The latest arrival over at the OddLair...

Just got this in the mail today...



My first impression upon opening the package and exposing the above: /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wow.gif

Yes, it is what it looks like... The Lamina Ceramics BL-3000 super LED master hyper force GO! (My apologies to CPF's anime fans. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif ) It's now the big mamma-jamma of LEDs - 39 "cells," each containing an array of six LED dice, for a grand total of 234 radiating elements. 560 lumens nominal from 23 watts of input power. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/drool.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/faint.gif

Size comparison:




Yes, it's BRIGHT AS &*@%! I mean, damn this thing puts out. I touched it off with a 12VDC 1A switching supply and it easily outshone the room lights even though running on les than half of its ideal supply current. It's pretty obvious that they were NOT kidding when they posted a 560-lumen spec, as the 39 neatly defined green spots I see with every blink are attesting.


A full review and details will be forthcoming on my site. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

oO

Truly awesome. This will require active cooling I suppose. What is the planned application?

Dead image there, John! -- UPDATE: Ah, there the pic is! Sweet! Sorta kinda what I have in mind. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

And the application is whatever you need unholy light amounts for. This one's actually bright enough to use for primary room lighting.

oO

About $90.00 quantity one with a heat sink for $25.00 Mouser

[ QUOTE ]
Mike Painter said:
About $90.00 quantity one with a heat sink for $25.00 Mouser

[/ QUOTE ]

A month or two ago they were $159 each. Fortunately Lamina had the sense to see that for $110 one could buy five Luxeon Vs from Future Electronics and get roughly the same amount of light. As they improve their processes and phosphors these things should get brighter and brighter, AND reducing the price put 'em right into the "normal" range for top-grade semiconductor light sources. What's not to like? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

oO

I paid $2500.00 for my first 5 Mb hard drive.
(Those numbers are not mis-prints)
Thats $50,000,000 for 100 Gb drive and they would fill my house.
Let's hope LED's follow the same path and in a few years laugh at heat sinks and "only" 500 lumins.

Wow. Really looking forward to your review! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/popcorn.gif

HOLY CRAP, that thing just looks intimidating.

Jeff

I suddenly have a vision of improved reverse lights for my car. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinser2.gif

Cant wait to hear more about these, the $90 price tag doesnt seem all that bad, when you consider the output, and the fact that its one unit, and alot easier to mount, and wire up than 5 5Wers.

Where the H*LL are the beam shots of that one in the THOR ????????????????? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/twakfl.gif

Thats at least twice you have posted that thing with no beam shots! lol
Im not expecting a tight beam, the source of light in enormous, but still, thats a mightly big reflector /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

UPDATE:

Just fired it up off a 12VDC gelcell, putting right at its ideal power into it.

:blink: So THAT's what 600 lumens looks like. :blink:


Mike Painter:

Ain't THAT the truth!

Multi-die LEDs (that are really LED chip arrays in a single module) looks to be the best way to play to get up into the next level of semiconductor lighting. I can't help but wonder what Lumileds will come up with to compete with items like the BL-3000.



PhotonWrangler:

Looking forward to writing it - I'm already doing a Gollum impression with it... "My preciousssssssssssssss..." /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif



WildRice:

Put power to it and you have instant daylight. THAT is intimidating, hehehehe!



DBrier:

Only if you want irritated drivers to flip their highs at you for blinding 'em. :lol:



jtice:

Yeah, $90 is perfect for it really. And direct-drive is stupidly simple - add power source capable of 2.5A @ 12VDC and switch and poof, you're moving photons.

I, too, would love a beamshot from that beastie, but I suspect the beam angle might be a bit wide from a reflector that size. I have other, more sinister plans for beamshaping with mine. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

oO

/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wow.gif Looks more like a death ray (uh ""laser"") for Dr. Evil.

How big is that salad bowl your using as a reflector? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/str.gif

[ QUOTE ]
Multi-die LEDs (that are really LED chip arrays in a single module) looks to be the best way to play to get up into the next level of semiconductor lighting. I can't help but wonder what Lumileds will come up with to compete with items like the BL-3000.

[/ QUOTE ]

No gains in effiency though, on at around 25 lumens a watt.

The high power 1W+ single emitter market is no longer Lumileds alone.

Small sources are easier to control beamwise and put the light where you need it. Lamina item more comparable to LS FLood for instance.

Lamina `baking trays` are a packaging rather than an advance in the dice themselves.

2 euro cents.

Adam

that's true led-fx buy try beating that kind of output with a led or more costing less than 90$, in such a small package i might add.

Thats my 2 Maltese Cents /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

A few more pics...

For these the camera is left in full auto everything mode, daylight color balance, under HEAVILY red-shaded incandescent lights, shooting against white cardboard. Pretty much the worst conditions for capturing color rendition but hey, I'm after intensity, not color. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

First, the contender: My modded LED Lenser V2 3-watter. The classic "saber shot," naturally. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif




Next we place the super LED on a half-inch-thick aluminum plate and put it next to the V2. Power is then fed from a small switching bench supply, 12VDC at only 1A, or about 40% of what it's rated to take.



Hmmm, interesting that the UNfocused and underpowered super LED light is as bright as the 3-watt Luxeon beaming through a high-quality parabolic reflector.


Next, I panned down a bit to get a shot of the brightest output.



The weird shadow effect on the left is a one-pound solder spool, resting on the end of the LED to keep it flush against the aluminum. The blue tone is courtesy of the camera's color balance - the light's much less blue to the eye.

More to come... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

oO

How hot and how fast?

Indeed since Lamina cut their pricing in half just before Christmas, beginning to look lot more attractive for some applications.

Adam

[ QUOTE ]
Amonra said:
that's true led-fx buy try beating that kind of output with a led or more costing less than 90$, in such a small package i might add.

Thats my 2 Maltese Cents /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

You can easily fit 9 Luxeon-III emitters in the same footprint, and they would cost you the same $90 or less.

You'll easily match the 540 lumens driving them at 700mA (even with S-bin emitters). Driving them at 1A each, you should hit 600+ lumens.

At 700mA, you'll be dealing with about 10.4V at 2.1A, or about 22W.

sure you can fit them in there, but the construction costs of applying 9 parts as opposed to applying 1 is something to consider.