CLOSED 2018 Yuji 3200K high cri 5mm LED group buy

[iamlucky13]

Re: 2018 Yuji 5mm LED group buy OPEN

Awesome! Glad that worked well. The pictures look like you got a nice beam out of it.

I'm tempted to try the same, but on the other hand, I think I want to keep my Solitaire in the original configuration as a reminder how lights used to be.

 

[spaceminions]

Re: 2018 Yuji 5mm LED group buy OPEN

Oh, i didn't destroy anything. I could put it all back where it was.

 

[tech25]

Re: 2018 Yuji 5mm LED group buy OPEN

Did anyone put one into a photon-lite with the covert nose?

 

[KITROBASKIN]

Re: 2018 Yuji 5mm LED group buy OPEN

Yes, it works fine.

 

[tech25]

Thank you, I put one in my regular one and love it. I just ordered one with the covert nose and will swap another into that.

 

[Hondo]

I've been totally digging my 3200K modded Gerber Infinity Ultra. After almost a year of very steady use, I can confirm the level of overdrive on that light is not causing any loss of lumens that I can detect.

I also have been putting a TON of time on a 5600K in a Rayovac 2xAA plastic incan host. I started with "dead" alkalines at 1.41 volts each, and it was plenty bright, and the wide beam works with the reflector to produce a nice hotspot. This sucker gets turned on in tailstand mode while I get ready for bed, and listen to some news, look at the phone, well, about 15-20 minutes of stuff on average, EVERY night. Well, about a month ago, I had to toss the batteries since on my regular inspection for "alkaleaking" the rear cell was starting to sweat out it's nasty guts. The light was still quite usable for general purposes, though noticeably less bright than when it started. I believe they were still at about 1.3 volts, and would have gone for another eternity if I did not want to spare the light from the corrosive leak.

I find it amazing that just an LED can be a total battery vampire, without any kind of boost circuit. Direct drive is very efficient, but when two alkalines get this low, you usually only get a moonlight, or more like "firefly" level of brightness. These have to have a killer low forward voltage.

 

[iamlucky13]

Glad to hear your Gerber's overdriving the LED doesn't seem to be affecting it. I was a little concerned, although over at BLF, a user did a 50mA test for 24 hours without issue, so the LED does seem pretty tolerant of overdriving.

Meanwhile, the Sofirn C01 (a new Fenix E01 inspired design) has shipped a few hundred units with these Yuji's in it, and they've got more planned.

Unfortunately, they claim they will only be making 2000 copies total, allegedly because Yuji is discontinuing their 5mm BC series LED. It seems we were fortunate Scout24 organized these group buys. The 3200K is sold out (although Mountain Electronics has some in stock), but the 5600K appears to still be available.

Instead, Yuji seems to be introducing a curious sort of surface mount 5mm LED. It's rated at 60mA instead of 20mA and corresponding higher output - about 20 lumens instead of 7.

 

[spaceminions]

My solitaire is running at about 50mA continuously I think. (hard to get an accurate measurement). I think they're fine at that level indefinitely. But I'm not sure they'd be useful if they weren't bipin.

 

[Tixx]

Re: 2018 Yuji 5mm LED group buy OPEN

Did anyone put one into a photon-lite with the covert nose?

Yes, one was done for me and I did my first mod ever putting one of these in a Freedom Covert. Still working after 23/7 neck wear for at least a few months.

 

[iamlucky13]

My solitaire is running at about 50mA continuously I think. (hard to get an accurate measurement). I think they're fine at that level indefinitely. But I'm not sure they'd be useful if they weren't bipin.

For our purposes, I agree. Bipin LED's are simple to work with in a variety of socket or solder applications, and can be very durable.

For volume manufacturing, my understanding is surface mounting is more cost-effective. In an application like the Viltrox VL-162 panel light, Yuji's new product could be more ideal.

 

[tech25]

I just put one into a dead surefire e2e bulb and am using it in a surefire e2e with a 16650. Now its a circle of light with no hotspot but it is sunken in the reflector. Should I sand the wider part (lip by the base) of the Yuji and try to get it a bit higher in the reflector?

I want a bit more hotspot than a big circle of light and I think that I'm loosing some brightness.

 

[iamlucky13]

I think it's worth trying, tech25. Removing the lip won't hurt the LED.

If the result is similar to my Maglite experience, any hotspot that results won't be particularly bright, but I didn't get modest amount more throw than the rest of the beam.

 

[tech25]

Thanks, I sanded it down a bit.

The mod worked beautifully for a bit but now is flashing like a strobe.

 

[Hondo]

I wondered about direct driving off of a 16650. That is WAY over the forward voltage of these things. They are screaming bright on two 1.5 Volt alkaline cells. R.I.P., but it's all in the name of science, so good job!

I get a very impressive focus and hotspot out of my Rayovac plastic bi-pin incandescent host, BTW. The wide beam is getting plenty of light on the reflector to produce a decent amount of throw, for a single 5 mm that is. And the beam is quite smooth with very minimal artifacts. Helps that it has a faceted reflector, which acts like a good orange peel surface.

 

[tech25]

I figured why not, I had fun taking the module apart and putting it back together. When I fired it up it was pretty bright, I knew it wouldn't last but was cool while it did. I think a cool mod would be one in a shortened mini mag running one AA. Now to get a cut down minimag...

 

[Hondo]

How would you feed that? One primary, even an Energizer lithium primary, would not light it. And a 14500 Li-Ion would kill it just as fast as your 16650 did. The only thing that would be good is those CRAA cells, basically a CR123 primary squeezed down to AA size. At 3 volts nominal, that would probably be ideal.

 

[tech25]

Thanks, I didn't think of the voltage requirements. I just figured if it works in my photon it will work on an AA.

 

[Hondo]

Yeah, those 2016's are tiny, but they are 3 Volts each. So you would figure with two in series at 6 Volts, they would pop the LED real quick, and the only reason they don't is that the little cells have so much internal resistance they are not able to deliver the current that the LED could draw from an unlimited source at that voltage. But they do run it real hot when they are new, and fortunately for the LED, they lose that ability once they have been used only a little bit, and drop like a cliff to a long, low moonlight level. That is why I run mine with a single 2032 - it is not so bright at first, like two 2016's after they have been used a while - but it stays close to that level for a VERY long time, and it is plenty useful for what I use it for. I think the Yuji should work particularly well this way, because it's forward voltage is lower than most LED's, and will get more out of the single cell setup.

 

[tech25]

The 2032 is interchangeable with two 2016s? On the Photon website, it seems that they recommend different battery setups for different lights.

 

[Hondo]

Yes, it is, although they probably are not going to "recommend" it because your light "will not be able to achieve full brightness". Tons of us use the 2032 instead of the two 2016's. It costs half as much and lasts a LOT longer. You just won't get that killer brightness that two fresh 2016's have, for a little while, anyway. If you have any doubts about what you will get, just take a Yuji and slip the legs over a 2032 and squeeze, viola, that's what your Photon will have when installed. Long leg goes to the positive, but it won't hurt anything if you put it in backwards, it just won't light up.

The red LED's need a lot less voltage, so they come with just one cell. That is probably what you are seeing on their site.