Help with flats light box design please.

[michaelmorris]

I'm starting work building a light box for producing flats on my Orion 80ED. The light source is a flexible strip of 48 LEDs (used for pimping cars) superglued to a CD in a spiral pattern. I've done a load of experiments and have estimated that the optimal arrangement would be:

Light source > paper diffuser (at 7cm) > perspex diffuser (at another 8cm) > perspex diffuser (at another 7cm). This would give me a total light box length of 25 cm. Does this length seem excessive?

I have estimated these spacings by placing a camera focused at infinity in front fo the various elements set at various length and have gone for the minimum total length that appears to still gives a flat(ish) field when I push the image contrast up to 175%. Am I being too rigorous with this?

The plan is to mount these elements inside a box made of black foam board lined with silver foil. I'd be using black foam board (witha black foam core) because it will cut out stray light when using this at a star party.

Any advice gratefully received.

[martin_h]

Its huge compaired to an EL panel, LOL. But if it works for you thats all that matters.

[michaelmorris]

Its huge compaired to an EL panel, LOL. But if it works for you thats all that matters.

Whilst I'd love an EL panel, that would cost me £40 inc. an inverter. This should cost me £6.