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View Full Version : Expected brightness of Tri-Rebel RRW



keybuk
09-04-2013, 12:16 AM
Given a saber with the Luxeon Tri-Rebel RRW (http://www.thecustomsabershop.com/Luxeon-Tri-Rebel-Star-P777.aspx) and the matching 18-degree lens (http://www.thecustomsabershop.com/Luxeon-18deg-Tri-Rebel-Star-Lens-P778.aspx), both from the TCSS store, what kind of brightness from the blade should I be expecting?

Not really expecting an answer in lux/lm or anything - more just a general ballpark.

Kyaryo Ysoyav
09-04-2013, 02:18 AM
Umm...I don't have a RRW, but I used a GGW. Expect it to be very bright. In a fully lit room (not sun lit, but well lit with lights) my GGW at 1000ma hurt my eyes a bit.

keybuk
09-04-2013, 10:06 AM
That's what I was expecting/hoping, but it hasn't turned out that way for me.

The two red dies are wired in parallel, powered from a 7.4V battery source with the driver set to 1400mA (the maximum rate drive current according to the datasheet (http://www.luxeonstar.com/Red-Lambertian-Rebel-90-lm-p/lxm2-pd01-0040.htm)).

In a room lit only by an overhead bulb, the LEDs aren't even lighting a standard tube fully.

Silver Serpent
09-04-2013, 10:39 AM
Red does not appear as bright to the eyes as green. With my Rebel RGB saber, the single red is the dimmest of the colors to my eyes. It's still quite noticeable indoors.

You appear to be powering the LED properly, and using the right optics. What kind of blade are you using? Is it clear, trans-white, do you have any diffuser in it? Your blade may be the issue with the brightness. I use a trans-white blade with about 4 feet of clear cellophane in it, and get very nice results. A clear tube with no diffuser will likely give you "meh" results.

Also, verify that the batteries are fully charged. Low batteries are very noticeable with the reds.

keybuk
09-04-2013, 10:45 AM
The thin-walled "Corbin style" show blade from TCSS, with diffuser. And yes, the battery is fully charged.

Is 700mA the true maximum amperage of these die? Some posts on the forums with other dies talk about running them at 1000mA instead. Does that work for the reds?

Forgetful Jedi Knight
09-04-2013, 11:23 AM
The thin-walled "Corbin style" show blade from TCSS, with diffuser. And yes, the battery is fully charged.

Is 700mA the true maximum amperage of these die? Some posts on the forums with other dies talk about running them at 1000mA instead. Does that work for the reds?

No, with Tri-Rebels, if you went 1000 mAh per die, you would likely pop the LED. Reds need less amperage and voltage to run. 700- 750 is basically the max they can SAFELY take. What resistor did you use on these LED's?

Silver Serpent
09-04-2013, 11:25 AM
The original Rebel reds were limited to 700mA max. I've heard that the newer ones can go higher, but I've not verified it. If your driver is adjustable, you might try increasing it in small amounts to see if there's an improvement.

There is a risk of blowing the LEDs if you overdrive them. If they get bright and then suddenly go dim, cut power IMMEDIATELY.

Ty_Bomber
09-04-2013, 12:06 PM
I am not gonna lie. I wired my two reds in series and ran them at 1500mah...

hurt to look at the blade. No problems yet though!

keybuk
09-04-2013, 03:55 PM
No, with Tri-Rebels, if you went 1000 mAh per die, you would likely pop the LED. Reds need less amperage and voltage to run. 700- 750 is basically the max they can SAFELY take. What resistor did you use on these LED's?

No resistor, just driver board set to 1400mA in the config file.

I also tested the dies individually the old fashioned way, with a 3V battery pack and a 1 Ohm resistor - given the spec sheet 2.3 V this should have given them 700mA - this measured out at the rough same brightness as the driver was giving.

keybuk
09-04-2013, 03:56 PM
I am not gonna lie. I wired my two reds in series and ran them at 1500mah...

hurt to look at the blade. No problems yet though!

In series wouldn't they be drawing 4.6V and 700mA?

Compared to 2.3V and 1400mA in parallel.

Forgetful Jedi Knight
09-04-2013, 04:00 PM
In series wouldn't they be drawing 4.6V and 700mA?

Compared to 2.3V and 1400mA in parallel.

What board are you using? I am willing to bet you popped your LEDs.

keybuk
09-04-2013, 04:02 PM
What board are you using? I am willing to bet you popped your LEDs.

Petit Crouton 2.0

Forgetful Jedi Knight
09-04-2013, 04:04 PM
Petit Crouton 2.0

Well, you could try upping the amerpage to 1500mAh (750 each). You might just have darker binned reds. *shrugs*

Silver Serpent
09-04-2013, 04:09 PM
By the specs, you would be correct. If Ty was feeding them 1500mA in series, he was overdriving them with roughly double the rated current.

If you're feeling brave, try adjusting the current upwards in small increments. But even a single properly driven red should illuminate the blade just fine. I'm not certain why two aren't more impressive.

keybuk
09-04-2013, 04:13 PM
Thanks for the advice so far, at least this confirms to me that I'm not doing anything insanely wrong (and my college-remembered electronics rules+maths are still correct), and I'm not expecting "too much" from the RRW. I mean, I'm not expecting this to fry eggs or melt a Jaguar on the pavement like a Cree Blue can, but it would be nice if it were visible in a reasonably well lit room.