triple XP-L project, need your input. Problem solved?

Get a wide razor blade, maybe even a box blade razor to cut off the domes

I’ve built several XP-L triples and even a few quad’s. I don’t touch the dome, I use a sharp knife to widen the openings of the optic.

Why not? Widening the optics looks to be the harder of the two. Does the opening on the optic need to mirror the LED dome shape?

You just have to trim the very bottom rim, everything fit’s up in there fine, only the very base interferes with the LED.

I don’t like messing with the dome for a few reasons- 1) optic’s are way cheaper to mess up 2) in my personal lights I recycle old builds I get bored with so I want to keep the emitters in perfect shape 3) optic’s don’t throw, not even the narrow/spot ones, even a partial dedome will increase throw and make the beam square behind a multi-emitter optic and finally 4) optic’s are way cheaper to risk cutting part of off incase something goes wrong.

Cereal-Killer… you’re costing me money!

Now I have to go order optics and triples with the dome on to try this out. :bigsmile:

By optics do you mean the lens? How exactly does that work, and does it require a special shape? The lenses on my lights all have flat bottoms (assuming that’s the ‘opening’).

I assume he means the 20mm Carclo triple-TIR optics used in small triple emitter lights.

Turn the optic upside down. There will be 3 cones (the outside of each of the TIRS), with a hole in the center of each for the emitters. Take a small file and file off the bottom of those cones so that each cone is shorter. Sounds like 1-2 mm off is all that’s needed to allow domed XPLs to be used and still let the TIR sit at the correct length.

Looks like im going to have to order some more tripples to try this.

Info from another thread.

No no, don’t shorten them, that will make them not be able to collect all the light from the emitters.

What you want to do is trim the inner lip of them with a sharp knife to make the I.D. slightly wider. I’ll post a pic later this evening. This makes it so the emitters still sit up in them at the same depth, you’re just opening the holes up.

Whatever you do make damn sure you don’t touch the tip of the knife to the inside of the lens’s dome, makes the beam have HORRIBLE artifacts.

To clarify I do this with both carlco triples and quad’s. No- LEDIL Cute’s don’t need it, they fit XM’s.

Interesting. I’ll wait for your pictures. I want to be clear on what to do before trying this. :slight_smile:

Subscribed. Anxious to see those pics.

I’ve thought about trimming the optics or cutting the domes. I’m still leaning towards cutting he domes to preserve any cover of the Phosphorus. Still waiting for the pics of cut optics to help the process of which one. I’m giddy as a school girl over this.

Why didn’t I think of this before… I ordered a triple XPL with dedome service from mtn and I already have the feeling that I won’t like the yellow tint at all.

:frowning:

Kinda like chamfering the inner lip of the lens hole?

Subscribed!

I’ve used a blunt cone shaped Dremel tip in a drill instead of the Dremel tool. If you go too aggressively the pmma developes craze crack lines but if you go slowly it comes out very even and is easy to polish. The drill spins slower and works better.

Could you chamfer those cups with an oversized drill bit? Like a half inch bit for a quarter inch hole. Something that is large enough in diameter to hit the lip and not allow the tip to contact the lens. Do you even have to? I removed my domes, don’t like the hue so much but before I did I noticed the lens cups rested right in the domes. Has anyone just set a triple lens on top of a triple XPL to see what happens?

I suspect that a drill bit might not play nicely? They sometimes have too much bite for this kind of situation. I think a “reamer” or similar tool might be a better fit? Something like this: Rio High-Speed Steel 90° Hart Bur, 7.2mm - RioGrande (which is apparently called a bur?)

CK just posted details over here (post #59).

Hi all gurus and experts, i got a few question about a triple setup in a single cell powered light, what is the different and advantage of running 3 emitter in parallel vs in series? In a parallel setup, lets say i got a 3amp measurement at the tailcap, does it means that each emitter is drawing 3 amps or is it 3/3= 1amps? and how does this differ in a series setup?

Besides, which is a more ideal setup, a parallel setup or a series setup with a boost driver?

Thanks