Brightness question

[Death Cyborg]

Can one of our esteemed members tell me on average how bright UltraSabers are ?
In Lumens if you have that information.
And how much less bright are single LED colors in relation to two or three LEDs?
Thank you in advance !

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[scifidude79]

Well, they use different makes of LEDs, and there are other factors, so this isn't a question with a simple answer.

According to the more recent releases, such as the Spectre that was just released, the Tri CREEs they're using now are XP-E2s, which are some of the brightest LEDs on the market. To find lumens on specific colors, go to the CREE website and look up the data sheets on the different colors of XP-E2 LEDs.

Other LEDs they use are LED Engin LEDs, I'm not sure which ones. You'd have to find out what exact ones they are and look up that info on the LED Engin website.

The difference between one or three LED diodes of the same color will be noticeable. Exactly how much brighter it is is hard to say. I find brightness to be in the eye of the beholder. Some will say it's 3X as bright, others won't. Resistors and buck pucks also make a difference. I've opened many an Ultrasaber and found the same resistor inside, no matter the color. It's enough resistor for some colors, too much for others. The buck puck will deliver the correct voltage for the color, so it will be brighter for some colors than a resistor. With a buck puck, the LED also won't dim as the battery drains, it will with a resistor.

[Death Cyborg]

Thanks SFD 79 !
Playing around with a 355 lumens LED that is painful to the eyes to look at. I was wondering how comparable it wood be to the US brightness. To my eye, it's way brighter,  but also way hotter.

Well, they use different makes of LEDs, and there are other factors, so this isn't a question with a simple answer.

According to the more recent releases, such as the Spectre that was just released, the Tri CREEs they're using now are XP-E2s, which are some of the brightest LEDs on the market. To find lumens on specific colors, go to the CREE website and look up the data sheets on the different colors of XP-E2 LEDs.

Other LEDs they use are LED Engin LEDs, I'm not sure which ones. You'd have to find out what exact ones they are and look up that info on the LED Engin website.

The difference between one or three LED diodes of the same color will be noticeable. Exactly how much brighter it is is hard to say. I find brightness to be in the eye of the beholder. Some will say it's 3X as bright, others won't. Resistors and buck pucks also make a difference. I've opened many an Ultrasaber and found the same resistor inside, no matter the color. It's enough resistor for some colors, too much for others. The buck puck will deliver the correct voltage for the color, so it will be brighter for some colors than a resistor. With a buck puck, the LED also won't dim as the battery drains, it will with a resistor.

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[Infinit01]

Tri-Cree specs

Size    3.45 x 3.45 mm
Product Options    White
Color
Maximum Drive Current    1 A
Max Power (W)    3 W
Max Light Output (lm)    283 lm
Maximum Efficacy at Binning Conditions (lm/W)    137 lm/W
Typical Forward Voltage    2.9 V White @ 350 mA
Maximum Reverse Voltage    5 V
Viewing Angle    110
Maximum Junction Temperature    150 °C
Binning    85°C
ANSI
Maximum ESD Withstand Voltage    8000 V (HBM per Mil-Std-883D)
ESD Classification    Class 2(HBM per Mil-Std-883D)
Reflow Solderable    Yes - JEDEC J-STD-020C-compatible
RoHS-Compliant    Yes
REACh-Compliant    Yes
UL-Recognized    Yes - Level 4 Enclosure Consideration


You can find more info here: http://www.cree.com/led-components/products/xlamp-leds-discrete/xlamp-xp-e2

[Infinit01]

I take it back, it's the specs for both the single and Tri-Cree.  Just heard back from US cust support so the specs I listed are for all main LEDs

[Death Cyborg]

I take it back, it's the specs for both the single and Tri-Cree.  Just heard back from US cust support so the specs I listed are for all main LEDs

Thank you for the specs Infinit01! 285 Lm was exactly what I needed !
At 355 Lm, the light source I'm using is a lot brighter, but it gets ridiculously hot very quickly.  It melted several color gels in less than 10 seconds each. It looks like it need to find a cooling method if I want to run it full power for any length of time .  I love figuring stuff out ! Thank you all for the information!

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[Obese Wan Kenobese]

As far as melting filters, you can use a spacer. Cut a length of polycarbonate tube to go between the LED and the filter. But if you're melting in ten seconds, it sounds like it's just too hot to use anyway.

[scifidude79]

I'm using thermal gel, the type used for CPU coolers, lately. I squeeze a generous amount on the LED pad before putting it on the heat sink. I figure if that can keep a CPU that gets a lot hotter than a LED relatively cool, it can keep my LEDs from getting ridiculously hot. Another thing is resistors. Adding a .5ohm 3W resistor to the rig, or one to each diode, will dissipate a good deal of heat, with only a miniscule sacrifice in brightness. After all, having a saber that's super bright but too hot to handle seems asinine.

[Infinit01]

Thank you for the specs Infinit01! 285 Lm was exactly what I needed !
At 355 Pm, the light source I'm using is a lot brighter, but it gets ridiculously hot very quickly.  It melted several color gels in less than 10 seconds each. It looks like it need to find a cooling method if I want to run it full power for any length of time .  I love figuring stuff out ! Thank you all for the information!

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You're welcome, Death Cyborg.  Glad that I can help