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David Nesting asked a question in ThingM on August 04, 2009 01:34:

Unpopulated blaster boards for custom LED setups?
I've concluded that the MaxM blaster isn't bright enough for my needs (good intensity, but only for a narrow viewing angle). I have a working prototype using some replacement LEDs connected to the master board, but I'd like the final solution to be neat and tidy. Is there any way I can get a mostly unpopulated blaster board that I could use to attach my own resistors and LEDs?
David Nesting replied on July 31, 2009 21:50 to the question "MaxM brightness level comparisons?" in ThingM:

The "mcd rating" is in millicandelas. A candela is a measurement that depends on the viewing angle. I just picked up a MaxM today and I noticed (with some sadness) that the blaster's LEDs are extremely directional. The shape of the LED acts as a lens, so nearly all of the light comes out in one direction. This means it has a high luminous intensity (in the same ballpark as a 100W bulb), but a low luminous flux, since the light is emitted only at a narrow angle.

So, if you're looking right down at these from the top, you'd say they were bright, but they're not going to light up a room.

Fortunately, it appears the master board can power up to 2A of LEDs, so if you're willing to do some more work on your own, you can assemble some LEDs/resistors of your own, and use them instead of the LEDs on the blaster.

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