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ArcticMyst Security by Avery

Tentative idea for building a superthrower EDC (pocket) flashlight

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Jan 10, 2016
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I've recently joined Laser Pointer Forums because (among other reasons) of my quest to someday build a zoomable EDC (adjustable focus pocket sized) flashlight which has the optional power, combined with the adjustable-focus, to provide anywhere between wide flood light for up close use to narrow-beam long distance "searchlight" type use. The idea is to design it so that at full distance focus it will throw light as far as one kilometer (~1100 yards) under normal night time conditions, similar to, say, a Maxabeam flashlight is capable of, but not as powerful and without the bulky reflector. (The battery required for this may not be so shrinkable however. But that's a matter I'm prepared to address through one of a few already proven options.)

Anyway, not to digress from my explanation as to how this is so relevant to Laser Pointer Forums... I've concluded, given that HID technology is inherently not suited to this size, and LED technology, though advancing rapidly, also poses inherent difficulties of its own nature which would be unlikely to overcome for the proposed range for a flashlight of this size, that the only possible light source that could make such a flashlight as I've described possible, would be a laser. Of course such a laser would have to emit the three primary colors constituting white light, in order to utilize it in my flashlight. I DO NOT have in mind, three separate laser beam sources assembled into a beam combining mechanism. Such a mechanism would be much too large and bulky for any flashlight, let alone the pocket sized one I'm envisioning here. But before I elaborate on what I do have in mind here, I just want to first interject the following clarification.

Lest I leave anyone with the wrong impression, I'm not at all I'm thinking of a high intensity laser pointer whereby the laser beam has merely been expanded in diameter. That would still be a laser and not a searchlight. No, my objective here is to optically modify (using a high refractive-index quality lens train) the laser's output so that it can be adjusted to resemble a searchlight's beam, diverging no less than 2 degrees, and projecting an even, non-glare beam pattern comparable in quality (and eye safety) to that of a stage spotlight. Again, the only uniqueness of this pocket sized flashlight will be its range of versatility being such as to include the option of boosting its output whilst focusing it to long distance "search" capability, merely typical of some fixed focus larger flashlight models.

Back to light sources now. My concept hinges on the promise of two, only recently developed, white laser diode technologies. One technology, if I recall, uses an optical fiber feedback mechanism; and other technology, incorporates three independent-wavelength emitting components inside one laser diode.

Is anyone here familiar with these white laser diode technologies? If so, has anyone any idea if or when these might become available on the market?

Thanks,
PIC
 





diachi

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Those RGB Laser "diodes" you are talking about are purely experimental at the moment, no telling when they'll be coming to market. Not only that, but as far as I remember from the article they were pumped externally by a UV laser, not by electricity like the diodes we use in our builds. Until we know more I'm going to go ahead and say they'd be impractical for your project too.

The fibre laser would probably be impractical for something flashlight sized too, although I'm not familiar with that so I can't say for sure.

Either way, it would still be a laser and would still come with all of the dangers of a high power laser if you're going above 5mW.

As it stands, your best choices are LEDs *OR* some form of yellow phosphorescent optic (Similar to what's in the laser headlights we're familiar with!) and a high powered blue laser. There would of course be size limitations here, not just for the optics, but you'd also need to dump all the heat from the electronics somewhere and fit a big enough battery to make the run time worth while.
 
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laser into flash light? that's nearly impossible. YOU want a high power white light? go with a trio of the RGB Phatlight. i built a red one recently and it really bright.
 

diachi

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laser into flash light? that's nearly impossible. YOU want a high power white light? go with a trio of the RGB Phatlight. i built a red one recently and it really bright.

Phlatlights are a good idea, and they do make a white one. I think it's around 30W.
 




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