On Mon, 23 Jan 2006 23:27:17 +0000, Mark Rand
wrote:



Just a thought for a future modification...
use a joystick for differential control with a rotary knob, preferably on the
joystick, for overall brightness.

Mark Rand (I'm only jealous really :-)
RTFM

Yup! I thought of that about a month ago, but I'd already redesigned
the thing twice and was determined to finish a project for once!

I can always make another control box. The light ring connects to
the box with a mini-DIN connector so it'd be easy to swap controllers.

BTW, I don't have a way to measure luminous intensity, but according
to the specsheets for Luxeon and Fraen collimators (with a range
correction from 1 meter to 6.5 inches) the luminous intensity on the
work surface is about 30,000 lux at WOT. That's about 3X direct
tropical sunlight. With no noticable heat. The lights run cooler
than a fluorescent tube, and only about 1.5 watts are dissipated in
the control box at WOT so it doesn't get warm either.