Shiningbeam has some 1Ds in 14 and 16mm that I have used that are very easy on the eyes.
http://www.shiningbeam.com/servlet/the-253/**NEW**-Cree-XM-dsh-L-T6/Detail
http://www.shiningbeam.com/servlet/the-34/**NEW**-Cree-XM-dsh-L-T6/Detail
Shiningbeam XM-L T6 1D on left KD XM-L T6 1A on right.
While I see what you mean, and technically you are correct, the only bin's with cool white is T5 and T6, which you can't get with warm white. The most optimal when ordering would be to get the Kit number. That way you can see the exact colortemperature and efficiency.
The three tables at the end of this page is pure gold when browsing XM-L's: http://www.cree.com/products/pdf/XLampXM_B&L.pdf
I got two neutral white T5 3C XM-L's from illumination supply with some 2.8a drivers, I PM'd Craig on CPF marketplace and he did me a cheaper postage option via basic USPS 1st class, it was only about $5.
For telling warm from cool, yes, but for neutral it doesn't help much, since neutral can be anywhere from T2 to T6... And you can order LEDs that aren't part of the kits. For example, the brightest U2s aren't in any of the kits. And I suspect they make T3 (or worse) and T4 cool whites, then ship them off for the cheapest chinese lights... or, at least that's my theory with how horrendously dim and off-color some of the lights I've seen have been.
Hrmm... Some of the EasyWhite emitters can do 1500lm with a 3000K color temperature... I think I know what I'm using next time I build a 2-cell light!
Illumination Supply has a neutral white on a 14mm board... except once you actually go to check out, then it tells you it's backordered. I'll email them and see when they'll have some.
--Bushytails
If I’m reading those charts right the shining beam emitters listed above are still cool white even though they sure look nice compared to the KD unit. I would love a warm white on a 16mm or 14mm disk. I don’t have any warmer tints and I need one. I think we should put a fire under Boaz’s ass to get a buy going. He brought it up.
Yeah Boaz, are you back yet so we can get this group buy going.
Or did he get abducted too???
Now that you guys said it, I suspect Ultrafire's P60 XM-L drop in is not T6. It may draw crazy high current, like mine does just below 3A. But the output is crazy low even for the initial first second. My Yezl M7X of the same reflector diameter blows it out of the water in a ceiling lux test while drawing about 0.3A lower current. (initial lux 28 lux for P60 vs 35 lux for M7X, then the P60 dives like there is no tomorrow). I got mine from Manafont btw.
I'm sorry, just reporting what I am finding out, I know the Ultrafire XM-L P60 is very well received here.
I think rather the driver or the heatsinking is responsible for low efficiency, rather than the bin of the emitter. I really doubt you can detect T6 vs. T5 without special equipment.
You can detect T6 vs "we sell these out the back door to the guy with the van", which seems to be where some chinese companies get some of their emitters, at least judging from how incredibly non-white some of mine have been. :)
--Bushytails
Well, even original ones can have a bad tint, look at the reports on greenish XP-Gs in 4sevens lights at CPF. I still think those "wrong bins" and "unoriginal tints" are not more than urban myths. What we really need are high-pwm or current-controlled , high-effiency drivers. Those are really hard to find in the budget-land.
Glad to know that you still trust China's Chinese bro. You come from Germany, land of precision. Sinn, BMWs etc.... For me...well.... I'm not trying to be racist or what...but thing is, you gotta factor that in already. BTW, true blue HK is not China, i got quite a few relatives from HK.
Well, I think if competitors like OSRAM or Soul Semiconductor have a hard time bringing out competitive products to the Cree XM-L, I would generally doubt some small random Chinese factory can do it better. I wouldn't call it exactly "trust" ... more of what they are capable of and what not. ;-) The Chinese are taking a similar route like the Japanese took about 30-40 years ago, but I bet they can do it in 15-20 years. Better start learning Chinese instead of English.
No bro...I think it's not the low-down technicalities, but rather business. I have done some small-scale business, now I get my goods from Taiwan. I do such things for a living. I have been to China quite a few times to source stuff. Its well known that even for us local Chinese we often get "eaten" by them. The tricks which you and I cannot think of.... I want to share a recent story on aliexpress which I find quite humorous...but am afraid of offending people, so better not do it. LOL!
Well, let's just say they have a very different approach on how business should be done, but it seems to be a cultural thing.
Within china it varies a lot. I don't really see the difference between Shanghai and HK. However most of these flashlights are made in tiny factories in Shenzhen along with every other consumer good in the world that you see on DX by shall we say entrepreneurial peasants.
2100, I want to hear the story.
I think the English influence is still strong on HK, especially when it comes to the business part.
Most large or mediums sized German companies would rather loose money on a business deal, than to see their reputation damaged.
Warren Buffett
There are more similarities in larger business where the players are difference and everyone knows the stakes.
These small small shanzhai joints simply don't have the luxury of losing money and will pretty much do what's necessary to turn a quick buck in an atmosphere that's more competitive than between Ingolstadt/Munich/Stuttgard.
Japanese industrialism started similar, by copying western designs. Now they are the ones that are being copied .... circle of business life... I guess. ;-)
Earning good money and treating the business partners and customers with respect is not necessarily a contradiction and sometimes the smallest businesses are the friendliest. (Manafont and others)
Things do tend to work different in china than most western countries. I have no idea how these small businesses that tend to be sustainable there have such atrocious customer service. I've often mocked them for this, but that's just coming from our perspective, so obviously their actual customers have different expectations.
If one has been to HongKong, you'll experience firsthand, what I'm guessing is "countryman" first policy.
I look Chinese, so when I go inside any shop in HongKong I get the VIP treatment, but once they learn I can't speak Mandarin or Fookien.. They give me the cold treatment.
I have a German lady friend go inside a Swarovski crystal shop in Hongkong, she asks for the price of a nice violin crystal - the response by the owner/salesperson - "THAT"S TOO EXPENSIVE!!"..
Don't you just love how a thread on XML leds becomes a discussion about Chinese customer policies.. I Love BLF!!