Anyone ever get a greenie BB or MM?

just curious.
im thinking about getting a few for family, but wanted to go a little less expensive.

darn...can barely wait for the Q3's...

Bob

My first MadMax, I got in a trade here in B/S/T. It was a greeny. It wasn't something I noticed, however, unless I compared it to 5mm LED lights.

This was a standard MadMax, with the plastic trim pot (I got it before the MadMax+ existed), was plenty bright, and very serviceable. Only in comparison on a white wall was the color evident.

But, by the same comparison with an incandescent light, it's appearance was very white.


If I were going to buy several, I would definitely get the the MadMax+ without the Q3L.
Another option is to post in B/S/T ~ Lights, for used MadMaxs.

I just got a BB400 w/Q3 around two weeks ago. A slight touch of green was noticeable with my BB400 conversion when I threw on the NX05 and compared it to an ARC LSH-P. However, when the NX05 was swapped with a McFlood, no green was noticed. With the McFlood, the color of the BB400 mod matched my TK McLux. I have no plans to put in the NX05 as I found out that I liked the McFlood's beam a whole lot better.

I've owned 2-BB400 w/Q3 and both were horribly green. I didn't make a big deal of it, since I really bought it for the novelity and not for normal usage.

Both of my MadMax+ Q3s are white w/violet tint.

It's the luck of the draw.

I have a BB500 and a Q3BB. The Q3 is a greenie and the 500 is more a blue/violet.

Bean

so...then why get a Q3? isnt the q3 supposed to be whiter? if im not guaranteed a decent color, then why pay extra?

regarding luxeons: i am a little cautious now, because i have received 6 greenies out of 9 luxeons (4 green star/o, 2 green inretechs, and 3 very white star/o)! that is a pretty crappy ratio.

im not talking a little green at the periphery, i am talking about at least half of the corona being green. in other words: a small whitish central spot with a fat green corona.

i dont mind a little green--actually, i like just a little at the periphery.
i probably sound very nitpicky, but i dont think it is unusual to have minimal expectations for a product. i am also aware that manufacturers dont always have control over the color of the LED's, but the reels are supposed to be fairly close in tint to the specified rank/bin.

i guess i will simply have to continue to play the luxeon lotto!

thanks for all the responses!

Bob

I guess the next light you get, you could buy it with the stipulation that you can return it, if it is a greeny.

I have seen several posts where Inretech has replaced adaptors that the owner found too green.

Also, there is B/S/T/ ~ Lights, where you can stipulate "WTB: xlight, no greenies"

i have, so far, bitten my tongue regarding the inretech adapters...but i will drift off the original topic for a moment.

my first adapter was very green and very dim--on fresh lithiums. i couldnt get more than 75 lux at 1 meter.

i had mr inretech send me another (he was very nice about this, and stated to me and publicly on this board that his new adapters were very white, with no green.), and it was slightly brighter and slightly less green. slightly. i could only get ~90 lux. another point: Quickbeam's sample inretech posted 200 lux...on alkies!

let me make clear that there wasnt extra resistance or other problem--these were simply poor luxeons. i wasnt merely sitting around pointing these at a white wall: i took one out west, and it performed well (it was VERY dark there)--but it was still relatively dim and green.

i had contacted mr inretech about the 2nd sample, and he stated that he had whiter ones, but they probably wouldnt be brighter. to his credit, he was responsive to my inquiry.

i want to point out that i think direct drive luxeons is a fantastic idea: long runtime, simple, inexpensive. now, i will pay a little extra to get step-up/regulation and higher performance.

i almost forgot: i also got a horribly green Reactor. that makes 7/10 greenies.

but the real question to myself is:

"do you feel lucky, punk?"

Bob

Just an observation here.

Take any Luxeon if driven at spec will yield the color balance as Lumileds tests them. Whether they are 2 and slightly yellowish, or 4 and slightly bluish.

Underdrive one of these and the color tends to shift towards yellow to green. So, any Luxeon underdriven is going to exagerate the greenish effect.

Overdriving will tend to push the Luxeons more towards blue or white. So, a carefully tweeked Luxeon can with the right amount of overdrive can offset some of the yellowish one might find in a bin grade 2 for example.

Of all the modules I've tested and that's several hundred, I've never seen any puke greenies. I think some of the people commenting here are refering to a slight tint of yellowish greenish or bluish hue. The luxeon bin codes that I've shipped as "normal" ones are either 2's or 4's.

