Can someone please explain Xenon to me?

[ab1ht]

Yes, I know it's an element. But in terms of flashlights, what does this mean?

I was looking at the LF Seraph SP-6, 2 Cell Modular Flashlight (Xenon) per a recommendation on one of my previous threads. Clearly, this is not an LED light. But is it considered an incandescent? What are the pros and cons to Xenon compared to LED?

I realize these are probably really basic questions that have been answered before, but I'm doing my best to learn... :wave:

Thanks for any insights.

 

[gallonoffuel]

Xenon is a noble gas used inside light bulbs to keep the filament from burning itself out. They purge the oxygen and refill that void with an inert gas (in this case Xenon) to slow the evaporization of the filament.

A bulb labeled 'Xenon' is just describing the gas used inside the bulb. Krypton is another common fill gas. If it's described as xenon or krypton, its an incandescent lamp using either of those as the fill gas.

Incandescent lamps are less efficient at creating light than an LED. Less efficiency generally equates to shorter run times. LEDs typically last longer on portable power sources (batteries) than an equivalently bright incandescent lamp. There are other advantages for incandescents like color rendition, but I'm not very educated in this realm so I'm sure someone else will chime in.

 

[yellow]

as filling for halogen bulbs - usually whiter output (but its more that Krypton part, imho)

or as "Xenon" lamps, when someone means HID,
in that case its an arc lamp

 

[ab1ht]

This makes sense. Thank you.

Are the filaments in each the same or do Xenon and Halogen use different materials?

Which is better: Xenon or Halogen?

 

[asdalton]

Incandescent filaments are made out of tungsten.

Halogens are a family of elements (chlorine, bromine, iodine, etc.) that can be added to the fill gas in small amounts, to slow down the process of tungsten evaporation that will eventually blacken the glass and break the filament. A lamp can have both xenon and halogen.

 

[mudman cj]

Additions of halogen gas to bulbs helps to 'recycle' evaporating tungsten coming from the filament that would otherwise blacken the envelope and reduce light output. Halogen gases react with the tungsten to form a halide compound such as tungsten bromide that won't blacken the glass, but upon reaching the filament again, these molecules dissociate due to the high temperature of the filament. When these halides dissociate back into tungsten metal and the halogen gas, the tungsten is deposited back onto the filament and the halogen gas is released to repeat the process. See the halogen cycle for more information.

 

[Outdoors Fanatic]

This makes sense. Thank you.

Are the filaments in each the same or do Xenon and Halogen use different materials?

Which is better: Xenon or Halogen?

For portable tactical flashlight applications, xenon-filled bulbs are better. Typical Halogens have advantages when it comes to home lighting, automobile applications, larger illumination devices and such.

By the way: the Seraph system can be fitted with either Xenon lamp assemblies or LED drop-ins, no modification is required. It's a completely modular system.

 

[Bullzeyebill]

Carley's Xenon bulbs do not have Halogen added unless there is a special order, which fivemega has done with his special H Carley bulbs. Surefire's Xenon lamps have Halogen added. Streamlights Xenon lamps do not have Halogen added, and you will note that they get dark after awhile. Not sure if Streamlights Halogen lamps, used in their SL Series, use Xenon.

Bill

 

[lctorana]

"Incandescent" means light given off by something so hot that it glows.

Any light source with a heated filament is incandescent.

The point of Xenon is it allows the filament to literally glow white-hot, hence the nice light colour.

 

[ab1ht]

Thanks again to all for helping to educate.