Texas_Ace BLF Calibrated Lumen tube / Sphere No math skills needed - Several spheres still available

Congratulations… mine will arrive on the tuesday… can you post some photos?

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So to use the Tube Sphere we just set the meter to Lux / 2000 / Auto?

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Is accuracy affected since the bezel of the light sets on top of a cutout (that could be smaller than the reflector), as opposed to setting directly on glass?

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And what about a light like this: (kind of a square-ish shape)
(77mm at its widest point)

Yes, just set the meter to auto, it should have the correct settings every time you turn it off and back on. Also note that these meters do not have an auto-shut off timer, so make sure you turn them off after using them.

The lights should be held flush with the centering rings, you will see after a little use how the numbers change if you insert them too far or not far enough.

The better the seal on the light the better the readings. If you are testing a lot of lights that need a specific size ring, I recommend making one out of cardboard and coating it in aluminum tape like the ones I have.

A light like that is an edge case and will indeed read low but this effects any sphere. Even an ANSI sphere would have issues with that.

Sorry I guess I don’t understand these terms in reference to how to set the light:

“held flush / insert too far or not far enough / better seal”

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In this photo it looks like the light is setting on top of the centering ring:

It that correct or is the head of the light suppose to drop down through the hole in the ring?

By “held flush” do you mean we need to hold it just through the hole and even with the plate?

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In the old thread about making these tubes they were setting the light directly on a glass and using foam with a cutout around the head of the light.
But on this tube we need to be holding the light down through / even with the cutout? Sorry I’m so confused!

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Also you mentioned making our own cardboard rings with foil tape if needed…
That made me wonder if the included centering rings already have reflective tape on the inside like this, or isn’t that needed?

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For the “edge case” light I asked about would it be best to make a special “square-ish” or custom fit ring out of cardboard and foil tape?

From Texas to the burbs of Portland Oregon, received today. I didn't get a shipping notice, but discovered that if I looked at the details of recent PayPal payments, there was in fact a tracking number.

A monetary tip sent to Texas Ace via PayPal.

Will try measuring some Zebralights later and play over the weekend.

Wow. USPS is fast…

You are correct, the other tubes you are thinking of use a different design and do not apply to this design. If you stick the light back the centering ring too far you will see the lumens drop as the body of the light will absorb light.

You you will simply hold it roughly flush with the centering ring, move it up and down until you get the best reading.

It is really pretty simple once you try it, move the light up and down until the numbers are best. It is pretty intuitive once you try it.

Yes, (as you can see above) the rings it comes with have reflective foil already installed. That took for stinking ever even though it looks simple!

For that edge case light, a custom ring with 4 cutouts would be the only real way to get good numbers.

Very nice! It is kind of strange seeing pictures like that of someone I was making a few days ago lol.

You can twist the “input” end up 90 degrees so that it will free-stand and make it easier to take readings.

I hope those poor photons are not claustrophobic… :smiley:

Made a correction in my original post about tracking.

If any of you didn't get a tracking number from PayPal (automatically), check the transaction details in your PayPal account. That's where I found the tracking number today. Had I known it was there, I could have tracked it all the way.

I received mine today. However, I doubt about accuracy :confounded:
Zebralight SC63w measure 1620lm? factory spec: H1 1126 Lm
Zebralight SC600w Mk III HI measure 1882lm? factory spec: H1 1126 Lm
Nitecore tip CRI measure 320 lm?? factory spec: 240 LM

Very interesting numbers. As I said from the start I have never had any direct comparisons to other readings or even owned any lights that I trust the lumen readings on to get readings from. Every light I tried just made things more complicated since none of them seemed to produce the numbers they said they did.

I know it reads inline with most other spheres readings on BLF that I see.

For example the readings VOB got earlier today with the GT XHP70.2 were around 8800 lumens with a sliced dome. My own XHP70.2 readings on the GT were just under 10k lumens with the dome on. Within ~5% or so all things considered. That is what I normally see when compared to others readings.

25-30% is much further off then I expected.