Of the Q3's that I've tested, they have all been nice white beams. Of course the NX05 beam is different than the flood and again different than the bare LED.

I have never accepted any bin grade 1's or 5's for any of my LEDs or modules and I've almost exclusively have bought full reels so that I actually know what the bin code is for every LED I've used with rare exceptions.

Wayne

Both of my MM+Q3L and BB+Q3L have a very nice white beam. One has a slightly more prominent blue tint, but nothing compared to my KL1. An upgrade to Q3L is certainly a way to go if you cannot stand a greenie color.
My first MM has a white purplish color and is as nice as my Q3L counterpart but with a dimmer beam.
My BB has a yellowish warm white color, and quite nice too. But i cannot stand greenie so i resell it.

wayne, can i pre-order some sandwiches, or do i have to wait until the new website updates to reflect current stock?

thanks,
Bob

Bob,
I have purchased a BB500 and two BB400 Q3L adaptors and none of them have been greenies. The BB500 is slightly violet around the bright, white beam. The Q3Ls are interesting, the one in the Brinkmann is ever so slightly bluish and the one in the Minimag is ever so slightly greenish. I am talking the outside of the corona on a pure white wall. The McFlood reflector made both of them white.
My R2H should be coming in at the end of the week. That puppy will be ran at 500mA (BB500) in a Nexstar 2C so I will see how overdriving gets rid of the slight greenie of the R2. I would kill for an R4, I prefer the slight bluish look of the beam in what that Nexstar will be used for.

Bob,

The shoppe is not taking pre-orders at this time. The new boards are being run this week. The module assembly is scheuled for the end of next week. Modules are expected here the week of the 21st. I can't believe it...

Sorry for the delay. The CM keeps pushing the date out farther and farther.

Wayne

just tried to order some MM. the OS site says there was an error processing my credit card. i tried 3 different cards.

am i doing something wrong?

Bob

I have a BB500, Original MadMax, BB400Q3 and MM+Q3 and none of them are green.
My original MadMax is a slight cream colour buy only evident if comparing to my Lightwave 4000 on a white wall otherwise you would not notice. (Remember the Lightwave 4000 is slightly blue so it's not a good way to test).
My BB500 is a similar colour to your normal white 5mm LEDs with a very slight hint of violet.

I do not consider either my BB500 or original MadMax to be far enough from white that it would bother me in fact I can remember when I got both of them I was pleased with the colour and still am.

Now my BB400Q3 and MM+Q3 are very white!
My BB400Q3 seems slightly brighter than my BB500 and has longer runtime.
My MM+Q3 is REALLY bright!
Both the BB400Q3 and MM+Q3 look to my eye to have exactly the same white output.

My BB400's color definately seems to depend on the optic... I believe different parts of the Luxeon beam pattern will have somewhat different colors dependong on phosphor distribution, etc.

With a McFlood, it's mostly white, and somewhat bluish in places.

With a McFlood plus a 22.5mm DCX lens in front, the beam pattern gets a bit weird, and in some places there are rings with a greenish tinge, and in other cases there are rings with a bluish tinge. Note that I am probably one of the few people (maybe the only one at the moment) that uses such an optics setup with their Luxeon light. McFlood plus a DCX lens gives a "tight flood" beam pattern. Narrower than the McFlood, but much wider than the NX05, with a VERY sharp dropoff at the edge.

i went ahead and ordered a couple of MM+ (non-Q3), because i have 2 P3's which seem very white, and 4 P1's which appear pretty green (but bright: this must be a similar bin number to the ugly greenies i have received in the past).

Wayne states that he does not use the 1's, only 2-4, which should be fine. honestly, i like a little green or yellow, i think it is a warmer color. it seems, for my needs, a P2, P3, Q2, Q3 would be fine.
dont know how i would like the violet...guess i will have to wait and see! if i dont like the color, i will simply use them as gifts or list them in BST.

thanks again,
Bob

Bob

Hello Bob,

I recently purchased 40 BB400's and was surprised at the lack of variation between them. They are white with a very slight touch of green at the edge. I was expecting the full range from blue to purple to green, but all I got was white. I don't think Wayne hand picked these for me, but it might have been the luck of the draw.

I am using the lights for a business promotion and have had no comments about the color of the light, other than it seems a bit blue compared to an incandescent light. I am very pleased, and once again - Thanks Wayne.

Tom

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pedalinbob said:
i went ahead and ordered a couple of MM+ (non-Q3)...

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Let us know how you like them.