Side emitting LEDs - Electronic Circuits Projects Diagrams Free

zachtheterrible · 10th October 2005, 10:59 PM

Anybody know where to get side emitting LEDs for cheap? I cannot find anywhere! Everywhere I look at is either rediculously exppensive or is out of them :x

I want to try them out with my 1W LED maglite.

williB · 11th October 2005, 12:01 AM

Why side emitting?

zachtheterrible · 11th October 2005, 02:36 AM

Take a look at this picture of the datasheet. On the top is lambertian. Bottom side emitting. Side emitting puts most of it's light to the sides, or in my case, into the reflector of my maglite. Lambertian puts some of it's light into the reflector, but most of it just shoots straight out of the maglite. I want a SPOTLIGHT :lol:

audioguru · 11th October 2005, 04:01 AM

Won't it be a nightmare to adjust the position of a side-emitting LED to be in the focal point of the reflector? Does the reflector move back and forth in a Maglite when you turn its end? Then it will be fine.
I think a focussed LED is better (without needing a reflector), but its extra length probably won't fit into a flashlight.

mstechca · 11th October 2005, 02:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by zachtheterrible

Anybody know where to get side emitting LEDs for cheap? I cannot find anywhere! Everywhere I look at is either rediculously exppensive or is out of them :x

I want to try them out with my 1W LED maglite.

side emitting?
I never heard of it before.

Why not just get a normal LED and turn it on it's side? :wink:

williB · 11th October 2005, 04:28 PM

cool so the light pops out the side of the LED , sort of like an incandescent bulb, and gets reflected off the reflecter..

audioguru · 11th October 2005, 06:00 PM

Hey Zach,
Look what the Brits can buy! It's a wide-angle 1W LED mounted on a TO-220 package for easy heatsinking.
It even has a built-in reverse-connected rectifier to operate it from AC.
http://www.maplin.co.uk/Media/PDFs/Module%2047399.pdf

Someone Electro · 11th October 2005, 07:05 PM

WOW thats just so cool.

williB · 11th October 2005, 07:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by zachtheterrible

Take a look at this picture of the datasheet. On the top is lambertian. Bottom side emitting. Side emitting puts most of it's light to the sides, or in my case, into the reflector of my maglite. Lambertian puts some of it's light into the reflector, but most of it just shoots straight out of the maglite. I want a SPOTLIGHT :lol:

i wonder how they do that ,acording to the graph there is nothing ,well not much , coming out the front of the LED. ?
I wonder if they embed a little reflector in the plastic ..

audioguru · 11th October 2005, 07:14 PM

'ow do day do dat? Maybe they are expensive because they use a diamond as a reflector.
My ordinary LEDs have some light coming out their rear. Their designers haven't thought about putting a reflector behind the chip. Ordinary tin-foil will work.

williB · 11th October 2005, 07:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by audioguru

'ow do day do dat? Maybe they are expensive because they use a diamond as a reflector.
My ordinary LEDs have some light coming out their rear. Their designers haven't thought about putting a reflector behind the chip. Ordinary tin-foil will work.

i've noticed that , and it allways bugged me that all those photons , going out the back , are wasted.. :lol:

audioguru · 11th October 2005, 08:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by williB

i've noticed that , and it allways bugged me that all those photons , going out the back , are wasted.. :lol:

If a rear reflector had exactly the correct spacing to keep the photons' frequency in phase, it would be a laser, wouldn't it?

zachtheterrible · 12th October 2005, 01:45 AM

Well, it's actually pretty easy to adjust to the right focal point audio. It's impossible to adjust the focal point on the maglite with an LED, so I just grind down the back of the maglite reflector until it is at the right focal point with my LED :lol: . Then I just take some steel wire and tighten the LED to the reflector. Tried hot glue without thinking teh first time, only to have it melt :shock:

Hmmmm, optics, I'm going to look into some optics. By removing the reflector (since I won't need it anymore) I would imagine it would give me loads of room for optics. i'll get back to you guys on that. BTW, I found a really cheap place to buy 1W LEDs:
http://www.quickar.com/lux.php

BTW, can I in the USA order from maplin without emptying my savings account?

Oznog · 12th October 2005, 04:06 AM

You didn't forget about Lumileds, did you?

Side emitting 1W whites, $5.95, 3W $8.50:
http://www.lumileds.com/products/family.cfm?familyId=1

zachtheterrible · 12th October 2005, 06:50 AM

Hey Oznog, funny, I decided to check them right before coming to this forum. I thought that they would be expensive, but it turns out they're the cheapest I can find, with the best selection :lol: . I looked at them one time before and the LEDs were much more expensive, but I guess that was because they were JUST emerging. I just wish that they had optics :cry:

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10th October 2005, 10:59 PM	(permalink)
zachtheterrible	Side emitting LEDs Anybody know where to get side emitting LEDs for cheap? I cannot find anywhere! Everywhere I look at is either rediculously exppensive or is out of them :x I want to try them out with my 1W LED maglite. __________________ I'm no electronics god, i just talk too much.

11th October 2005, 12:01 AM	(permalink)
williB	Why side emitting?

11th October 2005, 04:01 AM	(permalink)
audioguru	Won't it be a nightmare to adjust the position of a side-emitting LED to be in the focal point of the reflector? Does the reflector move back and forth in a Maglite when you turn its end? Then it will be fine. I think a focussed LED is better (without needing a reflector), but its extra length probably won't fit into a flashlight. __________________ Uncle $crooge

11th October 2005, 04:28 PM	(permalink)
williB	cool so the light pops out the side of the LED , sort of like an incandescent bulb, and gets reflected off the reflecter..

11th October 2005, 07:05 PM	(permalink)
Someone Electro	WOW thats just so cool. __________________ Il give you shocking experience.

11th October 2005, 07:14 PM	(permalink)
audioguru	'ow do day do dat? Maybe they are expensive because they use a diamond as a reflector. My ordinary LEDs have some light coming out their rear. Their designers haven't thought about putting a reflector behind the chip. Ordinary tin-foil will work. __________________ Uncle $crooge

12th October 2005, 01:45 AM	(permalink)
zachtheterrible	Well, it's actually pretty easy to adjust to the right focal point audio. It's impossible to adjust the focal point on the maglite with an LED, so I just grind down the back of the maglite reflector until it is at the right focal point with my LED :lol: . Then I just take some steel wire and tighten the LED to the reflector. Tried hot glue without thinking teh first time, only to have it melt :shock: Hmmmm, optics, I'm going to look into some optics. By removing the reflector (since I won't need it anymore) I would imagine it would give me loads of room for optics. i'll get back to you guys on that. BTW, I found a really cheap place to buy 1W LEDs: http://www.quickar.com/lux.php BTW, can I in the USA order from maplin without emptying my savings account? __________________ I'm no electronics god, i just talk too much.

12th October 2005, 04:06 AM	(permalink)
Oznog	You didn't forget about Lumileds, did you? Side emitting 1W whites, $5.95, 3W $8.50: http://www.lumileds.com/products/family.cfm?familyId=1 __________________ I thought what I'd do was I'd pretend I was one of those deaf-mutes.

12th October 2005, 06:50 AM	(permalink)
zachtheterrible	Hey Oznog, funny, I decided to check them right before coming to this forum. I thought that they would be expensive, but it turns out they're the cheapest I can find, with the best selection :lol: . I looked at them one time before and the LEDs were much more expensive, but I guess that was because they were JUST emerging. I just wish that they had optics :cry: __________________ I'm no electronics god, i just talk too much.