uk_caver
Flashlight Enthusiast
I apologise if this has been covered already (I searched, but didn't find anything), but I was wondering what might happen if an LED light with a narrow beam is [accidentally or otherwise] pointed at the Sun on a clear day?
With optics being reversible things, presumably the LED at the optic's focus could end up being heated up, possibly to terminal temperatures?
I guess that reflector/optic frontal area is one factor that would dertermine how hot things might get, but I'm more uncertain what the effect of varying beamwidths might be.
Are there any rules of thumb that might indicate sunsafe/unsafe reflector/optic diameters, etc
If/when we next get some sun where I am, I may bodge together some test pieces from obsolete reflectors and LEDs and see what happens, but I'd be interested in any other opinions or information.
With optics being reversible things, presumably the LED at the optic's focus could end up being heated up, possibly to terminal temperatures?
I guess that reflector/optic frontal area is one factor that would dertermine how hot things might get, but I'm more uncertain what the effect of varying beamwidths might be.
Are there any rules of thumb that might indicate sunsafe/unsafe reflector/optic diameters, etc
If/when we next get some sun where I am, I may bodge together some test pieces from obsolete reflectors and LEDs and see what happens, but I'd be interested in any other opinions or information.