Here is a weird question, i think. Why does the standard gasket for the kw.cslnm1.tg have a circle hole? I think the size is 3030 with 7mm hole… Also, what host can fit this module? It says c8 but doesnt say what brand. Also you can see that the gasket on this led has a square hole. Does that center it more perfectly than the one with the circle hole? Thanks guys
Modern C8’s don’t use a pill design anymore, and I am not sure whether you can still find the older versions reliably.
A circular hole is designed to prevent the gasket’s rotation from twisting the emitter off of the board, also it’s easier to make. But on the other hand, as you suspected, a circular gasket does not center as well as a square one–there is a tendency for the emitter’s corner to scrape off material (and thus enlarge the hole) in the gasket during rotation, and if the light is dropped or bumped this is virtually guaranteed to happen, enlarging the hole in an irregular way and rendering it ineffective for the purpose of centering.
1 Thank
On the topic of gaskets for w1, can anyone recommend what gasket I would want for a cslnm1 in an fw1aa?
What’s the diameter of the LED opening of the fw1aa reflector?
6.42mm when measured with my calipers
I filed away at the centering gasket that Hank sent me to make it fit the fw1aa reflector. Fairly happy with it now but still plan to order one if an exact fit exists
This is close enough to 7mm that Simon’s 3535 and 3030 gaskets might work as it comes, or with modification (slightly sanding the outside to reduce diameter.
The Convoy Flashlight Store should have various 3535 gaskets and 3030 gaskets that fit a S2+ reflector with 7mm opening. If you are not picky, you can get the 3030 one with round hole. I am picky, so I used a 3535 square gasket and cut notches on the edges of the square to accept the corners of a 3030 emitter.
I think the one Hank sent me was 7mm, and I sanded the outer diameter to get it to fit.
Fairly happy with the results, it’s centered, but I can’t help but think that the height of the gasket and reflector isn’t quite right and that the hotspot should be a bit tighter for a w1. I know the reflector in the fw1aa kind of sucks for a w1 but still I’m wondering if the height is a factor.
I’ll have to experiment with it some more and buy some more gaskets, or try making a gasket from kapton tape or something like I’ve read about
With such small emitters the chances that a factory-made gasket gives optimal focus is virtually zero. Fortunately it’s not hard to fix, just need to experiment with sandpaper to lower the reflector, or tape under the gasket to raise it. Also by looking at the hotspot shape on a wall one can deduce whether raising or lowering is needed, more info if interested.
I’m not sure whether I need to raise or lower it. Do you have any troubleshooting tips for determining which is the direction i need to go.
I know the osram w1 is finicky and sensitive to centering and optics height and this is the first time I’ve really tried dialing one in especially with a non original gasket.
The osram is indeed a tricky emitter.
I like to turn the light on point-blank at a white wall, and slowly move back to see how the beam cross-section evolves. If the beam gets tighter and then wider (prematurely convergent), the LED is too far inside the reflector, and one needs to use tape under the gasket to raise it. If the beam gets loose very quickly and has a dark hole in the middle of the beam even at far away, the LED needs to be more inside the reflector, and one could sand the gasket. In either case one can tell there is a problem by looking at the beam at a distance; if the hotspot has a very sharp cutoff with very little corona, there is usually an issue with gasket height.
But the best way to know for sure is to try in either direction and see what helps the most.