Conclusions?

Hello. I have been reading this forum for a long time, and every time I visit, I end up with more questions then answers. For example, what is a bin for a LED?
I see that many people say "This LED comes from the t-bin" or something similar.
Then I read about how LED power regulation fails at doing its job, LED's start dimming or get brighter, and also that Luxeon 5's stop working or spark (?) after 500 Hours?

What the heck is going on?

I own a Dorcy 1Watt and a ALX-654C here http://www.amondotech.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=937
If you visited that link, you know its a luxeon 5. Is it going to suddenly stop working or dim after 500 hours? Should I be checking its regulation voltage and current regularly for abnormal increases or decreases? And Why do some people post that some lux 5's can deliver 200 Lumens (Is it possible or am I getting BS?) DO I ask to many questions?

I have been around many other forums for a long time so please dont think of me as a newb or a 7 year old. Thanks. May the light be with you.

Hello and welcome.

As to the bin rating, here's a link to the info about what the ratings are.
BIN CODES

If the bin is RV1K, the R is the flux or lumens rating, 39.8-51.7 lumens.
The V1 is the tint, look at the first colored chart.
And the K is the forward voltage, 3.51v-3.75v.

The rest of your questions will have to be answered by someone else, as I have no experience with the Lux V.

BIN is how the LEDs are categorized, most often people are talking about the color light the LED will produce. I think. Regulation keeps the light output constant, unlike how a normal flashlight will get dimmer and yellower as time goes on. Luxeon5 has a shorter life span because it's producing more heat. And 500 hours is a really, really long time. If you bought that light, you'd probably be buying a new light before you ever got there. And it's not like someone couldn't replace that LED for you..

Welcome to the CPF!!

Welcome to the forums MetalCastr!

MetalCastr said:

DO I ask to many questions?

Click to expand...

Never! Seriously, asking questions is good. That's how you find things out!

MetalCastr said:

For example, what is a bin for a LED?
I see that many people say "This LED comes from the t-bin" or something similar.

Click to expand...

When LEDs are manufactured, they aren't all the same. There are some that are brighter than others, and they all have slightly different tints. LED manufacturers separate all the LEDs they manufacture into different "bins" which indicate the brightness tint.

MetalCastr said:

that Luxeon 5's stop working or spark (?) after 500 Hours?

What the heck is going on?

I own a Dorcy 1Watt and a ALX-654C here http://www.amondotech.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=937
If you visited that link, you know its a luxeon 5. Is it going to suddenly stop working or dim after 500 hours?

Click to expand...

LEDs, (Luxeon V included) generally have very long lives, depending on how hard they're driven. When LEDs first started coming out, manufacturers were estimating 100,000 hours, but they're realizing it's not quite that long. Nevertheless, an LED's life should be in the tens of thousands of hours. I don't think you have anything to worry about.

OK. Thanks for replying! I now understand the bin codes. What intrigues me is a 200+ Lumen luxeon 5. I don't think they exist yet or do they? hmm. And then here's the K2's just when I bought a Luxeon V. Are they going to be the next-gen LED's that are going to give Lux V's the boot?

Seems this is the way its going
In 2025:

New Luxeon QUARK7 with 1,200 Lumen Output!
This product will be launched as soon as we see that you bought an Inferior flashlight that you though was the latest and greatest. Has Charger that operates on zero-point energy and never need batteries.
-----

Makes me feel like saying D'Oh. Oh yes and my ALX is driven at a little over 1 amp. I dont want it to fry. It seems that this is one of the places to find and talk about products that are better and cheaper than anything you will find on store shelves. Kinda makes me feel like I thought I just bought this product that was the "best", then something better comes out. Seems like "the Tech curse"

...and you've probably figured this out by now, but the bins are alphabetical; the higher the letter, the brighter the LED. Thus if you have three LEDs - an "R" bin, a "T" bin and a "U" bin - the "R" would be the dimmest, and the "U" would be the brightest.

Welcome to CPF!