Can someone outline the differences in the new LEDs

bimemrboy318

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Can someone please tell me the differences between the "new" LEDs.

I'm still in the Luxeon III and Luxeon V days.

What's a:

3W Cree
Cree XR-E
Cree P4
Seoul SSC
Luxeon Rebel
Rebel 0100

Did I miss any? I think some of the above might be referencing the same LED.

Thanks for the LED 101 class!
 

Gunner12

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This thread might help comparing the newer LEDs.

Basically, the Cree XR-E P4(3W is just the current it might be running at in a light) have double the efficiency of a Luxeon I, III, V, and K2 LED. The Q2-Q5 bins are even more efficient. A single Cree P4 should output about 180 lumen at 1 amp and around 3.4-3.8v, a single Q5 should output around 230 lumen at the same current. The Cree Q5 should be the brightest consumer single die LED available at this time(there are brighter ones but they aren't for sale). The Cree has a narrower emitting pattern then the Luxeon. Could be hard to solder and requires clipping the corners or removing the surface mount parts to prevent shorting if you are using the bare emitter.

The Seoul P4 uses that same die as the Cree and has similar efficiency. It has a similar emitting pattern to the Luxeon and is used by some to replace their Luxeon LEDs. It has around 200 lumen at 1 amp and 3.5-3.8v. The Seoul has phosphor problems with temperature and it also has a positive slug which might require isolation to prevent shorts with the bare emitter..

The Edison Opto is another LED that uses the same die as the Cree and has similar performance. IIRC, it has the exact emitting pattern of a Luxeon but will leave a yellow ring around the hotspot if used with a reflector.

The Luxeon Rebel is a surface mounted LED 1/4 the size of the Cree, though it has the same die size. There are many different bins of Rebels with the Rebel 100 being the brightest. If the Rebel 100 die and phosphor was used in a 4 die LED like the Luxeon V, you should easily get 800 lumen out of the LED at 1 amp.

And the best thing, they are available at under $10($9.90 for the Cree Q5 at Kaidomain). If you want to see one, get a cheap one at Dealextreme(Cree section, Seoul Section, Rebel section)/Kaidomain(Cree section, Seoul section) first and see if you like them than go for the pricier ones(I prefer Dealextreme, it seems to be faster responding then Kaidomain). I'd recommend buying the ones with good reviews because there are a few that are crap, check the reviews section and Lightreviews for more reviews.

I hope that I made sense.
 
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bimemrboy318

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Thank you!

I have never made an LED modded Mag. I never even made the old Space Needle which was a direct drive Luxeon V on 3xCR123s.

I've got a lot of reading to do!
 

Gunner12

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Thank you!

I have never made an LED modded Mag. I never even made the old Space Needle which was a direct drive Luxeon V on 3xCR123s.

I've got a lot of reading to do!
Don't worry about the modding, I have yet to start on the modding path though I have read a lot and seen many tutorials. I can't wait to start.

Glad I could help.
 

Christexan

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http://www.cree.com/products/xlamp7090_xre.asp - for Cree specifications and details on the "XR-E" family, spec sheets are available and highly detailed, under "product documentation" link.

http://www.luxeon.com/products/luxeon/ - for Lux I/III/V/K2/Rebel spec sheets and details, as above, datasheets are extensive and detailed.

Couple of items not completely covered by above posts about the bare LED packages (not counting aftermarket star mountings and such).
The new Rebel is very much an "SMD" (surface mount design) component. It is TINY and best suited to reflow mounting methods (PC board mounting with reflow solder)... VERY poorly suited to hand-soldering. Also, the tiny package causes a very strong "point-source" of heat, if not very well thermally bonded to a heatsink, the die will rapidly heat up (bad).
The Cree is a larger package, although still quite small, it is capable of being hand-soldered if the underside pads are properly isolated from shorting out on a metal heatsink, for instance. The larger ceramic package with it's larger thermal pad underneath is much more favorable to getting heat away from the die, although careful thermal mounting is still a strong consideration with it, it is a bit more flexible for non-solder mounting solutions.
In either of the two above, I personally recommend (as do the manufacturers) direct soldering to a surface in order to speed heat away from the package, the Cree however is commonly "thermal adhesive" mounted by many DIYers with success (including myself, in lower-than-max current setups). However in all my new devices I am reflow soldering the packages to PCB and heat-spreader/heatsink setups to maximize reliability and heat transfer.
Again, EVERYTHING you'd like to know is found in their datasheets on their websites (including more than you'd ever care about for handheld light applications, like how much flat PCB surface area is needed per watt of emitter output in still air in a vertical orientation or a horizontal orientation, etc, compared to forced airflow, yadda yadda).
 

Gunner12

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Does anyone know what the input voltage is for the Rebel?
Maybe this chart from Cree Q4 testing will help
xre_q4-6.png
 
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