Which flashlight can run the most sustained lumens?

[SteveMidwest]

@oto

Water cooling is the way to go!

https://youtube.com/watch?v=-vgNh3fLxJc

Liquid Cool all the things!

Maybe we’ll soon be filling up our flashlights with 3M’s Novec liquid? When the flashlight gets too warm. Just shake it! :laughing:

More on 3M’s Novec liquid here > https://youtu.be/a6ErbZtpL88

[SteveMidwest]

@EasyB

I think there is sometimes some dishonesty or false advertising regarding turbo modes and runtime. Manufacturers sometimes strategically use stepdowns to make it seem like they have a long runtime, complying with the ANSI standards. This practice really makes advertised runtimes pretty much meaningless.

Personally I make my own lights that give me all control over what mode it’s in, with no stepdowns. But all of these small powerful lights have the same limitations when it comes to heatsinking. They produce too much heat to be left on continuously in “turbo” modes.

But some comments in this thread make it seem like there is something manufacturers can do to extend turbo runtimes. They can’t really, except to extend the time slightly and let the light get a little bit hotter. So then the alternative is to not have turbo modes and have the highest mode be the highest possible continuously sustainable mode. This is kind of boring. Now, I think they should be more upfront about the turbo runtime limitations and maybe have a mode that is sustainable regarding heat, determined by some testing.

Is what I am hoping for, :innocent:
is that we start seeing more of these crazy high lumenTurbo boosted lights, getting some reasonable middle modes, that will run for much longer, and handle the heat. By way of adding some decent fins, and paying more attention to the thermal path. I don’t mind having the Turbo. I don’t mind the step-down from it, in order to protect the flashlight. Is what I do mind, and what I see creeping into the industry. Is the making of flashlights with extreme lumen numbers, with less fins, and a 8:1 drop-down of lumens, when going into the second highest level.

That is not for me, or where I think we should be heading. It’s easy to slap on a pile of emitters. It’s quite another thing, to spend time on thermal path development. :sunglasses:

[SteveMidwest]

@teacher

/\\\\\\

Precisely…. Do away with the “5 second” Turbo mode, & the 30 second & 90 second too. Go to an output that can be used for a while. Unless of course you are deliberatly building a 30 second dazzler.

I don’t mind a Turbo mode, :+1: as long as it has at least a minute or two run time. In a lot of cases, that can be enough for many. But give us a decent next-level, or two levels down. Build the flashlight to get rid of some more heat. 4000lm can’t be the limit for this. They need to know that a fair amount of people need their flashlights running, at a fairly high output, for more than just a few minutes. It would be sad to spend $200-$400 on a light, to then after a few minutes of use on Turbo, be able to only then be left walking around with a 1200lm flashlight, with EDC like outputs. :person_facepalming:

Give us the modes it can be bright on, and will keep running there!

[teacher]

/\\\\\\\\

Yep… well said. :+1:

[The_Driver1 (The_Driver)]

@SteveMidwest

@The_Driver

Xe-Vision 70W model (regulated HID with very pronounced cooling fins). It produces 7500 (bulb) lumens (with 1-4Mcd) and never dims.
But it’s very expensive for non-professionals.

Thanks The_Driver!

I found the spec sheet >

XeRay™ XV-LX70
Output power: 50/70 watt
Luminous flux: 5300/7500 lumens
Reflector: 100 mm Ø EF high precision
XV-LX70 list price: $ 2,587.- (+ S/H)
Spare bulb list price: $ 185.- (+ S/H)
Warranty: 1 year (battery 6 months)

But I cannot find any 3rd party testing of it. We all know that it is a good idea to always test manufacture’s specs., with some real world testing.
Do you happen to know of any?

No, I haven’t. I don’t think there is any reason to doubt it though. It uses this high-quality ballast. It will maintain a constant 70W at the bulb. There is no reason why the light would ever dim. The light will never get hot when used outside. It has completely adequate heatsinking.

[Flintrock]

You can't extend turbo run-times really without adding mass, but you can of course extend max sustainable run-time with a buck or boost driver because you no longer are concerned with getting enough voltage from the battery to the LED to push the needed current.

Of course the OP asked about most sustainable lumens, and the voltage thing is more about most-sustainable lumens.