The New Luxeon III Generation Issues

[AlexGT]

Hi Don,

I had a UX1K Wiz2 950 PR-T expertly built in late september 05, and had a TX1K PR-T that I sold shortly after I got the UX1k but I did notice that the new UX1K had a 20-30% bigger hotspot than the TX1K. Since both are PR-T´s, is it logical to assume that I may have a Joker emmiter?

Is there a way I could buy a joker adjusted 27mm reflector for the PR-T to try out?

Thanks!
AlexGT

 

[IsaacHayes]

HarryN: $9 for the lux and $14 for shipping? My god they've gotten worse since I've ordered from them. Pretty much rules out the hobbiest buying small amounts as with the shipping/tax it's not worth it!

 

[McGizmo]

Alex,
It is likely that you have a joker. The McR-27 is one reflector that I have not ordered in the new -J configuration as I am not using this reflector anymore personally and don't have any call for it from other builders.

The stock McR-27 could be shaved off (rear face) by about .015" and likely get you back the tighter spot but in the PR-T head, the O-ring seal and seating of the bezel and window could get funky with the reflector droping down further into the head. :shrug:

***************

As an update to this thread, I finally got confirmation from an employee at Lumileds that there was an unauthorized change in the slug height and that these "jokers" will continue until some time in the spring when the factory runs out of the short slugs and at which time I have been told that the next run of slugs will be back to the original height and we will be seeing LED's that look like jokers but again have a new image location on the Z axis. :green: If Lumiled's or Future don't bother to identify this third or is it turd iteration, I will take to calling them FJ's for "false jokers" or some other f word adjective.

Now what has me a bit confused is the fact that I was told that this difference in slug height is only about .009". Now my experience has been that the apparent image has dropped by almost double this reported amount. If there is more to the change we have seen than just the slug itself, heck if I know?!?!? The reported difference seems to put these joker's at a image height very comperable to the reported K2 image location. To my simple bench tests, the K2 samples I have played with seem to fall between the joker and original LuxIII.

Dang! I confuse easily and much more of this and I will be bonding the dome to the heatsink with the LED upside down!

 

[nemul]

I finally got confirmation from an employee at Lumileds that there was an unauthorized change in the slug height and that these "jokers" will continue until some time in the spring when the factory runs out of the short slugs and at which time I have been told that the next run of slugs will be back to the original height.........

WTF!

 

[Kiessling]

To lighten up the mood ... I like the beams of the Jokers in the HD45 ... and I think I will like them in other reflectors, too. But I am stupid.

 

[Beamhead]

To lighten up the mood ... I like the beams of the Jokers in the HD45 ... and I think I will like them in other reflectors, too. But I am stupid.

I love the joker in the Aleph 2 20 mm head. In fact I would like to get a couple more "jokerized" Nexgen LE's.

 

[NewBie]

Weird.

Most semiconductor companies would pull and dispose of products which don't meet specification.

 

[Kiessling]

IIRC the die height wasn't included in the specs, so technically speaking the units are still according to spec.
bernie

 

[NewBie]

Ah, but Kiessling...

Wouldn't the location of the die within the dome, which forms a "lens", alter the part's lambertian radiation pattern, which is specified in the datasheet?

 

[McGizmo]

Newbie,

I recall seeing some "typical" distribution charts which also had a second curve which I forget what it was called but this may well cover the extremes of the image location relative to the dome. :shrug:

 

[Kiessling]

Hey Jar ... just teasing! :nana:

 

[McGizmo]

I received word today that the Luxeons will be going back to the taller slug. There will be Luxeons that look like Jokers but aren't. Brilliant! Lumileds has an internal memo that will be provided to customers who use precision imaging secondary optics For your reading pleasure if this effects you, check out the PDF. Since it is addressed to Dear Customer, I am certain that it's OK for me to share this. Well at least there is a heads up this time around! Progress? :shrug:

In fairness, the difference is only .2 mm or .008" . This deviation can well be within a tolerance stack allowance but then again, it can be enough to upset any fine tuning that is being attempted. In the case of my reflectors, I have fudged the allignment already in the direction that the Joker increases; too much in some cases.

