Need som help, modify Greenforce tristar

Jocke

Newly Enlightened
Joined
Nov 3, 2016
Messages
2
Hi, I have an older GreenForce Tristar light head that I'm looking to replace the LEDs in order to get a little more light from it. The battery pack is 12V 4500mAh
The inner diameter of the head is about 45mm

Does anyone have any good ideas about the LEDs and drivers I can or should be using for best results.
Maybe a driver with 2 modes, 100% and 50%?
It is the first time I modify a lamp so I'm a bit novice
Thanks //Jocke
 

m.pille.led

Newly Enlightened
Joined
Oct 3, 2014
Messages
91
Location
Portugal
Hi,
the first thing wich comes up to my mind is using 7 xml in series with a driver from PCB Components or Task LED
https://www.led-tech.de/de/High-Pow...XM-L2-U3-auf-Rundplatine-LT-2673_120_117.html
https://pcb-components.de/led-aufwa...d-senser-xtreme-200-2050ma-6v-30v-detail.html

Or a single XHp70, you can get up to 4000lumen.
Using the 6v version and a buck-driver from the 12v to the 6v, but you need 5A. an option is this driver, I have one but never tried it :(
https://pcb-components.de/led-abwae.../ampere-5000ma-oder-9000ma-7v-25v-detail.html

Expensive drivers, but top german quality.
About the modes I have no idea. I think this 2 drivers have the possibility of using PWM
Cheers
 

jspeybro

Enlightened
Joined
Aug 13, 2009
Messages
586
Location
Belgium
Hi, I have an older GreenForce Tristar light head that I'm looking to replace the LEDs in order to get a little more light from it. The battery pack is 12V 4500mAh
The inner diameter of the head is about 45mm

Does anyone have any good ideas about the LEDs and drivers I can or should be using for best results.
Maybe a driver with 2 modes, 100% and 50%?
It is the first time I modify a lamp so I'm a bit novice
Thanks //Jocke

Hi,

I have upgraded several of these heads, but there are many different variations of this head. Posting a picture of the head might help.
If you search with my username you can probably find some examples of what I've done with them.
It's been a while since I did an upgrade, so I'm not up to date with the latest LEDs, but the upgrade I liked the most (and my fellow divers as well) was a setup using 4 cree XPG (probably the newer variants work too) in combination with a 16mm LLS12N lens from gagionne:
https://www.led-tech.de/en/High-Pow...m--XP-G,-XB-D,-OSLON...--LT-1820_106_122.html

As a driver, I used a simple AMC7135 driver with 1.5A (4*380mA) output where only 1 LED is connected to the output of the driver and the 3 other leds are put in series with the driver so you can drive this driver off a 12V battery pack. probably, the newer LEDs can be driven harder (5x or 6x AMC7135?) but I would add a temperature switch to protect against high temperature when used outside the water.
This driver setup is a bit odd, you can find more about it here:http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?201392-Poorman-Mutli-Lux-setup-method
the setup I used is similar to the 3x P7 (first option), but with only 2 LEDs in series with the driver, the AMC chips overheat when the pack is fully charged.

There are AMC7135 drivers available with 2 modes (or where you can select the available modes by soldering a bridge somewhere), which is also my prefered setup. I hate the strobing/sos modes, really anoying.
This may not be the highest output you get these days (compared to triple cree XML2) , but gives a very nice light distribution with a nice penetrating hotspot but still a reasonable spill around it. The advantage of the XPG is the small chip which is easier to control by the lens.
We have been using this setup in murky Dutch waters and some used it extensively in cave diving as well.
This setup fits in the MR16 halogen version of greenforce, so I'm not sure if this fits in the tristar head from greenforce. Given your inner diameter of 45mm, I guess it should work.
most dificult part is getting the correct heatsink, you will need a lath for this.

I have also found this page to be very usefull to figure out what I can fit inside a certain diameter:
http://hydra.nat.uni-magdeburg.de/packing/cci/d1.html
You can find here that the ratio for 4 circles in a bigger circle is about 2.4 so given the 18.61mm size of the gagionne optic, this should fit: 18.61*2.4142=44.93<45mm.

so if you find a different lens to try out, multiply its diameter with the ratio mentionned for a certain number of circles (3 for example) and you get the minimum inside diameter that you will need for it.

Regards,
Johan

edit: by the way, do you happen to speak Dutch?
 

Jocke

Newly Enlightened
Joined
Nov 3, 2016
Messages
2
Hello and thanks for the replies. Ihaven´t had so much time lately to put my self into it.
But hopefully i will have it soon, i will take a pic on the lamp head and post soon. Sorry but i don´t speak Dutch

Happy New Dive year

Best regards Jocke
 
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