Bolster
Flashlight Enthusiast
The Irix Icon II headlamp has 5 exposed 5mm LEDs. It's a good headlamp for the $ in many ways, but it fails at having a sufficiently wide flood beam, it's only about 30 degrees, typical for bare-bulb 5mm LEDs.
How can I increase the spread of the beam?
- I've heard about "sanding the LEDs," what does that mean, and if it would help, then how is it done? Spinning cratex rod in a drill chuck? Steel wool by hand? Fine sandpaper by hand?
- What if I were to make a concave dome in a bit of wood dowel, roughly matching the profile of the top of the LED, then packed it with a bit of cotton and vaseline, and sprinkled in some fine abrasive powder, and spun the dowel around the LEDs? (with LED at top, dowel below, drill below that, so any loose abrasive powder would fall away from the headlamp...)
- I could affix the light in my small mill and grind off the tops of the LEDs with a small stone wheel. Then I'd have flat-topped LEDS. Would that spread the beam, or ruin the light? I assume the LEDs are domed to act as lenses.
- What if I were to take the super easy route, simply run the headlamp's face (I mean, the tips of all 5 LEDs) across some fine (say 1000 grit) wet-or-dry sandpaper...again, yielding flat-topped LEDs?
- Any other ideas about how to (relatively easily, a $25 light is not worth much time investment) spread the beam on this humble light? Thanks.
How can I increase the spread of the beam?
- I've heard about "sanding the LEDs," what does that mean, and if it would help, then how is it done? Spinning cratex rod in a drill chuck? Steel wool by hand? Fine sandpaper by hand?
- What if I were to make a concave dome in a bit of wood dowel, roughly matching the profile of the top of the LED, then packed it with a bit of cotton and vaseline, and sprinkled in some fine abrasive powder, and spun the dowel around the LEDs? (with LED at top, dowel below, drill below that, so any loose abrasive powder would fall away from the headlamp...)
- I could affix the light in my small mill and grind off the tops of the LEDs with a small stone wheel. Then I'd have flat-topped LEDS. Would that spread the beam, or ruin the light? I assume the LEDs are domed to act as lenses.
- What if I were to take the super easy route, simply run the headlamp's face (I mean, the tips of all 5 LEDs) across some fine (say 1000 grit) wet-or-dry sandpaper...again, yielding flat-topped LEDs?
- Any other ideas about how to (relatively easily, a $25 light is not worth much time investment) spread the beam on this humble light? Thanks.
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