Some 5W builds have enjoyed a reduction in donut thanks to the joker. When the joke is over, these may go back to showing the central null. Oh well.

anyway,

 

[Doug S]

I'll use the pdf that Don linked as a segue to an OT question. That pdf as well as posts earlier in this thread show a cross section of the slug and plastic ring. The plastic ring is much more securely locked to the new style slug due to the stepped profile of the new slug. Question: Is the K2 design similar wrt the plastic ring securely in the slug? Anyone seen a drawing or cut one in half? TIA

 

[McGizmo]

Hi Doug!! :wave:

Just for you, I took a perfectly good (well functional) K2 and subjected it to some anfle cutters. The slug on the K2 also has a larger diameter round flange embedded in the plastic case. I pulled off the gummy dome to find that there is a smaller gummy dome underneath. I was told in an E-mail that the production K2 may have a firmer gummy dome to reduce the likelyhood of someone pushing it out of shape and breaking the bond wire. In the scalping I just did, the bond wires seemed to hold during the first removal of the outer dome but the inner dome was well integrated with the die and bond wires and it took the gold with it.

Doug,
If you get bored, take a gander at the thread on Ti and thermal considerations and shed some insight if so inclined. :O

Don't be such a stranger!! We miss you!

 

[Doug S]

Hi Doug!! :wave:

Just for you, I took a perfectly good (well functional) K2 and subjected it to some anfle cutters.
Doug,
If you get bored, take a gander at the thread on Ti and thermal considerations and shed some insight if so inclined. :O

Thanks Don. You da man.

Regarding the thread you linked; trust me. Wading through it was much more painful than lopping a good K2. I admit to reading only a sampling.

It appears that the thread finally worked its way to a correct interpretation of the facts.
As Larry correctly pointed out, the differing specific heats and densities of Al and Ti are roughly offsetting so are not a factor.
As several posters pointed out it is all about conductivity. The lower conductivity of the Ti results in a steeper gradient as you move down the housing away from the Al heatsink to Ti body interface. This results in the [SS condition] remoter parts running cooler therefore the heatsink/tube interface area must be hotter to get rid of the same about of heat. Since the ultimate SS temp in this area is higher, it reaches a given delta T above ambient faster hence Bernie's initial observation of hotter faster.
Note that the 1/10 conductivity of Ti relative to Al could be compensated for by making the Ti components 10 times as thick. An added benefit would be that the cops could use it as they are wont to do with their 6XD cell Mags.

 

[McGizmo]

Thanks Doug! I think I will leave mastery of thermodynamics to another life time! :green: I almost follow the idea of having the Ti 10x thicker. For me the solution will be to use the most efficient LED's I can get my hands on and not drive them hard when hosted in Ti. Heck I am not inclined to drive them hard in Al for that matter! The LED's will continue to improve on efficacy and we will get more photons with less phonons. :thumbsup:

 

[Kiessling]

Hey Doug !
Good to see you active again !!
:wave:
And thanx for the explanation, too
bernie

 

[Doug S]

For me the solution will be to use the most efficient LED's I can get my hands on and not drive them hard

I'm with you 100% on this.
Looking forward to slapping a K2 in a $6 Dorcy AAA

Hi Bernie :wave:

 

[tvodrd]

Lumileds going back to the "original" slug height! Maybe they listened to you Don. It was all just a joke, right? I am in possession of 10 TWOH jokers so hope to reduce your J-reflector inventory a little. I hope you don't get stuck with a couple hundred. :green:

And welcome back Doug! We missed you!

Larry

 

[McGizmo]

Larry,
The "J" reflectors seem to work well with the K2 so unless the K2 is a real dud, I should be fine with them. It's the fact that I may need to re stock the original reflectors once again that has me scratching my head!!