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

[maukka]

If the integrating properties aren’t perfect it’s better to calibrate using a light with a reflector, since that’s what the tube will be used for.

The S2+ on a med mode and the BLF348 are very stable so they’ll do fine.

edit: the power supply suggestion is good. TA could just send the head of an S2+ without a driver with leads hanging out from the MCPCB. If he has an accurate PSU we could just drive it at 100mA to take the battery out of the equation.

[miswas]

WOW! That's one heck of a great "Just a thought"! Big Thumbs Up, bud! :)

[JasonWW]

@beam0

First time I’ve been chided on the forum for asking questions!!

Not chiding. :innocent:

[Texas_Ace]

@WillyD

TA, received mine the other day. Thanks for the quick turnaround…there is no way I would ever have been able to build so many of these in that time-frame. I just put out some feelers to some individuals who may have access to integrating spheres. One works at a USA based flashlight company and the other is at a streetlight test facility. I’m either going to see if I can get a couple of my lights tested with exact output numbers or borrow/purchase a light that has been tested. If this happens, I’m going to use this to calibrate mine, and you are more than welcome to use them. Of course, this is pending whether or not either guy pulls through. Thanks again.

Let me know if you hear back, I will most likely be sending my lights in a few days but not having to ship international would be great.

[Micael]

I sent my lights today to Finland.

Now the waiting game start……

[emarkd]

@Terry Oregon

I see a need in the flashlight world that isn’t currently being fulfilled on an affordable/practical basis. Would be nice if:

(2) a flashlight manufacturer would sell tested lights with a calibration sheet showing that particular light was tested in a sphere. That might cost twice as much (or more) than a normal production run - but would be worth it as a reference.

You said “affordable/practical” then comment that you’d pay double for this service. At the risk of starting to sound like an HDS fanboi lol, I’ll just point out again that they do this with every light they sell, except instead of providing a certificate of that lights output, which would just lead to pissed off customers who didn’t get the brightest samples, they tune down the high performers, tune up the weaker ones, and sell them all with the same exact certified output (but variable and undocumented runtimes). At least, that’s the claim and I have no reason to doubt them. And yes its costs double (or more) than most other similar flashlights, but I find them worth the expense. So while I agree it would be nice to see more makers doing this, you can have what you want right now.

[Terry_Oregon]

thanks for that info, interesting . . .

[quote] HDS Systems is the only manufacturer to go the final step and calibrate each flashlight. We measure the output of each flashlight after it is completely assembled and adjust the output to produce the specified lumen output. This method allows the LED to warm up to operating temperature as part of the measurement process so the flashlight's true lumen output can be measured and adjusted under representative operating conditions. Thus, our 250 lumen flashlight can be counted on to actually produce 250 lumens. [/quote]

[JasonWW]

@emarkd

@Terry Oregon

I see a need in the flashlight world that isn’t currently being fulfilled on an affordable/practical basis. Would be nice if:

(2) a flashlight manufacturer would sell tested lights with a calibration sheet showing that particular light was tested in a sphere. That might cost twice as much (or more) than a normal production run - but would be worth it as a reference.

You said “affordable/practical” then comment that you’d pay double for this service. At the risk of starting to sound like an HDS fanboi lol, I’ll just point out again that they do this with every light they sell, except instead of providing a certificate of that lights output, which would just lead to pissed off customers who didn’t get the brightest samples, they tune down the high performers, tune up the weaker ones, and sell them all with the same exact certified output (but variable and undocumented runtimes). At least, that’s the claim and I have no reason to doubt them. And yes its costs double (or more) than most other similar flashlights, but I find them worth the expense. So while I agree it would be nice to see more makers doing this, you can have what you want right now.

I think he meant something more like starting out with a Convoy S2+ for $15 and then getting it measured and then selling it for $30.
HDS is in a very different price category ($230-$300).

Maybe a tested light under $50?

