Cree vs Seoul for Mule

Is one of these better than the other for a light with no reflector?

In looking through old threads, I can't find anything that would recommend one over the other in this light. The outputs seem about the same, and I don't see where the sticky surface of the Seoul is a disadvantage. I think that both have been offered in the TI Mules, but I could be wrong.

Is one better with primaries? Longer runtime?

From the threads, Wayne will be building the GDuP with both. Which way should I go, or does it really matter?

Thanks for the help.

Digging deper in the archives, I found an initial eval. on the Seoul emitter. If I understood it correctly, it emits a lot of light out the sides, rather than forward.

This would mean that it would be a poor choice for use it in a light like tha Mule.

Someone correct me if I am wrong.

I think you are correct in that assumption.

The SSc is more like the Luxeons Leds of the past in its pattern of light output.

As much as I like the Seoul LED for most applications, the Mule type lights perform best with the CREE LED. luminata's assessment of the Seoul radiation pattern is correct; It is simply too wide for use in Mule type lights.

The radiation pattern or narrower viewing angle of the Cree relative to the lambertian LEDs is part of what prompted me to design a "bald" or non optic flood light. That and the fact that the LED's now provide sufficient flux to be used quite effectively without collimation of their output (IMHO).

However, even the lambertian LED's still get the majority of their light out the front end of the Mule so they shouldn't be discounted out of hand. The image source on a Seoul or Luxeon is higher up on the Z axis than that of the Cree when you compare them on a LE. This means that the Seoul and Luxeon have a greater open exit angle than that of the Cree in a Mule head and this aids them in getting their light out.

I have a number of various LE's I have made for bench testing with LED's from Nichia and other manufacturers beyond Lumileds, Cree and Seoul and I have found that these LE's work quite well in the Mule.

Certainly the Mule was designed to exploit the narrower viewing angle of the Cree but that doesn't negate its value or viability with other LED's. For some of you, tint may be more important in a light like the Mule than total flux.

I haven't got around to it yet but I am going to use a Mule head to host a LE consisting of three of the Nichia 310's driven in series at about 15 mA. This will be a portable light that I can use to emulate my Tri-Cluster lights.

Heck, there are a lot of things you can pack in a Mule!

wow , Don I hope we get to see some pics of that setup when you do it. Very cool. :thumbsup: