Huh, interesting.
How do we know that it’s not an old Q9WP being sold as Q8WP?
If no reputable distributor like mouser or digikey have it, why would this site have it? https://octopart.com/search?q=UW+Q8WP
EDIT- I just found it available here actually, must have recently become available
Yeah, RS has the NAPA bin in stock, also the lowest, but what’s interesting is that there is a “V2” version which is rated for 6000mA rather than the default 1400mA, even though it shows the same lumen values.
Maybe they just used the default lumen value from the datasheet but the LED can handle higher currents?
If they get some in stock I might buy one of each and compare them, but they will arrive in de cember so maybe by then we can find NBPB or higher bins.
They don’t mention “V2” in the datasheet. RS has a new version of the datasheet for the V2 though, datasheet version 1.1.
There are a few differences. They removed the lowest Bin “NA” and added a new top bin “PB”. The maximum constant current ist still 5A (6A is for pulsed operation). There is also an example product code, where they used to list NA and now list the NB Bin. So I would guess that these new ones will be in NB Bin.
The problem here is that this isn’t enough. You will need at least the PA Bin to get any real benefit with this LED.
Generally it’s very obvious that RS doesn’t do a good job of putting the real specifications into their database. The first Q8WP LEDs are specified as “through hole” components. :person_facepalming:
NAPA means it will be either NA, NB, or PA.
No idea which bin you’ll end up getting when you purchase, since they just list the range of possible bins.
The only way to be certain you’re getting a high bin is to wait a loooong time until some places start selling PAPB or PBPB.
I know. I’m trying to say that you shouldn’t get your hopes up. Especially PBPB will probably never happen. I have never seen this with any of their LEDs.
Yeah, I know
I still plan to buy several of the Q8WPs when they become available to test them myself.
Probably get one or two from each of the product listings.
Do you know of any other potentially high intensity LEDs? the Lumileds one that djozz tested recently had really good thermal properties and efficiency, maybe something from that brand looks promising?
After being broken for the last half year, the light has now been fixed. The insulation of the cables running through the copper cylinder to the LED had been damaged by sharp edges which led to a short circuit. This killed the LED.
Michael (RC-Lights) used a steel rope coated in chalk and tooth paste to smoothen the edges of the holes after re-drilling them at an angle by pulling it through a few hundred times. The new cables were also put into shrink tube to make the insulation more robust. This should be enough to never have this problem again.
I sent him three more Black Flat LEDs which he tested and compared with one of the older ones. One them was better than all of the other LEDs (so it's the best of nine). He also switched out the sense resistor to reduce the current from 5A to 4.5A. This keeps the LED from going blue.
After refocusing the light now does 1.7Mcd measured at 14m!
In addition to this Michael did the following things:
Replaced the second electronic switch with a different type. Now both of them are used for the ramping, one for ramping up and one for ramping down
Following the recommendation of the manufacturer, a 4.7uF capacitor was connected in parallel to the leads going from the battery to the driver to prevent voltage spikes
Additional cables were soldered to the Stripe dimmer module to make connecting it to the USB programmer easier
A new firmware was flashed onto the dimmer which raises the PWM frequency from 2kHz to 14kHz to prevent the high-pitched buzz coming from it when the light was dimmed
Repaired the cracked, plastic bezel with epoxy
Replaced the UCLp lens with a new one which no longer has a hole in the middle and doesn't have any cracks
The dimmer connected to the USB programmer:
After this the light was finally finished. It was time to use it.
Here are some beamshots comparing the light to Michael's Superthrower, which has an Olight SR-90 reflector (88mm) and a Cree XP-L HI. It does around 650kcd. The performance of Michael's light is very similar to the Thrunite TN42.
First a shorter distance, maybe around 100m:
Next, the main target was an unlit cell phone mast at a distance of 1.2km (0.75mi).
Nice
Unfortunately your light is still #23 in longest throwing flashlights because there was nobody else between 1.5 and 1.7Mcd lol
Still a great improvement for using the same LED.