Bump in the Night

[Sable]

Mac sells "The Torch" for about 240USD when you can get ahold of them - I traded another light I had for this one with a feller from the UK.

Unfortunately, LEDs to make up 4100lm would be...even more expensive, and take a hell of a lot of time.

The higest-performing LEDs out there can produce ~100lm/watt of input power, and that's using the very best ones - each single LED can cost 5-6 bucks. These are NOT the kind you find in almost any other LED application commonly; the 5mm units in penlights and keychain lights are bright, but they are not these kind. I have a light the length of my finger using one of these suckers that produces more light than a 4D Mag Lite.

On the other hand, that 100lm/watt figure drops sharply after 1w of input power - almost all power LEDs can be driven to 3w or more, but at 3w instead of seeing 300lm from the emitter, you're lucky to have a theoretical maximum of 240lm. Unfortunately, due to the LED becoming less efficient as it gets hotter, you do have to sink the hell out of the die and there IS a limit to how fast heat will move through the back of a copper slug the size of the ball on the end of a stick pin. Realistically your output per diode would be, after accounting for heat and optical losses (Assuming you are using a reflector as these have 180 degree radiation cones, in general), 160-180lm per diode.

On top of this, power LEDs like to be driven in series, not parallel, in multi-unit arrays. The forward voltage of these LEDs is generally in the area of 3.5v - so if we multiply that by 40 (This is less realistic than it sounds, proper design would dictate multiple strings of series diodes, with the strings wired in parallel), we have an inordinately high-voltage power supply. On the plus side, 1w of input power is generally about 350mA, so we're almost at parity.

Further, to avoid frying the diodes, you want some kind of current regulating driver - I don't know of ANY that could handle that kind of load. You couldn't just wire the pack up to a battery - well, you could but you run the very real risk of frying your very expensive array. The soldering is ridiculously fiddly, too.

For many lighting tasks that take place in the near field, LEDs rock hard. They are more efficient and brighter at low power than anything else - my 3w LED light is brighter than a huge Mag. Surefire makes a business out of power LED driven lights, especially the new devices from Cree and Lumileds. They have a more limited colour rendering ability, but that often doesn't matter when all you want is some light.

But for big power, big throw, and big lumens, nothing beats gas-discharge lamps (HID headlamps, for example) and high-temperature incandescent lamps (Like The Torch). LEDs may make it there someday, but no light-emitting diode can crank thousands of lumens out of a single die.

Er, this is way off-topic. I'll start a thread in General Discussion when I'm done cooking.

[Lavos]

SHUT
THE
FUCK
UP

[robothero]

And you other guys, Grahm told us to stop. So stop.

I very seriously doubt the thread is going to devolve into a debate over the use of lethal walrus.

[Sable]

SHUT
THE
FUCK
UP

NEVER

[Yukikaze]

SHUT
THE
FUCK
UP

How about no. I find it fascinating.

But then, I've got a light fetish. And a paper fetish. You give me luminous paper, and I don't know what I'd do.

[Cake]

Also, an ice cube fetish?

[Yukikaze]

Also, an ice cube fetish?

No. That was totally different.

What would be the point of sticking light up your bum, anyway?

[Cake]

Jack-o-lantern?

[Ishamel]

I agree with Lavos...this is faaaar too weird.....

[Sable]

Agreeing with Lavos is bad for your health, you know.

[tak197]

And you other guys, Grahm told us to stop. So stop.

And I'm sure he also told us that he spells his name with TWO "a"s.

Not being an asshole, I just realized that it was misspelled.

[Lord Chrusher]

I agree with Lavos...this is faaaar too weird.....

The is a series of tests one must do if you agree with Lavos covering infectious disease and mental health among other things.

[Yukikaze]

And you other guys, Grahm told us to stop. So stop.

And I'm sure he also told us that he spells his name with TWO "a"s.

Not being an asshole, I just realized that it was misspelled.

Ah. I missed that.

So Graham spells his naham with two "A"s?

(hey, it was better than the obvious, and doubtless over-used pun comparing him to a food product!)

[The Pious Flea]

Video idea:

The new, low-power fluorescent lighting is always calling Graham's name. ("Grahmmmmmmmmm")

[tak197]

I am not complaining about this, but it is getting late and the video isn't up yet. Is the awesomeness factor and the anniversary factor causing things to need more editing and Revver approval? If so, then I will wait excitedly.

[The Pious Flea]

It's awesome! It's awesome beyond belief!

[DrVonTrap]

the whole file's just disaperared! the flash, the quicktime and the download WHERE'D IT GO!

[Lyinginbedmon]

the whole file's just disaperared! the flash, the quicktime and the download WHERE'D IT GO!

You're beginning to get annoying, if you're going to post the same stuff in multiple threads at least vary the presentation slightly.

The older videos are out because they are hosted by Revver, which is extremely problematic at the moment. They are in the process of being hosted elsewhere, such as youTube and Blip.tv.

[Mae Aloril]

I must admit I'm rather surprised. Not once did anyone comment on the fact that for at least 30 seconds we get a fairly good impression of what I can only assume is Paul's "O" face. Not that I mind of course. ::quietly saves the file:: ^_^