# Red LED offerings: Osram Platinum Dragon vs. Cree XP-E vs. Luminus SST-90C?



## tobrien (Dec 7, 2012)

so I have a *red* Cree XP-E based P60 Nailbender module @ 1 amp (single level) and a H31r Zebralight headlamp (same LED).

I like both of them (my red XP-E lights) a whole lot, but I want to know how Osram's *"Hyper Red" Platinum Dragon* (is it the LR W5SN-JYKY-1 in red?) or Luminus's *SST-90C* (product link @ manufacturer site) compare to my Cree XP-E?

I'm hooked on colored LEDs now, but what brand offers the purest red? I realize the SST-90 in red is probably in an entirely different league than the Osram PD or XP-E because of it's die size and power and stuff, but is it worth the cost?

anyone have input on this subject? I'm really happy with my red ZebraLight and P60 module by Nailbender, but I'm really curious about Luminus and Osram's offerings and how they compare to what I have...

thanks! 

edit: is the red Diamond Dragon better/worse than the Platinum Dragon? it looks like the Diamond Dragon in red can take more current...


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## nickelflipper (Dec 8, 2012)

I can't really comment on the color quality, and LED selections. But I have to say that the Luminus PT-54 red LED that DTR is selling in the marketplace is very compelling at that price.


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## BenChiew (Dec 8, 2012)

I got the Osram Golden Dragon in red. Purest red that I have ever seen.There is no center dot as shown in the image.


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## tobrien (Dec 13, 2012)

nickelflipper said:


> I can't really comment on the color quality, and LED selections. But I have to say that the Luminus PT-54 red LED that DTR is selling in the marketplace is very compelling at that price.


yeah! i actually already have one but no PS to hook it up to. 

plus, I wouldn't know how to mod it to fit into a p60 lol


Benchiew said:


> I got the Osram Golden Dragon in red. Purest red that I have ever seen.There is no center dot as shown in the image.



ahh yeah i've been looking for that image since I saw you selling that head. is the Golden Dragon gonna be much different from the Platinum Dragon? 

have you ever used a red XP-E, by chance?


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## archimedes (Dec 13, 2012)

tobrien said:


> so I have a *red* Cree XP-E based P60 Nailbender module @ 1 amp (single level) and a H31r Zebralight headlamp (same LED).
> 
> I like both of them (my red XP-E lights) a whole lot, but I want to know how Osram's *"Hyper Red" Platinum Dragon* (is it the LR W5SN-JYKY-1 in red?) or Luminus's *SST-90C* (product link @ manufacturer site) compare to my Cree XP-E?
> 
> ...





tobrien said:


> ....ahh yeah i've been looking for that image since I saw you selling that head. is the Golden Dragon gonna be much different from the Platinum Dragon?
> 
> have you ever used a red XP-E, by chance?



I have a few different "red" LEDs and, to my eye, the Osram Platinum Dragon Hyper-Red definitely seems the most *RED*.

Just going by the data sheet specifications (for dominant wavelength listed) ...

Osram Golden/Platinum/Diamond Dragon Red ~ 625 nm
Cree XP-E Red ~ 620 - 630 nm
Luminus SST-90 Red ~ 623 nm (but bins listed from 611 - 635 nm)

Osram Golden Dragon Plus *Hyper-Red ~ 645 nm* (their specification sheet also notes a centroid wavelength of 656 nm and a peak wavelength of 660 nm)

According to Wikipedia ( "Visible Spectrum" ) , *590-620 nm is ORANGE* and *620-750 nm is RED*

I can't seem to find a data sheet for the Platinum Dragon Hyper-Red, but the drop-in I have is labeled as Platinum Dragon Hyper Red 660 nm, and definitely appears significantly _more _red than my XP-E and Golden Dragon Red emitters 

EDIT - also, although not "power LED" , the 5mm LED emitters used by *calipsoii *in his A2 replacement rings are listed as "Deep Red 660 nm" on their specification sheet.


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## bshanahan14rulz (Dec 14, 2012)

If you have seen a red laser pointer, that red is usually ~660nm. The more expensive ones are 635nm because that wavelength is "brighter" to the human eye per mW. So, if you consider red as "laser pointer red," there's your target.

Red-orange LEDs are more like, the color of taillights on cars, or traffic lights.


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## krazykevin76 (Dec 14, 2012)

So, I'm new to the red LED scene, if you guys had to buy a red led in p60 format, for throw, which would you get? I just purchased two solar force l2p hosts and am needing a bright, long throw p60 red led drop in? Any advice?


