SO17XA Beam Quality

I have the SO17XA UCL longbow Combo for my Micra with a McCapsule and NG500 + TW0K, and I have not been impressed with the beam quality. After an email with Flashlightlens.com, it was determined that I had installed the reflector incorrectly, (I had used the supplied O-ring in place of the stock O-ring, instead of a spacer on the outside, as it should be used. After this correction, the quality of the beam got much better, but it still not very round and full of artifacts. Is it supposed to be this way? What should the correctly installed reflector's beam look like? I was under the impression that the SO17XA had a very smooth beam. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/icon3.gif

I've never seen artifacts in the beam with an so17xa. Make sure you don't have any dust particles on the reflector or lense, don't touch the reflector surface or try to rub it clean. The beam should be perfectly round and smooth if everything is clean and installed the right way.

Chrisse

The surface of the SO17XA is very clean; there are no fingerprints, or anything. The beam has the standard donut shape at close range, but when you start backing up, it never really forms a smooth circle, its actually very nasty looking. I will try to take some pics at lunch. This is the second SO17XA, that I have had (I tried to wipe my first one clean), and neither have had a very impressive beam quality.

Oh, forgot to post the UCL and SO17XA are currently installed in this manner:

Bezel - UCL - stock O-ring - SO17XA - McCapsule

And the supplied O-ring is on the outside as a spacer.

Does the S017XA reflector still have the legs on it preventing the LED from being fully inserted into the reflector? A donut hole seems like sections of the reflector do not have light reflecting from it.

Even when the legs are cut of totally, the so17xa will show a minor donought at very short distances, seems like this can't be avoided, but I'm not sure about the beam shape thing. The setup sounds ok to me.

Chrisse

Yeah, the donut is ONLY at close ranges, and I expected that, and the legs are cut off the reflector, The LED is fully inserted into the reflector.

Have you tried a cut-down (sanded down) S020XA reflector? It has a much better beam than the S017XA.

No, I haven't, but I most defiantly will.

In my experimenting with the three reflectors from this manufacturer, I have found the following.

The quality control is all over the place.

The registration distance from the LuxIII to the base of the reflector is very critical. I tiny bit off will impact the beam quality.

Some users have experienced heat causing the reflectors to distort. This obviously makes things worse.

I look at it this way. It's a $2.00 reflector. What can you expect.

Very true. Here is a beam shot, underexposed of course, that shows some of the artifacts. They are much worse in person, but my camera is old and cheap, and doesn't have a professional exposure adjustment. Is there a sputtered or smooth aluminum reflector that I could buy? Or is there any other choice at all?

check for deep scratches on luxeon dome.. will cause irregular beam pattern.

The Luxeon is free of scratches.

you got a crappy so17. hey with a $4 plastic part, it happens.

not too long ago, a lot of complaints went across for crappy so27 reflector for lionhearts. when you stick in an old stock so27. problems went away.

most so17 I've used have been pretty consistantly great quality. just got in a new batch..

hmm, I have an old, slightly scratched SO17XA that i was gonna try to sputter, maybe I'll try that. Would the defect in the reflector be visible? Because it looks fine. Are you selling some of the new btach?

mine is round, but the edges still have some flare to it

That pic looks like the emitter is not focusing. Are you sure that the emitter is going all the way into the reflector? Did you completely remove the legs by chopping them flush as the reflector?

I really don't remember how it is that the Micra is setup, but if it is possible, you might want to run the light without the bezel. Just run the McCapsule with the reflector over the emitter and point it at the ceiling. If it looks good, the problem might be with the spacing someplace. The reflector needs to be held tightly in place between the lens and the emitter. If it shimmies around, this will distort the beam when the reflector moves away from the emitter.

I just gave that a shot, and the beam does look a bit smother. I think that I will try to find another O-ring tonight to put in front of the lens. That should compact the whole assembly together pretty well.

IIRC, there should be some sort of sealing ring between the lens and the bezel; otherwise, I think that you would compromise the water resistance of the light.

You could also put the light back together and shake it to see if the reflector rattles inside the head. If it does, then the "tightness" of the reflector inside the head is your problem.

It does rattle. There was not seal between he lens and the bezel, but I'm sure that i can find a suitable one at Home Depot. Does anyone happen to know the size off th top of their head?