The big LIGHTS thread 2011-2014

rowlers

Ouija wrote:

Not of the top of my head. I'd scour Lightmalls, DealExtreme etc and try and take a close look at the reflectors in the pictures they post for the items and look for smooth reflectors with the emitter sitting further back than on your current torches, if you can. If you can't find anything like that your just going to have to go with a torch with a bigger head unit/reflector.

OK, I'll see what I can find, I'll post here if I find anything

jairaj

I find the the 501 style torches have a reasonable spot to them. or failing that my friend is running a couple of the magicshine copy lights and they seem to have a spotty shaped beam too.

bartimaeus

john2002 wrote:

today I measured the current in one of my torches I think it was xml-t6 led in a 502 body. and the currents was has follows
high 0.6 amps
mid 0.8 amps
low was 0.3 amps
does this mean that there is just a resistor to lower the brightness in mid mode and that I will better of leaving it in high mode to get a longer run time?

what sort of current reading are other people getting from their torches?

Hi / Med / Lo
XML-T6 - 1.42 / 0.46 / 0.06
XM-L2 - 2.45 / 0.95 / 0.08
XML-U3 - 3.30 / 1.35 / 0.13

These were with fresh cells at 4.15 volts. The current drops as the voltage drops, so my XM-L2 was at 2.00 amps Hi and 0.75 amps Med by the time the cells were at 3.7 volts actual, and the XML-U3 was down to 2.75 amps Hi and 1.05 Med at 3.7 volts.

For me a Medium mode around 1 amp is the sweet spot as it gives a usefully bright light with a decent run time... so the XM-L2 501b is spot on. The C8 XML-U3 works really well too - as I pair it with a 501b XML-T6 on the bars, using the XML-T6 on the road and for getting to/from my main riding area, and the C8 XML-U3 as my main riding light.

john2002

Bartimaeus wrote:

john2002 wrote:

today I measured the current in one of my torches I think it was xml-t6 led in a 502 body. and the currents was has follows
high 0.6 amps
mid 0.8 amps
low was 0.3 amps
does this mean that there is just a resistor to lower the brightness in mid mode and that I will better of leaving it in high mode to get a longer run time?

what sort of current reading are other people getting from their torches?

Hi / Med / Lo
XML-T6 - 1.42 / 0.46 / 0.06
XM-L2 - 2.45 / 0.95 / 0.08
XML-U3 - 3.30 / 1.35 / 0.13

These were with fresh cells at 4.15 volts. The current drops as the voltage drops, so my XM-L2 was at 2.00 amps Hi and 0.75 amps Med by the time the cells were at 3.7 volts actual, and the XML-U3 was down to 2.75 amps Hi and 1.05 Med at 3.7 volts.

For me a Medium mode around 1 amp is the sweet spot as it gives a usefully bright light with a decent run time... so the XM-L2 501b is spot on. The C8 XML-U3 works really well too - as I pair it with a 501b XML-T6 on the bars, using the XML-T6 on the road and for getting to/from my main riding area, and the C8 XML-U3 as my main riding light.

thanks for the info
my batteries are only 3.7v. is it just a simply has charging them in a 4.2 charger for a few cycles to get them up to 4.2v?
still confussed why my mid mode current was more than the high mode current. i will recheck it when im back in work on monday. also check my other torch. may be i was doing some thing wrong.

Ouija

A quick trick to see if your torch uses pulse width modulation to alter the brightness instead of using a resistor to lower the voltage is to simply point your torch at the spokes of a spinning wheel in the dark and look what happens, cycling through the different modes. If the spokes appear to break up or even appear to be spinning backwards then your torch is turning the emitter on and off very quickly at full voltage to vary output (PWM). If nothing happens at all then it's using a resistor to lower voltage instead.

bartimaeus

Yes... mine are all PWM - you can see your front wheel rotating 'backwards' when they are not on fill power.

Ouija

rowlers wrote:

Ouija wrote:

Not of the top of my head. I'd scour Lightmalls, DealExtreme etc and try and take a close look at the reflectors in the pictures they post for the items and look for smooth reflectors with the emitter sitting further back than on your current torches, if you can. If you can't find anything like that your just going to have to go with a torch with a bigger head unit/reflector.

OK, I'll see what I can find, I'll post here if I find anything

Just occurred to me that you could go for a small zoomable torch instead, if you don't mind the spot being 'squarish' in shape, rather than round.

diy

john2002 wrote:

what sort of current reading are other people getting from their torches?

About 1.8A - 2.4A for most normally,

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C9Fc6-7E0-c

The above driver was pulling around 2A on a full charge

It depends on the voltage of your cell - can make a big difference.

Mark__gti

Are the chargers that come with cheap Chinese lights (battery pack style) any good? or should i buy a Magic Shine one to be safe?

john2002

rechecked my torch current today. useing the correct setting, DC A not AC A :oops:
and i got (the battery voltage offload was 4v)
high 1.8A
mid 0.85A
low 0.01A

low setting is useless on the bike but good if you need a general torch for camping etc. must run for days.

Mark__gti

Picture stolen from another forum but thought you guys would be interested

rowlers

Ouija wrote:

rowlers wrote:

Ouija wrote:

Not of the top of my head. I'd scour Lightmalls, DealExtreme etc and try and take a close look at the reflectors in the pictures they post for the items and look for smooth reflectors with the emitter sitting further back than on your current torches, if you can. If you can't find anything like that your just going to have to go with a torch with a bigger head unit/reflector.

