Can I Increase My LEDs Range?

If you have researched LEDs, you have probably come to the conclusion that they are far superior to incandescent lights. Many of us who have done basic research into lights have determined that LEDs are superior because they offer users the newest technology. LED manufacturers not only take advantage of the current technology, they are also constantly researching ways to improve upon the current technology. By putting the latest and greatest technology to use, you would expect LEDs to outperform incandescent lights.

In all honesty, LEDs usually do outperform incandescent in a variety of ways. LEDS are far brighter than an ordinary incandescent bulb, they have a longer life span, and they don’t emit as much heat as an ordinary bulb. The downfall to LEDs is that they are seriously lacking when it comes to the lights “throw.” One would think that with all of the technology improvements available to flashlight manufacturers that they could produce an LED that has a longer range than an ordinary bulb or at least one that has an equivalent range. Users who find the lack of range disappointing often ask if there is anything they can do to increase the range.

If you are an LED user who is disappointed with your light’s range, we have some exciting news we want to share with you. With just a few dollars you can purchase a few necessary tools to increase your LEDs range. The method we are going to teach you to allow you to drastically increase the range of your LED is simple, but it is also temporary. By using a temporary method you won’t run the risk of ruining your light, plus you can easily revert your light back to its original condition once you are done.

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Fresnel lens

If you are looking for the cheapest and easiest way to increase your LEDs range you need to look into using a Fresnel lens. A single lens that measures 7” x 10” can help you drastically increase the LEDs range as it aids in focusing the light being used to illuminate your surroundings.

For those of you that aren’t sure what a Fresnel lens is, let me take a moment to explain. This lens is a very thin (and cheap) lens that is sold in many different retail stores. The lens is a lot thinner than any regular lenses you will find on the market. The thin lens is made from plastic that has been etched with concentric circles. These etched circles are responsible for focusing the light rather than allowing the light to disperse in the distance.

Buying the lens

Before you can use this simple method, you are going to need to purchase a Fresnel lens. As I mentioned earlier most retail drugstores will carry them. You can usually find them for less than $5. You can also find the lens online, but you want to watch the pricing. Many online retailers sell these lenses for upwards of $10, which in all honesty is a bit too much. For the purpose of increasing your LEDs range you shouldn’t spend more than $5 on a Fresnel lens, you don’t need a high-grade lens as image reproduction isn’t your priority. When looking for a Fresnel lens in a retail store, simply look for a full sized sheet magnifier.

Using the lens

So, now that you have your lens, you need to learn how to use it to increase the range. This is actually the easy part, although you want to make sure you are holding it just right to use it to its fullest potential. Hold the lens about 3 inches in front of your LED, how far you hold the lens in front of the light is going to depend on how far away the object is. The lens will need to be held perpendicular to the light. You can adjust the distance of the beam by moving the Fresnel lens closer to or further away from the LED.

Now that you know how easy it is to increase the range of your LED you probably can’t wait to run out and give it a try. Before you do run out and test this amazing method there are a few things you want to take note of. When you use a Fresnel lens to focus the beam to improve the range you are going to lose some of the wide spread illumination. The focused beam is brighter, but it is only illuminating a small, focused area not the areas surrounding it. Fresnel lenses are a great tool for focusing the beam, but work best on single LEDs. If there are multiple LEDs the Fresnel lens will create numerous focal points, you literally will get one focal point for each LED.

News Reporter
Guy manages and publishes the content on Funticles magazine.

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