Brightest 5mm Whites

[**DONOTDELETE**]

Does anyone else beside Nichia produce white 5mm LEDs?

Isn't Nichia's brightest white 6.4Cd at 20 degrees? I heard they have some sort of grading system as well.

Also **** Smith Electronics (a local store) is selling a 5mm 8Cd (9.5Cd max) 20 degree white LED which they rate at 3.6V at 20mA. Type in catalog number Z3982 at www.dse.com.au

Even more interesting are the 2 white LEDs Oatley electronics (also a local store) are selling:
http://www.oatleyelectronics.com/leds.html

I called them up to ask for some info and the clueless sales guy told me it was some no-name Asian manufacturer. He doesn't know who manufactures it (I asked whether it was Nichia but he didn't know) or the directivity characteristics.

Has anyone heard of a 15Cd 5mm white LED (!!) which only consumes 3.6V at 20mA?!!

 

[hotfoot]

Holy Cow! If the 8500mcd 5mm whites really exist, I'd buy a bucketful. As for the 15cd ones - I'd take a barrel!

Seriously, there's gotta be some mistake or exaggeration here, right? Otherwise my credit card is gonna get cramps again...

 

[papasan]

for those prices you're better off getting a luxeon and pulling it off it's PCB base and under-driving it...$10 for one 5mm 8cd LED?...jeez...

 

[hotfoot]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by papasan:
for those prices you're better off getting a luxeon and pulling it off it's PCB base and under-driving it...$10 for one 5mm 8cd LED?...jeez...<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

you're right - but I haven't been able to think of a way to fit a single LS (let alone 4) into my M3 Ergo yet

I'll be plenty happy with replacing my 5600mcds with 8500mcd units!

 

[Graham]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by papasan:
for those prices you're better off getting a luxeon and pulling it off it's PCB base and under-driving it...$10 for one 5mm 8cd LED?...jeez...<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Keep in mind that the price for that 8cd LED is Australian $ - at current rates thats equivalent to about US$5...

Graham

 

[geepondy]

Just curious. We have read different reports of ongoing improvements for the luxeon's concerning increased light output but is there any news on Nichia forecasting brighter LEDs in the future?

 

[**DONOTDELETE**]

I have a feeling that the US$5 8Cd 5mm is possibly a Nichia with a brighter ranking.. I dunno S or T.

The Arc LE uses a S rank Nichia which is claimed to have a 6.8Cd minimum rating.

The 10 and 15Cd units I reckon are fakes. I cannot believe that such a unit currently exists, especially from some no-name Asian manufacturer.

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>We have read different reports of ongoing improvements for the luxeon's concerning increased light output but is there any news on Nichia forecasting brighter LEDs in the future?<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Nichia seems to be very quiet and secretive. There has been a slow and constant improvement as the NSPW500BS has gone from 5.4 Cd to 6 Cd and now 6.4 Cd

I dunno whether they are hesitant in disclosing their colour and brightness ranking system but I found the grading system out from numerous websites, but nothing was found on Nichia's website.

8Cd NSPW500BS would be great. I can see it now... 5 LEDs slightly overdriven by a regulated circuit with 2 CR123s.

 

[Chris M.]

The 10 and 15Cd units I reckon are fakes

If you overdrive a regular 5.6 candela white LED at 35-50mA, you`d get these brightness ratings easilly. Maybe that`s what they meant?

 

[hotfoot]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Someguy:
8Cd NSPW500BS would be great. I can see it now... 5 LEDs slightly overdriven by a regulated circuit with 2 CR123s.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

That sounds vaguely possible as the world's first X5 mod/retrofit! Did I guess right?

 

[**DONOTDELETE**]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>If you overdrive a regular 5.6 candela white LED at 35-50mA, you`d get these brightness ratings easilly. Maybe that`s what they meant?<HR></BLOCKQUOTE> Could be BUT their data section does state 20mA max with a 3.6V forward voltage.

Plus even overdriving a standard 6.4Cd Nichia I don't think you could hit 15Cd!

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>That sounds vaguely possible as the world's first X5 mod/retrofit! Did I guess right?<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Actually I was thinking more of a small tactical light.. I quite like the form factor of the Brinkmann Legend LX. If only the Brinkmann Rebel was made with the same standards.

I'm not a huge fan of twist-on torches, so no Inova 5x for me.

Anyway I've banned myself from buying anymore LED lights until we can get around 9Cd from Nichias (at 20mA, 3.6V) or the Lambertian white Luxeons come out (and are actually warm white, not puke green). This way I won't go broke!

 

[Chris M.]

BUT their data section does state 20mA max with a 3.6V forward voltage.

Hmm....sounds like wishful thinking on their behalf then!

Maybe shone through a lens like the Brinkmann Long-life, or focussed like a Dorcy Cool-blue/Turtlelite, but not by itsself unless they`ve produced one with a narrower beam than Nichia`s product.

Plus even overdriving a standard 6.4Cd Nichia I don't think you could hit 15Cd!

I`ve seen this- from a Photon 2 with brand new batteries (my Photon seems to be a brighter than average one). Doesn`t stay that way for long but if it were hooked to a constant current power supply, you could probably keep it above 15cd.

Only down side- it would get rather hot and eventually turn sky-blue and fail. So it`s probably not a good idea.

 

[Footlight]

The following quote from the Australian magazine 'Silicon Chip' of December 2000 might be of interest:

"There are currently three 'brightnesses' of ultra-bright white LEDs available: 1500-2000mcd, 5600-6000mcd and 8000mcd. The more you pay, theoretically, the brighter the LED. But we'll "led" you in on a little secret: we connected 5600mcd and 8000mcd LEDs to the circuit and measured the output on a very sensitive Minolta lightmeter - and got absolutely identical results (down to 0.1 "f" stops) So to be honest, we'd stick to 5600mcd LEDs and save a few bob!"

 

[L.E.D.]

Hahahaha they're probably just really narrow beams.

 

[**DONOTDELETE**]

As an employee for Nichia America I can tell you that the brightest white LED for sale in the United States would be our NSPW500BS RANK BS. It should be around 8cd. I have a feeling that we are making a rank BT but only for sale in Japan at the moment.

 

[**DONOTDELETE**]

Ah so there could be a T rank LED? Well it looks like my ban on LED lights might come to an end much quicker than I thought! So what are they 9, 10, maybe 11Cd ?!?!?!

BTW DSE has replied to my e-mail requesting to find out who manufacturers the 8Cd 5mm LEDs but apparently its "company policy" not to disclose any of that information.

But it seems very likely its an S rank Nichia.

 

[**DONOTDELETE**]

All the information on the web site is for our middle rank leds. Thus being:

NSPW500BS 6.4 cd is for our R intensity bin.

And yes you can get this part is the S bin and it is approximatly 8 cd.

JRocks

 

[**DONOTDELETE**]

I can give you all the information you want however I would rather not post it. If you can give me your number I will call you or you can contact me at 717-285-2323. This is Nichia Main line. I think I cold work out a pretty good price with you.