Noob LED binning question

[ScaryFatKidGT]

Now I know the higher number the brighter/more efficient but what are the letters? like the XP-E Q's but theres also R's and the XP-G S editions? and most I only ever see go to 5 but XM-L's go to T6 is 6 better than 5 or is that just a XM-L thing?

 

[brandocommando]

You have S6, T2, T3, T4, T5, T6 XM-L's, and then they change letters on you again with the current highest bin being... U2!

I have no clue how they name their LED's, but for the letters and numbers following the LED name, the higher the letter (and number,) the higher the bin and efficiency.

Sort of how XP-G's also went from R4, to R5, and then to... S2.

If you go to the Cree website, you can see the luminous flux ratings for all the led's at the same given amperage, (700mah for the XM-L's.) There you can see all the charts that show how the higher bin's put out more lumens...

 

[AnAppleSnail]

Each brightness bin is 7% brighter.

P2, P3, P4 (I don't think there is a P5)
Q2, Q3, Q4, Q5
R2, R3, R4, (R5 is rare)
S2, S3 (No S4?)
T3, T4, T5, T6
U2...

 

[ScaryFatKidGT]

Each brightness bin is 7% brighter.

P2, P3, P4 (I don't think there is a P5)
Q2, Q3, Q4, Q5
R2, R3, R4, (R5 is rare)
S2, S3 (No S4?)
T3, T4, T5, T6
U2...

AHHHHH ok so thats why some leds cross both (XP-E R2 and the XP-G R2) and a lot of stuff seems to have XP-G R5 now. So they have nothing to do with color? cuz the S2's are all green haha

and why do they stop at 5 then when they hit T decide to go to 6?

and another question, does it have to do with efficiency too or what? For example the Fenix E05 uses a XP-G R2 at 27lm and a R4 at 30lm in the premium version but couldn't the R2 version put out up to 60 some lumens just fine? Couldn't they just up the lumens without changing bins?

and the U2 in the Fenix TK21 is like 468lm but T6's put out up to 800 so why pay more for a better bined LED?

 

[brandocommando]

and the U2 in the Fenix TK21 is like 468lm but T6's put out up to 800 so why pay more for a better bined LED?

More efficient LED = better battery life!

 

[ScaryFatKidGT]

Ok thats what I though so it like a brightness to input power rating?

 

[brandocommando]

Yes, the charts on the cree site, are a brightness to power rating. They are all ran at 700mah / or... 0.7 Amps for the testing.

This is a lower level compared to the 2.8A that we normally run them at, but it gives a good basis for comparison between the different bins.

With the TK21, sure a lot of LED's can produce 468 lumens, but a U2 binned XM-L can do it with less current because it is more efficent. This means you get cooler operating temperatures, and longer run times.

 

[AnAppleSnail]

For Cree LEDs:

If it's letter-number, it's brightness. If it's number-letter, it's tint. Compare S2 to 5A.

The Cree XP-G S2 aren't necessarily green in tint, but 4sevens got a batch of them, so did Fenix.

If you get more lumens per watt, you get more lumens at a given power level. Most flashlight makers use the same driver with a new LED brightness bin. It costs more money to get a new driver, and would require publishing two runtime specs.

I don't know why they stop at 5.

The Fenix TK21 is not necessarily designed to put out more light. Lumens are emphasized too much anyway. As you buy more lights I think you'll find that control of the light (Output pattern, interface, and tint) are more important than mere output.

Besides, if you want output get an HID light. 3000+ lumens in your pocket.

 

[ScaryFatKidGT]

For Cree LEDs:

If it's letter-number, it's brightness. If it's number-letter, it's tint. Compare S2 to 5A.

The Cree XP-G S2 aren't necessarily green in tint, but 4sevens got a batch of them, so did Fenix.

If you get more lumens per watt, you get more lumens at a given power level. Most flashlight makers use the same driver with a new LED brightness bin. It costs more money to get a new driver, and would require publishing two runtime specs.

I don't know why they stop at 5.

The Fenix TK21 is not necessarily designed to put out more light. Lumens are emphasized too much anyway. As you buy more lights I think you'll find that control of the light (Output pattern, interface, and tint) are more important than mere output.

Besides, if you want output get an HID light. 3000+ lumens in your pocket.

I have already discovered beam pattern makes a big difference but if you liked the TK21 wouldn't u like the TK21 U2 even more?

They make HID's that small?

 

[AnAppleSnail]

I have already discovered beam pattern makes a big difference but if you liked the TK21 wouldn't u like the TK21 U2 even more?

They make HID's that small?

The smallest HID is about the size of a 1.5D mag lite, and has around 3000L output.

 

[Changchung]

Help about bin, I will never be familiar with this things, how will look a cree xm-l T5-0D? It is neutral? Thanks for the help...