Cree Develops Most Efficient LED (image: Cree, Inc.)

Cree Inc., a leading American producer of LED lighting, has announced the development of the world’s most efficient light emitting diode. The white LED achieved 208 lumens per watt, according to Cree’s research and development team.

According to John Edmond, one of Cree’s directors and co-founders:

“We have now broken the elusive 200-lumen-per-watt efficacy barrier for a single white power LED. This is a result of improvements in blue optical output power, lower operating voltage, and higher conversion efficiency. We continue to push the envelope in white LED technology to enable the highest efficiency white lighting products in the marketplace.”

The tests were conducted at room temperature with a drive current of 350 mA, and resulted in a color temperature of 4579K. Although this level of light output hasn’t yet been produced in Cree’s line of publicly available LEDs, it represents a milestone for upcoming “real-world” designs.

(via Cree, Inc.)

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Surefire Saint Minimus LED Headlamp

With the Saint Minimus headlamp (the streamlined cousin of the Saint), Surefire has expanded beyond its range of handheld flashlights. The Saint Minimus packs big-time performance and comfort into a small but durable package.

The Saint Minimus sheds the full-size battery pack of the Saint. The Minimus uses a single 123A battery to power the LED light, and with the battery inside weighs just 3.3 ounces. The light-output dial on the side can be easily adjusted even while wearing gloves, and lets the user increase power up to 100 lumens, for a 42-meter beam distance. Battery life is approximately 1.5 hours at maximum power, or around 50 hours at the minimum 1-lumen setting.

The hard-anodized aluminum case is extremely durable, and the Saint Minimus can handle immersion in up to a meter of water for half an hour. The mesh headband and “Breathe-O-Prene” pad offer comfort when worn directly on the skin, or the light can be fitted over a helmet for activities like mountaineering or caving.

The Surefire Saint Minimus LED Headlamp is available from Amazon for $135.

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The Brightest LED Bike Lights

Cycling doesn’t need to be limited to daytime hours – especially if riders can bring their own daylight with them when darkness falls. These LED bike lights pack more power than a casual cyclist might need for bicycle commuting, and there other more affordable LED bike lights available. But for applications like technical mountain biking or adventure racing, these lights are perfect thanks to their sheer power. Here are four of the brightest LED bike lights currently on the market.

NiteRider Pro 1200 LED Bike Light

NiteRider Pro 1200 LED Bike Light

The NiteRider Pro 1200 is actually a pair of LED lights – one provides a focused spot beam, while the other casts a wide flood, and they combine for up to 1200 lumens of light. Included software lets users customize light output and flash modes for any conditions. An 8-step “fuel gauge” tracks consumption from the rechargeable Li-ion battery, and run time ranges from 2 ½ to 64 hours. The NiteRider Pro 1200 weighs 812g including the battery, and comes with mounting hardware for a helmet or handlebars, a three-foot extension cable, and charger.

The NiteRider Pro 1200 LED Bike Light is available from Amazon for $569.62.

Lupine Betty 14 LED Bike Light

Lupine Betty 14 LED Bike Light

The Lupine Betty is, quite simply, a beast of a light. Seven Cree XP-G diodes handle power ranging from ¼ watt up to 23 watts, to provide illumination up to a whopping maximum of 1750 lumens. The 810g light is powered by a bottle-style 14.5 Ah Li-Ion battery, and light output is maximized by Lupine’s custom lens optics. Battery life ranges from six hours at maximum output up to 336 hours at the lowest setting. The Lupine Betty can be mounted on bicycle handlebars or a helmet, or it can be worn as a headlamp.

The Lupine Betty 14 LED Bike Light is available directly from GretnaBikes, Lupine’s US distributor, for $1,199.

Light & Motion Seca 900 Ultra LED Bike Light

Light & Motion Seca 900 Ultra LED Bike Light

The Seca 900 Ultra packs six Cree R2 LEDs into a compact housing, and provides up to 900 lumens of illumination. The lithium-ion battery provides up to 3.5 hours of maximum output, or 14 hours of low-level lighting. The 686-gram light is helmet- or handlebar-mountable, and its relatively light weight makes it a great choice for nighttime trail riding.

You can find the Light & Motion Seca 900 Ultra LED Bike Light at Amazon for $639.99.

BR Lights C2-K LED Bike Light

BR Lights C2-K LED Bike Light

The BR Lights C2-K delivers serious power in a lightweight, all-inclusive package. The Cree LEDs are capable of 1000 lumens, and despite its chunky appearance, the unit weighs just 415g including the battery – that’s less than a pound. Burn time from the Li-polymer battery is on the short side though (2.25 hours at high output, or 5.5 hours on low), and the C2-K can only be mounted on your handlebars.

The BR Lights C2-K LED Bike Light is available directly from the manufacturer’s website for around $400.

