Anyone worked with this LED?
Osram Ostar
It looks like the power consumption is a bit high, and the heat could be a problem...
Osram Ostar
It looks like the power consumption is a bit high, and the heat could be a problem...
Osram LED
1 - 20 of 75 Posts
ive got a couple sitting in the drawer, still havent got around to using them. The P7 is definately cheaper but is let down by the fact that there are very few drivers available and the ones that are are not really suited to bike light applications. Your best bet would be to wait for the new 4 die cree. But if your dead keen on the ostar cutter electronics have optics for them and the maxflex2 is what im planning on running mine with.
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15W ->700lumen @ 19V & 700ma ~ 70lum/w. I have attached a pic of the driver using a Linear chip.
At 15w its brighter & whiter than L&M Arc. The extra set of wires going to the LED is a NTC for temp control.
$36 @ Digikey.
Rabbit
At 15w its brighter & whiter than L&M Arc. The extra set of wires going to the LED is a NTC for temp control.
$36 @ Digikey.
Rabbit
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47 Posts
No problem! The greener fields for some friends and I are wide open because of bad rumors.
Yes, you could say we played with lots of Osram stuff. We first pulled off the trick back in Oct. 2007 by making a bunch of 1000 lumen Ostar lights with 4 brightness levels. We made our own converters specifically for the light. Bright? Believe it! The area is bathed in light. Some described it as too bright but more have said it is the most beautiful, smooth, beam they have ever seen.
Osram has an unfounded bad rap. Not many have tried them and if they did then they would find they are great and have many advantages. I don't know where the rumor started with them being inefficient. People also incorrectly say they get too hot. After lots of fun, we are still using them.
Next we toyed with the Platinum Dragon; both bare and domed in a light that is smaller then your thumb.
Now it is time for the newest Diamond Dragon. Again, they are first-class emitters. We are at the point of that we could try a few SSC P7s, maybe both to test the difference. They should be ready in weeks.
Yeah, we like the Osram stuff. It beat a cluster of emitters for a spot and huge spill beam. You get what you pay for.
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Yes, you could say we played with lots of Osram stuff. We first pulled off the trick back in Oct. 2007 by making a bunch of 1000 lumen Ostar lights with 4 brightness levels. We made our own converters specifically for the light. Bright? Believe it! The area is bathed in light. Some described it as too bright but more have said it is the most beautiful, smooth, beam they have ever seen.
Osram has an unfounded bad rap. Not many have tried them and if they did then they would find they are great and have many advantages. I don't know where the rumor started with them being inefficient. People also incorrectly say they get too hot. After lots of fun, we are still using them.
Next we toyed with the Platinum Dragon; both bare and domed in a light that is smaller then your thumb.
Now it is time for the newest Diamond Dragon. Again, they are first-class emitters. We are at the point of that we could try a few SSC P7s, maybe both to test the difference. They should be ready in weeks.
Yeah, we like the Osram stuff. It beat a cluster of emitters for a spot and huge spill beam. You get what you pay for.
Too be fair the output on those looks seriously impressive.
don't waste your time on the P7 crap way of emmiting the light wait for the CREE offering or 1 of these.
Where can I buy 1 of these OSRAM's torches for reasonible money ?? DX don't do them sadly!!
don't waste your time on the P7 crap way of emmiting the light wait for the CREE offering or 1 of these.
Where can I buy 1 of these OSRAM's torches for reasonible money ?? DX don't do them sadly!!
G
Guest
·lumitronix sell the emitter and I found some torches on pro-light.jp
when I first looked it was in english, now it only comes up in japenese.
when I first looked it was in english, now it only comes up in japenese.
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47 Posts
Pioneering makes initial costs high and risks evident yet the rewards are pure treasures. Today, the Ostar remains in limited custom lights with the expected higher costs of a rare product. LOL…if manufacturers would oblige us then the great Ostars would make awesome lighting. As it stands, Ostar lights dwell in the realm of custom makers and the serious, all rare people.
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The website in Japan shows the cousin Ostar lights, the R2X - what I affectionately call the "Light Saber." They were built at the same time with the Japanese lights specifically designed for Osram's rolling exhibition so they have a futuristic flavor. Amazing machining with the same internal dimensions. Ours are more for use in the field so a more compact design with hard-anodizing required.
Many have looked over the advantages of the Ostar for performance because they don't know how to get it to work. From a hobbyist standpoint, the P7 is the winner because initially it is easier to work with but may show problems later. The Ostar is high-tech and not hard to deal with - it is something a manufacturer could handle with ease. For the near future, Ostar lights will remain rare as hen's teeth.
