O.K. so I bought 9 different LEDs (5 of each kind) in various mcd, viewing angles and lens configurations to test out which LEDS were brightest and to see what nm color I liked the best. I got them all plugged in on my new breadboard last night after it arrived and took a few photos to see how the LEDs looked through the camera.
Here are the contestants (In order on the breadboard Top Left to Right, then Bottom Left to Right):
TOP ROW L->R
SuperbrightLEDS.com
# RL5-B08-360
Voltage: 3.2Vf max - 3.0Vf typical
Current: 100ma peak, 20ma test
Viewing Angle: 360*
Color: 462nm Blue
Millicandela: 100mcd
Digikey.com
#365-1185-ND
Voltage: 3.2Vf
Current: 20ma
Viewing Angle: 8*
Color: 505nm Blue-Green (thought this meant Cyan, NOPE! Totally GREEN!)
Millicandela: 23,000mcd
#C503B-BAN-CY0C0461-ND
Voltage: 3.2Vf
Current: 20ma
Viewing Angle: 8*
Color: 470nm Blue
Millicandela: 19,380mcd
#CB503-BCN-CV0Z0461-ND
Voltage: 3.2Vf
Current: 20ma
Viewing Angle: 30*
Color: 470nm Blue
Millicandela: 7,065mcd
#VA0L-5701SBY4-ND
Voltage: 3.5Vf
Current: 20ma
Viewing Angle: 100*
Color: 470nm Blue
Millicandela: 1,000mcd
BOTTOM ROW L->R
LighthouseLEDs.com
#5MMFLATTOPCONCAVELEDBLUE
Voltage: 3.0Vf-3.4Vf
Current: 20ma
Viewing Angle: 150-180*
Color: 460-465nm Blue
Millicandela: 6,000-8,000mcd
#5MMFLATTOPLEDBLUE
Voltage: 3.0-3.4Vf
Current: 20ma
Viewing Angle: 105-115*
Color: 460-465nm Blue
Millicandela: 10,000-12,000mcd
#5MMROUNDTOPBLUE
Voltage: 3.0-3.4Vf
Current: 20ma
Viewing Angle: 20-30*
Color: 460-465nm Blue
Millicandela: 12,000-14,000mcd
#5MMSTRAWHATLEDBLUE
Voltage: 3.0-3.4Vf
Current: 20ma
Viewing Angle: 120-150*
Color: 460-465nm Blue
Millicandela: 10,000-11,000mcd
I have them powered by a 4AA battery pack (6.0V) and each set of 10 LEDs (4 sets total) has a 150ohm 1W resistor to bring the power down to 3.2V. Though that may be too many resistors or the wrong amount, me and Ohm's Law aren't best of friends yet.
I didn't have enough resistors to power the GREEN LEDs so I left them without power for this test. They are fairly bright and have a little "spark" of light at the tip of the dome lens when viewed from the side and a glaring light when viewed straight down through the lens at the diode.
So far the LEDs are just plugged into the breadboard (pointing mostly straight up in a sort of fan shape as they're smashed up against one another), and realizing they would be oriented differently inside a lightsaber blade, and have diffusion foam etc., this test will only give me a general idea as to how bright the different types of LEDs are and how they cast light.
I didn't want to start drilling the domes off of the domed LEDs without seeing how they functioned as intended first. Down the road I may take two of each domed type LED and see how altering them changes the light output versus their unaltered counterparts.
One thing is for certain, I don't understand how everyone elses' LEDs look so bright in their test photos. Either I'm underpowering my LEDs or the orientation is vitally important to how bright the LEDs appear, but mine sure don't strike me as being extraordinarily bright. And I'm not 100% sure that the bottom row of LEDs are getting the same amount of energy as the top row LEDs are. I'll have to pull the top sets off and see if that effects the output of the lower row of LEDs later tonight. I still don't understand how if 40 leds powered by 6.0V don't light up very brightly, that you guys are getting 96+ LEDs to light up so wildly bright with 7.4V!?!?!?
I'll edit this later tonight with the photos I've taken so far (I didn't think this computer had a SD card reader so I left the camera at home, I'll know better for next time because it does!) I'm glad to have started this post though now while I have time to type, those "charts" are a booger to line up all the numbers!
Here's those pics!...
6V Way over resistored at 150ohm 1W per each 5 LED Strand...
6V Better resistored at 27ohm 1W per each 10 LED Strand (I don't have the proper 14ohm 1W resistors on hand at the moment)...