White 5 watt Luweon

[simi]

I have read posts where people have talked about using a 5 watt white Luxeon. Where are these purchased from? I have checked out TCSS and also www.luxeonstar.com but I don't see them listed. Am I missing something?

[Jedi-Loreen]

Are you sure it was a white Lux V, and not a K2?

And, could you please resize your top sig pic? Both of your pics take up my whole screen and it's annoying. :roll:

[simi]

Sorry about the sig, I hope tha's better. Yes it was a 5 watt, this was one of many references to a white 5 watt:

Welcome back MC hope the move went well.

I like my 3w mace with the filters just fine. But my 5w white with the filter kicks the 3w and the k2's butt up one side and down the other. If I do another mace I will gut it and redo the whole thing to get the sound and a 5w in there.

http://www.thecustomsabershop.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=2080&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=15

As I said, this was one of many I have read. Is there an actual 5 watt white Lux produced?

[Hasid Lafre]

Its under a different name. called a portable

[simi]

Thanks! I just found it on www.luxeonstar.com. So this is the brightest white LED then? What I want to accomplish is to replace the 3 watt white Lux in my converted Mace with whatever LED is brightest. I do know I can simply replace the Lux 3 with a white K2 and it will be brighter. To fully utilize the K2 I can also wire in a 5 watt relay which was the route I was going to go until I saw the discussion on 5 watt whites. I don't know if it would even be possible to use a 5 watt in a Mace or not though. I just want a very bright purple, awesome looking Mace. I do have the Lee Filter Swatch Book and am using the Rose Purple 048.

[xwingband]

The Lux V is not the brightest white available. The K2 is actually rated as well.

For white the Cree XR-E and Seoul P4, etc (all use same die) are a great option. They will put out 240 lumens at 1000mA. So even run lower they should output a lot of lumens.

I have a P4 on order that I plan on putting in my conversion that has a K2. I'll post some comparisons.

[simi]

So then the best way to go would be with a Cree XR-E or Seoul P4 then? I ran a search for it and I saw Fenix Store ( http://fenix-store.com/product_info.php?products_id=140 ) selling the XR-E for $70. If I was to get on of those would I be able to use it in my Mace saber? I know with a K2 I can but until now I have never heard of the Cree XR-E and Seoul P4.

[xwingband]

You haven't heard much because usually we ignore the flashlight people. They don't care much about colors and all that non-sense... they just like bright whites.

So in this case though we can go along with them. :)

That link is for a complete flashlight upgrade and not what we need. Here's what we need:

http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.1445
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.2394
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.2134

I'm sure you can run a search too to find lots of places. I ordered mine at led-tech.de because I was getting my rebel stuff from them.

[Hasid Lafre]

yeah the flashlight folks are a strange bunch.

Look on youtube for the guy setting fire to paper.

[xwingband]

yeah the flashlight folks are a strange bunch.

Look on youtube for the guy setting fire to paper.

He's using an incandescent for that though.

I just got my Seoul P4 in the mail. So maybe this weekend I can switch it and let people know any difference. It came with my Rebel PCB's so I may get sidetracked though. :twisted:

[Hasid Lafre]

It was to prove that the flashlight guys have a screw loose.

[simi]

Thanks X-Wing, seeing as how the highest priced one was $24.50 I think I can live with that lol! So if I purchased either the Cree XR-E or Seoul P4 could I simply swap it out with the current 3 watt in my Mace and have it be brighter than a K2 or is there more to it than that?

[Novastar]

Depends on the forward voltage required.

[xwingband]

Depends on the forward voltage required.

Every LED is different but the "typical" is the same.

So, yes Simi. It's just a swap and it should give you more since they are more efficient. Even at 700mA it puts out 170-180 lumens.

[simi]

Please forgive me for all of the questions but I suck with electricity and you guys are AWESOME with techincal know-how. Would it be brighter than a K2 with the 5 watt relay?

[xwingband]

Yes, the K2 when maxed is only 140 lumens. You'll be getting better battery life and easily a 40 lumen boost over the K2 (likely more).

[simi]

REALLY!?! WOW!!! That is probably the best news I heard all day. I can't believe it would make THAT much of a difference without having to wire any additional stuff in. Which one would you recommend then, the Cree XR-E or Seoul P4 or are both okay to use? Which ever one you suggest I'm going to end up buying two. I read a thread on how this guy made a Mara Jade replica from a MHS. The pictures very cool and I don't think that would be too difficult of a project to tackle. Thanks to all of you in advance for all of your help, I REALLY APPRECIATE IT!!!

[Novastar]

Depends on the forward voltage required.

Every LED is different but the "typical" is the same.

So, yes Simi. It's just a swap and it should give you more since they are more efficient. Even at 700mA it puts out 170-180 lumens.How is a Mace MRFX going to power a Lux V.

Even if it does... how will it survive the 7+ volts without frying (without a relay or whatever).

[xwingband]

Nova, I wasn't talking about the Luxeon V.... and never was. I'm talking about a Seoul or Cree LED.

They are quite the rage in flashlights because of their efficiency. They are in the same as Luxeon III's as far as running them. They take 3.7V typical and 1000mA Max. BUT they give a max of 240 lumens.

Simi, use which ever. I haven't looked significantly at the ones I linked, but I'd examine the bin numbers he gives to see which is best. Some of those may be a "warm" white (we traditionally use cool) and the characteristics may vary a bit... that's what the bin numbers will tell us.

EDIT: Ahh... I see. The topic started about the V but I diverged it. He asked what the brightest white he could use was. Barring the multiple die high wattage LEDs the Seoul and Crees are on top for Whites. they easily beat others and replace the III.

