801

That is an awesome L2 build! Don’t fret about theoretical maximums you got from a calculator. 880 kcd from a 50mm lens is excellent performance!

802

Very nice!
We really need beamshots from your build

803

800kcd is unimaginable for such a small head with LED tech. How did you secure the 50mm aspheric to the head?

804

Are you sure you entered the numbers in the calculator right?
If I base the calculations on this test and use sample 1 as a reference, the calculator gives me 841 kcd. With sample 2 I get 914 kcd.

I enter:

  • 290 cd/mm² (or 315 for sample 2)
    • note: for a Lambertian emitter, 969 lm / 1.0609 mm² / π = 290 cd/mm²
  • 50 mm lens diameter
  • correct the Wavien collar multiplier to what you actually got (from 1.19 to 0.88)
    • note that 1.19 is based on an old test of XP-G2. Osrams respond worse to a collar. Enderman got .887 from CSLNM1.TG, so here you’re right on the spot.

So…your results are OK, it’s hard to tell whether you can improve on that.

You got a really nice light. :+1:

805

Your numbers are fine, it shows that your build is well-done :+1: . Indeed these Osrams do not give same multiplication of a collar that a XP-G2 gives (perhaps because of the shiny finish).

806

At low currents Enderman reached a multiplier of 1.07. So there’s some saturation going on at high current.
But at low it’s still less than 1.19. I don’t know the reason.

ADDED: at 5A the factor was 0.96 so a little better than likevvii’s.

807

Ohhhhhh!!
Thank you for the info!

I had put in an intensity of (500cd/mm²) because I assumed that the RLT collar would bring it up near there. Just to be sure I am doing it correctly; I need to set the intensity to ~280cd/mm²? Even though the RLT collar would increase it, I need to leave it alone and have the RLT collar multiplier take care of the multiplication?

After changing:
Intensity: 500cd/mm² to 280cd/mm²
RLT collar multiplier: 1.19 to 0.88

I get: 904Kcd! This is much closer to my recorded data. :smiley:
Could you verify if my settings are changed correctly?

808

Hmm…with 280 cd/mm² I get 812 kcd.
From the defaults, I changed only the 3 fields that I mentioned above.

809

I see, I had been playing around with that calculator for over a period of weeks. I messed around with all kinds of values. I just realized I had changed the: Lens clear aperture CA (%) from 0.90 to 0.95 because I had an AR coating. My values match yours now.

Thank you again

810

For those who messaged me about mounting the lens, I have the link to the album below. I used 3D printed parts to seat the lens perfectly focused. After screwing on the head, the lens would be very secured and unable to move. I was able to adjust the RLT collar easily because the lens comes off very easily. However, it took about 14 iterations of 3D prints before I got the right fitment and focus.

L2 build and beamshot pictures

I really want to reach 1Mcd with the convoy L2 host. The best thing about the L2 is that it is very compact and the cooling is great because the entire head is the pill. The convoy L2 allows for a max ~58mm diameter lens. I am in the process of talking to multiple suppliers in China to produce a precision grounded thin double aspherical lens so the convex bulge wouldn’t stick out of the L2 head.

811

The calculator takes AR coating into account under “Glass transmission”. The default is a coated lens.

Custom lens….that’s expensive stuff. Maybe getting a stock 60 mm one and grinding the sides would be a better idea? Or opening the head a little more?

812

Good luck with getting your L2 even better! :slight_smile:

813

Wow, thanks for the album, impressive!
Really need to find someone with a 3d printer or lathe

814

I finally took my Z1 to the local reservoir… I took my MF02 and modded L6 for comparison, among others.
I know the MF02 should be over 400kcd, but to my eye the Z1 with CULNM1 threw better. Of course it was a pencil beam in comparison, but it is quite impressive. One interesting thing I noticed with my Z1 was that I had to “zoom it out” a little to correct the focus on the CULNM1. At night, the visible beam made it quite apparent that the focus was wrong with the head fully unscrewed.

815

I thought this might be interesting!
The light on the left is the Convoy S2 that I showed before with SMO reflector + Osram KW CSLMN1.TG + Led4Power driver.
The light on the right is the Acebeam TK16 (AL) with 3 x Osram KW CSLMN1.TG + Carclo 10507.

The farthest tree is at 115m:

Farthest trees are at about 190m:

The house is at 213m:

Conclusion: even below optics, this LED is awesome!
Sorry, the photos show different weather conditions as they were taken in different nights. The distances remain, though :stuck_out_tongue:

816

These pictures dont look like the same exposure settings.

Look how much brighter the street is lit in all of the Acebeam shots. Camera is out smarting you :slight_smile:

817

Hum, I can’t remember that, actually :zipper_mouth_face: The photos were taken in different days (S2 in June, TK16 in August).

If I recall correctly, the light temperature was set differently, maybe 5200 or 5500K on the S2, and 4900K on the TK16. I guess the exposure (ISO and shutter) were in automatic, as I normally only use them indoor for beamshot comparison!

That difference in K may have led to the “orangish” photo (those are still orange bulb lights, LED hasn’t arrive there yet :confounded: )

It doesn’t take the throw in the TK16 though :wink:

818

This isn’t accurate as you see it right? Is the TIR appears to be more intense and larger hot spot. Instead it should be larger hot spot and less intense but the camera is cranking up the brightness to compensate, yes?

819

The beam with the TIR is indeed intense :wink:
As I mentioned, the beam with these Osram and Carclo 10507 is intense, not floody. There is “only” hotspot and it is very narrow.
I put the beams below in my review and compared it with other TIR lenses. There is no pair to this one :wink:

These are all from the TK16 with Osram!

820

Wow! I never knew a TIR could make such a nice, tight beam! :heart_eyes: