Beamshot Slide Show: Spark VS other common Lights
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This is not a Spark beamshot, it shows the location we are shooting with the help of the floodlights on the back of our Delica Van and the Nitecore EA4. At the start of the footbridge rails the reflector vest is at 100m. The trees behind the bridge are about 150m. There are 2 running shoes with reflectors on them on the ground at 25 amd 50m.
This photo is used to set a benchmark for reference at 860 lumens from the Nitecore EA4 flashlight in their neutral white version.
Nitecore EA4 at 550lm.
Nitecore EA4 at 65lm. This is the lowest this flashlight will do.
The Spark ST6-NW at 460lm. Battery: unprotected GP Li-Ion 18650. Note the penumbra of the spill illuminating the trees around the warm tint hot spot which is similar to the SX5.
ST-6 NW on Max mode at 200lm. Although 260lm lesss than Super mode, still illuminating the trees.
The SD6-NW with the 80 degree spot lens on Super mode at 460lm.This configuration has a floody spot beam with no spill crenulation and maximum penumbra luminosity.
The SD6-NW with the default 120 degree flood lens on Super mode at 460lm.
The SD6-NW with the 80 degree spot lens on Max mode at 200lm. Max mode is very similar to Super mode for throw and wide area illumination.
The SD6-NW with the default 120 degree flood lens on Max mode at 200lm.
The Spark SD52-NW with spot lens at 460lm with 1 LiFePO4 AA cell and 1 dummy cell.
The Spark SD52-NW with spot lens at 460lm with 2 LiFePO4 AA cells. Here, the addition of a second LiFePO4 AA cell gives additional Lumens and more runtime (1.75hrs).
The Spark SD52-NW with spot lens at Super mode with 2 NiMh LSD Recyko cells.Because they only provide 2.4v nominal, the NiMh cells do not provide as much in terms of Lumen output but their higher mAh capacity results in longer runtime.
The Spark SD52-NW with 120 degree flood lens at 460lm with 1 LiFePO4 AA cell and 1 dummy cell.
The Spark SD52-NW with 120 degree flood lens on Max mode at 200lm with 2 LiFePO4 AA cells.
The Spark SD52-NW with spot lens on Max mode at 200lm with 1 LiFePO4 AA cell and 1 dummy cell.
The Spark SD52-NW with spot lens on Max mode at 200lm with 2 LiFePO4 AA cells. Again the addition of the second LiFePO4 cell instead of the dummy cell results in more Lumen output.
The Spark SD52-NW with spot lens on Max mode near 200lm with 2 NiMh LSD Recyko cells. Because Max mode requires less current the lower voltage of the NiMh cells can drive the emitter almost as bright as the previous 2 LiFePO4 cells.
The Spark SD73-NW with spot lens at 460lm with 2 LiFePO4 AAA cells and 1 dummy cell. We did not include a beamshot with 3 AAA NiMH LSD cells because it is almost as bright using either configuration. We wanted to try the SD73 with 2 LiFePO4 AAA cells to see if the circuit would work. This is accomplished by placing the dummy cell in one of the two '-' channels, and then the 2 remaining live cells into the channels as marked accordingly.
The Spark SD73-NW with 120 degree flood lens on Super mode at 460lm with 2 LiFePO4 AAA cells and 1 dummy cell.
The Spark SD73-NW with 80 degree spot lens on Max mode at 200lm with 2 LiFePO4 AAA cells and 1 dummy cell. Here you can see Max mode provides less throw and spill than Super mode.
The Spark SD73-NW with 120 degree flood lens on Max mode at 200lm with 2 LiFePO4 AAA cells and 1 dummy cell.
The Spark SX5-NW with Li-Ion 18650 battery on Super mode at 350lm. The SX5 has a more yellow tint to the hotspot than the other Spark lights, and is unique in the number of different battery types that can be used in it.
The Spark SX5-NW with LiFePO4 RCR123 batteries on Super mode. If you toggle between the previous shot and this one you'll note we weren't able to keep the hotspot in the same place and it moves up the trees and away from you in this shot. In reality the total Lumen output between the two battery choices presented here is pretty much the same even though it does not appear so from these two particular shots.
The Spark SX5-NW with Li-Ion 18650 battery on Max mode at 180lm, seems almost as much output as Super mode.
The Spark SX5-NW with LiFePO4 RCR123 batteries on Max mode at 180lm, about the same as the Max mode on 18650 cells due to the lower power draw requirements of Max mode.
The Princeton Tech Apex with the Luxeon II emitter at 200lm makes the 100m to the bridge thanks to the cool white tint, but at the expense of natural color rendition, poor spill pattern, and very tight beam spill. Note: the foreground spill lighting was due to an error on our part as we forgot to turn off our small utility headlamp we were using to set the shots up, the PT Apex edge of spill can be seen by following the edge of the corona on the right.
The MagLite XL200 is a AAA flashlight with cool white tint and spot beam that does a respectable job for an inexpensive AAA flashlight, but the motion sensor switch does not make it easy to choose the lumen levels very well and gets very frustrating so you end up leaving it on max all the time.
The Pelican 2360 is a small AA 2 cell LED flashlight that puts out 110 lm
Black Diamond AAA cell light with cheap plastic housing that easily cracks and poor battery life, thankfully it will soon be off the shelves.
Princeton Tech EOS. This is the light we used to provide close area lighting for setting up the beamshots because it is relatively weak. It uses 3 AAA batteries with a maximum of 80lm. There is quite a difference when compared to the SD73 that also uses 3 AAA cells.
This is the Mini Mag Lite with the NiteIze bulb and tail cap conversion which runs about $35.00 on average.When you look at the result, and consider the conversion is half the price of buying a brand new SX5, you have to wonder if it's worth the investment to drag your old light kicking and screaming into the 21st century.
Now we move to a trail scene using the same lights. The NiteCore EA4 Flashlight shows how the scene would appear with 860 lumens. The near reflector is at 50m, and the further one is 75 meters and upslope from the trail. All the shots in this slideshow are on the highest setting. Note that we weren't consistent enough if getting the beam aimed at exactly the same spot, something we'll correct for the next series of beamshots. This is the more neutral white tint of the two that are available for this model.
The ST6-NW has a beam throw up to 150m with an angle of 104 degrees with 460 lumens on Super mode. The tint makes it easier to discern objects on the surface of the snow.
The SD6 with the optional spot lens that gives a throw beam at 460 lumens at 80 degrees. In this shot it appears as though it is broader than the ST6 but that is due to our error in aiming the beam, you'll notice in this shot we were aiming the beam higher than we were in the previous ST6 shot, so we'll have to redo this. Although the angle is tighter, the throw is not as far due to the shallower reflector pitch of the lens, however it does render a good floody spill wall to highten peripheral vision. This can be very good for night hiking in areas where you may encounter predators such as bear or cougar, and for night track skiing.
Here is the same SD6 (flood) with the optional spot lens removed and the default flood reflector. Note the 120 degree, 460 lumen flood wall that illuminates the adjacent area with a neutral white tint that renders the colors at their natural state.
The SX5 can sustain it's maximum 360 lumen floody beam for as long as the battery capacity lasts. It also can produce more than the 360 lumen capacity with the use of LiFePO4 batteries. The SX5 has the lowest wavelength of the Spark lights.
The SD73 with 3 Recyko AAA cells and the optional spot lens throwing 280 lumens with an 80 degree beam. This light can also make use of the LiFePO4 cells.
The SD52 with optional spot lens is capable of throwing 280 lumens with an 80 degree beam in neutral white tint, but not when you're using the 2 X AA NiMh AA LSD cells as per this shot. If you're thinking this one looks like less light than the previous SD73, you'd be correct. The reason for that is 3 X AAA in the SD73 yields 3.6v, whereas the 2 X AA's in this shot yield 2.4V. So to get the full lumens from the SD52 you need to run 14450 cells or LiFePO4 cells. As you can also use the LiFePO4 cells along with dummy cells in other devices that use Alkaline AA cells, they are a good choice.
