Gloworm X1 - Single LED Light System

[texas]

....And speaking of suitable: Are you going to offer a medium optic for people who might think the beam pattern too narrow
:

I think this is answered in post that starts the thread " The kit will include 3 interchangable optics: Flood, Spot, Super Spot. " .

[mdemm]

The X1 is looking good Gloworm... From what I can tell, based on the pictures you've posted. Does one need a spanner wrench (remove inner retaining ring) to change / swap the optic's ???

[neninja]

I am looking for a lighthead with a diameter around 2 cm and a big output.

It would be a nice idea but a light that small will have issues that will stop it from achieving the 'big output'.

You can't run the emitter as hard in a package that small due to heat so you would never be able to get close to the 850 lumens of the X1 without it's heat protection kicking in all the time.

Smaller optics are harder to get a tight controlled beam pattern and generally have less efficiency. The bigger the optic the higher the efficiency and the tighter the beam.

From my perspective the X1 seems to be a great balance between lightweight/small size and power/beam quality.

[roadrider1]

Regarding the 'power indicator on the light' - the X1 does not have one. Cheers

Bruce
Gloworm

How about the battery pack? Does the 2-cell battery pack have LED's showing remaining charge like the 4-cell battery pack on the X2?

[Gloworm Manufacture]

How about the battery pack? Does the 2-cell battery pack have LED's showing remaining charge like the 4-cell battery pack on the X2?

Yes, the battery does have indicators for battery level. Pics to follow early next week

Bruce
Gloworm

[Gloworm Manufacture]

The X1 is looking good Gloworm... From what I can tell, based on the pictures you've posted. Does one need a spanner wrench (remove inner retaining ring) to change / swap the optic's ???

Hey, a spanner wrench will work - however we will be providing a small tool to do the job for you.

Cheers

Bruce
Gloworm

[Nothing's impossible]

neninja,

I could live with real 450 lumen if it fitted ;-)

The heat: In general I don't need a lot of light when I'm standing still, and one moving there will be enough airflow.

I am also not fond of tight beams anymore, in the low lumen era throw was important but now, any descent flood throws farther than I need to see for mountainbiking, a wide bright flood allows me to see where I need to see!

The lower efficiency? Why?

[pucked up]

Any word on what the max input voltage is?

[neninja]

neninja,
The lower efficiency? Why?

I'm afraid I'm not an optic designer/optical physicist so I don't know why smaller optics appear to be less efficient. It's just something I've noticed when looking at optic data sheets.

[M6TTF]

It sounds perfect for me - throw is high on the priority list for me as I want to be able to ride at daytime speeds descending at 25mph in the pitch dark needs lots of light on rocky trails !

[NitroRC Ed]

Hi All,

@Nitro - we'll set some aside for you mate! You're going to love the CNC goodness!

I'd like to get one of the new lights but would also like to piggyback a couple of the new CNC mounts. Is there a way to add them to the order and maybe save a bit on shipping?

Thanks,
Ed

[Nothing's impossible]

Neninja,
If you have a "dirty" lens, a bigger optic will less suffer from these artefacts, if you succeed in producing clean lenses size doesn't matter anymore.
But clean lenses are expensive.

In the old days, with bulbs shining all around, a reflector was needed to focus the beam, a bigger reflector becomes less hot so it can be made out of plastics instead of glass and big reflectors allow some small defficiencies.

So it's more a matter of cost then size!

About the numbers given by producers about the efficiency?
I think some tend to exagerate quite a bit ;-)

M6TTF,
About more throw: in the beamshot you see the treeline a 70 meters pretty clear, and you'd be able to see big obstackles even a bit further, so at 25 mph (11 meters/ second) it would take you 6 seconds to reach the treeline, time enough i'd say?

With a tight spot, you see objects further away, but you 'll need to follow them with your tight spot, as your head is verry slow you tend to follow obstacles instead of looking for the way out or looking ahead for new obstackles!

With a flood on the helmet combined with a flood on the bars you see objects far enough, but you don't need to point you head to follow the obstacle, small eyejumps and periferic vision are enough to follow the object, you can use the light and your eyes to scan for the way around the obstackle and new obstacles far away!

[znomit]

Bruce is the beam tight enough to vaporise volcanic ash and if so can I get my hands on one for riding around lake Taupo this friday night?

[Gloworm Manufacture]

I'd like to get one of the new lights but would also like to piggyback a couple of the new CNC mounts. Is there a way to add them to the order and maybe save a bit on shipping?

