Expected lifespan of LS4 LED?
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ufokillerz
Enlightened
the LS4 is a 1 watt Luxeon light, the lifespan of 1 watt luxeons are 100,000 hours
the Arc AAA uses Nichia White leds
the Arc AAA uses Nichia White leds
gyverpete
Enlightened
The 100,000 hour life is rated for a 1W Luxeon driven AT SPEC. That's best case scenario and even that may be a bit exagerated. Overdriving it will likely shorten its life, as will poor heat dissipation. By how much exactly is anyone's guess.
With the LS4 and its many brightness levels and modes, your own use pattern may determine how much life. If you use "boost" all the time, esp. until the thermal breaker trips, you may shorten life. If you use it in moon mode all the time, it may have the potential to reach its rated life.
But assuming the worse case, and it dies after 10,000 hours, that works out to 2 hours a day for 13+ years. After that much time, you will have likely lost the light, broken it in some way, or moved on to the brighter more efficient lights that will be available then. No worries.
In contrast, incandescent bulbs have a MUCH shorter life. And impact or shock can make them fail in an instant. LED's don't suffer this drawback (unless they are physically destroyed or severely overdriven/overheated). It's not impossible that an LED will fail prematurely due to defect, but it's unlikely.
BTW, the 5watt white luxeons are rated only 1000 hours, I think.
With the LS4 and its many brightness levels and modes, your own use pattern may determine how much life. If you use "boost" all the time, esp. until the thermal breaker trips, you may shorten life. If you use it in moon mode all the time, it may have the potential to reach its rated life.
But assuming the worse case, and it dies after 10,000 hours, that works out to 2 hours a day for 13+ years. After that much time, you will have likely lost the light, broken it in some way, or moved on to the brighter more efficient lights that will be available then. No worries.
In contrast, incandescent bulbs have a MUCH shorter life. And impact or shock can make them fail in an instant. LED's don't suffer this drawback (unless they are physically destroyed or severely overdriven/overheated). It's not impossible that an LED will fail prematurely due to defect, but it's unlikely.
BTW, the 5watt white luxeons are rated only 1000 hours, I think.
js
Flashlight Enthusiast
gyverpete,
Are you sure about the 5watt life span? 1000 hours seems like a bit of bummer. After three or four years you'd have to get a new flashlight, unless there were some way to change out the LED. Is there are a specified life span to the SF L4?
Are you sure about the 5watt life span? 1000 hours seems like a bit of bummer. After three or four years you'd have to get a new flashlight, unless there were some way to change out the LED. Is there are a specified life span to the SF L4?
kakster
Flashlight Enthusiast
1000hrs is still many times the life span of the average incan lamp.
gyverpete
Enlightened
js,
What LukeK said.
Surefire's site doesn't say how long the L4 5 watt Luxeon should last, but they offer a lifetime warranty on it.
What LukeK said.
Surefire's site doesn't say how long the L4 5 watt Luxeon should last, but they offer a lifetime warranty on it.
e=mc²
Enlightened
But will that warranty cover the degradation of the modules output over time instead of a failure. As I understand it, the output will gradually diminish rather than fail and go poof as an incandescent would. To me, when the output of my L4 falls to 50% of the original output, then the light will be subpar on what I originally purchased. I would like it replaced if it only puts out half of the lumens that it did when I purchased it. Anyone else feel the same?
Ed.
Ed.
[ QUOTE ]
e=mc² said:
But will that warranty cover the degradation of the modules output over time instead of a failure. As I understand it, the output will gradually diminish rather than fail and go poof as an incandescent would. To me, when the output of my L4 falls to 50% of the original output, then the light will be subpar on what I originally purchased. I would like it replaced if it only puts out half of the lumens that it did when I purchased it. Anyone else feel the same?
Ed.
[/ QUOTE ]
Yep. I feel the same. I'm about to pay $180 for a Premium LS4 and if it is 50% illumination at some point, that is defective in my opinion.
e=mc² said:
But will that warranty cover the degradation of the modules output over time instead of a failure. As I understand it, the output will gradually diminish rather than fail and go poof as an incandescent would. To me, when the output of my L4 falls to 50% of the original output, then the light will be subpar on what I originally purchased. I would like it replaced if it only puts out half of the lumens that it did when I purchased it. Anyone else feel the same?
Ed.
[/ QUOTE ]
Yep. I feel the same. I'm about to pay $180 for a Premium LS4 and if it is 50% illumination at some point, that is defective in my opinion.
branny
Newly Enlightened
Hmmm, seems to me there is some miscommunication here: a Surefire L4 5W has an approx. 1000Hr lifespan; an Arc LS4 1W has a theoretical lifespan of 100,000 hrs. I would be very surprised if the Arc hit 50% ( or even %90) of it's original brightness during a normal working life.
This seems to add fuel to the "Change the LS4's production name to eliminate confusion" argument.
Brandon.
This seems to add fuel to the "Change the LS4's production name to eliminate confusion" argument.
Brandon.
BobG
Newly Enlightened
On the Lumileds site there are a number of technical publications. If I remember correctly the "lumen maintenance" - the % of initial light output remaining after a specified period - for the Luxeon V portable emitter was in a range of something like 65% - 90% after 500 hours. The big factor was heat (as with all LED). Drive it at 600MA with a heatsink temp of 85 degrees centigrade and it is 65% after 500 -- at 700MA and 35 degrees centigrade it is 90% after 500. That, I think is the deal with the Lumamax L4.
The Arc LS4 with a different emitter is somewhere in the ballpark (when driven at spec and kept under 90 degrees centigrade) of 90% after 9000 hours and 70% after 50000 hours. I seem to recall that Lumileds tests on the LED used in the LSH (which is what is going in the LS4) showed virtually no drop-off in Lumen output after something like 4000 hours. In fact I also think that your Arc AAA will degrade a lot faster and steeper then your LS. But I also do not think that 99.9% of us will ever use any of the Arc lights enough to ever make lumen maintenance the slighest concern.
But just to be safe maybe I'll buy 7 of them an carry each one only once a week. That way a comet will hit the earth before any of the Arc's have a chance to appreciably degrade.
The Arc LS4 with a different emitter is somewhere in the ballpark (when driven at spec and kept under 90 degrees centigrade) of 90% after 9000 hours and 70% after 50000 hours. I seem to recall that Lumileds tests on the LED used in the LSH (which is what is going in the LS4) showed virtually no drop-off in Lumen output after something like 4000 hours. In fact I also think that your Arc AAA will degrade a lot faster and steeper then your LS. But I also do not think that 99.9% of us will ever use any of the Arc lights enough to ever make lumen maintenance the slighest concern.
But just to be safe maybe I'll buy 7 of them an carry each one only once a week. That way a comet will hit the earth before any of the Arc's have a chance to appreciably degrade.
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