What do you prefer about the triple 219 P60 compared to your other 219 lights? Raw output? I mean to get a triple 219 of one form or another some day.
For what it's worth, I recently received a Zebralight H52w which I will be giving away this Christmas. It is the first XM-L light I've handled that I really like the tint of, and it has a limited amount of the color-separation/rainbow problem which I hate. It doesn't have the CRI of the Nichia 219 but it is very nice nevertheless. I suggest you find a way to try one if you haven't yet.
Well this is my first triple, all my previous lights, Nichia 219 or otherwise, were all reflector based. The best way I can describe the triple difference, is there there really is no separate hotspot and spill, it's pretty much 100% hotspot. And as a result, the beam tint quality is 99% unchanged through the entire output. If examined really closely by holding against a wall (light-saber effect), there is some extremely minor tint variations on the very outer edges of the beam, but literally only noticeable shining on a wall like this.
One of the reasons I love the 219 emitter so much is that even in a reflector based light, the tint difference between hotspot and spill is really close, and is nice and uniform. Whereas most cree emitters the hotspot might, for example, be yellow and the spill purple/pinkish, making a rather annoying and obvious tint transition between the two. XM-L's are the worst offenders in this regard.
Also the triple 219 is a floody beast, it just blankets an entire area with beautifully tinted light, and since there is no defined hotspot and spill (as in a bright hotspot, and not as bright spill with reflector lights) it makes the light output extremely clean and balanced.
There is just something about the quality of light a triple 219 gives that I have not seen before in any other light I own, and I really love it! But be aware that unlike a single emitter reflector light, the beam itself is a bit 'rough' on the edges of the hotspot and not exactly a perfect sphere. It's kinda lumpy and the outer edges (the spill, what little there is) of the beam show a bit of a starfish kind of shape. While I am really picky about my tints and beam quality, it doesn't bother me in the least for some reason, and while in use (rather than white wall hunting) it isn't even noticeable and the big hotspot appears circular.
The other thing about the triple is that, like a mule or LED light without a reflector, the middle (hotspot) is the same tint as the spill on a reflector based 219 light. And the very outer edges are very lightly warmer. Whereas with a reflector based light, the hotspot is always warmer than the spill.
I highly recommend a 219 triple if you can get ahold of one, as not only is it much brighter than a single 219 emitter can get, but the light itself is amazingly useful for close to medium range uses (far more useful than a reflector light that has a focused beam, even if that beam is floody like a SC600).
A Google search for "Nichia219 on copper" will take you to a test result that indicates the 219 can in fact handle 3 amps when properly cooled. The triple option sounds even better unless you're targeting throw.
Yeah, I asked around and somebody told me that they use the 219 at 3 amps pretty frequently and it runs just fine (gets hot real fast though). Once I work up the courage to spend some extra cash for something I absolutely don't need and really can't afford, I am going to get my SC600 re-modded with a 219! :twothumbs
I expect it will be with the B11 bin too, which is a nice little extra.
