Luxeon V specific optics?

Do the collimating optics designed for the Luxeon I work for the Luxeon V? Or are there specific optics designed for the Luxeon V? I know the die is a lot larger so I assume the beam will be wider when using them on the V.

I'm looking for the tightest beam I can get for the Luxeon V. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

MikeO,

Actually the plastic lens that covers the die is the same size on all the Luxeon LEDs, so you can use just about any of the available optics, i.e., NX05 or the Fraen, as well as a lot of reflectors.

Basically the Luxeon won't be the limiting factor, the size of the flashlight is more likely to determine what you can or can not use.

I believe that Fraen has LuxV-specicic optics. The larger die area of the LuxV doesn't work quite as intended with LuxI/III-specific optics.

SO17 reflector were made for 3watt's focal point. the same is true for 27mm PR reflectors.

to get max throw one needs to move reflector inwards. it's a commmon fallacy to think 5watt lux don't throw as far.

usually a five watt has a reflector with a focal point for a 3watt, so you get a wall of light with decent throw. but not optomized.

MR-X in M+g host with it wide range focus is able to throw far by hitting the sweet spot.

This is a beam study of a LuxV and a Fraen LP optic ... quite some artifacts but you get a medium-throw ram of light:



and outside:



The best throwing LuxV I ever had was the above mentioned MR-X (a Mag mod). The smallest "throw" refelctor for the LuxV would be the Aleph3 head, but it is still a 38mm reflector. Next in line there is the 27mm reflector like the Aleph1, PR or IMS27 that will give a medium-flood with some throw:

at 500mA (W-bin):


at 750mA (X-bin):


vs. stock SF L4:



bernhard

OOOh, very nice!

Lux V's can throw quite well with a big reflector like a 55mm Mag reflector. I'm not sure if they'll throw much further than an identically-equipped Lux III. I imagine there is substantially more "quadrant spill."

Yes, they do throw reasonably well but not as far - the beam just simply isn't as tight. There is more spill and a bigger hotspot in the Mag reflector.

I think the main issue between LuxIII and LuxV in terms of throw comes down to the complications that a four-die surface presents for the guy trying to design optics or a reflector to take as much of that light as possible to throw forward. Remember that the LuxIII, when it comes down to it, is a very small SINGLE point source, or can be considered as such for the sake of calculations for the angles of reflection when it comes to optic or reflector design, which makes the job somewhat easier.

The LuxV is less a point and more a plane, especially since there are four independent dies which may vary in terms of their output, and there's a lot more radiating area to have to handle, so that means you've got to figure on some of those angles being less than ideal for projecting that light some 300' away. Performance is going to vary a bit on each die, and while that's not a MAJOR complication, that is something else one has to figure - especially since with all that area to concentrate the light for, you're probably going to lose some of it inside the head, even with a TIROS system.

With the proper optics (not reflector - I really don't see any way for a reflector to work right without some parts being transparent on one 'side' and reflective on the other), you may get nearly equivalent throw to a LuxIII... but it's going to be very complicated to design the optics for that, and it might be more cost effective to use several LuxIII's in an array to project the same amount of light at the same point, with each one set into a properly designed reflector or optic whose combined focal point illuminates the area you're going for.