OK, I'll see what I can find, I'll post here if I find anything

Just occurred to me that you could go for a small zoomable torch instead, if you don't mind the spot being 'squarish' in shape, rather than round.

Always avoided the zoomable ones as I've read poor reviews of them.... Any pointers as the a suitable one?
Or, can the lens be changed to give a more focussed beam?

Kowalski675

Mark__gti wrote:

Picture stolen from another forum but thought you guys would be interested

The slideshow goes to quick to get a proper look. Is it the same where you borrowed it from (if not, have you got a link)?

-Archie-

It is from MTBR's "2013 Budget Light Shootout":
http://forums.mtbr.com/lights-night-rid ... 86062.html
Plenty of useful information...

tincaman

Half speed slideshow of the above http://tinypic.com/view.php?pic=2qjxid1&s=5#.UotCB-L6REI

bennett_346

I want to see an XM-L T6 running at 6A, with an in-built fan and heat sink to blow the heat onto me and keep me warm. Max lumens and body heating all in one unit!

Jokes aside has anyone ever ran these kind of lights at a very high current and incorporated some kind of fanned cooling? The unit would be presumably much bigger but it would be interesting.

jairaj

How much current does a small computer fan require to run? Might be better just to run more LED's but at a lower current.

If I remember correctly, the current to heat produced rate is non-linear, I think it ramps up quickly at higher currents.

bennett_346

Oh i'm not saying it would be any better than simply having two diodes but the bloke inside me wants to mess around and build one :twisted:

-Archie-

jairaj wrote:

How much current does a small computer fan require to run?

If compared to the current consumed by LEDs - next to nothing.

bennett_346

-Archie- wrote:

jairaj wrote:

How much current does a small computer fan require to run?

If compared to the current consumed by LEDs - next to nothing.

Pretty much. Would make a nice winter hand heater me thinks

-Archie-

bennett_346 wrote:

Pretty much. Would make a nice winter hand heater me thinks

Enjoy:
http://www.lightmalls.com/4u3-led-bike- ... p-cap-only

jairaj

Actual LOL! Can't believe any one was crazy enough to try it

bennett_346

I knew someone must have tried it!! I will not be buying it for that fecking price!

I can't even understand the instructions:

Protection function and the prompt signal:When the light working,the mode change to Low mode and we can not change it and flash in 5 seconds,it means the temperature is too high, Now We need to reduce the brightness or offer better cooling conditions; if the mode change to low mode,and flash 2 in 5 seconds,it means no electric, Now we must charge the battery set or it will damage. - See more at: http://www.lightmalls.com/4u3-led-bike- ... yUk84.dpuf

tincaman

-Archie- wrote:

bennett_346 wrote:

Pretty much. Would make a nice winter hand heater me thinks

Enjoy:
http://www.lightmalls.com/4u3-led-bike- ... p-cap-only

Waterproof to 1 meter as well

diy

4A is doable, not much point going to 6 it wont produce any more light.

I ran an MC-E at 5A for a bit then it went blue

two 18650s in series will do the trick on most drivers under 2A

marcusww

Which is the most up to date LED and indeed the most powerful:

Is it the XM-L2 U2
or
XM-L U3

Also has anyone had any problems by putting a cree based torch next to a Garmin Edge 510?

john2002

XML is the older LED
XM-L2 is the newer LED. 20% more output they say http://flashlightwiki.com/Cree

then the last 2 digits refer to the bin number i.e. T6, U2, U3 etc I don't fully understand it but I think the bin number is about the colouring, temp, wave length etc of the light the led puts out. I would assume under certain conditions
correct me if I'm wrong anyone.

BorisSpencer

Just an observation on battery/unit water resistance.
I use my old magicshine p7 with its old unsealed battery pack as a headlight whilst night kayaking. It as been involved in a couple of rolls and unscheduled wet exits and still works perfectly.
I've even got home and had to drain the water from the head unit and dry it out, but it got me home.

Lights up the riverbed a treat!

Ouija

john2002 wrote:

XML is the older LED
XM-L2 is the newer LED. 20% more output they say http://flashlightwiki.com/Cree

then the last 2 digits refer to the bin number i.e. T6, U2, U3 etc I don't fully understand it but I think the bin number is about the colouring, temp, wave length etc of the light the led puts out. I would assume under certain conditions
correct me if I'm wrong anyone.

Manufacturing processes are not accurate over large scales. This is true of silicon chips and of LED emitters like the XM-L. So, imediately after production, they are tested and graded accordingly. In the case of silicon chips like CPU's or Graphic chips, if the chip has defects or doesn't operate at the required temperature it will have sections disabled and be sold of as a different model number that runs at a lower speed and has less features (very common practice) rather than throwing it away. Converseley, some chips will exceed specs and be sold of as 'special' (titanium editions etc).

With LED's like the XM-L's, they are tested after manufacture and thrown in to different bins according to how they perfom. The T6 is the bog standard edition that meets the design specs with the T5, T4 etc being LED's which ran a little too hot when tested so got downgraded. The U2 and U3 XM-L's are the ones that actually exceeded specs on testing so get upgraded and thrown into a different bin (literally).

At least that's my understanding of it. Spent the last 9 years of my life grading product into different categories in factories and know that manufacturers never throw away anything unless it flat out fails and is unfit for public consumption. It just gets graded and thrown into different bins.

diy

That is it.