LED emitter/driver upgrade

Breastfed · 2019-07-09T15:51:50.000Z

Hi

I bought 2 Spot lights from Aliexpress for some extra visibility on my Motorcycle, the quality of the Housing looks real solid, Surface finish & anodising appears decent enough. Light output from the 3 emitters says 30W total, I have no idea of the real lumen output.

After a quick test in the street the beam seems to have a reasonable throw and spill, I'm thinking a few more lumens would be the go.

I opened the housing and found two aluminium 46mm MCPCB's and thermal compund has been used on both PCB's I was kinda surprised at that !

here's a few pic's of the internals https://photos.app.goo.gl/1R4R3UZDTs8Ms6LYA

Is it possible to ID that emitter from the close up pic ? they claim Cree but who knows whats installed.

The Beam shots are are not that great from my mobile phone but its approx 150 meters to the fence.

Any thoughts to a driver / emitter upgrades ? I see MTN electronics have a 46mm - SRK V2 FET + 7135 Driver is this something to consider or could I perhaps just replace the 3 existing emitters ?

TIA

Breastfed

Breastfed · 2019-07-09T16:51:34.000Z

The LED Looks like the XM-L2 ?

https://flashlightwiki.com/Cree

Breastfed

Lightbringer · 2019-07-09T18:12:37.000Z

40something mm across… wondering if the reflector/pcb from a Sofirn C8F would fit.

Problem is, the beastie will be current-regulated by the driver, so the only way to get “more lumens” out of ’em with the same current will be more efficient LEDs, and even then, the percentage increase might not even be visually noticeable.

Breastfed · 2019-07-11T11:29:42.000Z

Thanks lightbringer,
Actually the Sofirn C8F looks like a good deal, kinda got me thinking about buying that beast and Hot’n er up.
Its easy enough to machine up a new cap with a cable gland, will the driver handle a 12V input ? also the light would need to switch on and off everytime with the Hi Lo beam switch and not be fluff’n around flicking through all the different modes.

Breastfed

Mike_C · 2019-07-11T12:26:39.000Z

Could you show the link to those lights? They look pretty decent.

I’d guess that if you use any BLF driver (if there is one supporting 12V input) you’d have to have custom firmware, or at least it needs a full momentary mode. That is if you only want one mode and that mode needs to be controlled by high beam input.

I’m thinking about making 12V direct drive lights for my car. No driver, just resistors in series for current limiting, and a fuse. If the whole thing melts or the LEDs blow, so what, as long as the fuse blows if there is a short.

Breastfed · 2019-07-11T14:40:36.000Z

Skip to 6:30 …

Mike_C · 2019-07-11T14:48:31.000Z

I mean a link to them 2 spotlights you got from Aliexpress. Oh well, never mind.

Lightbringer · 2019-07-11T14:53:08.000Z

Mike C:

I’m thinking about making 12V direct drive lights for my car. No driver, just resistors in series for current limiting, and a fuse. If the whole thing melts or the LEDs blow, so what, as long as the fuse blows if there is a short.

Nah, too inconsistent. On startup, you could be getting 14.5V system voltage, which would decrease to specced 13.8V or so under full load.

Ages ago, I had a 5” panel-meter (0-1mA movement) connected 24/7 and could see system voltage at a glance, even with everything off. Could even see the dips when the AC compressor solenoid would kick in (was defective, hence the current spike). Quite useful.

With so little “headroom” between LED voltage and system voltage, you’d be running dim lights when rails voltage was “normal”, and cooking them on startup.

Breastfed · 2019-07-11T15:16:59.000Z

Mike C:

I mean a link to them 2 spotlights you got from Aliexpress. Oh well, never mind.

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32915304190.html?spm=a2g0s.9042311.0.0.38394c4djDQtVQ

Mike_C · 2019-07-11T16:39:08.000Z

Lightbringer:

Mike C:

I’m thinking about making 12V direct drive lights for my car. No driver, just resistors in series for current limiting, and a fuse. If the whole thing melts or the LEDs blow, so what, as long as the fuse blows if there is a short.

Nah, too inconsistent. On startup, you could be getting 14.5V system voltage, which would decrease to specced 13.8V or so under full load.

Ages ago, I had a 5” panel-meter (0-1mA movement) connected 24/7 and could see system voltage at a glance, even with everything off. Could even see the dips when the AC compressor solenoid would kick in (was defective, hence the current spike). Quite useful.

With so little “headroom” between LED voltage and system voltage, you’d be running dim lights when rails voltage was “normal”, and cooking them on startup.

Yeah, I know, but I did write “so what” The resistor in series can deal with some of the excessive voltage, and if the LEDs flicker or burn I couldn’t really care less. I’m not going to use these as a replacement for the existing car lights or use fancy expensive LEDs and drivers in them. These will just be add-ons for the hell of it. I’ve got plenty of LEDs to burn, and burn them I will! :smiling_imp:

Breastfed:

Mike C:

I mean a link to them 2 spotlights you got from Aliexpress. Oh well, never mind.

Page Not Found - Aliexpress.com

Thanks! The casing looks pretty robust. Perfect chamber of death for my excessive stash of old LEDs.

Lightbringer · 2019-07-11T19:32:12.000Z

Mike C:

I’ve got plenty of LEDs to burn, and burn them I will! :smiling_imp:

Well there ya go!

Lightbringer · 2019-07-11T19:34:54.000Z

Breastfed:

Page Not Found - Aliexpress.com

“Product Features: The use of high-brightness chip, the original end of the brightness of the original car headlights, ignoring the high light DOG, minutes to teach a man, a bright road, high power 30W, 9v-70v support the use of any basic model can be installed”

Uhhhhh, whut?

Mike_C · 2019-07-12T09:56:17.000Z

Haha, you actually read something? Me, I just look at the pictures

Lightbringer · 2019-07-12T16:24:58.000Z

I tried to ignore the high light DOG, but just couldn’t.