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Old 11-02-16, 11:50 AM   #2
jeff5may
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Please post a link. I think I know what you're talking about, but there are so many shapes and sizes of these things that it's impossible to know which one.

Cree has been a pioneer in the high-intensity LED lighting industry, and forged the way for a gaggle of knock-off manufacturers to try and follow. A decent portion of the lighting market customers are not interested in high-intensity light sources, due to the premium price. Many manufacturers tried and failed at producing high-power chips that wouldn't literally burn up quickly, so they began promoting medium-intensity chips that were much cheaper.

These "inferior" manufacturers were successful at making "chip on board (COB)" arrays that were (and are) much cheaper than the Cree "star" emitters. They were so successful that the entire LED lighting industry experienced severe price erosion. As a result, Cree changed its business model and teamed up with a couple of Chinese manufacturers. Rather than fight over patents, Cree signed cross-licensing agreements with Epistar and Lextar. Cree invented most of the technology and leads the high-power production, and the other two take care of the medium and low power sectors. Now, they all source each others' products. Cree now outsources the manufacture of most of its chips to these Chinese companies under license.

For DIY light fixtures, you can pack a lot of light output into a pretty small amount of space using the "medium intensity" Epistar modules. I have found I like the "natural white" color temperature in the house, and the "cool white" in the workshop.
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