LEDEngin/TriCREE/Tri-REB Comparison Discussion

[Padawan23]

Can some one tell me if there is a brightness comparison done between a triple force RGrB and an LEDengin RGBX with R&B mixed for purple please? As i'd like to know which led is brighter parallel vs parallel and series vs series. A little worried as last night i put an LEDengin RGBW wired R&B seriallly against a TriRebel RGrB R&rB serial and the LEDengin blew the triReb away! The power source i used was an adjusable power station that detected the voltage of the led(s) and fed 1amp to each set up. I was under the impression tri rebels were brighter than LEDengins and tri force was even brighter! Any help appreciated please

Also, how long did it take for you to get your triple force led? I ordered mine what feels like an eternity ago and im still waiting for shipping notice.

Many thanks in advance. Im sticking this question in this thread because this question is in derect regards to the title thanks!

[Holt]

it's from my understanding that ledengins still are the best led's for mixing colors ( purple, silver.etc.) but for single colors like green/ blue/red, the tri's rebs and crees/force are the best to use achieving the brightest solid colored blade.

[LUMINARA UNDULI]

First, I do not know how your LEDEngin was brighter .  We have done this comparison several (in fact numerous) times and found the Tris of both type to be significantly brighter, with the LEDEngin still probably being able to mix the best "shade" in terms of color saturation.  We have done it both with a benchtop PSU as well as various battery types and solutions.  When you used your desktop PSU were you properly testing with the LED installed inside a bladeholder and blade? 

The "Triple Force" is simply Saberproject's name for the Tri-CREE.

In my opinion, the Tri-CREE is best with a 3.7V solution, while I prefer the Tri-Rebel for the 7.4V solution.

We use the RGRbs or RRbWs for our mixing, particularly with the Tri-Rebels as their regular blues are too green to mix a decent purple.   

[Padawan23]

Thanks Holt for the input!

Lumi:
So glad you're here!!!! I know u guys have been testing millions of leds extensively so i was kinda hoping you'd chime in!
 Ok, heres the basics of my amateur tests, i had the tri rebel red and royal blue in series, then i turned the power supply up and it detected 5.5v as its best voltage so thats the max volts it will allow, i then cranked the MA to 1000 and it gave a nice bright purple with an ok shade (not as alive or vibrant as the ledengin though).
Then, after about 1 second or less, the blade color turns violet/ deep purple with a lot of blue and very little red. No matter how much i tweak the ma it stays violet and dim. Although i remember when i turn the power supply off and on again the blade color turns to the nice shade again for a split second then returns to its dim violet. Using a dark filter and looking at the dies, i can see the red is lit and the rB is lit.

The TriRebel was mounted via led heatsink tape to an MHS new style heat sink, in holder, with 18 degree carlco lens and a blade holder.

But since you said the tri rebs/force/ crees are brighter than the ledengins, is it because i shoube be wiring them in parallel? Would that make it brighter than the ledengin?
 Thank you for helping me!

[LUMINARA UNDULI]

You need to wire in parallel and resist the red.  Did you have the board attached or just the LED?

[Padawan23]

It was just the led attached to a power supply, red and rB serial.

I was just going to see which was brighter by a quick short test and use whichever one was brightest, it will be going in a CF 6.1 with Cex, so when i wire them say red to channel 1, Green to channel 2 and royal blue to channel 3, thats the equiv to parallel right? And i'll be using the R.I.C.E to adjust the MA so i wont need a resistor on the actual saber? The resistor is just for this testing.

But my question has been answered by you already Lumi, that tri's are brighter, solid or mixed compared to LEDengins, thank you!

[Alex Gordon]

I believe rebel reds dim out after 750ma (from what I have read, I have never tried it).   try to lower the current on the benchtop psu and see if that helps. 

[LUMINARA UNDULI]

I still prefer the shade of the LEDEngin in parallel, but there is no denying that the Tris are brighter.  For V6, we had the best results with the RBRb Tri-Rebel.  The reasoning for us was this, the high lumen (161lm) green is brighter than the green CREE.  The reds are similar in brightness.  The Rb Tri-Reb mixed with a bit of green to bring it back to more of a true blue is similar in brightness to the CREE blue.  So, really, the defining factor for us was the green die on the Tri-Reb was both brighter and I prefer the shade.  They are very very close, but the Tri-Reb won for us with V6.  We prefer the Tri-CREEs with the CS/NB as the heat management and performance seems better with a 3.7V solution.

[Padawan23]

Alex Gordon:
Thanks bro! I actually remember reading about reds of these particular leds maxing out at around 700 with dimming above that threshold, thanks for reminding me, there may be something i've done wrong or maybe i've burnt out the red as i couldn't get a decent brightness out of the red after having 1 amp going through it, after that i tweaked the ma down and down but it was just getting dimmer. Not to worry, will invest in a new tri reb  if this is the case

Lumi:
Wow! That is some serious mixing, i've only ever thought about using the two dies that make the color (in this case Red & Royal Blue) then tweaking the ma of each die to adjust shade quality, i've never thought of adding a hint of the third die to adjust the shade further! Thanks for the tip, im sold, tri Rebs i will use!

If its good enough for you guys its good enough for me! And although that lovely vibrant purple achievable by the ledengin is, shall i say, delicious, im going for a bright even purple this time along with some other color choices, I guess no more testing nessessary, phew, Thanks to all those who helped! Much appreciated! 

[LUMINARA UNDULI]

No no no .  Don't mix the green in for your purple , that would be heresy .  (Seriously, it CAN be done but you sort of defeat the purpose of going with the Rb in the first place.  Keep in mind "purple is the absence of green" by definition).  What I meant was for those who want a solid blue blade for one of the fonts for a color changing saber, if you add a slight (very slight) bit of green to the Rb you get a blue blade.  If you just run the Rb by itself you get a Rb blade. 

[Padawan23]

Oh!!! Oops lol, now I'm with ya, sorry everyone, was having a Padawan moment. I get what you meant now, to shift the rB to a more normal blue, by adding a hint of green, if that is what is desired. Wow its been a long day for me 

I'm very excited to get a brighter purple soon, although not as vibrant, brightness makes me happy. Thanks again!

[LUMINARA UNDULI]

Split this topic off from Saberproject's thread.  Discussion can be continued here.  Discussion and comparisons between the "big 3" can go here .