Cree A19 9.5w 60w 800lm 2700K for $13.97

[Marcturus]

Looks like pronounced side-emission. I would like to see a real graph of the light distribution.

Cute heatsink, looks hot:
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipe...a_Marquart.jpg/517px-Anna_Rosina_Marquart.jpg

I wonder how long they plan, by offering no 3000 to 4000K, to avoid "avoiding niche markets."

 

[sigsour]

So you work for Cree as well. I would have had mine today but I was of since I worked the weekend. Where do you work?

LLS bldg 10

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 2

 

[jtr1962]

I used the Cree PCT to play with different XP-E bins before my original post. At 90% efficiency for both Power and Optical, using 20 LEDs, I needed to select one of the highest XP-E bins to arrive at the bulb's posted specs. I do agree with you that the public LED prices on any suppliers web site are nowhere near the actual cost of the product. If I remember correctly, Cree's average product margins ran into the mid 40s before the drop to the 30s last year.

Actually, my calculations were based on using XT-Es, not XP-Es. I fixed the typo in my post. XP-Es are inherently much more costly than XT-Es. You can definitely get the worst bin XT-Es for slightly under $1 in bulk (5000s). We're obviously dealing with much larger quantities here, and Cree avoids two sets of middlemen, themselves and the distributor, which would increase the costs for anyone else making a lamp like this.

Thinking about the price, a possibility is both Cree and Home Depot might be selling the lamp at cost just to undercut everyone else. Or perhaps Cree is using the sales of bare LEDs to cover for short-term losses in the A19 retrofit market. Either one might actually be a smart business strategy. By the time everyone else loses a significant market share, Cree's production costs will have dropped so that it might make a good profit even lowering the retail price to $10 because it has volume on its side. There will be plenty of niche markets for A19 lamps with high CRI, or CCTs other than 2700K or 5000K, for the other manufacturers. Cree seems to be interested mainly in the high-volume products.

 

[SemiMan]

Looking at the phosphor coating looks definitely XTE. The size is certainly right as well.

I expect that estimation of $0.25 for manufacturing cost could even be a bit high. I would have gone more for $0.20 given the selling cost for low bins.

The glass envelope is likely done for cost / efficiency. It is much easier to make a low cost highly efficient (light transfer) diffused glass surface versus plastic ... done in the billions already with a well established manufacturing base.

Semiman

 

[bose301s]

LLS bldg 10

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 2

Ahh, so you knew about this before it was even released, haha. I work in Nitride Epi, we're in bldgs 1, 5 and 8.

 

[jd_oc]

I just bought 10 Philips L-Prize bulbs when I found out they were on sale for $15/each at HD. Now I see why they are on sale. Still, I think the L-Prize bulbs are a better deal (higher efficiency, more lumens, and higher CRI) at basically the same price. Anyway, the competition is great for the consumer.

 

[BigRiz]

it's great to see good LED bulbs getting lower in price..

now if only they get these to Europe which is currently lagging waaay behind in LED retrofits.

 

[SemiMan]

I applaud Cree for manufacturing in the U.S. even if mainly final assembly (and die manufacturing).

 

[Marcturus]

it's great to see good LED bulbs getting lower in price..

now if only they get these to Europe which is currently lagging waaay behind in LED retrofits.

It seems as if Cree, and their architecturally minded partner, Zumtobelgroup, haven't put much effort into entering the European consumer retail markets. We'll see where this partership, and where the recently sold-off LEDON are headed.

 

[MichaelW]

The heat sink looks way too small for the 60 watt replacements. How much heat is going to be rejected to the socket.
Maybe they think the internal air circulation will transfer some of the heat to the glass envelope.
They really need to offer something between 2700 & 5000K.

 

[jtr1962]

The heat sink looks way too small for the 60 watt replacements. How much heat is going to be rejected to the socket.

Probably on the order of 7 watts. I'm figuring about 320 lm/W for the emitted light, so 800/320 = 2.5 watts comes out as light energy. Since you have 9.5 watts going in, the balance (7 W) comes out as heat. Most of that needs to be dissipated in the heat sink, except for maybe < 0.5 watts of optical losses. Yes, the heat sink seems a little on the small side. What's favorable is the low level the LEDs are being driven at. With ~5°C/W junction to heatsink impedance, the junction temps are probably within 1 degree C of the heat sink temp. The heat sink looks big enough to remain under 85°C under most operating conditions with a ~7W load.

They really need to offer something between 2700 & 5000K.

Agreed. Based on what I'm seeing at my local Home Depot, 3500K and 4100K seem to be the biggest sellers.

 

[MichaelW]

A day late. I just purchased <$10 40watt replacement for the exterior garage lights.
http://menards.com/main/lighting-fa...use-performance-led-bulb/p-1928417-c-7482.htm
Met my requirement six months ahead of expected. 500 lumens, 3000K CCT (matches the halogens I was already using), <8 watts.

 

[bose301s]

And compared to the Best Buy Insignia bulb:

 

[SemiMan]

The heat sink looks way too small for the 60 watt replacements. How much heat is going to be rejected to the socket.
Maybe they think the internal air circulation will transfer some of the heat to the glass envelope.
They really need to offer something between 2700 & 5000K.

That is certainly another advantage over a plastic dome. The glass envelope should contribute to heat transfer for both internal air circulation as well as direct transfer at the base into the glass.

Semiman

 

[idleprocess]

I will need to check the local Home Despot for these. See that they're being sold on their site in 6-packs - really just want to buy one or two.

 

[yuandrew]

I checked two different Home Depots in my area but both don't have any in stock yet. A person at one of the stores told me that they would not be available until the 20th.

Seeing that they're being sold on their site in 6-packs - really just want to buy one or two.

On their website listing, I noticed that there is a pull-down menu that says "Number In Package" and has either 1 or 6 as the choices. Switch it to 1 and the price and title on the page will change to reflect single bulbs. \

BTW, for those who have already gotten one, does the package say anything about using/not using them in totally enclosed fixtures ?

 

[bose301s]

I checked two different Home Depots in my area but both don't have any in stock yet. A person at one of the stores told me that they would not be available until the 20th.



On their website listing, I noticed that there is a pull-down menu that says "Number In Package" and has either 1 or 6 as the choices. Switch it to 1 and the price and title on the page will change to reflect single bulbs. \

BTW, for those who have already gotten one, does the package say anything about using/not using them in totally enclosed fixtures ?

Nope, so i assume you can. I think the only people with them so far are Cree employees.

 

[gajslk]

I question whether using glass is a good design decision here. One of the selling points of LED bulbs is that they're unbreakable.

Really? The last time I broke a bulb by accident was 40 years ago and I was going after the glass itself, separating it from the base, so it wasn't exactly a typical application.

Gordon

 

[lildave]

They look and work great. But they unsolder themselves if they get hot ( ie Jelly jar). I just replaced 30 at work.

 

[bose301s]

They look and work great. But they unsolder themselves if they get hot ( ie Jelly jar). I just replaced 30 at work.

Really, I find that hard to believe since they just came out on Tuesday.