Dual MCE with Iris Optics - with beamshots!

tiny68300 · 06-21-2009

Some discussion as to the best optics for MCE emitters, so I thought I'd add mine to the mix. I got all excited by troutie's comparison beam shots, so I ordered some ledil iris optics from cutter and went at it.

Here is is the end result:

completed mce and iris head.jpg

trike with dual mce head 3.jpg

(I am a 'triker' now, alas my mt bike hurts way to much to ride much anymore

- hope no one is offended)

The head is all aluminum - 1.5" ID tube, with the MCE stars mounted on a 3/4" thick aluminum slug cut from 1.5" rod. The slugs fit very tight for good heat transfer, but with so much alumimum mass the light does not heat up much.

Painted gloss black with automotive paint

Head dimensions are 94mm wide by 65mm long (sorry for mixing metrics with American). While larger than many lights, it is by far the easiest and most rugged head I have built yet. The optics fit very nicely.

And the iris optics are terrific with the MCE - no more doughnut!

(working on beamshots)

This is my fifth diy build, here is the previous MCE, with DX 26.5mm reflectors. Worked much better than the ledil square lenses or boom reflectors as far a throw and pattern, but still left a dark doughnut center. The Iris is far better

roel · 06-22-2009

Beamshots pls, what about its runtime? What battery are you running?

tiny68300 · 06-22-2009

still working on beamshot, have been way busy with work. I am running a 14.8v 5700 mAh LiPo battery from batteryspace. So far, I have only run it two hours, used up about half the battery life, so I would guess about 4 hours on high.

troutie-mtb · 06-22-2009

I likey
need some good beamshots should be awesome

tiny68300 · 06-22-2009

Sorry so long to wait. I took these at the MTBR settings of f 4.0 for 6 seconds, then when I got home I realized they were at ISO 60.

Doh! But not too bad. For comparisons, with my 10 yr old son out 50 or so yards down the trail. Trail is 8 feet wide

Fenix L2D (Cree Q5) on high:
matt at 50 yards fenix l2d on high q5.jpg

Dual XRE R2 headlamp with Ledil CM SS optics, 1 amp buckpuck on high
Matt at 50 yards dual q5 on high.jpg

Dual MCE, Iris optics, maxflex driver on medium high
matt at 50 yard mce on medium.jpg

Dual MCE, Iris optics, maxflex driver on high
Matt at 50 yards dual mce on high.jpg

I will try again at ISO 100 for better comparison with other beamshots, but that's tomorrow.

troutie-mtb · 06-22-2009

Cheers Tiny

There cool but 10 year old son now needs a white stick and guide dog
od did he have welding goggles on.

I never thought I would be saying this about a MCE light but there is no spill .it is all throw.
I like the Iris .that is a killer road light I hope you can dip it down for aliens coming the other way .

tiny68300 · 06-22-2009

Thanks troutie, that means something coming from you.

My son is young, he will recover someday...

The Iris is awesome for the MCE - it is a whole different emitter with that optic; smooth and will some spill but not the amorphous flood monster anymore. This is my fourth or fifth MCE build, and the first I am truly pleased with. And yes, the maxflex allows me to keep friends and neighbors as friends and neighbors....

Cat-man-do · 06-23-2009

Quote:

Originally Posted by tiny68300

I took these at the MTBR settings of f 4.0 for 6 seconds, then when I got home I realized they were at ISO 60.

Doh! But not too bad. For comparisons, with my 10 yr old son out 50 or so yards down the trail. Trail is 8 feet wide.....
...I will try again at ISO 100 for better comparison with other beamshots, but that's tomorrow.

I wasn't real impressed with the photos. All of the lights looked too blue for some reason, including the dual MCE. You also need a more uniform surface so us viewers can see how well the throw is. If you notice, there is a discernable dip a good ways out that is throwing one heck of a shadow down the trail. Notice how the shadow cuts off your sons legs. Blindness is one thing but a boy needs some legs.

A quick question: did you keep the light on the trike when you took the photos? If so I think most people would rather see what it can do at normal Handlebar level. Anyway, I must be spoiled by the awesomeness of the Trout light photos. Hopefully the next photo shoot will have whiter looking lights...nice build with the MCE's though....Oh look, I made your son smile >

tiny68300 · 06-23-2009

I wasn't real impressed with the photos. All of the lights looked too blue for some reason, including the dual MCE. You also need a more uniform surface so us viewers can see how well the throw is. If you notice, there is a discernable dip a good ways out that is throwing one heck of a shadow down the trail. Notice how the shadow cuts off your sons legs. Blindness is one thing but a boy needs some legs. A quick question: did you keep the light on the trike when you took the photos? If so I think most people would rather see what it can do at normal Handlebar level. Anyway, I must be spoiled by the awesomeness of the Trout light photos. Hopefully the next photo shoot will have whiter looking lights...nice build with the MCE's though....Oh look, I made your son smile >

Why can't I quote message in reply? puzzling...

Ya, I too was none to happy with the blue, but I think it had something to do with the ISO setting being too low.

