Thrunite TN30 developed a yellow XML2 LED

[ohaya]

Hi,

If you look at some of the reviews on Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/ThruNite-TN30-Flashlight-Cree-Lumens/product-reviews/B0083WKIZE/ref=dp_top_cm_cr_acr_txt/186-4515039-6248036?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=1

a couple of them mention yellow:

But it wasn’t, one of the LED had some sort of bubbles in it and had a yellowish tint to it. This is going back to the seller for a replacement!

then I noticed a yellowish glow but only in one spot… so I decided to return it for replacement, which I did and guess what? a new light (different S/N#) shows up about 10 days later and , you guessed it, 2 blue/white and 1 yellow!!!!

Were either of those reviews yours? If not sounds like it’s not a problem that’s unique for you (tho that was for XM-L U2)?

[xed888]

thanks for the reply ohaya.

No i haven’t written anything on Amazon but you’re right. It sounds like a prevalent problem. It’s annoying as I have just wasted the time taken for transit and postage! I am currently waiting for a reply from them.

[ohaya]

@xed888

thanks for the reply ohaya.

No i haven’t written anything on Amazon but you’re right. It sounds like a prevalent problem. It’s annoying as I have just wasted the time taken for transit and postage! I am currently waiting for a reply from them.

I wonder if they’re over-driving the emitters by design to get performance - the “bubbles” comment sounds like the domes on the emitters melted. Have you been running the light for long periods, and have you ever smelt something burning?

[xed888]

My lights are usually shelf queens so i dont use them often. Just once in a while.

There aren’t any bubbles and the dome is in perfect condition. It’s just that a diagonal half of the LED is yellow when current passes through the LED, thus giving it a yellow tint.

[Hikelite]

I think I've someone else on the forum mentioning different LED tints for his TN30.

Can you take a clear photo of the emitters?

[xed888]

You will need to zoom in, i think. It’s the best I can do with a camera phone.

The vertical lines are due to PWM.

In both pics, you can see that part of the LED is yellow. In one of them, half is yellow and in the other, a small corner is yellow.

[Slewflash]

Wow that’s crazy. I’ve never seen anything like it before.

[NightCrawl]

I have seen XML2 turn yellow from too much heat, too. The old XML didnt have that problem. Can be really annoying if you notice a tint shift after reflowing..

[33696933]

Mine has 1 led that has the same thing too. :_(

[Steve_the_Chief]

In these pictures it looks like the "borders" of the yellow areas on the die are the same as the vertical pwm lines.

Do you really see that a sharp bordered diagonal half of the LED has turned yellow, or is that just the pwm messing with the camera?

[xed888]

So it seems like I’m not the only one. That’s annoying.

My point of annoyance is that I actually sent it for replacement and it came back worse! (I had one before but now 2)

[33696933]

Well time for me to open it up

[djozz]

Those are good pictures for a camera phone! It looks like the silicone of the dome detached partly from the die, which results in the same effect as dedoming: tint shift and some output loss. Interesting that it happens easier on the xml2, this will also be the reason that the dedoming is easier with those newer leds.

Anyway, that is very annoying if it happens in such an expensive flashlight, I hope they come up with a proper solution for you.

[xed888]

They told me to ship it back to them!
$$$$ disappearing fast!

What do you guys think?

[ohaya]

I know this may sound like a kind of dumb suggestion, but maybe do a full dedome on the emitters? At least that way the color would be uniform.

Is this going to be a problem with ALL XM-L2 emitters/lights? Or is this only a problem with the TN30?

[xed888]

I dont think I wll de-dedome.

I like my lumens too much and not too bothered about throw.

Perhaps I will send it back :S

[ohaya]

@xed888

I dont think I wll de-dedome.

I like my lumens too much and not too bothered about throw.

Perhaps I will send it back :S

I hope that they can fix it, and esp., I hope that this is not a latent defect in the XM-L2 emitters, because I have several lights incoming that have XM-L2 emitters in them, and I’ll be ticked off if they all start doing that (dome de-laminating partially) :(!!

[Slewflash]

@ohaya

@xed888

I dont think I wll de-dedome.

I like my lumens too much and not too bothered about throw.

Perhaps I will send it back :S

I hope that they can fix it, and esp., I hope that this is not a latent defect in the XM-L2 emitters, because I have several lights incoming that have XM-L2 emitters in them, and I’ll be ticked off if they all start doing that (dome de-laminating partially) :(!!

If it’s only happening in TN30s then it probably has something to do with the way Thrunite reflows the XML2s on. They might be using temperatures way too high. Perhaps a worker slipped and pushed a knob?

I don’t think it’s a problem with the XML2, but rather the manufacturing process of the TN30. Otherwise we’d be seeing other XML2s having this effect.

[ohaya]

@Slewflash

@ohaya

@xed888

I dont think I wll de-dedome.

I like my lumens too much and not too bothered about throw.

Perhaps I will send it back :S

I hope that they can fix it, and esp., I hope that this is not a latent defect in the XM-L2 emitters, because I have several lights incoming that have XM-L2 emitters in them, and I’ll be ticked off if they all start doing that (dome de-laminating partially) :(!!

If it’s only happening in TN30s then it probably has something to do with the way Thrunite reflows the XML2s on. They might be using temperatures way too high. Perhaps a worker slipped and pushed a knob?

I don’t think it’s a problem with the XML2, but rather the manufacturing process of the TN30. Otherwise we’d be seeing other XML2s having this effect.

I’m not at all familiar with the TN30, but how long have the ones with XM-L2 been out/available?

[Slewflash]

@ohaya

@Slewflash

@ohaya

@xed888

I dont think I wll de-dedome.

I like my lumens too much and not too bothered about throw.

Perhaps I will send it back :S

I hope that they can fix it, and esp., I hope that this is not a latent defect in the XM-L2 emitters, because I have several lights incoming that have XM-L2 emitters in them, and I’ll be ticked off if they all start doing that (dome de-laminating partially) :(!!

If it’s only happening in TN30s then it probably has something to do with the way Thrunite reflows the XML2s on. They might be using temperatures way too high. Perhaps a worker slipped and pushed a knob?

I don’t think it’s a problem with the XML2, but rather the manufacturing process of the TN30. Otherwise we’d be seeing other XML2s having this effect.

I’m not at all familiar with the TN30, but how long have the ones with XM-L2 been out/available?

They came out very quickly after the XML2 was released (December 2012), probably around March or April I think.