Why can't Nichia make a WHITE LED ?

The method of phosphor coating has improved.

Binning has improved.

What is the development problem here?

Somebody explain it to this old dummy.

Heck, Cree has done it.

I'm not sure what you mean, but Nichia does make white LEDs. They have both 5mm (CS series as in the new ArcAAA-P) and high power devices (Jupiter series).

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Paul

What JohnK means is that why does the "white" leds made by nichia always have a very bluish tint. The new CS leds have a more pronounced "blue" to beam than the previous leds. I don't know the answer to JohnK's question, but it is a good one.

Blue, and blotchy, and yellowish, and greenish !

My current 5mm EDC is a Peak "Snow" 3LED Hi-Power.

It's white as a snowy mountaintop.

I'll never go back again.

From the SureFire catalog:

"LEDs emit only one wavelength, or color, of light. Since white light is a combination of all the wavelengths in the visible spectrum, an LED cannot produce white light. SureFire white LEDs are in fact blue LEDs with a phosphor applied. When energized photons from a blue LED strike a phosphor coating, broader spectrum light witha a mixture of wavelengths is produced. However, the light has a bluish-white appearance. White light can also be generated by mixing the light generated by blue, green, and red LEDs."

Go tell that to Peak and Cree !

from Peak site...
"Peak LED Solutions has chosen to use an advanced product from a specialty manufacture that uses a proprietary method to produce an LED —White" color output that closely matches EEW. We call this LED —SNOW" white. The nominal color output is between the printing and publishing industry standard of ISO 3664, (approved March 21, 2000 ), at 5000 degrees Kelvin and EEW of about 5500 degrees Kelvin. We are currently using a third generation of this product. The first generation produced a nominal output of 12,000 mcd. The latest version is in the 22,000 mcd nominal output range at 20 mA current. This is between a —U" and a —V" bin output of another popular LED manufacturer. (The —V" bins LEDs, according to the information from that manufacturer, are almost impossible at present to get. Most get —T" with a limited number in the —U" bin."

there are some beam pics in my groupbuy and Dorcy AAA threads - am in process of removing about 40 "other" LEDs from some of my lights and replacing them with the snow 29's.
I can post pics of my Streamlight 4xAA 7 LED light if anyone is interested (stock, vs "other", vs Snow)

lebox, I'd love to see the comparison.

lebox97 said:

I can post pics of my Streamlight 4xAA 7 LED light if anyone is interested (stock, vs "other", vs Snow)

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Of course we're interested. What kind of question is that here on CPF?

lol
now I gotta wait for .... darkness :devil:

If Nichia could make an even smooth white beam then they'd be un-stoppable in the 5mm department.They already have the Flux and durability going for them.

(BTW those 35k or whatever are smooth, but look really cyan/blue tinted to me. The nichia even though splotchy has better color rendition.) The new Nichia CS I put in my ArcAAA has less of a blue spot than the old BS led I took out. I hand selected it though, and it's SMOOOOTH

JohnK said:

Blue, and blotchy, and yellowish, and greenish !

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:laughing: That's exactly my impression on the Nichias. Maybe they're better quality and resist the extra current we like to push through them for longer, but the beam quality needs improvement. My 0.02.

StreamLight 4AA 7 LED

stock vs Nichia CS B12 vs Snow 29 - anybody ever figure out the mA going to each of the 7 LEDs'?
Obviously with the history of LED's going out on this 7 LED light - they must be overdriven - but how much?
Resistor - Red, Red, Brown (or could be black), Gold - so... 22K ohms???

I have two of these lights - about a year apart in age - but they have the same value resistors... ie. if SL changed the value to decrease the current to minimize the LED burnouts - it happened either before or after these particular ones?

Nichia light color is seem to be eye safe for close use and give a very good side spill. Many China LED is rather very white which not very good for close looking for me.

FWIW, I too am not a big fan of the "angry blue" tint to teh Nichia's which has caused me to shy away from them.

My wife uses the AAA Peak Snow I got.

The ARC doesnt really get used.


Ryan

I have heard many people give excuses for the blue color saying it is just the way it is and that it is the price one has to pay for a more durable LED.
I think it is simply either lazy or maybe stubborn ways of some makers. Some say that the blue is something that can not be avoided yet Peak has some of the most white 5 MM LEDs I have seen....It can be done.
In a way I actually like a uniform HID type tint to a beam or maybe a slight cool blue color however the blotchy blue is simply horrible. If Peak can do it there is no reason why others can not in my opinion. To me it is clear that most of us want the smooth,white beam and could care less about actual numbers on paper or fancy studies as to why the blotchy beam is necessary. I think I may just be spoiled due to some other lights I have handled. I have passed up on many new 5mm lights due to a blotchy blue beam.

adimag said:

What JohnK means is that why does the "white" leds made by nichia always have a very bluish tint.

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Or slightly puke green like the ones in the 2AA and 2C River Rocks.


The 2AAA's have a distinctive blueberry tint. Very strong in fact, not white at all. Very light blue. But, they give off nice light for the form factor and are a great value.

After seeing the nice white luxeon in my Dorcy CR123A, I'd never want to use a tinted beam again though.