Ok, so another update on the XHP70.2 mod for the GT prototype V2. I got some beamshots and got to see it at longer range last night.
After defocusing it some more with a 4.5mm tall centering ring the dark spot in the beam is virtually gone at ranges less then a few hundred feet.
At longer ranges you can see a very slight darkening in the center if you look close on a flat surface. Much like a stock L6 beam, still more then acceptable IMO.
The overall tint and beam are great, the tint shift is very minor and the best I have seen with the latest gen 2 Cree LED’s thus far with SMO reflector.
So here is a rundown of how the light sits right now:
BLF GT
XHP70 12V mcpcb (prototype)
XHP70.2 80CRI 4000k LED
R040 2512 resistor for 6A turbo and 4.8A ramp (max recommended is R047 for 5A turbo as it will be less stressful on the driver, that said I have had no issues with 6A but I only use turbo for short bursts).
4.5mm tall centering ring
If everything keeps testing out good and interest is shown I would like to talk Lumintop into releasing a kit with all the above parts to make this an easy swap.
Here are the results with the above parts:
Throw at the top of the ramp, figure slightly higher if you had a full 5A there:
~380kcd
~1230m of throw
~6000+ lumens (will know more when I test the LED separately)
With the 6A turbo mode the numbers are:
~432kcd
~1300m of throw
~7000 lumens
The stock 2.5mm appears to give the best throw while 4-4.5mm appears to give the best combo of throw and removing the dark spot. If you were ok with a bit of a dark spot the throw numbers would be a little higher.
Some very kind individuals donated some cash to allow me to keep pursuing this project. So I plan to print off a few more centering rings to try and fine tune it but doubt it will make a big difference.
I will also be ordering some more of these 80CRI LED’s to test on the sphere and with a sliced dome. I might also try another LED if I can find a better bin with another tint.
I am also talking to DEL about options to increase the drivers power handling abilities. I would like to up the power to around 8A as that is about the max before it starts really dropping off in efficiency.
So still some more testing to do. I should be placing the order for the LED’s and other components in a week or 2, I want to combine it with another order I need to make with the driver components but first we have to figure out what those components will be.
Overall impressions of this XHP70.2 version is it is a fantastic light, much better at closer ranges then the xhp35 due to the larger hot spot and extra lumens. The xhp35 throws a lot further that is for sure. There is a place for both lights, they don’t really replace each other.
Now what you really want, some not so great beamshots. Still dialing in the camera settings but it was so cold I kept shivering making the changes hard to do/ So I called it a night and will try again later to improve the settings.
Here is a klarus G35 I was testing at the same time for comparison, it is rated at 1000m for referance and is an XHP35 with 2000 lumens. Surprisingly good for the size except the lot CRI and CW emitter hurt the ability to REALLY see long range.
Note that the sky is brighter in this picture, the GT is actually being hurt in this comparison since it is not as exposed, it is really that much brighter. I did this beamshot first and then set the manual settings for most of the others with the GT to get a fair comparison.
Another comparison to the G35:
And a side by side compairson with the XHP70.2 GT and the G35: