Run time of luxeon and use as a reading light

[cobb]

I use my cabelas 5 watt xpg light and v2 6 chip off and on for my reading needs. I like the xpg for its white square beam on high and low, but the heat it makes on high has me concerned of its run life. THe v2 puts out a blob of light and mentions a rated life of 50 000 hours, however after a while the whole thing gets warm to the touch.

I may need to use them more and more and even considered making a dummy battery for them and use a wall wart to power them if not try to make a desk lamp.

Is heat an issue? Is the run time of a luxen related to the heat it makes or size? Is cooler better?

THanks.

 

[cobb]

Thanks for all those helpful comments. I am looking at a job where I would use this ten hours a day, 5 days a week and hate to have it fizz out on me the first day of use or after a few weeks. 42-100 bucks a light would add up pretty quick.

 

[Zigzago]

I believe 5 watt luxeons have a much lower service life than other LEDs. I don't have the exact figures, though. Maybe check the manufacturer's web site. lumileds

 

[bjn70]

Heat is an issue with Luxeons but it takes a lot of heat to affect them. I think that is why some of them are rated at 10,000 hours instead of 100,000 hours, but either way that's a lot of time.

For reading I would think you would want a couple of ordinary LED's. Unless you do something to drive one at low voltage the typical Luxeon puts out a lot of light.

 

[gadget_lover]

You are welcome for all the comments.


It's pretty well known that a luxeon V has a 500 hour runtime to 50% brightness if it's run at full power. So no one said that. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Seriously, if you need it for 50 hours a week and need dependability, look into a properly regulated Lux III You can still get a good reading light by underdriving it. None of them should get hot when running under 100ma.

Daniel

 

[cobb]

Ive used the 5 watt model on low high with and without the optics. Unlike other lights this one uses a lens to give you a square beam. Great for reading as I can move my reading material up line by line or the light so I do not loose my place. For the most part, in an office I use it on high, low in my apartment. Although it gave nice uniform light at a wide beam without the lens, it was way dimmer and useless to me as a reading light.

The 6 chip makes a ball of light and its hard to light a page at once, but quarter of a page. Both get warm with use I give it off and on, reading mail and hate to smoke em at ten hours a day or so. I am sure adding a muffin fan would help with the temp, if that is the only concern with life of the unit.

I may end up buying an led desk lamp that someone here made or reviewed, but I am thinking from either design, it wont make the light of the light I currently use. Am I wrong here or can optics be used with a home made luxeon light or regular leds? If I build a lamp, I wouldnt mind multiple luxeons with a computer heat sink and fan. That would be bright I guess to use 3 or more of those 3 watt modules in a triangle or square shape? I guess I could mount the heads from 4 v2 6 chip lights in a square shape too?

Any ideas? For reference my xpg 5 watt light is as bright as a 3 d cell mag light on tight focus. When both beams are shines together, the mag light beam is lost within the white square of the xpg.

 

[cobb]

I hit that website, downloaded the pdfs, read them, tried the V 5 watt led modules and got a bad link. Looks like they are better than the 5mm lights, at least according to the graphs and fade of the light output.

Think I may stick with the idea of putting the xpg in a goose neck mount, dummy battery and a wall wort to power it and hook up a muffin fan that I will stick down near the head of the light to keep it cool. After reading the data about cycling it, I am still mixed on using it off and on as necessary or leacing it on 24/7.