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Striker Magnetic LED Light (photo: Striker Hand Tools)

LEDs are great for task lighting – but only when you can shine them in the right spot. The Striker Magnetic LED Light solves this problem with a clever design to put the illumination right where you need it.

A wide-angle white LED is imbedded in the star-shaped, golf-ball-sized sphere. Each prong of the Striker work light holds a neodymium magnet, so the light can be attached to any convenient metal surface – and pointed at virtually any angle. The result is a perfectly directed, hands-free light source in those dark and hard-to-reach spots, like a fuse box or under the hood.

Striker Magnetic LED Light (photo: Striker Hand Tools)

The Striker LED Light won’t just save you from changing a tire with a flashlight clenched in your teeth. The light does double duty as well – it’s handy as a sweeper magnet, collecting stray hardware and filings around your workspace.

The Striker Magnetic LED Light retails for $6.99. You can find it at the Striker web site.

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Pad-L: A Portable Waterproof LED Light

AltusLumen specializes in making non-toxic, portable LED lights. A couple of years ago, I first reviewed their first product: the Tri-L light — it was a well-engineered LED work light. Recently, I got the chance to test out their new outdoor light, the Pad-L.(...)
Read more of Pad-L: A Versatile Outdoor LED Light!

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LED systems are natural choice for mountain bikers given their efficient power consumption, durable construction and distinctive white light. As LED technology has advanced, the LED mountain bike light market has exploded and there are many systems available today. Unfortunately, mountain bike light systems are notoriously expensive and LED systems haven’t been an exception. Finding quality light systems under $300 isn’t easy, so we’ve scoured the net and studied dozens of reviews from Amazon, MTBR.com and retailers to find the LED systems that stand out as performance-meets-affordable. Here’s some top picks:

Niterider MiNewt.X2 LED Mountain Bike Light

The Niterider Minewt.X2 excels in terms of lightweight aluminum construction, with the lamp weighing just 82 grams and the complete package weighing 232 grams. At this weight, the Minewt.X2 could be a very comfortable helmet-mounted light as well as a handlebar LED system. Despite the small package, the light puts out a strong beam with a total output of 150 lumens on high and 90 on low. Flash setting ensures that you’re visible when dirt turns to street.  Four and a half hours of charge time will buy up to seven hours of burn time on low and three and a half on high. Battery life indicators on both the headlamp and battery let you know when it’s time to head home. The compact battery pack comes with a Velcro mount designed to be strapped right on the stem and the light mounts via a simple rubber gasket; set-up will take minutes, if not seconds.

The MiNewt.X2 is available from Amazon starting at $162. For an additional $30 or so, you can get a MiNewt.X2 Dual, which uses two identical headlamps to double your light output.

Princeton Tec Switchback Mountain Bike Light

The Princeton Tec Switchback, the smallest light in the Switchback series (1,2 and 3) uses one MaxBright LED to provide up to 10 hours of burn time when used on the lowest setting. It is rated at 6 hours and 4.5 hours on medium and high, respectively. The light isn’t the brightest single-LED on the market, putting out about 85 lumens on high. It is ample as a handlebar lamp for light trail and commuting use and can easily be helmet-mounted for use as a secondary light. The Switchback throws out a long, narrow beam. The Switchback lights all come complete with everything that you’ll need, including both wall and car chargers, handlebar mounting hardware and helmet mounting hardware.

The Princeton Tec Switchback is available at Amazon starting at $140.

Exposure Joystick MaXx 2 Mountain Bike Light

The Exposure Joystick MaXx 2 is one of the most compact LED bike lamps available. Instead of the ubiquitous rechargeable battery pack, the Joystick MaXx 2 uses an integrated lithium ion battery. The light weighs a tiny 98 grams with helmet mount. Despite the compact battery, the Joystick MaXx 2 gets up to 24 hours of burn time on low, 10 on medium and three on high. The light also puts out an impressive 240 lumens on its highest setting, though tests have questioned this rating, claiming that it’s not as bright as advertised. The beam is straight and fluid without creating distracting hot spots. While the Joystick’s small size, narrow beam and low weight make it a great helmet light, it also mounts easily to the handlebars. With a simple dismount, the Joystick doubles as a handy flashlight.

The Joystick MaXx 2 retails for $199.

Cygolite Rover II Extra Mountain Bike Light

The Cygolite Rover II Extra is a rugged, weatherproof lamp that uses two high-brightness LEDs. The lamp uses six separate beam settings, four standard and two special, to allow the user total control over light output. On the highest setting the Rover will output 255 lumens and run for three and a half hours. On the lowest setting, it will provide 10 hours of run time. The Crossfire™ design spreads the beam wider so that the entire trail is lit up from side to side. For an even wider beam, a diffuser set is available for separate purchase. The smart rapid charger recharges the frame-mount NiMH battery pack in just two and a half hours. The light mounts to the handlebars with a heavy-duty bracket that fits both standard and oversized handlebars.

