However, it doesn’t look green to me, and I usually notice even mild green tints.
On the other hand, “white” gets a little weird at 6000K. Some standards actually shift the ideal tint line up at CCTs above 4500K in order to match perception better, so a positive duv at 6000K means something different than a positive duv at 4000K.
Here’s a recent chart from maukka, showing the alternate standard for white:
I’m guessing the White Flat is probably on the dotted line around 6000K, but that’s just a guess. I think it’s designed for use in video projectors, and its color distribution is pretty close to a computer monitor.
As TK also noted, tint measurements of the White Flat may not have been posted yet, or I may have missed a maukka test. Here is a quick measurement of the hotspot from a 1mm2 White Flat in a shorty Convoy S8 with smooth reflector, uncoated lens, at three non-exact-defined :innocent: currents.
Low-ish current:
CCT=6500K, duv= –0.0012, CRI=68
High current:
CCT=7370K, duv= –0.0075, CRI=69
Highest current (I assume around 4.5A):
CCT=8488K, duv= –0.0113, CRI=72
So no green, duv is always negative, at highest current tint goes towards purple.
Thanks, TK & djozz! This is probably going to have to be my first real thrower (that I have no real need for). I have a Catapult V6 already, and it never gets used except for playing, but….I’m still going to have to have a K1!
Wow, that’s really cold and purple. I’m not sure it’s representative of the K1 though. At turbo level, mine doesn’t look anywhere near that cold, and it doesn’t look purple.
Next to a Cree XM-L 1A (~6700K), the XM-L looks bright blue while the K1 looks like it’s just white. If I turn it up all the way though, the K1’s spill area starts looking about as blue as the XM-L 1A, and the hotspot still looks white. It’s hard to tell the hotspot color at turbo though, since it’s bright enough that it kind of hurts to look at.
There’s definitely some CCT shifting going on, but it looks like it stays under 7000K even on turbo.
I don’t have proper equipment to measure this though. The spec sheet says the White Flat should be around 6000K, but by eye it looks to me like it ranges from about ~5500K to ~6700K depending on the power level.
It’s a really good thrower, but not technically a mega thrower. It doesn’t reach 1 Mcd like some of the bigger lights do.
However, it gets at least 0.6 Mcd, and that’s pretty unusual for something this size. The size alone makes it a lot more practical than any true mega throwers I’ve seen so far.
Be warned though… the narrow spot means you only get to see one small area at a time. It’s really not meant for short distance use. For something more general-purpose, I’d suggest something smaller and less throwy, like an Emisar D4S, D1, or D4.
I have a White Flat (actually a KW CULNM1-TG, the 4x4mm version) in a GT-micro and had it with me camping this summer. Even in this small light the hotspot is so narrow that following a trail is very difficult. The K1 should be much worse for that.
About the very cold tint, the White Flat does that when close to its maximum output but visually it still looks good. Going higher with the current does give you a nasty purple tint, but that is a even higher CCT than the 8500K that I measured.
I have several of the 1x1 White Flats already, and I have plenty of lights that hit a mile or more in throw. I really like how this K1 is made though and may wind up with an 351D in it just because I like this emitter, or even the new neutral tint SST40. (Liking the thought of the new 40) Sure will be more useful in a broader range of needs with a larger yet well defined hot spot… we’ll see.
Once Hank releases the other LED options and my bank balance builds up again from the Black Friday/Cyber Monday damage I’ll definitely have to pick this up.
The reflector hole size can be measured from one of the images in the review. We know the size of the W1 emitter, and can use that to calculate the size of the hole…
The die is 1.03mm across, and the whole LED package is 3mm. So it looks like the gasket is about 4.1mm across and the reflector hole is about 7.5mm.
Not sure, but it’s probably the 20mm MCPCB Hank sells with a White Flat installed. It couldn’t be a 16mm MCPCB because the reflector is too wide at the base, but 20mm seems barely big enough… and Hank doesn’t sell a larger one.
I’m hoping to avoid taking my reflector out, since the focus is nearly perfect and I don’t want to mess it up. I’ve made that mistake before… (probably not a big risk though, since it has a good centering gasket)