After we see what others get we can come up with an adjustment factor if needed since they are all calibrated the same. I can even recalibrate them free of charge (minus shipping) if people want if we figure out a good number.

What stands out to me are the zebralights being rated the same but getting such different readings. A slight variation is one thing but that much difference for lights so close would say that they are outputting different numbers, which would say that at least one of them is not putting out the 1126 lumens it is supposed to.

Can you try a ceiling bounce with those lights to compare?

Maybe zebra specs are at 30 seconds… or u r using high drain.

That hit me later, if they are ANSI then they will be at 30 seconds although the large discrepancy between 2 lights rated the same tells me they are not exactly rated precisely in the first place.

That said I am still not attached to the calibration I have now but I also want to see a lot more data before a change is decided.

We should really be testing stock fenix light… fenix lumen number are legit…

I don’t know much about it. But, maybe the drivers have different properties that make them start at different levels, even though they ‘should’ land at the same level at 30 seconds? Or maybe Charles was using different cells for those lights, and that is what made the discrepancy at start?

All are possible, this is why I game up on using lights to calibrate my sphere, there was just too many variables. At least with bare LED’s I vastly reduced the variable.

That said, these are the only spheres calibrated that this way that I know of, so I have no idea how they compare.

I was also thinking and I was using China LED’s for most of the time I was calibrating my sphere. I did not start using Mouser until after that IIRC.

I just message with vinh. Skylumen… nitecore lumen are after 30 seconds…

Got mine today, had not tracked so was surprised.
Have to say lately I have been bored with flashlights and real life has taken over my time. But after opening the box and setting it up I was grabbing all kinds of flashlights that I have not handled in 6 months to try them and think the readings are pretty good.

First one tried was trusty old Sofirn PF04, EDC it every day and it came up as 236 lumens, they rate it at 240 and Sofirn is usually fairly honest on their readings or a tad under rated so that was a good first try.
Next up was a C8 by SeresRoad which is pretty much a Thorfire C8 XML2 that came in at 1090 lumen pretty much what was expected.

Also tried a Sofirn SP32a, showed 1350 with Panasonic utility battery, tried a Samsung 30Q and it went over 2100, the meter auto-ranged up at that point and read 210.
Did not keep it on for long as that light gets hot quick in turbo and didn’t want to risk frying the emitter. That is why I run the less powerful battery in it for safe daily use.

So, so far I like this rig.

Told the Wife it is a “Precision Measuring Device” and not a new toy :slight_smile:
Anyway Hat’s off to Texas_Ace and his “Team” for delivering the goods ahead of time and on Budget.
I feel blessed to have gotten one at the price paid and am happy for not being pessimistic.
THANKS!!!
Later

Keith

I got mine just now.

I’m also surprised by the high readings compared to the JoshK sphere.

I have a Convoy S2+ with QLITE 3A driver and xml2 CW:
JoshK 700
TA tube 1350

On the Road M3 CW: .69
JoshK 862
TA tube 1240 (4v)

Convoy C8 xml2 CW: .65
JoshK 845
TA tube 1310

DQG Tiny 7x 2500lm:
High- .65
JoshK 855
TA tube 1310

Turbo- .64
JoshK 2120
TA tube 3300

These are just quick tests with some batteries at 4v or so. I won’t be able to do more accurate measurements with fully charged cells until tomorrow.

I think the general consensus is that it is indeed reading high.

I tried covering the reflective tape on the spacer ring with black cloth, all I had at the moment, and readings seemed to drop back down to a little above the JoshK sphere. Maybe painting the silver side with flat black and flipping the discs will get the readings in line. (Maybe, requires more thought)

I was a bit skeptical of the JoshK sphere because after measuring lots of lights with it, the readings always seemed a little on the low side. Maybe once you take into account losses in reflectors and lenses maybe it IS accurate?

Anyway, all this will have to wait till later for me.

(NOTE, My JoshK sphere numbers are from a past session. I was comparing that to today’s measurements in the TA tube.

So not a direct comparison. I’ll get both spheres set up tomorrow so I can do back to back tests)