I want to mod my L1P from 1W to 3W Lux

:help:

I've never swapped out an LED yet, but want to mod my L1P from a 1W to a 3W Luxeon. I would like suggestions on which 3 watter would be a good one for bright, white output without breaking my wallet.

I also have no idea at all where to get such LEDs- I only need one or two.

And I have no idea if it's just going to be a straight swap or do I need to do something else besides swap the LED.


Eagerly awaiting answers!
Thanks!

The mod likely won't make it any brighter unless you get a U bin with a low Vf. A UW0H would be a good choice if you can find one.

Another thing, most LuxIII's aren't 3 watts. A J or H Vf is typically between 2.12 and 2.48 watts when driven at spec, which is 700mA. An L1P only puts about 300mA to the LED.

I was just wanting to make it as bright as my JetBeam I and LiteFlux LF1 which have 3 watters and thought the LED was the main reason for the extra brightness of these two lights.

You're better off with an S bin Lux I if you're putting it in a L1P. No reason to use a Lux III since they are characterized for 700mA bias. The L1P is probably 350mA or less and Lux I's are characterized at that level. Underdriving a Lux III will also shift the tint and the *WO* that you paid for will not be a *WO* when driven at 350mA.

I have no idea what bin the stock LED in my light is. Would the S bin Lux I be whiter and brighter than a stock L1P? I got my L1P about a year ago and modded it with the high low switch mod.

srvctec said:

I have no idea what bin the stock LED in my light is. Would the S bin Lux I be whiter and brighter than a stock L1P? I got my L1P about a year ago and modded it with the high low switch mod.

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The L1P is using an R bin I believe, tint unspecified. If you have a mid range R-bin and you get a mid range S bin, expect 30% more output. Tint is what ever you get. *WO* is the most neutral, *XO* is cooler, *VO* is warmer. Those are the three tints that lie mostly along the line so they'll be the most "neutral". YMMV.

The LuxeonI and LuxeonIII are actually the same animal, but the LuxeonIII is binned at twice the current level the Luxeon I is.

Brightness depends entirely on the Flux (lumen output) and forward voltage each LED is rated for, and the amount of current the LED is getting.

So simply switching out a LuxeonI for a LuxeonIII won't necessarily increase the brightness, and in some cases will actually decrease it.

chevrofreak said:

The LuxeonI and LuxeonIII are actually the same animal, but the LuxeonIII is binned at twice the current level the Luxeon I is...

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Not exactly correct. Read the data sheet more carefully. Theta jc is 2 degC/W better on the lux III's.

The statement ..." the LuxeonIII is binned at twice the current level the Luxeon I is..." is not quite exactly right either.

The word binned should be replaced with characterized or rated. Subtle but important difference. When you run either LED outside their specifications, the stated parameters (flux, tint, etc) do not necessarily hold anymore. As I stated above, one really obvious thing that changes is tint. Everyone here knows that tint shifts when you underdrive (as well as overdrive) but the effect appears more pronounced when underdriving. There are an array of tricks people play with tint management. There are patents on the subject. It's a well known phenomenon. A *WO* lux 1 and a *WO* lux III will have different tint when driven at 350mA.

Bottom line is to use the LED that closely matches your application. You're more likely to get the intended results if you do.

CM said:

Not exactly correct. Read the data sheet more carefully. Theta jc is 2 degC/W better on the lux III's.

The statement ..." the LuxeonIII is binned at twice the current level the Luxeon I is..." is not quite exactly right either.

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I'm pretty sure this is what Lumileds would like us all to believe, but my very strong suspicion is that the data sheets do not completely represent the current product.

Formerly, the Luxeon I had an aluminum core slug, while the Luxeon III had a copper core slug. This could account for the difference in Theta. Currently, they both have copper slugs, and no one has been able to identify a physical difference between the Luxeon I and Luxeon III.

Until actually shown otherwise - data sheet notwithstanding - I'm going to believe that the only difference between current production Luxeon I and Luxeon III product is the current they are binned at. Obviously the flux, tint, and Vf will be different at 700 mA than at 350 mA, and that will affect the bin designation.

While they changed to the copper, the data sheet still shows differences in theta. Small difference but a difference still the same. They still go through different processes. As far as the characterization, this is where Lux 1 /= Lux III and is the biggest source of confusion here. To me it's pretty straightforward: What bias level do you intend to use?

I would also suggest that the tint shift between 350 mA and 700 mA is not great. In most instances, driving a Lux III at 350 mA instead of 700 mA will not move the LED out of its tint bin, nor will driving a Lux I at 700 mA instead of 350 mA. Your mileage may vary!

Why is it hard to believe they're the same thing? All of the K2's are the same, just binned at different current levels. That seems to be the thing Lumileds is doing now to simplify production.

CM said:

The L1P is using an R bin I believe, tint unspecified. If you have a mid range R-bin and you get a mid range S bin, expect 30% more output. Tint is what ever you get. *WO* is the most neutral, *XO* is cooler, *VO* is warmer. Those are the three tints that lie mostly along the line so they'll be the most "neutral". YMMV.

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Thanks for the info. Now I just need to find out where to get a "mid range "(whatever that means ) S bin with WO tint and also find out how to swap it out.

srvctec said:

Thanks for the info. Now I just need to find out where to get a "mid range "(whatever that means ) S bin with WO tint and also find out how to swap it out.

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Sorry for the confusing term. When I say mid range, I mean average; ie at the middle of the range between dimmest and brightest.

To take the Fenix apart, here's a link

Fenix Disassembly

srvctec, go to the dealer's corner section and find the post from PhotonFanatic that has SWOHs in the title. He's selling SWOHs : S (bright Lux I) WO (very white at lux I drive levels) H (nice low forward voltage) for 12 dollars shipped. That is the star instead of the emitter, so you will have to remove the star, but thats a good bin for what you're wanting. It will be very white and brighter than you're stock Fenix R bin.

Before you buy it though, I'd recommend making sure you can unscrew the pill from the head. Some are not very willing to come apart.

ROVER said:

srvctec, go to the dealer's corner section and find the post from PhotonFanatic that has SWOHs in the title. He's selling SWOHs : S (bright Lux I) WO (very white at lux I drive levels) H (nice low forward voltage) for 12 dollars shipped. That is the star instead of the emitter, so you will have to remove the star, but thats a good bin for what you're wanting. It will be very white and brighter than you're stock Fenix R bin.

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Thanks for the info. CM also pmed me the same info.

Before you buy it though, I'd recommend making sure you can unscrew the pill from the head. Some are not very willing to come apart.

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Good idea, I hadn't thought about that.