Cree clones with Cree dies ?

Just found this
http://opto.en.alibaba.com/product/50133460/50734629/High_Power_LED/LED_Highlight_Power.html

10) Cree chip inside

Click to expand...

It seems some asian LED manufacturers make "Cree clone" leds using actual Cree dies. Interesting.
That may explain how could some asian dealers sell best binned Cree leds (Q5 ?) right now for an unexpected low price (some have doubts...)

not what i want to hear :mecry: ....cant be that bad , if they did this with q5 they probably did it to q4 , considering we never saw q3 from cree and q4 and q5 came out at the same time.....but i have a q4 in my p3d and im very happy with it so im hoping q5 will not dissapoint either

Oh, I was unsure if it was a clone because the "Cree chip inside" sounded like a part of an overly-detailed description using a little broken English. However, then I looked up and noticed that the brand name is:"XinQiao". WTF?

Well, all I can say is that if there are huge amounts of XR-E clones in the market (and many in your flashlights), then they must be pretty dang good! I haven't heard complaints about XR-Es besides the typical dome popping off. That is it! They must have mastered the copying process to get the phosphor coating, the glass dome, and other characteristics of Cree's XR-E perfect. The only bad things are that quality cannot be 100% guaranteed, and you money is not going straight to Cree. The die is from Cree, and they will be bright, but will the phosphor hold up as well as Cree's own phosphor recipe? This has to explain the huge growth of "XR-E" used in Chinese-made lights.

I do not welcome these things, BUT ONLY if this is a new development. I do not care if clones have been around for a long while, since they must not be of bad quality. If these clones are a new thing, then this may become a rough time for DX, KD, and Fenix (and other Asian flashlight-making companies). Lets hope these do not end up like the poor Lumiled's clones.

Where does Cree originate from, anyway? Maybe this "XinQiao" company is working with Cree. Maybe this will be the "generic Cree" that we can use for our cheaper lights. Lets hope the clones will not be bad.

-Tony

I wonder how reliable they are and what they cost?

I can't see Cree supplying dies to someone making XR-E lookalikes of poor quality, so I'd assume these LEDs are made under licence and are basically comparable to XR-Es, unless they're not actually using Cree dies at all.

Thats terrible, I remember the Luxeon clones and they were shocking,
some were even being passed of as the real thing

It is highly unlikely that Cree packages their own parts. They likely contract this to someone. Perhaps that is who this is? I wonder if they are supposed to be selling parts on the side? Perhaps these are the ones that do not do not pass the real Cree specs?

I just fired them an inquiry thru alibaba, will post here if they reply


Pablo

Gryloc said:

They must have mastered the copying process to get the phosphor coating, the glass dome, and other characteristics of Cree's XR-E perfect.

Click to expand...

Glass dome?

Probably a scam. I wouldn't buy anything from that site.

I heard a while back the owner was a known scammer and had multiple sites up selling wholesale stuff in pallets and they were never delivered.

The forum where i read that seems to have been bought out but i found these pretty quick.

http://www.better-internet-bureau.org/discus/messages/2/105.html


http://www.complaintsboard.com/bysubcategory/alibaba-scams.html

I thought the Seoul Semiconductor P4 also uses a Cree die.

Alibaba? Sounds almost like some of the "sting names" of companies that police come up with... For those non-native English speakers, one of the most famous stores out of Arabia (at least for me) is:

Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves (from the1001 Nights)

I would avoid a Chinese site named after that story (of course, it could be one of the worst case example of cultural misunderstanding when picking website names).

-Bill

BB said:

Alibaba? Sounds almost like some of the "sting names" of companies that police come up with... For those non-native English speakers, one of the most famous stores out of Arabia (at least for me) is:

Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves (from the1001 Nights)

I would avoid a Chinese site named after that story (of course, it could be one of the worst case example of cultural misunderstanding when picking website names).

-Bill

Click to expand...

Disregard the silly name, the site is legit, Im not sure about that vendor selling the cree's


Pablo

Yes, that site is legit. But there is many scammers listed in it, so be very carefull before sending any money.

Ask for technical details, those scammers dont have the required technical knowledge, so its relatively easy noticing it when asking technical questions.

Once you have found what seems a legit manufacturer/dealer, confirm they are working through a reputable third part. Ask for some companies they are worked with before and call them to confirm it.

I wouldnt trust in any company not directly licensed by Cree: Edison Opto, SSC, Kingbright (wich still is developing the package and phospors for the EZBright's Cree chip). The other makes clones wich hadnt the EZBright inside, just make leds wich looks like the Crees, but they arnt.

Yep Alibaba is a legitimate site and is simply a business listing service for asian companies who wish to export. It can take a little detective work getting to the manufacturer themselves as many on there are just distributors and you can find the same products with several of those companies. I have used it for RC helicopters in the past and had great success.
Fletch