Super Cheap Super Thrower Build

Lightgecko · 2018-10-26T01:31:02.000Z

Well, it’s already getting dark way to early in my neck of the woods, and you know what that means……Flashlight Season! So this is the beginning of my attempt at building a light with the highest throw-to-dollar ratio that I can, while not being a ball of bubblegum and bailing wire.

So here we have the beginnings of the SCST… a big reflector from one of those crappy Incan lights that use a headlight bulb and every budget modder’s best friend: PVC pipe fittings. AA mini mag for scale.

raccoon · 2018-10-26T01:41:20.000Z

Wow, that reflector is HUGE!

ImA4Wheelr · 2018-10-26T02:42:16.000Z

True, old school, BLF project. Love it. Best wishes on this build Lightgecko.

DavidEF · 2018-10-26T02:50:35.000Z

Yeah. I have one of those “10 million candle power” spotlights that uses a cheap halogen bulb. The reflector looks like that one. But I ruined the coating on the inside of the reflector. Be careful with it! The reflector can’t be polished up. It’s just junk metal. Without the coating, it reflects about as well as corrugated cardboard! Until I ruined mine, I was working on modding it to have a MT-G2 instead of the bulb, and some 18650’s instead of the SLA battery that it came with. I had already made a little pedestal for the MCPCB to rest on, that put the MT-G2 in focus.

I’m looking forward to seeing what you come up with.

MRsDNF · 2018-10-26T04:03:34.000Z

All the best for the build Lightgecko.

Lightgecko · 2018-10-26T15:31:25.000Z

DavidEF:

Yeah. I have one of those “10 million candle power” spotlights that uses a cheap halogen bulb. The reflector looks like that one. But I ruined the coating on the inside of the reflector. Be careful with it! The reflector can’t be polished up. It’s just junk metal. Without the coating, it reflects about as well as corrugated cardboard! Until I ruined mine, I was working on modding it to have a MT-G2 instead of the bulb, and some 18650’s instead of the SLA battery that it came with. I had already made a little pedestal for the MCPCB to rest on, that put the MT-G2 in focus.

I’m looking forward to seeing what you come up with.

Yeah it does look pretty fragile, but I’m impressed that I haven’t dented it yet in all of my measuring and mumbling. I’m sure it’ll happen eventually. I’ll make a point to be careful with that coating. Those lights never cease to amaze me. 10 Mcd? False advertising at its finest; perhaps only to be beaten by those spam emails about ‘tactical military flashlights’.

gchart · 2018-10-26T16:29:41.000Z

Subscribing! Interested to see what you come up with.

ThembaFatsani · 2018-10-26T19:07:39.000Z

this will be interesting

Lightgecko · 2018-10-27T02:32:44.000Z

I’ve been doing some thinking about this project, and I’m not really sure what emitter I want to use.

These are my choices: An XP-L Hi, an XHP70, or an XHP50.2.

I don’t know the bin or tint of the XP-L or the XHP70, but the XHP50 is 4000k J2 bin. I’m kinda leaning toward the XHP50, because while I want a lot of throw I also want a reasonable size hotspot. What I’m not sure of is the difference in throw between the 50 and the 70. Do y’all think that I could get away with the bigger emitter since I have a massive reflector to start with? Or would the 50 really give a significantly better cd number?

gchart · 2018-10-27T02:37:48.000Z

What’s your plan for cooling? And for powering it? While the HI and 50 would throw more, the 70 is capable of enough lumens that you might meet your throw goal just by the sheer number of photons coming out of the front.

Then again, if you’re really just looking for throw, I’d say the HI. Or if you’re willing to expand out, I’d say a dedomed SST40 or even the new Osram that L4P has pre-production stock of. But I’m guessing you’re trying to stick with what you have on hand?

DavidEF · 2018-10-27T02:37:55.000Z

I’d say the XHP50.2 will be your best bet. It’s got a lot better specs than the XHP70 according to CREE PCT which means it will give you better throw. I think it will still give you a plenty big hot spot size too.

DavidEF · 2018-10-27T02:43:44.000Z

gchart:

What’s your plan for cooling? And for powering it? While the HI and 50 would throw more, the 70 is capable of enough lumens that you might meet your throw goal just by the sheer number of photons coming out of the front.

Then again, if you’re really just looking for throw, I’d say the HI. Or if you’re willing to expand out, I’d say a dedomed SST40 or even the new Osram that L4P has pre-production stock of. But I’m guessing you’re trying to stick with what you have on hand?

His reflector is made for incan halogen bulbs. A tiny emitter would be a huge waste. Also, comparing the XHP50.2 to the XHP70 on CREE PCT it looks like the XHP50.2 should even provide more lumens, assuming they are both fed with the same current and are similar bin.

gchart · 2018-10-27T02:41:39.000Z

Good point. I’ve never messed with those huge reflectors, so I have no real experience here.

Lightgecko · 2018-10-27T02:52:14.000Z

It is supposed to be as cheap as possible, and seeing as I already have the XHP50, I think I’ll be using that. I am planning on using plain old 18650s in a big pack that is switched so there is never more than a couple cells in parallel to make sure that the emitter doesn’t let the smoke out. Shove that through a FET driver, and there we are.