New Cree XM-L ?

Has anyone checked this out yet? Rapid just started carrying these guys.

Its a 5000k - 8300k white led with a 3000mA max drive current. Is this going to be the new hit? I'm going to shoot an email to rapid right now.

CREE XM-L T6 3W LED on star

http://www.cree.com/products/pdf/XLampXM-L.pdf

 

These are basically the same thing when xp-e went to xp-g. You get a lot more power out of the same size star. I think there are several companies using these already, and they produce pretty great results.

 

http://www.3reef.com/forums/led-aquarium-lighting/pacific-suns-new-metis-hyperion-122138.html

 

these are not new, been around for a little while now. You gotta be careful with those ones. staring at an xml at 100% power can do eye damage, so if your making a diy fixture be careful.

 

I emailed Mike at rapid to ask him a few questions about my order I am going to be placing. Looks like I will stick with the R5's for my build. But these are interesting. I asked him if these are even worth getting over the R5's, since off of a Meanwell ELN I didnt see what the point was. He says they will be getting high current drivers in stock soon that are non dimmable, and dimmable high current drivers in the next few months to follow.

Now I am wondering if these XM-Ls, driven at around 2000 - 2500mA, could be run on shallower tanks with no optics and still have good PAR. It's something I will be interested in seeing. Along with the amount of heat increase with running them at a higher current.

 

These new brighter and more efficient leds coming out make me wonder about spotlighting. Some people already have problems with current leds, and I'd imagine to run brighter they'll also have to run hotter, which would be good reason to want them further apart. The extra light is still coming from a small concentrated source, so you might end up with great par directly under each led, but would there be a great variation in the spaces between them?
Will you eventually need to fix your light to the ceiling with a tunnel like optic attachement?
I love the advancements they're making, but I'm not sure just making them brighter is all we need.

 

No you have it somewhat wrong. Take this XM-L for example. The datasheet says without optics it emits a 125 degree spread. The light output will be evenly spread across the 125 degrees. The problem now is that the leds arent powerful enough without optics to get good par. So you have to focus the light with optics, making it have narrower spread. The stronger they make the leds, the wider optics you can use and get the same PAR, meaning less LEDS have to be used as you can space them farther apart.

 

check out these new cree leds, in some time if they produce these in a higher color temperature they could be amazing

CREE | LED Lighting Module LMH6

 

These will be great on very deep tanks, but for 95% of the hobbyists out there, I think the XP series will continue to be the ticket for a while.

 

My bad then. If its evenly spread par over that 125 deg then they have great potential.
thanks