Question about Lux V and Rebel I've been wondering about

[Jase Kala Maris]

I've never seen these first hand only videos but it seems that the Rebel and the Lux V (speaking of green and cyan) look pretty close, the video that Xwing made on YouTube I could swear the rebel looks brighter but anyways...

How come the tri rebels aren't insanely brighter... well, like 3 times brighter? is it the optics, are they losing that much light?... everything I've seen on video, YouTube etc, looks like a tri rebel and lux V look about the same.... so besides the clash flash why bother?

Or are the videos just not doing the tri-rebel justice.

Anyone with both wanna chime in hell maybe even post some side besides with sabers of the same color?

If I missed this debate just point me in the right direction please.

[Jay-gon Jinn]

With the Tri-Rebels (Endor style), it is usually the optics. Those led's and the optics for them were designed for architectural accent lighting for use, not a tight narrow beam, like we need for a lightsaber blade. The only Tri-rebels theat work for a saber, as of now anyway, are the custom made ones that X-wing and others have made them seolves that place all three Rebel domes under the 5 degree optic used for Luxeon I, III, and V led's.

[Novastar]

It's a good question, Jase, but yup... what Jay says is right: the optics are a huge part of the equation for "LED Emitter" style sabers. And in the case of the 3-up Rebel... well... it's not that it's a giant "Fail" or anything... but it is CERTAINLY a fail when it comes to being EFFICIENT.

The 3-up Rebel... are three completely separate domes, and they are simply too far apart (albeit this means ~2mm) from one another to help cast the tight beam we all need/want.

Again... this is NOT to say that decent 3-up Rebel sabers can't be made. Duh. Just the two sabers I had alone verify that it's fine. Not to mention, THOSE were "RRW" and "GGW"... meaning I suppose if you did three of the same color on all the time... sure, it'd be brighter than just leaving the 3rd for a "flash on clash" (FoC).

In my experiences:

* 3-up Rebel (with 2 of the LEDs as "main blade" running) is NOT as bright/vibrant/even as a single Lux V

* 3-up Rebel (with 2 of the LEDs as "main blade" AND the 3rd LED as a white "flash" on) is ALMOST as bright/vibrant/even as a single Lux V

* Optic solutions are poor and hard to implement. Troublesome!! Reflectors are the "best" option, although if a lens could be fashioned it would be better IMHO.

* I don't know the %, but a great portion of the light is getting "lost"... even with a DECENT reflector. It's just life.

So most any way you slice it... the 3-up Rebel setup has SERIOUS flaws. As compared to the LEDEngin "RGGB" or... whatever. An LED where all dies are under one dome.

The main reason that *I* chose to attempt the "weird" 3-up Rebel configurations of "RRW" and "GGW" and so forth... was to see what the ~white~ flash on clash looks like.

In my opinion? A white LED for flash on clash looks MUCH better vs. most anything else (such as "RB" flash on the "RGGB"... or let's say "GA" from an "RGBA").

[pittapittae]

I wanted to test the triple rebel configuration (RRG), but with a green clash led, just to change the blade color, without giving up too much of illumination power. Would it work in your opinion? Oh, the red isn't actually red, but red-orange.
Another question: has anyone tried to add lens to focus the beam after the reflector and basic lens? I know, it's pretty crazy, you will have to find the correct focus distance, hold the lens in the correct position and all... But I think that would help... maybe using a lens from another setup... If you think it's worth a try, I could work on it. I know something about optics, nothing hiper-specific, just the main courses for my physics degree.

[Jase Kala Maris]

I had played with the idea of going to an optometrist and asking if a small lens could be made.

I started playing with this idea after working on my P7 led because there weren’t any workable options. I think IMO that a reflector with a focusing lens on top would be a sweet idea but you really need to have someone who knows what he's doing do all the calculations.

One would need to take into the account the lens size of the dome on the led, the viewing angle of the led then the reflection angle of the collector and the distance of the led dome to the lens.

I tried to play with some of these on top of a reflector but with little effect, (they were only a dollar so I bought a few different ones to play with)

In my opinion this isn't something that can just be trial and error, there could be multiple focusing points and so forth but if there's any optometrists out there or someone that works in a lens crafter who wants to talk with there boss...???

Also instead of 5 bucks for a lens where probably talking 30 to 50 bucks to have one made.

Anyway, just my thoughts on the subject.

[dj2rbo]

I have a tri rebel green and royal blue with the three in one optics and they are freekishly bright. Specially the green one. I have no sound with 14.4 volts to them. I can honestly say they are the brightest out of all my sabers.

[Novastar]

Right, when a 3-up Rebel is "all one color + running all at once"... as I said in previous posts, it's pretty darn comparable to a Lux V. Although the blue Lux V *I* have is still dominating everything for some reason, lol!

It's true that driving has a huge deal to do with things too... I mean, you can wire the rebels in many ways, including giving ~3.4v to all 3 of 'em... but ~3A... or ~7.2v to 2 of 'em... and use a 3rd for FoC... or, yeah, go nuts and feed ~14v into all 3, and overdrive them all!

Then you also have luminous flux. Not to mention the optics. Not to mention the blade film/length/tip/OD. It gets complicated.

Ultimately, I can (now being in the DIY "group" for 4+ years) say that it's a pretty non-sequitur issue: "Which LED is brightest?"... since it comes down to what is best FOR YOUR PROJECT... for your battery needs... for your wiring... for your optics... etc. etc.

But hey--the Lux V (now being discontinued) was pretty darn bright. :)