[Newlumen]

@maukka

If the integrating properties aren’t perfect it’s better to calibrate using a light with a reflector, since that’s what the tube will be used for.

The S2+ on a med mode and the BLF348 are very stable so they’ll do fine.

edit: the power supply suggestion is good. TA could just send the head of an S2+ without a driver with leads hanging out from the MCPCB. If he has an accurate PSU we could just drive it at 100mA to take the battery out of the equation.

Hi boss, do you have a list of light that you measured with your integration sphere?

[Newlumen]

I am getting my lumen tube today. Yay .

[maukka]

@Newlumen

Hi boss, do you have a list of light that you measured with your integration sphere?

You can check my started threads after 7/2017. All the reviews done after have been made using the sphere.

[teacher]

I got mine last Friday, but have not had time to do anything with it yet.
It looks like rain today though so maybe I’ll have time to check it out further.

Well done TA, the tube looks well made!

Thank you……. :+1:

[Terry_Oregon]

At the risk of starting to sound like an HDS fanboi lol, I’ll just point out again that they do this with every light they sell, except instead of providing a certificate of that lights output, which would just lead to pissed off customers who didn’t get the brightest samples, they tune down the high performers, tune up the weaker ones, and sell them all with the same exact certified output (but variable and undocumented runtimes). At least, that’s the claim and I have no reason to doubt them.

Out of curiosity, I emailed HDS and asked what equipment they use to calibrate each light. They replied right away.

We happen to have a SphereOptics NIST-tracable spectrographic system.

[SKV89]

I just received my sphere today too. The box was all wet because the USPS guy just left it at my door without ringing door bell last night. I won’t have time to play with it this week but will do so after and report back.

[Newlumen]

I got the lumen tube… is the flashlight bezel suppose to touch this thingy ???

[KawiBoy1428]

@Newlumen

I got the lumen tube… is the flashlight bezel suppose to touch this thingy ???

….No……

[Texas_Ace]

@Newlumen

I got the lumen tube… is the flashlight bezel suppose to touch this thingy ???

Glad you got it!

That is the diffuser, you don’t want to put the light directly on it or it could melt.

The centering rings should be inside a bubble mailer in the box. Simply pick the one that best matches the light you want to measure and lay it on top of the PVC. It should fit inside the lip at the top of the PVC.

Then simply hold the light roughly level with the centering ring, move it in and out until you get the best readings.

It should come pretty naturally once you try a few lights.

[KawiBoy1428]

[Newlumen]

I did the kawi’s way… i put one layer of plastic on the sensor and the number were reading lower…

Turn on… general reading…

Noctigon m43… 7200 lumen
Fenix L16. 1950 lumen
Fenix tk35ue… 3640 lumen
Blf q8. 5230 lumen
Malkoff wildcat v6. 1200 lumen
Lumintop odf30. 3510 lumen
Thrunite tc20. 3280 lumen

I measure tn42vn90… 5000 lumen… it was about 5200 lumen turn on and stepping down gradually…

From my general testing, ths lumen tube is pretty accurate without spending thousands of dollar…

Thrunite catapult v6. Using shockli IMR
Turn on. 2320 lumen
@30 second. 2200 lumen

[SKV89]

@Newlumen

I did the kawi’s way… i put one layer of plastic on the sensor and the number were reading lower…

Turn on… general reading…

Noctigon m43… 7200 lumen
Fenix L16. 1950 lumen
Fenix tk35ue… 3640 lumen
Blf q8. 5230 lumen
Malkoff wildcat v6. 1200 lumen
Lumintop odf30. 3510 lumen
Thrunite tc20. 3280 lumen

I measure tn42vn90… 5000 lumen… it was about 5200 lumen turn on and stepping down gradually…

From my general testing, ths lumen tube is pretty accurate without spending thousands of dollar…

Thrunite catapult v6.
Turn on. 2320 lumen
@30 second. 2200 lumen

Glad to see a measurement of the TN42vn90. Did you add an extra layer of diffuser sheet at the meter?