Adjustable Beam Luxeon Star Flashlight

I have been working on a little project for a while. With the help of an expert in optics, I have designed an adjustable beam Luxeon Star modified flashlight. I mounted a bare emitter Luxeon Star LED on a heat sink plate, and used 2 different lens, to provide from a wide angle beam like the present optics afford, to a very tight and narrow beam which easily goes 100 yards. I am going to put a beam shot pic so you can see the difference in beams, on the left is a the current blaster, a 3 'D' cell direct drive job, which is very bright. On the wide angle setting of this adjustable beam LS, it is about the same. On the right is the adjustable beam flashlight, which I think I will call the 'Nova', with a tightly focused beam. The beam shot is from about 15 feet away.




Wayne
Elektro Lumens, doing the undoable!

Well done! Do you find that the light is more evenly dispersed within the beam as well?

Wayne,
Did my post posted 06-21-2002 07:47 PM, "I want to use the original reflector on my flashlight mod as intended. The HD may work better for wide and narrow beam adjustments on this light." prompt you to reveal your adjustable light beam? Very nice work, please give us more details.

Depending on brightness of the hotspot at longer throws, this may be what LED products have been lacking so far. Really long throw with a truly bright light at the end...

I have a Dorcy Cool Blue w/single dim Nichia which, due to its construction, will indeed throw a tightly focused spot of light on trees over 60 yards away. But you almost need binoculars to make out the beam, even at night...

If there is some innovative new optical focusing system involved here, incandescents may be on their way out...and this is only the ONE-watt LS!

If only there were some way of having a guy stand 100 yards away with a light meter, then shine both an adjustable incandescent (Scorpion, LX, Surge, etc.) along with Wayne's Nova on it and measure the readings...

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by startravel:
Wayne,
Did my post posted 06-21-2002 07:47 PM, "I want to use the original reflector on my flashlight mod as intended. The HD may work better for wide and narrow beam adjustments on this light." prompt you to reveal your adjustable light beam? Very nice work, please give us more details.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

No, I didn't read your post yet. I've been working on this for quite a while. I kept it quiet upon request of the person who helped me, and also, I wanted to see what it could do. I was quite surprised to see that the wide angle beam is about the same as the LS w/o, but it is adjustable to a tightly focused beam, which seems to throw a good 100 yards or so. I just wonder how it would do with the new 5 watt LS?

At this point I'm not really devulging all the details of this light, nor do I have one for sale. I just wanted to share the results with everyone, and show what is possible. This is a fully beam adjustable Luxeon Star modified Mag Lite flashlight!

In the future, I might incorporate such features into one of my own flashlights. By the way, I just picked up the first prototypes of my new Elektro Lumens 'Blaster'. I'll put in the innards and switch, and post some photos later, when I have a chance.

Wayne www.elektrolumens.com

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by McGizmo:
Well done! Do you find that the light is more evenly dispersed within the beam as well?<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

The light seems to be very evenly disbursed, especially on tight focus. On the wide angle, it is not bad. I have a few other beam shots I could post.

Wayne www.elektrolumens.com

By all means! Show us what you will!

Wayne,

Please at least tell us this -- does beam adjustment involve swapping lenses back and forth, or just turning the head?

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by MR Bulk™:
Wayne,

Please at least tell us this -- does beam adjustment involve swapping lenses back and forth, or just turning the head?<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Okay, I'll take a photo showing the lens on it, and post it later. It is a large lens, which fits in the head. There is another lens inside which focuses the light onto this lens. It is focused by just turning the head. Completely in is wide angle, all the way out is a tight focused beam. Groovy!
(I bet you haven't heard 'groovy' for a while?)

Wayne www.elektrolumens.com

All I have to say is "Zorch!"

Have you checked to make sure the wall is OK?

Wayne,

Excellent mod! About time someone tamed the myth about LEDs only good for short range.

Looking forward to seeing how this develops for you; again, great mod!

Lambda

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by darell:
All I have to say is "Zorch!"

Have you checked to make sure the wall is OK?<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>


Do you think that is a good name for this flashlight? Zorch, or Zorcher? Or should I save that for the 5 watt?

Wayne www.elektrolumens.com

Zorch is good. And I offere it up for free!

For a subtle distinction, he 5w version could be "Zorch!"

How about "Pow!" for the 1w. Food Network might sue though...

Wow! That's an impressive spot - but now that you've let the cat out of the bag, I hope you're prepared to be inundated with posts of "I want one" and "Me too" and "Lets start a list.." and "Does it have a dimmer switch.."(© Darell)

Graham

Okay, here's a photo of this modified flashlight. It's really hard to take a picture of it, and show the lenses, but I tried.

I know that I have made a lot of flashlights and sold them, and most expect that of me. However, sometimes I do things for the research interest aspect of it. That is why there are a few flashlights I've modified that I have not offered to sell, such as this one. I might in the future incorporate it into a flashlight for sale. One thing I might mention is that these are very expensive high precision glass lenses. In order to make it feasable for a flashlight to sell, I would need to find cheaper substitute lenses.

If you look at the photo carefully, you can see the inside lens, in it's makeshift holder. This inside lens collects all the light from the Luxeon Star, and focuses it onto the outer, larger lens. Depending on the distance, it controls the degree of the beam being emitted. Notice in the beam shot the tell tale green corona? I can actually focus it to the point I can sort of see the trademark wires from the Luxeon Star.



Wayne www.elektrolumens.com

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by lambda:
Wayne,

Excellent mod! About time someone tamed the myth about LEDs only good for short range.

Looking forward to seeing how this develops for you; again, great mod!

Lambda<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Hey Lambda,

That's exactly the point being made here! With the proper lenses, a Luxeon Star LED, especially the new 5 watt, might be able to compete with other light sources like halogen. Well, anyway, it is sure a step in that direction.

I know a person who is somewhat an expert in optics and lighting, actually quite well know in this field, who recomended to me this idea, and helped me out a lot on it. I do not have the kind of knowledge in this field of optics to do the proper selection of lenses, etc. I just got to say that when I to this thing outside and shined it around, I was truly amazed that an LED could do what it is doing!

Wayne www.elektrolumens.com

Wayne,
That's really cool! Thanks for sharing. I think as you have suggested, lenses are key to successfully taking the light from LED's and directing it where you want.

If you look at good camera equipment, the lenses can often cost more than the camera itself. Both cameras and flashlights are all about light redirection and management. With today's technology, there are ranges in zoom lenses that weren't thought possible 20 years ago. IMHO a truely efficient flashlight will consist of an efficient light source as well as an efficient method of controling the light emitted.

Good job!

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by McGizmo:
Wayne,
That's really cool! Thanks for sharing. I think as you have suggested, lenses are key to successfully taking the light from LED's and directing it where you want.

If you look at good camera equipment, the lenses can often cost more than the camera itself. Both cameras and flashlights are all about light redirection and management. With today's technology, there are ranges in zoom lenses that weren't thought possible 20 years ago. IMHO a truely efficient flashlight will consist of an efficient light source as well as an efficient method of controling the light emitted.

Good job!

<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>


Right, These two lenses cost about $75 !! Not cheap.

Wayne www.elektrolumens.com

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by ElektroLumens:

Right, These two lenses cost about $75 !! Not cheap.

Wayne www.elektrolumens.com<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

$75 for a front end that can be adjusted from wide area fill to a hot spot with good depth penetration is not unreasonable when you consider the cost of quality alternatives (SF & Arc).

IMHO a regulated 5W L Emitter coupled with such a lens would be one hell of a flashlight; especially with Darell's dimmer!

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