Ya ready for this? -- 13,200 Lux from an LxIII !!

It's been a productive day.

Right off, here's a little background... the first Mag 3D LxIII DD is still going strong and metering in at right around 8900 Lux now that the batteries are losing their initial oompf.

The 2nd mod I did died. It got bumped around while I had the head off and the "lid" on the emitter popped off.

TODAY, I got a shipment of SWAK LxIII's. I vowed NOT to screw these up /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/mad.gif so I really took my time on this mod and made sure the die was centered and the AA was cured before attempting to wire it up. I secured the heatsink and went into the bathroom (I know, I know) and proceeded to test the latest "Charlie Mode" as McGizmo likes to put it.

So I kick it on and as I focus it, the meter keeps climbing. It starts to settle at around 12,900 Lux./ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thinking.gif

I thought it was a mistake. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif

I went into the spare bedroom and put the meter on the dark green light-sucking couch and kicked off the lights. I fire up the light and it climbed up to 13,320 /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/ooo.gif. Just to make sure, I did one more trial and wound up with 13,200 so I took a pic of it and took that reading. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

I've got a 5W side emitter I built today, but I'm still in need of a 6AA battery holder. I'm going to try to rig it with 3 old 123's for the time being to get an idea how I did. My wife already has her eye on this one as it's a light green 2D body. I'm going to get her interested somehow...

Congratulations on the LuxIII!!

I have one of those light green Maglites waiting for an exceptional 5 watt LED for it (such as an X3T, X3U, X3V, . . . you get the idea).

If I get a 3 cell Maglite, I'm going to have to do the DD mod with a 3 watt LED. It sounds like a GREAT mod to do!

Poor little Luxeon, forced to scream so loud..

Seems the 3W is going where no Luxeon has gone before...

Great Mod! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbsup.gif

pics added...

Thanks Lambda!

I powered up the 5W side emitter and it's a slight disappointment. The emitter is quite /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/icon15.gif and has a bubble in it throwing off the beam. The good side is that it's got a wide beam that lights up the whole yard. It's just a lousy bin emitter.

Re: Ya ready for this? -- 13,200 Lux from an LxIII

Beretta, these numbers boggle the mind /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/eek.gif. I can't fathom that the LuxIII could generate more light than the V. And that's just from an S rank /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/eek.gif You're upsetting the natural order of things, here, and it's disturbing /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif.

I imagine the III's must focus better than the V's, but I have to think that the V's generate more output overall (right???) Do you have any 5W HD's on 9V to compare with? SNII? If you do have a 5W, could you compare lux readings from the V and the III without the reflectors? That should give some indication of relative total amount of output between the two. Also, are you able to get a measurement of current to the LuxIII?

If Beretta does not have a 5W HD, does anyone have one and also have a meter?

Thanks!

Re: Ya ready for this? -- 13,200 Lux from an LxIII

I have 2 different 5W's, one high dome and one side emitter. Both of the emitters were a disappointment, so I'm not sure they are good candidates for a comparison. I'm also waiting on a power solution at the moment.

Re: Ya ready for this? -- 13,200 Lux from an LxIII

That's a lot of Photons coming from the little ol' LIII. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/eek.gif What batteries were you using?

Re: Ya ready for this? -- 13,200 Lux from an LxIII

/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif Cool! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Re: Ya ready for this? -- 13,200 Lux from an LxIII

Beretta, like hotbeam said... what battery configuration do you drive these monsters with? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/popcorn.gif

Kill-O-Zap, I've got some experience with both types of emitter. Very roughly, the 3W and 5W have hotspots of the same intensity (though the 3W measures higher, as Beretta proves here!), but in going from 5W to 3W it's as if you've chopped off the spill light and thrown it away. Does that make any sense? The 5W emitter doesn't focus as tightly, so its extra power is sort of wasted on throw, but it does put out lots more total light! The difference is entirely in the spill light to the sides.