I did put all lights at the trike level; maybe, just maybe I will raise them to a more normal level....or maybe not.

yetibetty · 06-23-2009

tiny, just set the white ballance to daylight and you will get the true colour of the scene.

I hope you bought Matt some sweets for going blind

tiny68300 · 06-23-2009

Quote:

tiny, just set the white ballance to daylight and you will get the true colour of the scene.

I hope you bought Matt some sweets for going blind

Hey, I think I'll try that, yeti. Thanks
Matt is already a sweet kid, I think I'd best get him some new legos.

Turveyd · 06-24-2009

Hmmmm, whats that beam pattern like at head height ie helmet mounted please ??

Looking like perfect optics for a single MC-E mounted on your head, would they fit in my torch ?? 34.5mmx@26mm's I think.

Where do I get please ??

What I want is Sylva L1 ( anyone else ride with that, 2 mates still are ) output pattern maybe 30% wider as efficent, but 700Lumens not 80 and I'd be very happy

troutie-mtb · 06-24-2009

Quote:

Originally Posted by Turveyd

Hmmmm, whats that beam pattern like at head height ie helmet mounted please ??

Looking like perfect optics for a single MC-E mounted on your head, would they fit in my torch ?? 34.5mmx@26mm's I think.

Where do I get please ??

What I want is Sylva L1 ( anyone else ride with that, 2 mates still are ) output pattern maybe 30% wider as efficent, but 700Lumens not 80 and I'd be very happy

It would make a great helmet light imho I used to have a silva L1 and it was a good light

Bram s group buy on CPF has the Iris optic.

and here is a beamshot pic just to remind you of the beam .

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Turveyd · 06-25-2009

I think most of us LED people started off with the bargain basement L1, I had the LX on order for 8months or something stupid, they'd lost the fancy optics I ended up putting the rechargeable battery pack onto the L1, which a mate still uses today.

Is that a single MC-E ?? if so that'd be PERFECT for single MC-E helmet useage.

troutie-mtb · 06-25-2009

Quote:

Originally Posted by Turveyd

I think most of us LED people started off with the bargain basement L1, I had the LX on order for 8months or something stupid, they'd lost the fancy optics I ended up putting the rechargeable battery pack onto the L1, which a mate still uses today.

Is that a single MC-E ?? if so that'd be PERFECT for single MC-E helmet useage.

Yes it is just one MCE and Iris . for me it is the best optic out there for the mce.
I am just building a quad XPE R2 for someone and will be going head to head with the mcc/iris combo to see if after 2 years we have made any progress.

}SkOrPn--7 · 06-25-2009

@tiny68300 great set-up and nice light but since looking over your rig I noticed you have a Topeak BarXtender have you had any issues with it becoming loose or the clamp failing? Is it as good as it looks and are you happy with it? Thanks sorry for being OT but your the first I have seen that has one in use.

tiny68300 · 06-25-2009

Quote:

Originally Posted by troutie-mtb

Yes it is just one MCE and Iris . for me it is the best optic out there for the mce.
I am just building a quad XPE R2 for someone and will be going head to head with the mcc/iris combo to see if after 2 years we have made any progress.

I know you have been at this longer than I, but I have moved from a Planet Bike Blinky (single 5mm led) to my new dual MCE/Iris in about six months - that's real progress!!

That being said, I can't wait to see how your new quad works out. I am prepping for something similar, but waiting till the XP-G's come out

I got my Iris's from Cutter, very quick these days.

tiny68300 · 06-25-2009

Quote:

Originally Posted by }SkOrPn--7

@tiny68300 great set-up and nice light but since looking over your rig I noticed you have a Topeak BarXtender have you had any issues with it becoming loose or the clamp failing? Is it as good as it looks and are you happy with it? Thanks sorry for being OT but your the first I have seen that has one in use.

I like the Topeak - I put a Minora on my wife's bike, and it is a pain to get on or off, and is fragile. The Topeak works quite well and has never come loose, well, never as long as I don't try to use it for a handle...that biff I will remember for some time....

I used to have two mounted, the second for lights, till I built that custom mount

unterhausen · 06-25-2009

Quote:

Originally Posted by troutie-mtb

Bram s group buy on CPF has the Iris optic.

.

edit: never mind, found it
can someone post of pm me a link to the group buy? I'm not smart enough to figure out the organization of CPF

troutie-mtb · 06-25-2009

HERE IT IS ANYWAYS

Turveyd · 06-25-2009

Sweet, will order a IRIS after I've tried out my modified MTE Standard torch reflector ( no doughnut, actually just had a pack of 5 but yeah )

The Fraen Reflector was below standard output level and a crap beam, strange

Turveyd · 06-25-2009

Found it and it's too big for my torch upgrade

, when / if I ever have any spare cash I'll order some fancy Twin MC-E IRIS Headtorch Troutie!!

Quite fancy 2 x XP-G Torches for head use when available to.

}SkOrPn--7 · 06-25-2009

tiny68300 thanks bud appreciate the feed back.