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## anuragwap (Dec 17, 2012)

No one mentioned red rebels LXM2-PD01-0050/40, nominally 627nm. Flux-wise, these might be losing the race, but in my experience these are less orangey than Cree XP-E Reds(top bin, 73.9lm). When buying ordinary red LEDs, a tradeoff always exists between the flux and redness, this is simply due to the photopic curve flattening to the red end of the spectrum.

Still the purity of 620-630nm LEDs doesn't compare to hyper/deep red LEDs, you know what you were missing once you see deep red Only tradeoff is they are not bright at all, hope one day Osram will make their hyper reds 72% efficient like the IR ones. 

I've bought one Ledengin LZ-4, one Oslon SSL80 hyperred(1T-3T group), and 150+ deep red rebels (LXM3-PD01-0260). I couldn't detect any hue difference among these LEDs, all had equally pure shades of red. Strangely, the LEDEngin seems to outperform (in terms of perceived brightness) the Oslon and the rebel, in spite of having less radiometric efficiency on paper. (You need roughly 12 rebels at 700mA to match the Ledengin at 1A) The Oslon seems to have the weakest output! Thus IMO LEDEngin still offers the best bang for the buck.


Finally, if you stare at these LEDs/hotspots for long enough, deep red apppears orange red and red appears amber!


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## wertzius (Dec 17, 2012)

I own a P60 SST-90 RED Dropin.
http://www.taschenlampen-forum.de/drop-ins/20051-nailbender-sst-90-red-dropin.html
I can translate my review if you are interested.

For throw i would buy the XP-E based Dropin. But the head is too small to throw really.


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## tobrien (Dec 26, 2012)

archimedes said:


> I have a few different "red" LEDs and, to my eye, the Osram Platinum Dragon Hyper-Red definitely seems the most *RED*.
> 
> Just going by the data sheet specifications (for dominant wavelength listed) ...
> 
> ...


your explanation was *perfect*. I was wondering what the 'best' red wavelength was. I gotta get a platinum dragon then!


bshanahan14rulz said:


> If you have seen a red laser pointer, that red is usually ~660nm. The more expensive ones are 635nm because that wavelength is "brighter" to the human eye per mW. So, if you consider red as "laser pointer red," there's your target.
> 
> Red-orange LEDs are more like, the color of taillights on cars, or traffic lights.


thank you for that explanation as well 


anuragwap said:


> No one mentioned red rebels LXM2-PD01-0050/40, nominally 627nm. Flux-wise, these might be losing the race, but in my experience these are less orangey than Cree XP-E Reds(top bin, 73.9lm). When buying ordinary red LEDs, a tradeoff always exists between the flux and redness, this is simply due to the photopic curve flattening to the red end of the spectrum.
> 
> Still the purity of 620-630nm LEDs doesn't compare to hyper/deep red LEDs, you know what you were missing once you see deep red Only tradeoff is they are not bright at all, hope one day Osram will make their hyper reds 72% efficient like the IR ones.
> 
> ...


Rebels are Philips, right? 

i don't anticipate staring that long lol

I didn't realize there was a tradeoff in flux vs. redness, thanks for telling me that 


wertzius said:


> I own a P60 SST-90 RED Dropin.
> http://www.taschenlampen-forum.de/drop-ins/20051-nailbender-sst-90-red-dropin.html
> I can translate my review if you are interested.
> 
> For throw i would buy the XP-E based Dropin. But the head is too small to throw really.


your beam shots of the red SST90 were *great*! that's such an extraordinary amount of flood.


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## davidwestonh (Oct 13, 2013)

archimedes said:


> I have a few different "red" LEDs and, to my eye, the Osram Platinum Dragon Hyper-Red definitely seems the most *RED*.
> 
> 
> I can't seem to find a data sheet for the Platinum Dragon Hyper-Red, but the drop-in I have is labeled as Platinum Dragon Hyper Red 660 nm, and definitely appears significantly _more _red than my XP-E and Golden Dragon Red emitters
> ...


Who made your drop-in?
where did you buy it?
thanks


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## archimedes (Oct 13, 2013)

davidwestonh said:


> Who made your drop-in?
> where did you buy it?
> thanks



PM sent ...


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## Toaster79 (Oct 13, 2013)

SSC P4 deep red @700mA with ledil regina reflector


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