Comparing performance between the Ostars and the P7s, Ostars wins on reliability. Sounds like an arrogant declaration? Performance is not just light output.
Direct-drive with P7s are good for a while as they use low-voltage but require massive current. To keep them running, get a few batteries with lots of capacity. But this is known; with high current switching you eventually get switch-fouling, an insulating carbon build-up like a build up of oxidation. It's a slow build up and additive so your performance decreases every time the light is used. At the worst, they could suddenly wink out. Yeah, regular maintenance with Deoxit would work but I'd rather pass the extra work and go riding.
P7s with converters is the next step up, a better combination, but the electronics have to be rather big to support large current draw making a bigger converter bigger, heavier, converter. Heat sinks have to be bigger and that adds more weight. On a bike, space and weight are desired premiums so thinking small means thinking light-weight. If you can live with the limitations then by all means give the P7 lumen emitter a try.
So we come to the Ostar. The Ostar is the counter to the others, an unseen advantage. It wants voltage but uses little current. Initial thoughts would be to stack lots of heavy batteries to get the required minimum of 18-volts so the shortsighted wrote it off. Uh, too heavy…good-bye! What is so wrong about using a boost converter? They have been used for years and are cheap. Ostars are high-tech devices so they use a converter and a few lightweight batteries. Parts can remain small because of little current. You've seen the pocket-able light with the small Surefire KL4 head - something a P7 can't do because the parts are too big. Even if the Ostar was direct-drive, there would be very little switch-fouling because of little current flow. Of course the initial obstacle remains - getting a converter to bump up the voltage but as you can see it's been done many times. There is no magic; there is current drain from the batteries to the converter as the voltage is stepped up but high-performance batteries are common. In fact, rechargeables are preferred because they can take the big current drain. But in an Ostar light, the switch controls the converter with little current demand. Bottom line - no switch-fouling.
One more for ya. The Ostar has a more apparent advantage. A P7 using low voltage is very dependent on secure connections. A questionable connection or any fouling could lower the voltage, perhaps 10%, so the emitter instantly quits. A higher voltage emitter has a broader voltage and is much less dependent on the flow of current making a 10% reduction less or not unnoticeable. Nice design.
We were playing with the Ostar light versus a 15W HID diving light and the Ostar kept up. Of course Ostar could do the "insta-start", brightness change, and could do the flip and bounce off the grass trick better.
I hope I don't sound too preachy. We've done lots of study and tests.
The website in Japan shows the cousin Ostar lights, the R2X - what I affectionately call the "Light Saber." They were built at the same time with the Japanese lights specifically designed for Osram's rolling exhibition so they have a futuristic flavor. Amazing machining with the same internal dimensions. Ours are more for use in the field so a more compact design with hard-anodizing required.
Many have looked over the advantages of the Ostar for performance because they don't know how to get it to work. From a hobbyist standpoint, the P7 is the winner because initially it is easier to work with but may show problems later. The Ostar is high-tech and not hard to deal with - it is something a manufacturer could handle with ease. For the near future, Ostar lights will remain rare as hen's teeth.
Comparing performance between the Ostars and the P7s, Ostars wins on reliability. Sounds like an arrogant declaration? Performance is not just light output.
Direct-drive with P7s are good for a while as they use low-voltage but require massive current. To keep them running, get a few batteries with lots of capacity. But this is known; with high current switching you eventually get switch-fouling, an insulating carbon build-up like a build up of oxidation. It's a slow build up and additive so your performance decreases every time the light is used. At the worst, they could suddenly wink out. Yeah, regular maintenance with Deoxit would work but I'd rather pass the extra work and go riding.
P7s with converters is the next step up, a better combination, but the electronics have to be rather big to support large current draw making a bigger converter bigger, heavier, converter. Heat sinks have to be bigger and that adds more weight. On a bike, space and weight are desired premiums so thinking small means thinking light-weight. If you can live with the limitations then by all means give the P7 lumen emitter a try.
