NEWS FLASH: 5W Luxeon update

I just got a call from Future regarding 5 W emitters I have on order. The official word from Lumiled to Future is that current production 5W WHites are slightly flawed. Instead of the 50,000 hours of expected life, the current production has an expected 500 hour life. Customers are being contacted re: existing orders and asked how they would like to revise their order based on the short life expectancy. I reduced my order to a few for experimentation purposes and was told I could expect the parts in 2 weeks.

- Don

Originally posted by McGizmo:
I just got a call from Future regarding 5 W emitters I have on order. The official word from Lumiled to Future is that current production 5W WHites are slightly flawed. Instead of the 50,000 hours of expected life, the current production has an expected 500 hour life. Customers are being contacted re: existing orders and asked how they would like to revise their order based on the short life expectancy. I reduced my order to a few for experimentation purposes and was told I could expect the parts in 2 weeks.

- Don

Click to expand...

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">Hmmm, life reduction by a factor of 100 is slightly flawed. I'm sure glad that they don't have any major flaw
Do I understand that you are saying that the 5W whites [though slightly flawed] will ship in 2 weeks?

Did they reveal what the failure mode was?

Yeah, I liked the "slightly flawed" comment as well. The nature of failure was not mentioned. I don't know if these go out with a bang or a whimper. I think the comment on slightly flawed was in reference to the viability of the parts in terms of design and experimental applications where it is likely 500 hours is ample for test purposes. Unless the production application is a one time emergency locating beacon or similar such application, the quantity of 5W's currently on Back Order will likely be reduced dramatically. I was not given any information or option on keeping an order outstanding for non-flawed parts. On the otherhand, I wasn't sharp enough to push this issue while on the phone.

Perhaps Wayne J. can inquire about this when he is contacted.

- Don

I believe somewhere it was also mentioned that a waiver must be authorized about liability of all "defective" item sales, think it was over at the Surefire Discussion Boards (SFDB).
500 hours? even a Surefire lasts longer than that!

Yes, waiver, I was told the same thing by Lumileds. This was after I was told by somebody else (I think if was another CPF'er but I don't recall right now) and I simply called to verify. But they still wouldn't let me have any, said I still had to go through Future...

Hi. This is my first post.

I also got a call from Future regarding the 5W Luxeon's. They told me the same thing about the short life of the white emitters. They asked if I still wanted them or if I wanted to wait approximately 12 weeks for the properly working ones. I asked about a discounted price since they weren't up to spec, and they gave them to me for half price. Hopefully everyone else who plan on getting these defective 5W Luxeon's can get the same discount.

Smart move Ben!

Man, I totally blew it when I got the call; I wanted the whites so bad, regardless that I wasn't thinking clearly. Looks like another phone call is in order.

Thanks

Wow, half price? It will be great!!! How much you will get it for then? You remember to whom you speak to? Hope we under the group buy can get at least the same discount...

Group buy for the 'defective' ones with a 50% discount? What waiver do I sign? Hell, yes! I don't need to worry about them lasting forever, just long enough to scare my friends.

I wish I knew exactly what 500 hours meant. For instance, does it:

- merely lose 80% output
- change color unacceptably
- die spectacularly at that time
- gradually fade into blackness
- crackle and pop somewhere in between (worst case!)

Those doing tests may be hugely disappointed since these probably do not represent nominal items and will skew your results

Hotfoot,

I have it on good authority that they quickly morph into 5 mm Pink Nichia LED's with a bad attitude! Skew the results! It's a happy pink party.............. Where the hell did that come from????

Don, must be the epoxy fumes again...

The person at Future who called me was Jennifer ext 4118 @ 800-477-6668. I had 2 white ls on order for about $24/ea, so @ 50% off that's $12/ea. Not too bad.

Hey Ben, you're from Michigan, eh?

What city? Maybe tonight I'll climb up to my roof and try and signal you with the flashlight I just bought from Silviron!

--Scrimmy

Ooooohhhhh... With that price, we can get double the order... Electrolumens, have you read this? Your own order can be doubled to 100 piece without additional money involved!!! Maybe we can asked for double the amount of LS we receive, so FuturaActive don't have to refund half the money, just give us more LS to compensate for shorter runtime...

Yeh Scrimmy, I am from Michigan......by the thumb knuckle eh....Livonia. How far will your flashlight signal have to go to reach my eyes?

FINALLY: OFFICIAL WORDING AND WAIVER:

I just received an e-mail from Future, contents below:

In performing the final qualification tested necessary to pass
production
release a minor defect was discovered that does not allow the device to
perform up to the reliability expectations associated with Luxeon -
therefore the production release is delayed for another 12 wks.

The actual problem is the life-span. The LED is expected to have a
life-span
of 100k hours, the parts that were made are only 500 hours.

All customer requesting small quantities for pre-production or R&D
purposes,
are being offered to receive stock for the pre-production phase prior to
achieving the full production release to avoid delay in the concept and
prototyping stages of customers project & design.

You have choosen to accept the parts, please sign Waiver below re-fax to
me......

To see the Waiver. CLICK HERE

Well, I plan on signing the waiver for a couple of test parts but to comply with the Waiver, it doesn't look like there will be much feedback posted here at CPF.

Some of the comments and posibilities mentioned are rather disconcerting, to say the least....

- Don

So the waiver says 'no reviews'... Does that mean you can't even say 'This thing is BRIGHT!'?

In any case- will WE be able to get any of the, uh, 'Defective' 5w whites? I'd be willing to sign the waiver, and put up with the reduced lifespan, in exchange for cheap 'Beta-tester pricing.' (AKA 'Recoup losses from production errors by selling the damaged units')

I love the comment about not looking at reflected light for more than 60 seconds.
Maybe somebody should tell them that we see by reflected light and the things probably will not be *too* much brighter than the sun.
Lawyers!