LED Lifespan & Usage Techniques

Just picked up a Surefire EL1, and I'm thoroughly impressed with it, but had a couple questions regarding LED technology, since this is my first.

What is the lifespan of LEDs of the type that are used in the E1E/KL1? Does it depend in any way upon battery type/quality, humidity, operating temperature, or other factors?

Also, is there a preferred method to using them so as to ensure maximum lifespan? In other words, is alright to use them intermittently? Or, is it better to leave them on once they're lit until your work is finished - kind of like hard drives in your computer can suffer when they start and stop all the time? Or does it not matter.

Thanks in advance!

LED lifespans are not the 100's of thousands of hours that was frequently touted but my guess is that LED will outlast you. Intermitted use should technically be better since it will generate less heat, the real killer. Another thing to realize about LED life spans is that they will dim not necessarily die.

I wouldn't worry about your usage with that light at all. Besides Surefire warrantees their LEDs, that must say something about their projected longevity.

Chris

Yeah, that's what I was going to say... regardless of how long they actually do last, if it's from Surefire, I don't think you have much to worry about.

Now, don't go driving the heads with too many of the wrong batteries, but if you use the light as intended, with rated power, they'll take care of you... and you aren't likely to have any issues anyway.

Compared to the amount of money you would have to spend on batteries to wear one out, the cost of a new light would be pretty small. Besides, it would give you what we all want........................an excuse to buy another light!

>What is the lifespan of LEDs of the type that are used in the E1E/KL1?

Don't know. Don't know which kind they are. :huh:

> Does it depend in any way upon battery type/quality,

So long as it gets enough current to light, but not more than it's supposed to, it's happy. Also, weak batteries will run it dimly, but do no harm whatsoever. We have people here who use LED flashlights to use up batteries that're half dead from some other job. Pop in a fresh battery and it'll be ready to go full strength right away.

>humidity,

LEDs can take any humidity you can. Now other bits, like switches might have other opinions, but the LED is indifferent to anything right up to being submerged.

>operating temperature, or other factors?

Well, don't put it in the oven, or at least not long. High power LEDs (1, 3, & 5 watt) do need some cooling, that's why they have heatsinks. The heatsinks double as convenient hand warmers. There must be some degree of the cold that affects them, maybe if you work in Antartica or something.


>Also, is there a preferred method to using them so as to
>ensure maximum lifespan?

Don't overheat them, don't overdrive them, Don't hammer in tent pegs with them, they're happy.

>In other words, is alright to use them intermittently?

You can strobe them if you want, flash them, won't hurt anything, they're not like flourescents that wear out from being turned on and off a lot. There are even devices called "Pulse Width Modulators" that flicker them very, very fast, so as to dim them and use less electricity. Doesn't hurt anything.

>Or, is it better to leave them on once they're lit until your work is
>finished - kind of like hard drives in your computer can suffer when
> they start and stop all the time? Or does it not matter.

If the light gets so hot you can't rest your hand on it, then you might turn it off. Otherwise, use it however you like. On and off if you're almost out of battery, on steady if you got it in the perfect position and don't want to move it, it doesn't care.

Sounds good, guys. Thanks for the help. This clears things up a lot!

By the time you wear one out, smaller and brighter lights likely will have supplanted the current crop.