.

The LS has a one watt 2 ohm resistor on it.

(I also made a module that used ONLY a single LS for the Wheat, a lot easier to build, but less of a "WOW factor".
Have also worked on a replacement for a MSA type cap-lamp, but haven't made one that I am happy with yet.(although I just got an idea how to make THAT work...hmmm...).

 

[**DONOTDELETE**]

My best and only mod is of a Eveready Energizer 4AA headlamp. The LS is mounted on a 2" diam heatsink. On top of this is a step down switching regulator using a Maxim MAX750 chip. http://community.webshots.com/photo/29709959/29709789pNFhLirtNr
The headlamp itself seems pretty well made, "O" ring seals around the battery comp, and lens cover, a rubber diaphram over the switch. http://community.webshots.com/photo/29709959/29709792SjQQaWJXCB
Light output is very good, more than my recently acquired Inova X5 http://community.webshots.com/photo/29709959/29709800RUlvjuWIsX http://community.webshots.com/photo/29709959/29709797YJXkxGHTBN
Project was a lot of fun, may do some more if LS's become more readilly available. Maxim is great for supplying samples and literature, usually within a week of the request.

 

[ElektroLumens]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Bill Aquino:
My best and only mod is of a Eveready Energizer 4AA headlamp. The LS is mounted on a 2" diam heatsink. On top of this is a step down switching regulator using a Maxim MAX750 chip. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>


I really like your modification Bill, in this 4AA headlamp! Great job! How long of a burn time, until you hit droppout? And how long until the light is not usable?


Wayne

 

[**DONOTDELETE**]

Thanks Wayne, I haven't killed a set of batteries to find out what the max burn time is. The draw at about 5.5V is about 225ma. The circuit regulates very well down to about 3.9V at which time the output starts to drop off to a low of about 2.9V and then shuts down. This is about at about 3.75V input or about .94V per cell.

 

[Bushman]

Here are the pictures of my first ls mod in a aa minimag cheers
Mike's flashlight pics.

 

[Quickbeam]

Bill! My deepest apologies! I've had your mod in the queue to upload to my site and I've just been so busy with work and moving to my new place of residence I havn't had the chance. It's there now!

Here's the link: http://thelightsite.tripod.com/mods/bill_a_headlamp.htm

 

[bikeNomad]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Bushman:
Here are the pictures of my first ls mod in a aa minimag cheers
Mike's flashlight pics.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Mike, a couple of questions:

<UL TYPE=SQUARE><LI>how are you supplying the voltage? Step-up converter? Different batteries?
<LI>how did you make the aluminum discs? Are they unholy?
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