So we come to the Ostar. The Ostar is the counter to the others, an unseen advantage. It wants voltage but uses little current. Initial thoughts would be to stack lots of heavy batteries to get the required minimum of 18-volts so the shortsighted wrote it off. Uh, too heavy…good-bye! What is so wrong about using a boost converter? They have been used for years and are cheap. Ostars are high-tech devices so they use a converter and a few lightweight batteries. Parts can remain small because of little current. You've seen the pocket-able light with the small Surefire KL4 head - something a P7 can't do because the parts are too big. Even if the Ostar was direct-drive, there would be very little switch-fouling because of little current flow. Of course the initial obstacle remains - getting a converter to bump up the voltage but as you can see it's been done many times. There is no magic; there is current drain from the batteries to the converter as the voltage is stepped up but high-performance batteries are common. In fact, rechargeables are preferred because they can take the big current drain. But in an Ostar light, the switch controls the converter with little current demand. Bottom line - no switch-fouling.
One more for ya. The Ostar has a more apparent advantage. A P7 using low voltage is very dependent on secure connections. A questionable connection or any fouling could lower the voltage, perhaps 10%, so the emitter instantly quits. A higher voltage emitter has a broader voltage and is much less dependent on the flow of current making a 10% reduction less or not unnoticeable. Nice design.
We were playing with the Ostar light versus a 15W HID diving light and the Ostar kept up. Of course Ostar could do the "insta-start", brightness change, and could do the flip and bounce off the grass trick better.
I hope I don't sound too preachy. We've done lots of study and tests.
The output was GREAT, P7's are crap realy entirely on the reflector to get any light forward, I'm HUGELY sold on the Concept, likely going to just wait for the new CREE Light though, and try another P7 cause the Trustfire was utterly useless.
Whats the betting, Lupine use OSTAR soon there current batch suffers from patchy light even with multiple SSC P4's, certainly give them a kick above the rest, they'd just run a 18V battery mass to run time works out the same at the end of the day so why not.
Hope DX get some in for say $100-$120 per pop area, I'd give that a try.
Whats the betting, Lupine use OSTAR soon there current batch suffers from patchy light even with multiple SSC P4's, certainly give them a kick above the rest, they'd just run a 18V battery mass to run time works out the same at the end of the day so why not.
Hope DX get some in for say $100-$120 per pop area, I'd give that a try.
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47 Posts
T...I'm betting Lupine does Ostar first - It'd be really a nice set up.
Have you checked out this DX TrustFire light? Using two 18670, the P7 has a chance of achieving maximum brightness on a budget.
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.12761
Have you checked out this DX TrustFire light? Using two 18670, the P7 has a chance of achieving maximum brightness on a budget.
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.12761
Thats the twin battery version of what I bought, the single version is heavy enough, it's HUGE and like 400grams with single battery and crap reflector that burned in seconds, so no thanks I'll pass on that
Its just the way SSC's produce there light, isn't good for bike lights.
I tried running mine on 2 x CR123a's to see the extra voltage would help and burned out the switch doh!!! After spending HOURS polishing the Reflector back to bare Alu cause the other stuff died the death!!
Its just the way SSC's produce there light, isn't good for bike lights.
I tried running mine on 2 x CR123a's to see the extra voltage would help and burned out the switch doh!!! After spending HOURS polishing the Reflector back to bare Alu cause the other stuff died the death!!
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47 Posts
I wondered about that light. With your un-recommendation, I'll surely pass on it. If a single cells burns, twice the power, ugh, no thanks! LOL!
I avoid the Cree because of the chocolate donut in the beam. I usually like donuts but not stuffed in a light. The next gen could prove better.
I avoid the Cree because of the chocolate donut in the beam. I usually like donuts but not stuffed in a light. The next gen could prove better.
My Crees are all nice and lovely, especially the R2's very bright no donut, the P7's donut city though, as I say crappy reflector. ( 40min run time and can't take 18650's lets it down though )
So the CREE MR-E 4 emmitor like the P7 should be KICK ASS!! and cheap compared to the OSTAR ??
I'll order the MTE P7 on DX, the 8 mode 1 on someone else heres rec though when it's in stock. The move that from Head to Bar when the new CREE's are out.
So the CREE MR-E 4 emmitor like the P7 should be KICK ASS!! and cheap compared to the OSTAR ??
I'll order the MTE P7 on DX, the 8 mode 1 on someone else heres rec though when it's in stock. The move that from Head to Bar when the new CREE's are out.
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47 Posts
Ostars really aren’t too expensive if you look around. I won’t admit any close to the source connections.
I actually have the most trouble with Crees. P7s work and the Rebel is quite good but the recalled really hurt their sales.
Osram…hmmm. Check out the Dragon line.
I actually have the most trouble with Crees. P7s work and the Rebel is quite good but the recalled really hurt their sales.
