- The Fake-Cree LED Awareness Thread - The new "low" in Budget lights.

Thank you @DBSAR and The Miller for help.
Unfortunately, for each of these lamps seller claim that is CREE XML-T6 >:-#

I got a new one, seller claims that is CREE XP-L V5 is he in right or not ?

http://i.imgur.com/ybeWwPZ.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/Zimt1xU.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/vJB8aa0.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/YExYRWz.jpg

Can you click two icons further to the right of where you clikced to add these links?
Paste the links there, fill 50 in the box below that and we can see the pics here instead of external.
They would come out like this

I have very little experience in XP-L counterfeit but… May be a genuine CREE XP-L or a very good counterfeit. The fault may be in the triangle at the corner, the xp that I have they dont have it.
Let’s see what the experts say…

it looks like a Cree XP-L, but i cant see the sides of the dome to see the four flat sides. ( genuine XP-L’s have a dome that somewhat over extends the smaller XP substrate, giving the sides of the dome flat spots at the edge of the substrate) i am um aware of any confirmed fake XP-L emitters that look that close to a real one, so its likely a real XP-L.

@The Miller, the only reason why I post external link is that you can click on picture and you can zoom it in excellent quality.
In such a little picture you can’t see well, please click on one of links and then click to zoom it, you can see that will zoom in good quality.

@DBSAR hmm, my English is not that good so I can’t understand what you need to see, if you can to snow to me on one picture example ?
Lamp that we talk about is

This is the most powerfull lamp that I ever had, I have one with real CREE XML U2 it is this lamp : but it is funny compared to this first lamp.

I played a bit with lamp and notice that memory mode is not working very well, sometimes it won’t work, so it goes to next mode, and sometimes it work well, I don’t know from which that depends.

Also I disassemble it and remove this little circle, so now we can see the board :

Zoom : http://i.imgur.com/a87hg2U.jpg

Zoom : http://i.imgur.com/oTtJaf6.jpg

Zoom : http://i.imgur.com/xHvX3Vu.jpg

JJH what that means ?

That definitely looks like a genuine Cree XP-L on a Cree star, but never seen that JJH lettering before.

Not calling this out as a 'fake', but I thought it would get better attention in this thread.

Has anyone seen an XP-L HI that is crooked like this one?;

Die looks a bit small?

I don’t have another on hand to compare it to.

I just ran a couple of short 18AWG leads to it, & from a 30Q @ 4.07v(rested), it drew 5.5 Amps.

Looks like it’s in the ball-park.

Where did you buy that XP-L HI?

The potting is all wrong. The XP-L Hi has a white layer, then a clear layer that covers the bond wires and the ESD Protection (?) while leaving them clearly visible.

This chip looks like it was buried in white RTV.

wow, never seen one that miss-aligned before. I am unaware of fakes if the XP-L HI yet, but anything is becoming possible these days. I have a few of them but they are in lights. Your’s looks like a XP-L HI, but i would think Cree’s QC wound catch that before it went to market. if it throws well, has good tint, and can handle the amps like a comparable XP-L HI, then its likely ok.

Are there fake XM-L2s?

Yes… Read the second post in this thread for pics!

It does have the clear layer at the top, just not really noticeable in the photo.

Just received it from FT.

It’s probably a second. I’ll put it in a light over the weekend, & see if the numbers stand up.

I just checked mine; I ordered several of the XP-L HI emitters from FastTech during the CNY sale and they all look perfect. My last batch of these from FastTech were perfect as well, and performed exactly the same as the same binned emitters from MtnElec.

There are definitely fake ( LB) XM-L2s out there, though these are much more difficult to detect the differences in the fakes to the real XM-L2. I have one cheap light that came with was supposed to be an XM-L2, but its tint is bad, and its output seems to be below the standard for a good XM-L2, its on a un-named star, and looks nearly identical t a real Cree XM-L2, but have no clear indicators that its a fake or not.

I don’t know wether this has already been pointed out…

I was looking at a SolarstormT3 review here, dating back to November 2014, and there is a closeup picture of the leds on their plate which are… LB XML clones. It’s even written on them. No wonder this light has such a cold tint!

See this post:

This light was listed on FT in June 2014.

That looks genuine to me (or there are newer harder to distinguish clones).