Re: Ya ready for this? -- 13,200 Lux from an LxIII

are you sure you put the lens back in? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif

Re: Ya ready for this? -- 13,200 Lux from an LxIII

It appears Marty done gone and caught the fever good...

Re: Ya ready for this? -- 13,200 Lux from an LxIII

Yeah, I got the fever alright. I'm going to tackle a McLux PR head tonight, I think. (BTW: got the Fraens yesterday)

Roth, Sure did! I know because there was lint on the inside of the lens and some stray aluminum dust in the reflector. I guess that didn't matter, huh. I wonder what it will do with UCL.

Hotbeam and Milkyspit, batteries? Nothing special here, just 3 D-size Duracell coppertops. I need to get a proper DMM so I can measure the current and voltage.

I've got a couple more Mag bodies, but no more heatsinks. I'm tempted to strip one of the 5W's, but not until I get something worked out for the batteries and make sure the LED's are iffy.

Thanks for your support!

Re: Ya ready for this? -- 13,200 Lux from an LxIII

Last night, I took my Light Green 2D Maglite and hooked up a 3 watt LED to it, using the Maglite reflector. I had two of the 3AA to D battery holders in it and replaced two of the AA batteries with dummy AA cells for a total of 4 AA batteries to the 3 watt. The poor LED was greatly overdriven. Normally towards the blue-ish shade of white, this LED, when powered up, gave a scary light blue hue, moreso than when just normally powered, and I do have to say that it produces a nice tightly focused beam, but I only ran it a very short time, what with the angry blue color it was producing, but also because it didn't really 'WOW!' me like I thought it should. Anyway, the 3 watt LED came out, and now the Light Green 2D Maglite is once again waiting for an exceptional 5 watt in the X3 bin catagory.

I have a 2D Dark Blue Maglite with a W2 5 watt LED in it, and the 3 watt LED did produce a slightly brighter and smaller hot spot, but it couldn't compete with the overall light from the W2 5 watt. At any rate, it was an interesting experiment. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Re: Ya ready for this? -- 13,200 Lux from an LxIII

That scary blue hue is scary because it's a good indication you are pumping too much juice through the LED. One of my first trials (more error than trial) had that odd HID look for about 15 seconds, then it flickered, got super-bright and white, then went to a dim blue and that was it... trashed.

Re: Ya ready for this? -- 13,200 Lux from an LxIII

Yeah, that's why I ended the test. I never had it on for more than about 5 seconds, . . . and that was with 4 Bass Pro Shop cheap batteries, so they don't pump out quite the juice of the better batteries. Fortunately, the 3 watt is still working. I'm sure it's livelyhood has been decreased though, but I'm sure not by too much.

Re: Ya ready for this? -- 13,200 Lux from an LxIII

/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/popcorn.gif Beretta, I'm enjoying your ascent into madness immensely!!! Keep up the great work! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbsup.gif
/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif
BC

Re: Ya ready for this? -- 13,200 Lux from an LxIII

So how much smaller is a 3W hotspot diameter vs 5W?
And is the spill light very bright on a 5W pas say 100 yards?
Like is it a gradual descrease away from the hotspot, or flat solid brightness all around it?

Re: Ya ready for this? -- 13,200 Lux from an LxIII

Beretta, I've got a couple extra $3 DMMs from Harbor Freight. If you want to buy one off me at cost, send a PM my way. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Well, the 5W emitters weren't such a disappointment. The high dome pumped out 8820 Lux after getting the 6 AA's wired up and in place and the side emitter pulled 8150 Lux.

Now if these were just better quality 5 Watters. If I get my grubby paws on an X3T, I'm ditching these and upgrading.

Beretta, my apologies if I missed this, but what bin are your 5-watters?

At any rate, those numbers are right in line with Space Needle II lux readings, and you could expect them to increase by maybe 500-1000 when you use a UCL rather than the stock polycarbonate lens. Might even go up a bit if you drive using 6xAA NiMH or 3x123 cells, due to greater ability to deliver high current flow... but watch the temperatures in those cases. You're doing well!