SL PP 4AA Lux: Wall of Light

Forgive me if this topic has already been discussed, but a search for diffusers specific to the SL PP 4AA Lux didn't produce anything useful.

I've been experimenting with home made diffusers. One that works well can be made from the plastic pop top of a Lay's potato chip tube. Clean it, mark out a circle, then cut to size. The resulting lens is thin, flexible, and fairly transparent. On lights of a watt or less - the power range I've played with - the dimming produced by the transparent plastic is barely noticable.

Sand the lens lightly with fine grit sandpaper. Different sanding patterns produce slightly differing effects on the beam. I've been using a tight circular pattern, then rotating the diffuser several times as I sand. Don't over sand - it's easy to get carried away and produce a nearly opaque lens. I'm experimenting with several diffusers of varying translucence.

My SL PP 4AA Lux fitted with a heavily-sanded diffuser, produces an amazing "wall of light" flood. Seems to light up an entire half-sphere - 2xPI steradians of solid angle - with a white, pearlescent glow. With the light pointed at the horizon, it lights up the ground right in front of my feet.

Hardly has a hot spot, although it's brighter in the center, fading gradually to the edge of the half-sphere. Kills throw almost completely: the very center of the beam will usefully light up small objects to about thirty feet. I realized this by watching a rabbit grazing in my backyard. Further than about thirty feet away from it, I could no longer make out that it was a rabbit.

This heavy diffuser is good indoors. Lights up a whole room tolerably well, and floods half-a-room very well. Tames the excessive brightness of this light for close up work. Should be good for working on a car, and for tasks around the old campsite.

I've also tried medium-sanded and lightly-sanded diffusers, which work better for outdoor use because they improve the flood without killing the throw completely.

I'm also experimenting with dome-shaped diffuser, made from the bottom of a Folger's plastic coffee bottle, which happens to be about the right diameter for this light. Also, I'm going to try different sanding patterns on the flat diffusers. Sand heavily in the center and lightly along the edges. And vice versa.

This is a useful way to really stretch the performance envelope of this light, or any other bright light for that matter. Zero cost and minimal labor.

Right now I'm using an experimental lens holder made of thin cardboard and black electrical tape. Slides on and off easily to change diffuser lenses, stays put OK, but it won't be durable. And, it looks really crappy. I'd like to find something robust enough for long term use. It should fit the bezel securely, but loosely enough to slip off and on at will.

Anyhow, my questions are:

Has anyone come up with a good diffuser lens holder for the SL PP 4AA?

Any tips or improvements to suggest on the diffuser lenses?

Thanks in advance for any help.

Thats a good idea.

Have you tried putting the diffuser inside between the reflector and lens? (be careful not to scratch reflector) It should be OK if it's thin enough. I might try that myself.

If theres a UCL that fits the propoly, it might be a nice idea to use the original lens as a base for the diffuser.

A cheap and effective diffuser which I've used for the propoly is to hold a piece of thin white plastic from a supermarket bag over the lens with a rubber band. Goodbye hotspot!

ringzero said:

I've been experimenting with home made diffusers. One that works well can be made from the plastic pop top of a Lay's potato chip tube.

Click to expand...

While munching on some Lays Sour Cream and Onion Potato Chips, I had the sickening realization that I had screwed up my post, big time. Lays chips have always come in bags.

The chips that come in the tubes with the useful, resealable plastic pop tops are, of course, Pringles! Sorry about that.


Thanks for the suggestion monkeyboy.

Would be good as a semi-permanent solution. Would work OK if I had two SL PP 4AA: keep one stock and install the diffuser in the other. Since I have only one, it's just too inconvenient to unscrew, then re-screw the bezel every time I want to use the diffuser.


Thanks MayCooper.

Don't know about UCL, but I could buy a second bezel-lens assembly to modify with the diffuser, then screw it on the light. This would work, but limits the versatility. I'd much prefer something I could just pop on the stock light for close up use, then pop off easily when I want throw.

Thanks for the tip gadgetnerd.

I may be reduced to using a rubber band if I can't find something better.

Hmmm. Maybe those lens caps they sell for telescopic sights? Someone used one of those for a headlamp diffuser mod.

how fine of the sandpaper...like 300+?

I use a piece of clear plastic from a maglite package cut to the correct size with several layers of scotch tape. I put it between the lens and the reflector, so I have to unscrew the head every time. Too much of an annoyance, so I rarely use it. I use the light primarily for throw anyway. I might try a milder diffuser though.

Tried semi-clear shopping bags from verius places, too much trouble.

Tried pieces of clear and some not so clear plastics (containers, sheets of defuser from lights fixtures, etc etc.....) still too much trouble.

I like the sl pp lux for what its [THROW]......So.......

I went and bought SL PP 4AA LED !!!

Problem sloved...... Led to light up the room, backyard , work area ......what ever!

Lux is mostly used for throw, mainly in the attic and working with wiring and stuff, its GREAT!!
Both of them rides on a tie string on my tool box.

I know this did not answer the original question ( Has anyone come up with a good diffuser lens holder for the SL PP 4AA?).... Sorry.

But this works for me without any inconvinients associated with defuser and stuff !!!

Newbie...:candle::candle::candle::candle:

Another good diffuser material is one of those clear thin disposable sheets used as a kitchen cutting board replacement... they're clear but textured, cheap, and one piece can be cut up to make several disks to sandwich inside the window on most flashlights, or somehow temporarily attach to the outside.

I read this idea from someone else on this site and tried it... had to look around for the stuff.. finally found something that would work well at a kitchen specialty store in a outlet mall.

I have taken the rubber covering offathe head of Turtleligh, put the diffuser on the lens and pulled the rubber back on to clamp the plastic in place. I've also sandwiched diffusers between the reflector and lens of flashlights.

I've used Textured plastic bags that hold fresnel magnifying lenses, CD sleeves, satin scotch tape, press 'n' seal as the diffusers.

ringzero said:

While munching on some Lays Sour Cream and Onion Potato Chips, I had the sickening realization that I had screwed up my post, big time. Lays chips have always come in bags.

The chips that come in the tubes with the useful, resealable plastic pop tops are, of course, Pringles! Sorry about that.

Click to expand...

http://www.coroflot.com/user_files/company_files/8412_PrNifrGYniIyL3cJg6aHPIwU9.jpg