Thanks,
Ed

Hey Ed, we'll see what we can do. We'll perhaps put the QR mounts on presale too soon

@pucked up - yes 11.1v is fine. The board has a max voltage of 16v. However the efficiency is reduced at higher V.

Cheers

Bruce
Gloworm

[Gloworm Manufacture]

Bruce is the beam tight enough to vaporise volcanic ash and if so can I get my hands on one for riding around lake Taupo this friday night?

[M6TTF]

Thanks for the info chaps, very informative. What is the variation between the 3 supplied optics then? Very focused through to quite floody?

I'll be ordering one regardless

[Xtyling]

Is the charger for the for the X1 auto volt (100-240volt) or specific for each country.. USA 110v, etc.

[neninja]

Is the charger for the for the X1 auto volt (100-240volt) or specific for each country.. USA 110v, etc.

100-240V according to the UK one. The pins will be specific to region though.

[Vancbiker]

Neninja,
If you have a "dirty" lens, a bigger optic will less suffer from these artefacts, if you succeed in producing clean lenses size doesn't matter anymore.
But clean lenses are expensive.

I'm no optic engineer as well, but this is how it was explained to me.

A small optic or reflector has a focal point that is a tiny spot. If the light source is equally tiny and positioned at the designed focal point, it will gather all the light and direct it in the manner that the optic was designed. Since the light source is larger than the tiny focal point, some of the light is not gathered and directed perfectly. This light becomes the "spill". The larger reflector or optic can have a larger focal point and gather more of the light and direct it as the designer intended.

Right or wrong, I don't know for sure. It sounded good anyway.

With a flood on the helmet combined with a flood on the bars you see objects far enough, but you don't need to point you head to follow the obstacle, small eyejumps and periferic vision are enough to follow the object, you can use the light and your eyes to scan for the way around the obstackle and new obstacles far away!

For my preference I'll take a spot beam on the helmet and a nearly spot beam on the bars. I find a floody beam to generate weird shadows that my peripheral vision catches. I find those shadows to be distracting so have worked to just light up the trail ahead and not to the sides.

[Nothing's impossible]

Vancbiker, I am not an optical engineer, I even doubt there is such a thing as an optic ingenieer, but I guess it depends on what you define as efficient:

For me efficiency of the optics is the amount of lumen produced by the source vs the actual OTF output, wheter it is spill or spot has nothing to do with it. No optics at all in high vacuum = 100% efficient.

Spot or nearly spot or flood is also matter of defintion, some call 22° a spot, some call it already a flood!
For me 22° is already ok, if there is some spill left!

To brigth spots tend to dance to much if the fork is working.

[Gloworm Manufacture]

Thanks for the info chaps, very informative. What is the variation between the 3 supplied optics then? Very focused through to quite floody?

I'll be ordering one regardless

@M6TTF - The range of optics will be Flood, Spot and Super Spot. These will be described better with the beam shots this weekend however here is a brief rundown:

Flood - smooth diffused beam, quite wide (wall of light).
Spot - Definitely a spot beam with some spill for peripheral
Super Spot - Minimal spill, low beam angle (appx 6 deg)

@Xtyling - The chargers are 'auto volt' and you choose your region when you order your light.

Cheers All

Bruce
Gloworm

[NitroRC Ed]

Been trying since yesterday to get onto your website to see about placing a pre-order but i keep getting the dreaded 'Internet Explorer cannot display the webpage'

I've tried two different locations and 3 different computers.... Anyone else having issues??

I was going to try and get an order in as well as see if the new mounts were up for pre-order yet......

Ed

[pucked up]

This light sounds so amazing!!

Please let there be Black Friday Deals!!!!

[Gloworm Manufacture]

@Nitro - Just checked the site....all seems to be fine from the back end and from my Internet Explorer........

QR Mounts will be put up tonight (10hrs time)

Bruce
Gloworm

Been trying since yesterday to get onto your website to see about placing a pre-order but i keep getting the dreaded 'Internet Explorer cannot display the webpage'

I've tried two different locations and 3 different computers.... Anyone else having issues??

I was going to try and get an order in as well as see if the new mounts were up for pre-order yet......

Ed

[severum_69]

Been trying since yesterday to get onto your website to see about placing a pre-order but i keep getting the dreaded 'Internet Explorer cannot display the webpage'

I've tried two different locations and 3 different computers.... Anyone else having issues??

I was going to try and get an order in as well as see if the new mounts were up for pre-order yet......

Ed

Hello,

I have the same problem.I don't find where to place a pre-order in your site