Newbie question: Cree XML versions/bins. Where are all those flashlights?

Hello all, just wondering why Cree has made all the T3, T4, T5, T6, U2, U3 versions of their XM-L emitters and I have only ever seen lights with the T6 and now even some of the T5 ones have ceased production?

Lou Maan said:

Hello all, just wondering why Cree has made all the T3, T4, T5, T6, U2, U3 versions of their XM-L emitters and I have only ever seen lights with the T6 and now even some of the T5 ones have ceased production?

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Because many flashlight makers presently compete on big honkin' lumen numbers, so they ignore every consideration and grab the T6 bin, the brightest XM-L bin commonly available.

I don't know how you can "only ever see lights with the T6," but it's a sales thing. There's a lumens race going on, so - just like you can't really find a 1 MP camera anymore, you won't find the 'forgotten' bins except in neutral or warm-white.

My favorite flashlight uses an XR-E, and I don't know (or much care) what the bin of my XM-L light is. The lumens are a selling point - so you'll see the XM-L going as low as T2 in the warm tints, but not in cool tints.

A bin number does NOT denote a specific emitter but an efficiency rating, since you can get both XPEs and XREs in R2 bin for example. Each bin represents a 7% increase in efficiency defined as lumen per watt, the first bin was a P4 XR-E so p4 p5 q2 q3 q4 q5 r2 r3 r4 r5 s2 s3 s4 s5 t2 t3 t4 t5 t6 u2 u3. You'll that neutral versions of XMLs are T4 or T5 (decrease in output due to thicker phosphor coating) while the warm white versions are just starting to get released in T2s. Some lights are U2 binned ONLY, like the Zebralight SC600, Sunwayman T40CS, Balder xml etc.

If you can get extra efficiency and hence output for free why not take it?

Well, this is one possible way that they use up the older bins:

erlon said:

After THIS I received a pending order from KD.
A R2 P60 drop-in !!!
And for my surprise, I discovered the way KD upgrade THEIR modules...

Hey, my nem P60 Suppa Bright R2 has arrived. Thanks KD.

Sweeeeeettt... just like I expected... but...

But, wait... What is that ?

WTF ??? :thinking:

... ...

Thanks again "Jerry" !!! :whoopin:

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now everybody is going to be inspecting what's inside their light

Your eye won't see the difference between the t4-t6, so they can stamp the highest number on anything.

Funny, computer prosessors and led's follow the same principle. They make a bunch. Then they test them, put them in a "preformance catagory" and sell the best preformers for a premium price.
There are some differences. We can't test our flashlights to check the binning of the led. We get reminded on every startup on how fast our cpu is in a pc, so you cant miss that in the long run.. Most flashlights comes in the most premium bin's, both the cheap and expensive lights. Pc's comes with all kinds of crappy prosessors, and the really fast one's is outpriced and harder to find in a stock pc.
Strange?

Well that all makes sense now guys. Thanks !!!

Just a minor note FYI about semantics; these bins relate more specifically to their luminous flux groups, or their luminous efficacy; which is not the same thing as efficiency.
That's not to say efficiency is unrelated, but it is a different thing.
Of course, the more efficacious emitters are also more efficient.

Thanks for posting the pictures of KD modules with fake labeling. I'm new to the world of hitech flashlights, is this practice of miss labeling modules common or is this an exception to the rule. I prefer not to give my hard earned dollars to companies who practice deceptive and misleading sales tactics. Any answerers appreciated. newbie Bigskykid!