What Affects The Zoom????

LED Flashlights – General Info
1

If I’ve found a 18650 torch that I really like the zoom / focused throw but want to make it brighter, is it the torch design itself that affects how it focuses or the LED

In other words if I change the LED to try and make it brighter might it also change how it focuses which I wouldn’t want to do ……

Flip side of the same coin if I have say a SK 98 and wanted to make the beam narrower is there any way could I do that

2

Larger emitters will project a larger square when zoomed out. If your SK98 has a XM-L emitter, switching to a smaller emitter like a XP-G2 or XP-E2 will project a smaller square and will increase throw. However if you use the same driver, overall output will decrease since the emitters are smaller.

If you want a narrower beam and increase throw without loosing output, use a XP-L Hi emitter. If you want to increase output as well, switch out the driver for a more powerful one. Look into purchasing the emitter on a copper Noctigon to aid cooling.

3

Uh…

Isn’t the light emitting surface of the XP-L the same as on the XM-L?

Also, am I correct in believing that “increasing throw” means putting more light farther away? Assuming you drive them to their practical maximum levels, if the XP-G size isn’t able to produce as much light as the XM-L/XP-L size, how does that increase throw?

Bottom line, if you want it “brighter”, meaning more photons OTF, you’ll need to push more current through the LED. If you want a tighter focus (since essentially a “zoomie” is merely a focus-able projector of the LED die), get a smaller LED. If you can find a smaller LED which will emit as many photons as the larger one, you can have a smaller beam for a given amount of illumination.

Pardon me for waxing heretical, but if you want the maximum amount of light in the cleanest, tightest beam shape (with 100CRI to boot), get an incandescent Maglite and drive it as close to the point of melting the filament as you can, with the reflector focused as tight as it will go.

4

Uh…yeah but I was talking about the XP-L Hi. :smiley:

5

Should still be the same, just domeless. The XP-L is just an XM-L emitter on and XP sized led. Hi just means there is no dome from the factory.

6

XP-L Hi will throw further than a domed XM-L…that’s all the matters in this case.

7

Yes, it will.

XP-L Hi will have similar output to XM-L but will have a smaller spot - more intense beam = longer throw.

Left - Brinyte B158, XM-L2. Right, exact same light and same driver, with XP-L Hi

8

What affects the beam in a zoomie with an aspheric lens?

  • Width of the lens. In general, the wider the lens, the more throw you get.
  • Focal Length of the lens. A short focal length zoomie (very thick lens) produces a wide image of the emitter at a distance. A long focal length lens produces a smaller image of the emitter. Assuming same width, intensity (how bright the image is) should be the same. Short focal length lenses have the advantage that they are lighter, do not protrude as much, and allow for wider floodbeam.
  • Intensity. Sometimes called surface brightness. Think of it as lumens produced per square mm of emitter. The more intense the light produced by the emitter, the more throw you get. Smaller emitters tend to have higher intensity and will produce narrow spots. However, overall lumens are usually lower with smaller emitters because the emitter die size is much smaller. There are some exceptions: Dedoming is a technique modders use to dramatically increase the intensity, while slightly reducing the lumens. CREE XPL HI emitters are essentially “factory dedomed” XPL emitters. They produce a much more intense and throwy beam when installed in a light.
  • Focus For maximum throw, the light emitting surface of the emitter should be at the focal length of the lens. This produces the customary square image of the emitter. If you swap in a new emitter, it may be necessary to make minor adjustments to how far the bezel travels in order to restore maximum focus.
  • Power You can often increase the throw by running more current (amps) through the emitter.

In your case: You have a Sipik 98 that you want to have more throw.You’re not going to change the lens. Your best options to increase the throw:

  • Replace the driver with a FET driver from Mountain Electronics. This will produce the maximum possible current through the emitter.
  • Replace the LED with an XPL HI mounted on a Noctigon copper star from Mountain Electronics. XPL HI is a great choice for an 18650 powered thrower. You should get 5 or 6 amps through the light.
  • Consider solder-braiding the tailcap spring to reduce resistance.
  • Buy a low resistance Samsung 30Q 18650 IMR cell from Mountain Electronics. Probably a much better cell than whatever you have now.
  • Apply thermal grease under the new LED star for max heat conduction away from the LED.

If you do the above mods you’ll probably get around 30-40k lux from the light in throw mode and over 1000 lumens in flood. Basically, it will be noticeably brighter in flood mode and enormously more intense in spot mode. You’ll need some basic soldering skills. Also read up on battery safety and heat issues before trying this.

9

Whooooosssshhhhhhhhh :?: :?: :?: You may as well have written that in Japanese, Chinese, Korean …. sorry not knocking as you’re trying to help but that means absolutely nothing to me??

You’re obviously on rung 9 / 10 of the ladder which unless you’ve gone through all the rungs before you’ll have absolutely no comprehension of what you’re talking about …. I’m taking my 1st step onto rung one … is there any way can you translate that so I can even possibly begin to understand what you’re saying

It also applies for subsequent posts and I re-iterate people are trying to help so I’m absolutely not knocking it but I have no comprehension of what the differences are but am seriously wondering if I’d just be better off trying to find an off the shelf that suits the purpose I want ???

10

I have just re-read them slowly …. looks like an XP-L Hi might achieve what I’m after ?

Where do I find one (I’m UK based which will make it harder I’m sure) and where can I find out how to replace what’s there at the moment

Trisntanxoxo … I also looked at the link you provided, the was about $7 but shipping to the UK was double that … makes it kind of expensive for what it is or is it similar cost for you guys as well (Not sure if they’re shipped from China or if they’re US based).

11

Witterings, what Firelight2 wrote are actually pretty basic things and if you do not understand that, you should never try that as it can be dangerous if done incorrectly. Those cells are capable of 20 to 30A current easily and upon short circuit released energy is enormous and can incur serious damage and/or injury.
It would be more sensible to buy stock light with specs you like and learning more before high-current mod attempts.
If you only change LED in SK98 and leave everything else as is, you will see smaller spot and some increase in spot brightness but not that much to be worth it imho. That’s assuming you have genuine Cree in there and not Latticebright knock off. In the latter case the increase would be more substantial.

12

Agreed. No offence, but you have some reading to do. Start with the “sticky” threads. There’s a ton of info there.