My parts for my first C8 build came today. I got 2 drivers one was tested at 3.79 amps and the second tested at 3.87. I also got 4 different led’s to try out of my leds which will throw the furthest and should I de dome them
20MM xm-l2 4C on Noctigon
20MM xp-g2 R4 5A1 on Noctigon
20Mm xp-g2 R5 3C on Noctigon
20MM NVSL219AT-H1 on Noctigon
First off, please use proper punctuation and grammar.
The smaller emitters will automatically throw better because the whole surface of the emitter die will be closer to the theoretical focus of the reflector (parabolas and foci). You can de-dome them to increase throw, but you will lose some light output, and pure throw isn’t terribly useful, at least in my experience.
My personal preference would be 20MM xm-l2 4C on Noctigon dedomed.
I have one installed in a TIR and that gives a warm tint when dedomed the same as halogen, but throws like twice the brightness of a domed led with no perceived loss of lumens, more than making up for the ‘dimmer’ warm colour.
All the other cooler tint leds (xml + xpg) ive dedomed turned slightly green, and living in woodland that makes the moss and lichen glow bright which is I hate. (The tint I hate not the lichen, that’s just sitting there minding its own business.)
Dedomend XM-L2 U2 1A would be best for throw. Dedoming tends to shift emitters color to warmer tints and to get more throw you need cooler tint…
I would not dedome any of the emitters you got there.
Of the first 3 listed, 20Mm xp-g2 R5 3C on Noctigon dedomed will throw the furthest, but may be a little green.
The fourth led I have never heard of.
nichia 219 high CRI emitter, warm white tint, I presume that, after dedoming, color on this one would suck, experts will jump in about this!
http://www.nichia.co.jp/en/product/led_product_data.html?type='NVSL219A-H1'
First off, I would like to thank everyone for all of the help.
Secondly I apologies for my grammar. I am posting from my phone and it is not club finger friendly.
Both of your drivers are getting near 4 amps. I would not try to use them to drive the Nichia. I don’t think that it would survive.
Throw is calculated by the intensity of the emitter and size of the reflector. When you de-dome an emitter you increase the intensity of the surface of the emitter. The dome acts as a sort of mini lens. It adds a few lumens but it also almost doubles the surface area while doing so. This is why you almost double the throw when you remove the dome. Removing the dome will also make the emitter less white.
The XP-G2 is a lot smaller emitter than the XM-L2 so even though it has less lumens at the same amps it has much more intensity for the area (square inch). So again the XP-G2 will out throw the XM-L2 at the same amps.
Of your choices the XP-G2 R5 de-domed, at the amps you have, will give you the most throw if that is what you are looking for.
The XM-L2 with the dome left on will give you the most lumens (total light).
What drivers did you order?
I second what sirlus recommended. Xml2 1A dedomed will give you good neutral white beam with respectable throw. And dedomed xpg2 1A will throw even better at your current level. Xml2 probably 80kcd, while xpg2 above 120kcd, probably even more.
I would not recommend dedome any of your current emitters because they are already on the neutral or warm white range.
I read and understood your post just fine.
I just got back from testing the light with the 20MM xp-g2 R5 3C installed. The first thing I noticed how much better this led cut through the fog compared to the origional. The second thing is the light seems to throw margionally further than the origional. I do not know if it was actually throwing further or just cutting through the fog better but I could make out my target tree at 150 yards better with the modified light. Now for the negative the light looks like the rings of Saturn compared to the stock light when shining on a wall. What can I do to eliminate the rings in the beam.
The drivers are QLITE REV.A 7135 I ordered them from Mountain Electronics LLC.
That’s actually ilusion mostly because of fog element and hard driven (narrow beam) XP-G2 emitter. There is a thread somewhere here with a subject about tint of LED emitters and fog.