A while ago I mentioned that I was making a bunch of red drop-ins and C8s and someone from AU mentioned they were interested in how far out they can light up rabbits and other small game. I said I would do a quick comparison for them and until now have forgotten about it…. so here it is:
XP-E red, N4 bin both driven at 1 amp to give somewhere between 130-150lm
Left: P60, SMO (XML reflector) Middle: Trustfire X9 at 2.5A+ with red filter, Right: C8, SMO ( XML reflector ).
(looks yellow in the photo… it isn’t, it is a nice red)
I would estimate the effective range of them as follows:
Trustfire X9 with filter: 20m max.
P60: 40m ± 5m dependent on lighting.
C8: 60m, this was picking up a golf ball at 75m so this might be how far it can reach for rabbits however it can defiantly do 60m,
Both the P60 and the C8 were using reflectors designed for the XML so it is possible more range can be achieved by changing the reflector.
Thanks for posting this information have been looking at these leds. Thanks for comparing them to the filtered light. How many lumens does the light do without a filter?
Have recently been researching green and red leds. Found that the xb-d come in colors. The green come in a Q5 107 lumens at 350ma. The red come in at 77 lumens also at 350ma.
Where did you get the red xpe’s at? Are they top brightness bins?
Sorry for all the questions I have a thing for red and green leds. :heart_eyes:
LEDs were from Cutter, without the filter I would guess the X9 is doing 800 lm OTF? It is an XML running at 2.5A-3A with good heat-sinking, does around 45K lux.
I did notice the XB-Ds are now coming in red and there is a multi-colour version of the multi-die XML out too.
Mouser have the highest bin of XPE red there is listed (P3 I think, 87 lm / 350mA) however orders are for >1000. Other then that a Intl-outdoors now stock red and blue XPEs in fairly good bins for as cheap as you will find anywhere (<$3.90). The ones from Cutter are N4, ~62 lm / 350mA.
From looking at the spectrum data on the Cree datasheets you should get allot more green light with a green filter then red light with a red filter, another BLF member also mentioned this on another forum when he was testing a light with both red and green filters.
Thanks for the info. Will check out IO for the xpe’s.
At mouser you can buy the xpe in the second highest bin mid 90’s in singles but there around $5. It looks like it might be around 4-5 weeks before they get the xbd and looks also like you can order those in singles also.
What driver did you use for the reds. On the xre greens I have used I do a direct drive and they are right around 1.6a.
Just installed a xrc red into a small sun c10 with a east92 5 mode driver in it and its pulling a whopping 1.9a. Dont think the life of it will be gery long though :~ . Ran it on high for like a minute and the body was getting pretty warm. Sending that light along with a jacob a60 with a green xre with my budy to test out at the deer lease (cant make it) . Atleast i will get a unbiased opinion. Looks like it will do over a 100 yards no problem, this weekend will tell.
Drivers are 3*AMC7135 so a nice constant 1050mA all the way down to ~2.8V or something (not sure if the 2.6V (or is it 2.8V ) protection works with these LEDs having the low Vf they have ).
Just had another look at Mouser and your right, $8 per LED before shipping is a bit steep though. Seems I am confusing lumen per watt and lumen per 350mA, makes quite a bit of difference due to the very low voltage of the red LEDs. Due to drivers I am using lm / 350mA gives a better indication of final output compared to lm / watt.
Been blind hunting using my 501b crossbow mounted for the last month on hogs with success. Runtime is short but isn’t a concern as I can get a bolt flying pretty quick. Still using the PT54 red direct drive on tenergy lifepo4, copper mounted with OP reflector. My ground blinds are made with old wood pallets joined with drywall screws or wire. Open top (suxs when raining) for free movement with X-bow. Method as follows, wait until desired target appears, point light up and turn on, SLOWLY bring down light on target (so not to spook), acquire target in sight and release bolt. Although I’ve practiced out to 55 yards, I keep all my shots under 40 yards as range finding at night is hard.
Thanks manual man, i have tried quite a few different driver setups on the greens but that was my first red. Hopefully that xrc will last a little bit using it for short bursts.
Willie good to see ya post. Do. You have any pics did you use a drop-in base or did make everything? Any shots of the beam. Been thinking bout trying that setup.
The camera does not show it but in person they are a full red, like the LED on the bottom of an optical mouse. Somewhere around 630nm, the photo looks to be around 590-600nm?
For the C8’s I ordered 5 of these and just replace the driver and LED: http://www.aliexpress.com/snapshot/201238199.html
(flat area (around the LED) at the bottom of the reflector is smaller then the one shown in the photo and the driver did not have a spring but very good value for money)
The one gent was condidering going more orange, going the otherway I found that cree has a 660-670nm “photo red” that has a whole different proformance curve. It does not come in e2.
. Atleast i will get a unbiased opinion. Looks like it will do over a 100 yards no problem, this weekend will tell.