Reflector Comments Wanted

InitialImage

Newly Enlightened
Joined
Nov 30, 2003
Messages
41
I finally got around to designing a reflector and I'll be taking my protoypes to a vacuum metalizer Thursday. I would like to compare a smooth reflector versus an orange peel. Their process puts a smooth finish on the part and not orange peel. I have some really course sand for my sandblaster and plan to blast some of them with the course sand before they are metalized.

Do you guys think this will give me orange peel type results? My prototypes are machined from polycarbonate.

I would like some general feedback/comments on the following:

reflectors(smooth vs. textured vs. faceted) How would these affect a light designed more for throw than for flood?

I like a slightly textured reflector because it seems to smooth out the hotspot at closer range but I don't know how much overall throw may be affected. I've designed this reflector to have a tight hot spot and hopefully produce good throw for its size. I'll have to wait and see how they turn out and if my design is worth the time I've spent on it.

I'm just curious to hear thoughts regarding reflectors. I know this can be a broad statement because you can have flood beams versus spot beams, but I'm more concerned with a tighter hot spot.
 

Chop

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Jul 22, 2003
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3,635
Location
Louisiana
As a general matter, texturing/faceting is bad for throw. Anything that blends the beam is going to be bad for throw.

Again, generally speaking, a smooth reflector will get you the best performance in terms of efficiency and throw, but do not do a stellar job of getting rid of rings in the beam. The only exception to this, that I know of, is the IMS line of reflectors. They seem to get a pretty good beam without the use of texturing of any kind.

I used to play around a lot with carley reflectors and I used the medium orange peel, which is about equivalent to the texturing of the McR27. The medium orange peel seemed, to me, to be the best compromise.
 

VidPro

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Apr 7, 2004
Messages
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Lost In Space
my thoughts, the ONLY good reflector i have ever seen was fauceted. the rest had cruddy output or splotchy beam trash.
but to agree with chop, i have not nessisarily seen any that were 2.5 degrees either :)
but i bet if a lazer designed fauceted was made correctally, it could AIM the light to a POINT, and still BLEND out the square emission, or looped filament.
Its like a bunch of tiny mirrors, aim them right, and it works.

hey how about transisterized reflector? like a DLP video projector, have tiny solid state mirrors, that rotate to change the beam angle.
oops, that will be next years mod.
 
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