Posted by "The LED Museum":
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If I remember right, the Lumileds taillight rounds and CHMSL arrays use "spider" LEDs, rather than Luxeon
Stars.
Something else the cleaners got or threw away...otherwise I could take pictures of them and measure them
for you. :toliet:
Oh wait... there are probably pictures of them on my website under "spider LEDs". This link ought to do the
trick.
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The round and linear arrays that Lumileds offers are actually made using "snapleds". They are similar to the "spiderleds" (superflux LEDs, as Lumileds call them), but are bigger and can handle up to 150mA while the superflux leds handle up to 70mA. Discrete snapleds are not available to the public because you don't solder them... only their premade arrays are available to the average joe.
LedMuseum: Have you ever gotten your hands on one of those snapleds? At one time, I used them in my tail lights but I didn't have any extras to send you in case you never seen them in real life. They aren't that amazing, just wierd looking just like all the new LEDs coming out. IMO, the ONLY thing keeping snapleds alive is the "solderless clinch" technology used... but not everyone can use that mothod of mounting. When I had them, I soldered them but was very close to ruining the LEDs since their method of heat dissipation is through their thick leads (mainly the negative lead). Luxeons leads are thinner because that's not their method of heat dissipation, so you can solder more freely with those!
Now I use the superflux LEDs for my tail lights (380 LEDs in all). I am currently attempting amber Luxeon emitters for my front turn signals... but that's a whole other ball game.