Cree XHP35 (or 50 or 70) LED + 12V = a super bright $6 light?

LED Flashlights – General Info
1

I know LED’s are not just like incandescents but could I just buy an XHP35 emitter for around $6, connect it to 12V with sufficient current supply and have Cree’s brightest single (as in not array) LED light?

http://www.cree.com/LED-Components-and-Modules/Products/XLamp/Discrete-Directional/XLamp-XHP35

I already have 12V Li Ion packs from Bosch drills. I’m sure I could rig this up pretty easily if it’d work.

2

If you already have 12V Bosch drill packs, the easiest way would be to get a compatible 12V Bosch work light and upgrade it to one of the XHP emitters. It wouldn’t have to be the XHP-35, since the 50 and 70 can be wired as 12V also. They just require a special MCPCB that follows the odd wiring scheme.

3

Thanks. Sounds like the most elegant solution to this. My only hesitation there is that would be more than $6. Could I just directly connect one of these LED’s or the arrays you mention to the 12V supply and make my own housing?

4

Yeah, if you’re confident in your ability to create the housing. If you wait a few months, you can do it for the Annual Scratch-Built Contest. :partying_face:

5

Not confident it’ll be pretty! But confident that it’ll house an LED emitter, wiring, switch, and battery.

Digging a little it looks like these need heat sinks. Learning as I go.

6

Wow… can’t believe how high the lumen ratings are on the xhp70. Pretty amazing.

Side note there, how are the chips on ebay?

7

I don't agree the XHP35 is the brightest. Where's the beef, errr, data?

XP-L V6 HD or XM-L2 U4 at lumens/watt, or top bin XHP70 for sheer output, etc... XHP35 is a 2x2 array, just like the XHP70, just more subtle line separation.

If there is some data saying it's the brightest, by how much?

Going strictly by CREE specs is not always real world as well. Over amping, like we do, some LED's do better than others.

Amps and Vf are huge considerations in any DD setup, as you are proposing - it all must be considered.

8

If you’re going to buy from eBay, you really have to do a lot of research on both the product(s) and the seller(s) you’re looking at. There are a lot of disreputable people on eBay these days. I do buy stuff from eBay. But, I only buy if I can be certain the items are not fake and/or it wouldn’t hurt me if they are fake. Cree LEDs are highly over-represented by fakes in the marketplace. But, there are sellers that we know we can trust. Richard at Mountain Electronics occasionally sells on eBay (eBay id: mountainelectronics). But, if you’re in the USA, it makes more sense to buy from his store. A couple more good guys who also sell on eBay: PFlexPRO (eBay: rmbear), vestureofblood (eBay: vesture_of_blood), hkequipment (eBay: hksupport). That being said, any XHP LEDs you find on eBay probably stand a good chance of being legitimate. I don’t think the XHP line has been faked yet. You just might not get the tint and brightness bin you expect.

9

Thanks for the forewarning there on the fakes. I may just order from DigiKey in that case or another USA distributor to be on the safe side…

10

There's a few "safe" vendors for CREE LED's - MtnE, Intl-outdoor, Cutter.au, and of course reputable BLFers, and mihgt be a couple more. Mouser and DigiKey sell them (good source), but you don't get the exact bin and tint all the time, but might be a range of bins, so gotta be careful there as well. Plus the cost in low qty might get crazy. I've ordered colored CREE LED's though from DigiKey and Mouser and they were well spec'd and decent pricing, again, all depends.