jtice
Flashaholic
I am wanting to know the differences, and the uses, for the different types of emitters. Regular, side, batwing, etc.
Difference? regular, side emitter, and batwing ?
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---Batwing---> 1W LS low dome:
Great for a circular, round beam with an NX05 or 30mm optic. Great for reflectors as well; smooth, round beam. Great for general to medium range application; very bright for a small light. Flat top lens on the diode creates a more dispersed light on the LS...
---Lambertain---> 1W or 5W high dome:
Brighter than a batwing (for a 1Wer)... Has a distinct hotspot, and a somewhat squarish beam at very close ranges with an NX05 or 30mm optic. The 5Wers are not really good with NX05s. Good side-spill. In a reflector, HDs give out a great hotspot... Great for throw and generally has better color rendition than low domes. Curved high top lens on the diode creates a forward projection of light, similar to a 30-50 degree beam throw...
---Side Emitter---> 1W or 5W range:
These are relegated to reflectors. Collimator/optics won't work well with them. They're excellent for a good, round central hotspot and good side-spill; more sidespill than an HD in a reflector... Good for throwing distance and provides ample spill... Triangular flipped lens on top of the diode bends light almost 90 degrees to the sides for circular light transimission...
That's a partly-cracked nutshell summation... I know I'm leaving things out...
Great for a circular, round beam with an NX05 or 30mm optic. Great for reflectors as well; smooth, round beam. Great for general to medium range application; very bright for a small light. Flat top lens on the diode creates a more dispersed light on the LS...
---Lambertain---> 1W or 5W high dome:
Brighter than a batwing (for a 1Wer)... Has a distinct hotspot, and a somewhat squarish beam at very close ranges with an NX05 or 30mm optic. The 5Wers are not really good with NX05s. Good side-spill. In a reflector, HDs give out a great hotspot... Great for throw and generally has better color rendition than low domes. Curved high top lens on the diode creates a forward projection of light, similar to a 30-50 degree beam throw...
---Side Emitter---> 1W or 5W range:
These are relegated to reflectors. Collimator/optics won't work well with them. They're excellent for a good, round central hotspot and good side-spill; more sidespill than an HD in a reflector... Good for throwing distance and provides ample spill... Triangular flipped lens on top of the diode bends light almost 90 degrees to the sides for circular light transimission...
That's a partly-cracked nutshell summation... I know I'm leaving things out...
Rothrandir
Flashaholic
there are three different types:
hd - high dome - (lambartian)
ld - low dome - (batwing)
de - side emitting - (side emitting)
when high domes are coupled with optics, they throw further, and have a slight x or squarish beam.
when low domes are coupled with optics, they tend to have a rounder beam, that isn't as good for far-away, but is better for up close.
when a se is coupled with an optic...you get donkey crap.
they are not designed to use optics...
with reflectors, you get different things.
depending on reflector size and shape, you will get different types of beams from different leds. side emitter were designed to work with reflectors, whereas ld's and hd's were designed to work with optics, but most people feel that se's are inferior, and hd's and ld's work much better with both optics and reflectors.
also, hd's (and i *think* side emitters...) use a newer phospher coating process than ld's.
i have no idea why the ld's aren't using the new phospher process...they just aren't /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif
the new phoshper coating process uses less phoshper on the die, which allows whiter leds (less green), and lets more light go through the phospher...resulting in a brighter beam.
when you get into 5watts, you only have two options...hd, and se.
the die layout on the 5w leds is much different than the 1w's.
they use 4 1w dies, and as a result, you tend to get a much wider beam with 5watters than with 1watters.
hd - high dome - (lambartian)
ld - low dome - (batwing)
de - side emitting - (side emitting)
when high domes are coupled with optics, they throw further, and have a slight x or squarish beam.
when low domes are coupled with optics, they tend to have a rounder beam, that isn't as good for far-away, but is better for up close.
when a se is coupled with an optic...you get donkey crap.
they are not designed to use optics...
with reflectors, you get different things.
depending on reflector size and shape, you will get different types of beams from different leds. side emitter were designed to work with reflectors, whereas ld's and hd's were designed to work with optics, but most people feel that se's are inferior, and hd's and ld's work much better with both optics and reflectors.
also, hd's (and i *think* side emitters...) use a newer phospher coating process than ld's.
i have no idea why the ld's aren't using the new phospher process...they just aren't /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif
the new phoshper coating process uses less phoshper on the die, which allows whiter leds (less green), and lets more light go through the phospher...resulting in a brighter beam.
when you get into 5watts, you only have two options...hd, and se.
the die layout on the 5w leds is much different than the 1w's.
they use 4 1w dies, and as a result, you tend to get a much wider beam with 5watters than with 1watters.
Curiously, a 1W SE emitter that is raised high on a heat sink can look good with a 30 mm collimator. My repaired SE NexNeedle had a lousy reflector beam until I shimmed the reflector up. The 30 mm collimator threw a nice beam, presumably because the emitter went so far up in the collimator opening.
On the other hand, I still have my weakened outup 5W LS and its not particularly bright any more with either collimator or reflector.
On the other hand, I still have my weakened outup 5W LS and its not particularly bright any more with either collimator or reflector.