Osram…hmmm. Check out the Dragon line.
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47 Posts
We made friends with Osram 'cause we kept using their emitters. Everyone benefited. Last year, it was tough holding back that we had 1000 lumen emitters in lights before they were made.
A few converted the older 410 lumen Ostars into Maglites. We took a longer because we started with a clean slate. It wasn't easy. Where do you start, what converter, power source, size, heat sink? In the end and for fun, we threw in brightness control and thermal sensing. Also made a new, stacked, converter.
Osram saw the initial designs and helped by letting us get some of their new engineering samples, the 1000 lumen emitters, not in production at that time. The trade was they get a light for exhibit to the public. The lights were completed in October, 2007 but we couldn't tell anyone the rumored emitters were in lights as 1000 lumen emitter production wouldn't start until 3 months later. Who would have believed? People thought we still had the older 400 lumen emitters. With our hands tied, all we could say was "brighter then standard." Yeah, very general and elusive posts. No one would believe "bright" unless they tried the light. Maddening! The Japanese version also has the same emitter. So when the 1000 lumen emitter went into production in January, 2008, Osram had a light to show what the emitter could do.
In the picture above, the Surefire/KL4 head with the emitter, well, we can't tell you that they sports the next gen 1120 lumens emitters. OK?
We kinda became a showcase for Osram emitters.
And they are still bright.
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A few converted the older 410 lumen Ostars into Maglites. We took a longer because we started with a clean slate. It wasn't easy. Where do you start, what converter, power source, size, heat sink? In the end and for fun, we threw in brightness control and thermal sensing. Also made a new, stacked, converter.
Osram saw the initial designs and helped by letting us get some of their new engineering samples, the 1000 lumen emitters, not in production at that time. The trade was they get a light for exhibit to the public. The lights were completed in October, 2007 but we couldn't tell anyone the rumored emitters were in lights as 1000 lumen emitter production wouldn't start until 3 months later. Who would have believed? People thought we still had the older 400 lumen emitters. With our hands tied, all we could say was "brighter then standard." Yeah, very general and elusive posts. No one would believe "bright" unless they tried the light. Maddening! The Japanese version also has the same emitter. So when the 1000 lumen emitter went into production in January, 2008, Osram had a light to show what the emitter could do.
In the picture above, the Surefire/KL4 head with the emitter, well, we can't tell you that they sports the next gen 1120 lumens emitters. OK?
We kinda became a showcase for Osram emitters.
And they are still bright.
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47 Posts
Oh! That is too high. Keep looking.
Ostars work on German cars so they should be exceptional for our use. Osram is a determined company. Get one before cars have them.
"Two OSTAR LEDs are used in each headlight for the dipped beam, and three additional OSTAR emitters provide the high beam.
A further OSTAR is used for the fog light, and parking and daytime running lights are built with Golden Dragon LEDs."
https://compoundsemiconductor.net/cws/article/news/29983
I did find another option for a handheld Ostar light-
https://www.mb-sub.com/photon/?L=2
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Ostars work on German cars so they should be exceptional for our use. Osram is a determined company. Get one before cars have them.
"Two OSTAR LEDs are used in each headlight for the dipped beam, and three additional OSTAR emitters provide the high beam.
A further OSTAR is used for the fog light, and parking and daytime running lights are built with Golden Dragon LEDs."
https://compoundsemiconductor.net/cws/article/news/29983
I did find another option for a handheld Ostar light-
https://www.mb-sub.com/photon/?L=2
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6 Posts
The O-Star really produce the best beam profile for biking that I ve ever seen and tried.
Too bad my custom light occupies some space and doesn't have a batt pack for me to ride longer in the dark woods
If only there is a dedicated DUO Ostar bike light ( 2000 lumens!), massive heat sink, occupy minimum space on the cockpit with external battery pack that can run looong time on max.
Wouldnt that be a dream?......
Wake up and go riding!
Too bad my custom light occupies some space and doesn't have a batt pack for me to ride longer in the dark woods
If only there is a dedicated DUO Ostar bike light ( 2000 lumens!), massive heat sink, occupy minimum space on the cockpit with external battery pack that can run looong time on max.
Wouldnt that be a dream?......
Wake up and go riding!
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47 Posts
Ghost! Good to see you...again!
You know, a twin set Mega Micro could more then do the job with an adapter for a power pack.
You know, a twin set Mega Micro could more then do the job with an adapter for a power pack.
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