Thoughts on a particular LED

[daybringer]

Hi everyone,

I realize it's a bit tacky for my first post to be a thread, but I've been lurking a bit, I haven't found the answer, and I'd really like to know you guys' thoughts.

I'm trying to make a bike light I'd like to use a 1W LED. This one looked perfect: http://www.aliexpress.com/item/Free...-ce-rohs-90lm-100lm-Cool-White/459097901.html

The voltage is perfect (I'm using 3-4 AAA @ 1.5V each, still up in the air but I've got some CAD models designed for a 4 AAA light), they claim to be white, they're super cheap... I'm just curious if these are totally made up specs that some desperate businessman is using to make a sale or is this a good deal. I googled the brand-name "Fly" to no avail. They claim they make their own, but another posting of identical looking LEDs shows Epistar as the manufacturer.

Does anyone have any experience with these or similar LEDs? Is this a hustle? Do you think I'd regret buying 100 to make bike lights with?

Thanks in advance everyone

 

[Gunner12]

They seem like generic LEDs found in really cheap lights. IIRC, most of the LEDs have decent output and last pretty long, so the do work. How many per $19 package?

Cree's LEDs don't cost too much either. You can get them pre-mounted on a star for ~$5 each on various sites, and here's a guy selling the XP-Es for under $3 on eBay: http://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-Cree-XL...576?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4ab8649d88

Unless money is really tight, I'd go with a name brand LED. The cheap ones should work just fine, but you'd probably get more output with the name brand ones.

BTW, the cheapest bare XP-Es are $1.72 each on mouser ($1.39 each for lots of 100). They are Q4 bins, not the brightest, 100 lumen at 350 mA, but probably brighter then those generic LEDs. You would need some way of mounting and soldering the LEDs though since they come without a board.

:welcome:

 

[bshanahan14rulz]

The ones linked to by the OP say that it is a pack of 100. The package looks like a generic package, though. A quick google search shows most epistar LEDs do not have that notch in the metal on the one leg of the LED. That said, the chip itself may still be an epistar chip, because it does look like it is a chip with a spiral current spreader. $0.19 each, in a classic generic package

 

[Gunner12]

That's what I though too (100 for $20), $0.20 is pretty cheap for any power LEDs, even the generic ones. I'd buy some to try out but I've already got a bunch of LED that need to be used first.

 

[daybringer]

I think I'm gonna get 'em. It's only $20, so even if they suck it's like "whatever." I'm not looking for the absolute brightest either- well, I AM looking for the brightest I can get but also keeping price in mind. I'm trying to get these to send to a manufacturer who's also going to be making the PCBs, so this works just fine for me.

My other option was doing three ultra bright 5mm, but I think this would probably be brighter. Thanks for the help guys : )

 

[Gunner12]

These high power ones will definitely be brighter then 5mm LEDs. You'll need reflectors for a more focused beam though.

I hope the project works out well!