The Princeton Tech Apex on its highest setting of 200 lumens.You can see here how the higher wavelength that renders the purplish tint allows you to see further, but it does so at the cost of your color rendering. If you were looking for lost items or even when hiking it's harder to discern the ground irregularities with this tint whether the ground is snow or dirt covered. When skiing it is harder to keep your skis in the track. Also note the very limited spill of this beam, resulting in very poor recognition of peripheral and near foreground objects and terrain features.
The MagLite XL200 flashlight throws 200 lumens in a cool white tint.
The Pelican 2360 flashlight with cool white tint.
Princeton Tech EOS headlamp.
The Black Diamond Nite Ray uses 2 AA cells, this one had a cracked bezel after a few months of light duty use but continues to work.
The old Mini Mag Light with the NiteIze LED conversion kit. Not really worth the money as it turns out.
Avalanche Debris, SX5 for throw with SD6 flood immediate foreground. Note the SX5 tint is warmer than the flood from the SD6 in the foreground. A warm tint is better for searching for objects, and reflects back into your eyes less from falling snowflakes.
Sometimes it would be interesting to know what a light looks like from 2200 meters and about 5 km away, for example if you were in the Valley bottom and a helicopter appears in the sky looking for you. This webcam is located on top of Sulphur Mtn.
This is how the lights were mounted and aimed (Spark SD6 with spot lens)
This is what the area looks like with no lights on.
Then the brightest of the test lights, the Nitecore EA4
This little light uses one 18650 cell (Li-Ion or LiFePO4) and does not have a brand name because we build them ourselves specifically for mountain biking or steep ski descents at night. We use an anodized aluminum host with O rings to make it IPX7 water resistant, a neutral tint Cree XM-L T6-3C 5000K White LED Emitter with 16mm Base, and drive it with an 8* AMC7135 4-Group 2~5 Modes LED Flashlight Driver Circuit (Nanjg 105c)
This light is not made by Spark (made by Xiaozhi) but was chosen because it throws a lot of lumens (640), takes a single 18650 cell, has a tight 60 degree spot beam diffused with an Orange Peel reflector, is light (75g), fits a helmet mount Picatinny Rail (Weaver mount) or handlebars, and has an XM-L emitter with a white tint that subjectively appears to be around 6500K, and is affordable for getting all those spec's.
MagLite-XL200 uses AAA cells
Pelican-2360 uses 2 AA cells
Princeton Tech Apex, 200 lumens. Although this has the old Luxeon emitter, this illustrates how the reach of a Cool White Tint is further than the Neutral White's of the following lights.
The Spark ST6, all the following Spark lights use a Neutral White tint.
Spark SD6, by removing the bezel from the front of the headlamp you can screw the reflector in, and change the beam from a 115 degree flood to an 18 degree spot with a range of 120m.
SD6 with flood lens.
The SD52 uses AA cells, but you need to use the LiFePO4 AA cells, or 1 14550 Li-Ion to get turbo mode, NiMh does not give you maximum lumens.
SD52 in flood mode.
Notice here how the SD52 is no as bright as the previous spot picture because it used NiMh cells for this shot. 2 AA NiMh cells have only 2.4v nominal, whereas the driver circuit requires >3v to develop 280 lumens for this light. 1 LiFePO4 cell gives 3.2v and you can use 2 of them to get 6.4v and run times of 1:45hrs.
The Spark SD73 with 2 AAA LiFePO4 cells and 1 dummy cell, which gives 6.4 volts to drive the light at 280 lumens
The Spark SD73 with 2 AAA NiMh cells to drive the light with 3.6 volts.
Spark SX5 using 1 18650 Li-Ion battery develops 320 lumens.
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