XPG in a P60 host

I have just installed a XPG (R4 bin) into the DX XPE drop-in (SKU.25369).
:thinking:
The main reason for this simple test was to compare the XPG's light output and effectivness compared the XPE in a known host, with a 'suitable' reflector.

The result was somewhat less than exciting..

The lens of the XPG is the same physical size as the XPE, so it suffers from the same mechanical problems. Namely, the lens on the XPE/G is not really high enough to extend into any kind of reflector. This problem is compounded because of the need for a cardboard or plastic insulator between the emitter and reflector, to prevent the emitter connections shorting out on the reflector.

Long story short...

I was somewhat dissapointed with the XPG when it was installed into an 'off the shelf' OP (XPE) drop-in. It was virtually impossible to focus the beam to produce a hotspot. The best I could acheive by careful adjustment of the emitter in the reflector, was a very unfocussed hotspot, with moderate spill. The light output did not appear to be as bright as the XPE it replaced (must have been due to the poor focusing), despite the modified drop-in drawing slightly higher current from the fixed 3.8v power supply and the XPG's supposed higher Lumens per watt rating.

I look forward to others attempts at taming this beast, but in the meantime, I'm starting tho think that to get any decent throw from the
XPE/XPG emitters, is going to involve secondary optics or 'reflex' reflectors rather than traditional reflectors.

Cutter has a rather nice looking 5:twothumbs degree optic to suit the XPG, but it is pricey, so I will let someone else try it first.. Hint hint!!!

nailbender supposedly has XPG-R4 drop-in that he focuses, maybe he will reveal trade secrets to you...

why not sand down the 'bottom' of the reflector, and as you will naturally go too far at some point, rely on the thickness/# of pieces of washer paper to get the distance just right?

EDIT why the weird reflector, though?

Nailbender is getting good results. See his P60 sales thread in Custom & Modified B/S/T. He has beamshots there too. I'm sure he uses a different reflector or even modifies a reflector.

<edit> Andrew beat me to it in the 45 minutes it took me to hit the Submit button.

I think you are just using it in a poorly designed reflector. The XP-E lights I own have very nice beam profiles from my P100C2 and ITP-A3, both have a very nice hot spot.

I have on of nailbenders XP-G drop-ins with the dedicated XP-E/XP-G reflector. The beam is very nice.

sparktastic thanks for the info. I was thinking about doing the same thing.
I think I'll wait for the neutral xpg when nailbender has it.
:candle:

sparktastic said:

The main reason for this simple test was to compare the XPG's light output and effectivness compared the XPE in a known host, with a 'suitable' reflector.

Click to expand...

Suitable might be overstating it. In all likelihood it's an XR-E reflector that they slapped an XP-E into. It's probably a useful result for those that were thinking about using an XP-G in some of the typical budget modules out there.

i just bought another R2 on dealextreme to replace the disappointing R2 from dealextreme. how much better is the R4/5 (itself, i know premium R2 > DX R2, so will premium R5 vs DX R5) than the R2?

I'm not saying that the XPG or XPE is a dud, it just seems to me, due to the tiny size of the primary optics (dome), that these emitters present a few additional mechanical challenges when used with standard reflectors. Yes, the DX (XPE drop-in) reflector reflector was probably a poor choice for the XPG, but if I had not done this test someone out there would have :naughty:.
Will have to have a look at the radiation pattern of the XPG and compare it to the XPE to see why the difference in this reflector.
Someone also made the comment about the warmer tints. I have to agree on this. The XPG's that I got were a very cool white.. Thats the price you pay for the high Lumens per watt I guess.

This is probably the reason a lot of XP-E reflectors have a bore big enough to admit the entire LED package rather than just the dome. No metal collar means no ugly rings, but it also means side emissions aren't bounced forward into the reflector if the chip is behind it.