The Cygolite Rover II Extra can be found at Amazon starting at $120.

Dinotte 400L LED Mountain Bike Light

The Dinotte 400L is a highly durable, versatile light. The light is powered by two LEDs housed in strong, light aluminum. Three separate brightness levels deliver up to 400 lumens. Two pulse speeds and a strobe setting allow the light to be used as an effective tail light as well as a headlight. Light set-up is highly user-customizable and the 400L comes standard with handlebar mount and choice of headband or helmet mount as well as two batteries. The consumer can select from either two cell or four cell batteries. The four cell battery offers five hours of run time on high, 10 hours on medium and 48 hours on low, while the two cell cuts those times in half. Charging time is two hours for the two-cell and four for the four-cell. The savvy worldwide smart charger allows you to swap out plugs to adapt the charger to the native power supply. Included lens kit comes with wide and medium lenses. The compact battery packs mount to the stem or frame via a simple Velcro strap.

Retail price for the Dinotte 400L is $269.

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Philips Light Blossom LED Streetlamp Harnesses Wind And Solar Power (photo: Philips)

Streetlights aren’t usually considered part of the natural landscape. But the Philips Light Blossom comes close, with a uniquely organic design that collects all the power it needs from sun and wind.

The Light Blossom earns its name by taking a cue from the way flowers collect sunlight. During daylight hours, the “petals” of the lamp spread wide to optimize the position of their solar cells. Then, as darkness falls, the petals sweep upward so the LED arrays on the underside can provide light below. The directional downward light is designed to minimize the scattered light pollution that is a common effect of traditional streetlight designs. In addition, the Light Blossom is designed with integrated motion sensors, so it offers a low-light standby mode as well as brighter ambient lighting when people are nearby.

Light Blossom transitions in different conditions (photo: Philips)

Solar power isn’t the only renewable energy source for the Light Blossom. On windy days, the petals automatically transition to a half-open position so they spin in the breeze, which the internal rotor converts to electricity.

The Light Blossom uses far less electricity than a traditional streetlight, but its biggest advantage is that it can be used anywhere, since it doesn’t need to be placed on a city power grid. And when it is used in a municipal setting, the Light Blossom can actually generate a surplus of power, which is then transferred back to the grid.

(via Philips Electronics)

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At the FineTech event in Japan, Novaled has been showing off their new OLED lamp prototype, the “Victory Lamp”.

OLED Info reports that Novaled have also been showing an OLED-wall, which is about one square meter in size, and made from 12 OLED. The wall is only 0.7 millimeters thick!

Here’s a video showcasing the lamp, together with some light jazz!

Found via OLED Info. Thanks to Ron for the tip!

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LED-C Bridges The LED Color Gap (photo: LBI)

One of the drawbacks in using LEDs for broad applications is the limited number of light colors available. But Oregon-based Light Beam Industries has introduced a method for producing a potentially unlimited spectrum of LED lighting with their LED-C technology.

LED-C stands for light emitting diode converter. An LED can be embedded in the LED-C polymer material, which absorbs the light and re-emits it at a different wavelength. Light Beam Industries states that all of the energy from the source LED can be transferred, with shorter wavelengths of light being absorbed and converted to longer wavelengths.

Traditional LEDs can’t produce truly white light, but instead rely on multiple LEDs to blend primary colors, or they use phosphors to convert blue or UV light. In contrast, a single LED using the LED-C material can produce white light ranging from 3000-6000 K, with none of the degradation that affects phosphors.

Layered LED-C Lets A Single LED Create Multiple Light Colors (photo LBI)

The LED-C material could also prove valuable for creating vivid colors for instrument displays while still using low power LEDs. Precise color matching is also possible, such as for brand logos in advertising applications. And by layering the LED-C material, a single diode can produce three or more unique colors of light.

The LED-C material is designed to be durable as well. The polymer has a projected lifespan of up to 100,000 hours – well beyond the life of most LEDs. And embedding the solid-state LED in the material creates what the manufacturer calls a “monolithic component” that can completely fill any gap in the LED light spectrum.

(via Light Beam Industries, LLC)

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The OLED (organic light-emitting diode) market is growing quickly. Organic LEDs can be used to make folding, paper-thin, highly efficient lights and displays.

Novaled AG, a German company, will be introducing a “fault-tolerant” OLED light at Finetech Japan this month. This light will be able to resist electrical shorts — something that would destroy other OLED lights.The Novaled OLED element consists of two comb-shaped interlocked electrodes, which give a uniform light emission. If a short in one of the stripes appears, the resistance of the stripe will limit the current flow and prevent a further rise of current and temperature.

“OLED devices based on the new Novaled structure are well suited for large area lighting or other lighting applications which require a long maintenance cycle”, says Gerd Guenther, VP Marketing and Sales of Novaled AG.

Via: Novaled Press Release

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