ElektroLumens
Flashlight Enthusiast
Has anyone used a Luxeon Star 1 watt side emitter with the Surefire yet? Results?
Wayne J.
Wayne J.
Surefire Reflector, Luxeon Star SE ?
- Thread starter ElektroLumens
- Start date
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sunspot
Flashlight Enthusiast
Where can the 1W SE be had?
TIA
TIA
ElectroLumens,
I haven't tried a SE star as I don't buy stars; prefer the bare emitter. However, I do have a couple low dome cyan stars with the cool, "true" cyan color so I did try one of these in an Ex head. I made a .750" mask out of 3/4' Al bar stock with a hole drilled in the center to accept the LED. I held the star inverted into this mask and then ground off the portion of the sink base that extended past the perimiter of the 3/4" Al mask. The star drops down into the Ex head nicely. I also turned a counter bore into the back side of the Ex so that the star seats on a lip in the head and the soldered contacts don't make contact with the head. Unfortunately, the low dome doesn't work in the Ex head. Had the LED been a SE or HD, the result would have been good. When the surface of the star's base is in contact with the existing reflector bulkhead in the Exe head, you have an excellent focal allignment. I think you can also cut the LED leads right at the LED and then bring up wire leads through the MPCB and solder direct to the emitter. This would render the contact points and circuit on the board disconnected.
- Don
EDIT: NOTE, you still need to drill out the existing LA pedestal with a 13/32" drill bit to allow for the LED and soldered connections to pass through the reflector.
I haven't tried a SE star as I don't buy stars; prefer the bare emitter. However, I do have a couple low dome cyan stars with the cool, "true" cyan color so I did try one of these in an Ex head. I made a .750" mask out of 3/4' Al bar stock with a hole drilled in the center to accept the LED. I held the star inverted into this mask and then ground off the portion of the sink base that extended past the perimiter of the 3/4" Al mask. The star drops down into the Ex head nicely. I also turned a counter bore into the back side of the Ex so that the star seats on a lip in the head and the soldered contacts don't make contact with the head. Unfortunately, the low dome doesn't work in the Ex head. Had the LED been a SE or HD, the result would have been good. When the surface of the star's base is in contact with the existing reflector bulkhead in the Exe head, you have an excellent focal allignment. I think you can also cut the LED leads right at the LED and then bring up wire leads through the MPCB and solder direct to the emitter. This would render the contact points and circuit on the board disconnected.
- Don
EDIT: NOTE, you still need to drill out the existing LA pedestal with a 13/32" drill bit to allow for the LED and soldered connections to pass through the reflector.
ElektroLumens
Flashlight Enthusiast
McGizmo:
That's what I have, SE bare emitters. Just wondered if anyone had tried one with the Surefire reflector.
The batwing emitter doesn't work well with a reflector at all. The Lambertian works with some reflectors, the best I've found is with the Brinkmann 3AA.
I have 10 LS side emitters. Got them from Future Electronics. I haven't found a reflector I like yet. Tried the Mag Lite conversion, but didn't like the beam at all, although it did throw pretty far.
Wayne J.
www.elektrolumens.com
That's what I have, SE bare emitters. Just wondered if anyone had tried one with the Surefire reflector.
The batwing emitter doesn't work well with a reflector at all. The Lambertian works with some reflectors, the best I've found is with the Brinkmann 3AA.
I have 10 LS side emitters. Got them from Future Electronics. I haven't found a reflector I like yet. Tried the Mag Lite conversion, but didn't like the beam at all, although it did throw pretty far.
Wayne J.
www.elektrolumens.com
ElectroLumens,
I have a thread going where I compared the HD with the SE in the 5W category, both in Ex reflectors. Although the SE's appear to have a wider angle beam than a HD, the beam is still very good and useable. In comparing 1W's to 5W's, I think the 1W's can be expected to work as well, if not better as their light source is even more in the focal point of the reflector. I believe you will find a very acceptable beam from both the Ex reflector as well as the Pxx reflector.
- Don
I have a thread going where I compared the HD with the SE in the 5W category, both in Ex reflectors. Although the SE's appear to have a wider angle beam than a HD, the beam is still very good and useable. In comparing 1W's to 5W's, I think the 1W's can be expected to work as well, if not better as their light source is even more in the focal point of the reflector. I believe you will find a very acceptable beam from both the Ex reflector as well as the Pxx reflector.
- Don
ElectroLumens,
I made a ccouple more LED modules to go into the Ex heads tonight and the more I think about it, the more I'm convinced that the 1 W SE in an Ex reflector will really be great. I have compared the 1 & 5 W HD's along with the 5W SE.From smallest to largest beam angle they are:
1W HD, 5WHD, 5WSE
The 1W HD gives a beautiful beam but the reflected beam just doesn't have enough punch and it's small compared to the large direct beam. I expect that the 1W SE will put more of the light into a larger reflected beam than the 1W HD and this could be a pretty cool arraingement! I think it definitely deserves a look see. How scarce are these 1W SE's these days?
- Don
I made a ccouple more LED modules to go into the Ex heads tonight and the more I think about it, the more I'm convinced that the 1 W SE in an Ex reflector will really be great. I have compared the 1 & 5 W HD's along with the 5W SE.From smallest to largest beam angle they are:
1W HD, 5WHD, 5WSE
The 1W HD gives a beautiful beam but the reflected beam just doesn't have enough punch and it's small compared to the large direct beam. I expect that the 1W SE will put more of the light into a larger reflected beam than the 1W HD and this could be a pretty cool arraingement! I think it definitely deserves a look see. How scarce are these 1W SE's these days?
- Don
