Portable Luxeon Limit

After following the CPF for over 6months and missing several Mr Bulk mods I was wondering....

The ultimate limit for torches will be the batteries and the number that are easy to carry/hold. Let us consider a 2D body with 6 NiMH AA's (to give voltage and plenty of current).

How much power can this set-up source and what would the be the maximum Luxeon power that could sensibly be driven. (Sensibly==driven hard, but not lifethreateningly).

W3W 5W luxeons are all very nice, but by just putting two (or more) normal 5W in a body you can easily beat it (though it costs more).

Cheers, I want LOTS of photons.


PeterW

If you want white photons, direct driven 5W in a 2D 6AA is it I think. you could also go two separate 3x123 stacks driving twin 5W. Think two SpaceNeedles in a 2D body, almost. You could use an NX-05 for one and 30mm for the other to give you a dual close wide spot plus a throwier one. Come to think of it, a dual, asymmetric optic design is pretty novel. I might try that myself.

If you can bear the incandescent color, go to a 3D 12xAA and MR16 lamp. What else guys? I know I'm missing a bunch.

Wilkey

Welcome to CPF.

If I understand the question correctly, you want to know how much power you would have with 6 AA NiMH.

With the highest capacity cells available now, 2200mAh, you would have 2200mAh @ 7.2V. This is what a Lambda Megaclops is, when loaded with NiMH. It is a 5 watt luxeon light. With alkalines loaded, it drives the 5 watt luxeon at about 10 watts initially, for about 1½ hours.

As far as driving two 5 watt luxeons, I think the beam would be undesireable in a reflector. It would need to be colimated, and the runtime would be cut by ½.

There is a beast, a three 5 watt luxeon colimated light, in a 6 D cell Mag body. The Inretech Helios. I suppose you could put it in a 2 D cell Mag body, with 6 AAs, if you didn't mind a short runtime.