Reflectors Revisited

pedalinbob

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Dec 7, 2002
Messages
2,281
Location
Michigan
I have been very pleased with the minimag reflector/high dome combo.

I discovered the versatility this week when working on plumbing, then on some electrical work

when working on the plumbing, i needed the power of my BB400/lux3/minimag reflector to check for leaks in the ambient light of my basement. worked wonderful. the incredibly bright and smooth beam allowed my to easily confirm a solid connection.

i later started running a new circuit for a new 110 outlet inmy kitchen. when inside the cabinet, the BB400 was used..but it was too darn bright! i would come out of the cabinet essentially blinded.

so i decided to remove the minimag head to allow a flood, and discovered something: if you unscrew the minimag head quite a bit (but not all the way off), you get a broad, completely artifact free flood of light (later measured at ~10 lux at i meter), which was perfect in the dark cabinet.

this "setting" is also fantastic for navigating the house at night.

however, i do have one problem: while modifying the MM reflector, i discovered that the minimag head will not allow the reflector to seat far enough over the LED to provide a fully optimized spot.
currently, it is VERY close, but still needs to be able to move toward the LED by ~1mm or so.

in this (less than optimal) configuration, the reflector makes ~520 lux (compared to ~420 for the NX05).

when i remove the MM head, and manually seat the reflector over the LED, the spot tightens, and produces >630 lux!

this is remarkable to me: just going from the NX05 to the MM reflector, the lux readings increase by 50%, which is very noticeable when trying to attain some throw outside.
yet, there is still a big beautiful spill.

so, 2 questions:

is there an easy solution to get the reflector closer to the LED?

does the SO17XA (?) seat closer to the LED, and is the beam-shape/output similar to the mag reflector?

thanks,
Bob
 

asdalton

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Dec 12, 2002
Messages
1,722
Location
Northeast Oklahoma
I use the SO17XA reflector with my BB400. It's a low-dome Luxeon, however, so it cannot focus to a tight spot the way that a high-dome would. The beam that I get has a hotspot that is maybe a little dimmer than what the NX05 gives, with a smaller hotspot diameter and a much wider sidespill. I find it useful for indoor/closeup work.
 

PlayboyJoeShmoe

Flashaholic
Joined
Sep 4, 2002
Messages
11,041
Location
Shepherd, TX (where dat?)
That is what makes the Lambda Pill so great!

If he ever hits production that can HOPE to meet demand... it's going to be the Minim*g drop in to beat!

BUT! In the meantime, I have a Madmax with a Low Dome, that if I hold a minim*g reflector over, makes a NICE beam.

But the modded reflector won't get within 2-3MM when in the MM head. Tell me more about the SO17X!!!
 

Chop

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Jul 22, 2003
Messages
3,635
Location
Louisiana
The SO17XA is perfect for the mini mags. I use the older style with the full skirt which facilitates the use of an o-ring to hold it in place. Although the modified mini mag reflector will give you more throw, the SO17XA reflector is fool proof and does give a BEAUTIFUL beam.
 
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