XPG2 in a C8

Hey guys. Looking to put a new emitter in the C8 currently it's an XM-L2 ??-1A. It's bloody bright and throws a fair way but it's just a bit too blue and colours just seem to get washed out and I have no real perception of distance past about 40-50m. Thinking of going down the route of an XPG2. Undecided on tint but probably around 3500-4500K or as close as I can. I'm interested in this LED as it has a high CRI. How well will something like this work in a C8 with smooth reflector. Specs seem to suggest they are around 250-400 lumen at 1.5A depending on which i go for. How does it fair with higher currents as from mid2-high2 is over 1.5A and then there's turbo mode.

Thanks guys.

Would work fine. Make sure you get one of these [h=1]Convoy XP-L Adapter / Spacer - C8 / L2[/h]else the emitter wont be neatly centered and it would be a waste of time.

I might suggest swapping in a nichia 219C instead. You will get even better colors. You have two choices 80 CRI for lots of lumens or 90 CRI for better colors but less lumens. Both will be a massive improvement over any XML2.

Here are some curves of how the XPG2 will handle current if you do go that direction.
http://budgetlightforum.com/node/19331

In any case, you need it mounted on a copper DTP direct thermal path board if you really want to light it up.

Yeah like was said it'll work fine and at one point was considered a great choice for a C8, still is if max throw is your goal, but that doesn't sound like what you want. So I agree with static, 219c is probably a better choice for you. Beautiful light with marginally less output (probably unnoticeable). The only time I'd warn against that is if you're also swapping drivers to a FET-based unit. Those guys don't get along well at all with a single 219c - way too much current draw.

The driver in in currently is an A17DD FET+1 so does that limit me to the XPG2?

That driver will make a xp-g2 go poof.. Also a xp-g2 might make a pencil thin beam in that big reflector.
Got a neutral xp-l hi in mine, same driver, i think its a lovely led for the light. As for high cri, well im not going to see small differences in coulor on some hundred meters range, so i dont see the point. The c8 is afterall a thrower.

jorn said:

That driver will make a xp-g2 go poof.. Also a xp-g2 might make a pencil thin beam in that big reflector.
Got a neutral xp-l hi in mine, same driver, i think its a lovely led for the light. As for high cri, well im not going to see small differences in coulor on some hundred meters range, so i dont see the point. The c8 is afterall a thrower.

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Will it go poof?? The graphs in the earlier link show the XPG2 output at 4A. With the XML2 on turbo I'm only getting around 4.2-4.5A at the tail cap from a fully charged vtc5a

A FET driver is essentially direct drive and a high drain cell like a 30Q you will easily get 3x the current of 4A and even a medium drain cell like a GA will easily get 10A.

Thom2022 said:

Will it go poof?? The graphs in the earlier link show the XPG2 output at 4A. With the XML2 on turbo I'm only getting around 4.2-4.5A at the tail cap from a fully charged vtc5a

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Yeah I'd bet real money that you're getting a lot more than that. Your low numbers are probably the result of using long thin test leads, adding resistance to the circuit. Get some short, thick leads (or better yet a clamp meter) and watch that number grow.

Everyone else here is right of course. An XP-G2 will be very unhappy by itself on a FET driver. It may survive if you've got a solid thermal path, at least for a little while, but its very risky. A 219c is pretty much guaranteed to pop due to its lower Vf. If you want to keep the FET driver, put an XP-L or XP-L HI in there.

I am using very thick and short wires for measuring my amp draw. And 4.2a from something with a 0.8ish ohm resistance is right for an 18650. I will take your advice on board and go for a more eye friendly tint from an XPL. But I will add this. Just because a battery CAN deliver 20-30A DOESNT mean it WILL. Stick a 1ohm resistor in a circuit with a fully charged 5A max Draw battery and then swap that battery out for a fully charged 25A capable battery and the current will be almost identical with internal battery resistance being the only variable. It's simple ohms law.

Thinking you would be pleased with an XP-L Hi with ~5000K color temperature. That is what's in my C8 (stock). Plenty of throw, lots of light, pleasant tint, quite good color rendering, resembling daylight.

That's basically what I'm after. I want some daylight in a tube. I made the mistake with my first LED purchase of going lumen chasing. Woohoo I now have a ~1100 lumen light in a tint that starts giving me a headache in 45-60 minutes. I'm tempted by something around 4300k as that's what the HIDs in my car are and they are lovely, I can drive at night for hours and hours without eye strain.

You might take this in another direction. I am not sure how far you want to throw. But lumens and CRI are typically mutually exclusive. What I would suggest is a Convoy L6 and swap the XHP70 with the same thing but order the 90+ CRI from cutter already mounted on a star. Should be the best of the both worlds runtime and brightness/throw at the expense of size (you don't get everything)

Even the stock xp-l hi led struggeled with this driver. Turned blue in seconds after putting a fet driver + 30Q battery in the light. If you see a led turns from white to angry blue in seconds, then it's driven way too hard -> heat issues Have read somewhere that the stock led/star has no dtp, so i guess that was the main reason it struggeled swalloing those extra Amps.
Use a 4500k xp-l hi on a dtp copper star, and imo it's a perfect match for this light. Dont rememer the tint bin, but i think it was 4a because it's on the red and not green side of the spectrum. Just the way i personally like it

If you wand also that extra throw chack thw xpg3 if it can handle the current you need if it's cant try xpl hi (ofcurce both in the tint you want and high enough cri)
If you like the beam as it there is xml2 in other tints and higher cri

I will have a look and see what I can get. I'm uk based so at the moment only know of 3tronic who supplied all his LED's on noctigon boards which is fine but his range isn't huge and I'm not comfortable mounting my own emitter.

kaidomain got some different leds on copper. Got a package yesterday with xp-g3, 219c, xp-l hi etc. All in neutral white. Upgraded my mbi hf with a xp-l hi yesterday. Was a huge improvment over that old 1 gen xm-l, but a lot of trial and "dremling" to get it to focus correctly Now i just have to pick a light for that 219c and xp-g3 led.

If you want a lot of throw; then a dedomed XP-G2 5000K throws well. After the dedome the tint will become a little warmer.