Clash-Flash w/Crystal Focus WORKING!

[Eandori]

Hey Xwingband,

I checked out those pages. Thanks for linking them. I don't however see optics meant for several luxeon LED's at once. What I see is optics that seem to be intended for a single luxeon LED. You could alway grind down the base of the optic so 2-3 could be squeezed in there... but then the alignment of the optic is off. I'm sure they were designed such that the light source is in the MIDDLE of the optic. Move it off to one side and the emission angle will be different.

At least, I believe that to be the case.

So what you really need is an optic that was designed from the ground up to be intended for multiple LED's.

About the reflective optic, that's a cool find. I actually did a similar thing on my saber in the pictures above. I used the poor-mans method though, I glued aluminum foil around the outside of my 5 degree optic lense. It actually worked pretty well. I got more light out the top of the optic instead of bleeding out the sides. You can kinda tell in the image above looking down into the saber. But maybe I will disassemble the saber soon to give a better angle on my tri-lux prototype optic.

[xwingband]

Okay, cool. I was just thinking you were wasting a lot of it if you used the standard optics. I didn't mean anything about multi-LED optics... just that a reflector optic on the primary LED would get you more of the flash up the blade.

[Eandori]

Yeah, I just use a standard optic 5 degree lens on the main luxeon LED. (as you can see in the illustration on the top post of this thread).

For awhile, I was considering placing the flash LED's behind that optic near the main green Luxeon LED. You can see what I'm referring to in the image below. Early testing showed that will not work, because light coming into the back of the optic lense from that angle reflects and is not redirected out the top. The method I used for testing was shining a laser pointer into the backside of the optic to see how much light comes out the top. Nearly none of it did.

This was my first idea for mounting point for flash LED's.


I'll try to get the videos of the saber clash-flash up soon so you guys can see it.

[Eandori]

Ok, here's a quick video of the clash flash working. it's hard to see on video with the blade inserted but you can see it pretty clearly with in video when the blade is removed.

http://home.comcast.net/~eandori/Tri...lash_Flash.wmv

I'll keep working to improve the output of the white flash and if you guys like i will keep posting results.

[Hasid Lafre]

That control box is bloody huge.

Also why dident you just do a regular trilux type setup and have it setup so that only one led would flash brighter instead of 2?

[Eandori]

That control box is bloody huge.

Also why dident you just do a regular trilux type setup and have it setup so that only one led would flash brighter instead of 2?

What standard tri-lux setup? Does anybody have an optic for 3 luxeons? The only optics I have been able to find are designed for a single luxeon LED. It's my understanding that is the whole issue with Tri-Lux. No optic lenses or reflectors exist yet.

Again (I'm retyping the same stuff as I did in other replies above) This saber was a prototype for proof of concept of the circuitry and so I could get some actual experience building a saber. Perhaps I should have titled the thread NOT A FINISHED SABER, BUT CLASH FLASH WORKS.

Thanks for the replies guys.

[Hasid Lafre]

The ones that ace rocket found. I forget where he found them at.

[Marsupial]

its not 1 optics for 3 luxeon, but rather 1 holder for 3 luxeon and 3 optics that all fit in a small footprint.

Unless there's stuff I am not aware of.

[Eandori]

I think I found what you guys are referring to: http://www.thecustomsabershop.com/fo...r=asc&start=30

Yeah, looks like 3 side by side LED/Optics. So it's overall wider, and the main LED is no longer on the center axis of the blade. That might have the effect (I'm assuming) of making the main LED not light up the blade as well.

I may end up going to something like that eventually, but first I really want to get all of this working with less expensive parts and more easily obtained parts.

[xwingband]

For RGB it's fine since all are equally off the axis. Yes for a clash type deal you are trying it wouldn't work all too well, but probably better than what you have going I'd guess.

It's true that the machining is more expensive, but the parts aren't too hard. Ace is using those small Hex optics. I've only found them out of Germany, but if they're what I need I get them.

I just got my Rebel RGB setup... after I reflow solder them I'll test and report somewhere on how well they work. If a reflector can be modded (or kept stock I see no reason to not use them for this and the potential for everything in general would be enormous.