[simi]

I read the reviews from all 3 of your links X-Wing and I am going with the Cree P4 XR-E 7090. One of the reviews on it mentioned it had a slight purple tint to the LED and since it is going into a Mace saber that was an obvious choice. Upon reading I found it also runs cooler than a K2 so by that I'll presume I can use the same heatsink. Since the top of the LED is taller, where can I get optics and a holder? I saw the 3W Cree, Regulator, Reflector http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.1447. That doesn't seem like it would work for this type of application though. Is there something from www.luxeonstar.com that I can use?

[pockets]

well heres the thing, theoretically we could use reflectors, but youd have to find the sweet spot, the thing about that is youd need to be able to adjust its location with the blade in, trial and error, and find a way to secure it to said sweet spot.

[neophyl]

Simi having used several P4 stars in sabres already you can use standard luxeon optics and holders. Depending on the holder brand though you might have to modify it very slightly to fit around the led. That takes about 10 seconds with a scalpel/xacto knife.

My Imperial Knight sabre was about the brightest thing at CE :) and that uses a P4, although Im driving that with a proper driver rather than directly off the MR board I have in there for sound.

[simi]

So just use Lux III optices and make the opening on the bottom widen then, Phil? I did think of possibly having to do that but I wasn't sure if widening the bottom to accomodate the taller P4 LED would mess up the optic. Well if it is good enough for you than so it shall for me, thanks for the info on that. Have all you guys E-mailed each other on what a dumb @$$ I am yet? lol

[xwingband]

He's talking about how the holder will sit on the star itself... at least I think so. All non-luxeon stars may be slightly different. I don't think he's referring to changing the optics itself. That would be a little dangerous.

Alrighty... to show some results. Here's my Ani conversion. All is the same. Batteries, blade (double wrap of corbins), filter, etc... The only difference is the RIGHT is before with a K2 (wired like a normal conversion) and the LEFT is with a Seoul P4.

http://www.incomsabers.com/images/seoulp4.jpg

Now the shade changed a bit. The P4 was a warmer color than the Luxeon. I think it's darn clear it's MUCH better. The filter takes away a the even larger difference in the straight up white.

I'd say people going for white need to do this... time to hit Tim up on potential stocking.

[Darth Derg]

On those P4 LEDs...How would they work with Erv's board? From what I read, if they are set up as if they were a Lux III they would work fine (1A for white/blue/cyan/green) Correct?

[xwingband]

Yup, 1A.

[simi]

Phil, you maentioned on how you wired your P4 the right way. How did you wire it? I have Corbin's Driver and a Luke ROTJ sound board I am going to use in my Mara Jade saber with my second P4. If you have a better way of wiring it please let me know. I'll be able to do so hopefully with that one at least.

[neophyl]

On the optics front I did mean just modding the optic HOLDER not the optic itself as thats all thats needed to make them fit with the P4.

If you have a corbin driver to supply the led then you are there already :) Just follow the wiring guides for using a Corbin driver with a MR sound board (make sure you get the correct switch version).

On mine I didnt use a corbin driver (didnt have room for it) so I used a konlux 1A driver for the led and a Maul fx for the sound. Easiest way was to use a double pole double throw switch as that way you arent making one set of electronics switch the second (which is possible but a bit more complex).

I know alot of people do use the MR board to drive the blade led but for me it just doesnt cut it. There is definately a very noticeable difference using a proper driver.

[tobu]

Hi there,
I've finished my MR Mace conversion.

I used the Seoul P4 with the MR soundboard and the Erv's driver dimmer!
Erv's filter and Corbin's blade!

You can see it here (http://www.thecustomsabershop.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=3219)

:D

[darthdan]

I dont know, I have done a resistored K2 white, a resistored P-4, and an Atlas with a buckpuck and really, the K2 and the P-4 were pretty much the same. The Atlas is a bit brighter, but not by much.

[xwingband]

I don't mean to discount your experience, but I noticed a great difference and the Atlas and P4 I have is rated for the same lumens... Maybe if you did this long enough ago your P4's bin wasn't as good as those available now?

The pic doesn't lie... the K2 is getting it's butt whooped in this situation. If properly driven I don't think the lumens will be terribly mis-leading either.

[LAN-ED-TUL]

flashlight bunch huh? lol

[simi]

So then is the CREE XR-E Q5 a better LED to use in my Mace as opposed to the Cree P4 XR-E 7090?

[simi]

I wanted to say thanks to all of you for helping me out. I ended up buying a Cree XR-E from Deal Time along with some other stuff. They messed up my order so they let me keep an extra 5 OF THEM!!! So needless to say if anyone wants I'd be more than happy to trade all of them. Anyway I wanted to share some before and after pictures using a 3w Lux Star compared to the Cree XR-E. Pictures were taken in an almost complete dark room using a digital camera from about 4ft away. I use a single wrap of Corbin's Film. The blade seems to be brighter using only a single wrap as opposed to the double I use in my other blades. The stock MR diffusor seems too dim. I'm hoping to get some new blades from Ultrasabers for Christmas. I have heard their diffusors are EXCELLENT, so I'm hoping they'll enhance by saber further.

http://i165.photobucket.com/albums/u48/simified/White_SilverEnhanced3wattLuxStar.jpghttp://i165.photobucket.com/albums/u48/simified/CreeWhite_Silver.jpg

Lee Filter 101 Yellow
http://i165.photobucket.com/albums/u48/simified/CreeMaceYellow101.jpghttp://i165.photobucket.com/albums/u48/simified/CreeMaceYellow101Enhanced.jpg

Lee Filter 328 Follis Pink
http://i165.photobucket.com/albums/u48/simified/328FollisPink3.jpghttp://i165.photobucket.com/albums/u48/simified/Cree328FollisPinkEnhanced.jpg