I've finished the wiring for my tri-cree photo red stunt saber and it is frankly severely lackluster. The color vanishes completely under even moderately bright indoor lighting or outdoors on even a cloudy day.

This is a photo of the blade with a fresh battery next to my led keyboard and mouse, of which it barely outshines. I measured the circuit running 2.55V at 3.25A. I'm using 3 cree photo reds wired parallel (2.5v @ 1000mA). This is supposedly the best it gets.

IMG-20190408-082742.jpg

My computer monitor puts it to shame.

I realise red is the dimmest color, and I realize photo red sacrifices some brightness to the IR spectrum for color purity, but this is just pathetic.

I'm using a 1" Saberz Starlight blade cut to 24" long, and though I do have a 7/8 optics installed (I changed my mind on blade size after getting the optics) there isn't any part of the blade that's significantly brighter than the rest.

I'm using resistors because my hilt only has room for one battery, but as I said, the battery is fresh and I measured the voltage and current going through the diodes.

There's nobody in my area I know, nor any organised community, so I can't compare IRL performance, but it definitely doesn't "light up a dark room" like I've heard it's supposed to, and with 3 high-power leds it should at least be visible in a brightly lit room (I saw one red saber from a distance in passing in a room with skylights that was way, way, way, way beyond what I'm getting out of my tri-crees).

Does anyone have any suggestions or tips? I'm considering getting a new 2xphoto-red 1xwhite tri-cree but I don't know if that will really work as 3 reds are already invisible under bright lights.