My powerful LED spotlight has a highly focused beam and I would like to make it more like a floodlight by changing the reflector (or however). Hopefully the light can be projected as a uniform spot at roughly 20° or 25°. Any experiences, ideas, or references would be appreciated.
Thanks.
You could try moving the light source a different distance on the axis through the center of the reflector. If your device is using a lens then you may have to change or adjust it.
Tom
The basic idea is to move the LED away from the focal point of the beam focussing device (whether lens or parabolic reflector). When the LED is at its focus, all rays from the LED are projected as parallel straight lines in front of it. You can spread out the beam by moving the LED off-focus.
You can also place a diffuser in front of the reflector, as is done with car headlights, to scatter the focussed beam.
Go buy some stainless steel cookware bowls and use those for reflectors!
If it's a small flashlight/torch stick some crumpled Al foil around the the reflector to de-focus it. A f/ight is hardly a precise scientific device. If the bulb cannot be relocated easily bend or deform the reflector to get a 'patchy' reflection of the light from it. It's rather ironic that an LED famed for its small brilliant (point source) of light is not doing the job since the OP needs a more 'floodlight' or broadly spread light!
Incandescent bulbs send light in all directions (well, except for the socket side), so a reflector helps to narrow that, and direct it in the direction you want.
An LED puts the light in a fairly concentrated area to begin with. A=20 reflector is less likely to be useful, because there's not much incidental= =20 light to redirect.
I'm assuming one reason for multiple LEDs is to make the beam of light wider.
I suspect the way to change things is to have the LEDs aimed at the=20 reflector and then the reflector can spread the light coming straight on from the LEDs (and the only light from the LEDs) into a wider angle.
Michael
So does a Cree XLamp XR-E. Years ago I played with many different types of LEDs, and I vaguely recall clear (undiffused) white LEDs throwing light forwards, but these do not.
-- thanks to the replies
...
Thanks, there are some lenses at Digi-Key that fit my application, made by Ledil (like the FA10306_CRS-O or FA10328_CRS-SS or others).
Bought some 14° spotlight and 12° by 48° oval lenses. Looks good.
-- thanks to the replies
Tell us how they work out.
ElectronDepot website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.