TOPIC: Install a TRi-Cree instead of 12W

Hi,

I heard from different parts that tri-cree is as bright then the 12W default SF and using less battery and producing less head.
My question is: how easy is to install a tri-cree instead of a 12W led?where to buy the parts???
Thank you

Installing a tri-cree is slightly different (and more advanced) than a 12W. There's a bit more wiring that'll need to be done since the die don't inherently have a common positive. You can either use short wires to jump the positives within the module (taking care not to block the LEDs or get in the way of the lens) or you can drop three positive wires from each of the pads out of the heat sink module and splice them externally. Keep in mind that you'll want the LEDs wired in parallel, since a single 18650 battery doesn't have the voltage to support multiple die in series.

After that, the procedure is about the same as the X4 (12W) module: wire each of the negative terminals separately to get out of the heat sink, then resistor them appropriately. If you're going stunt or have a soundboard with a single LED channel you can splice the negatives and to bring a single wire back to the switch or LED- pad. If you want to keep them addressable (one main channel and one FoC channel, or multiple addressable LED pads) you shouldn't splice the wires.

As for sourcing the LED star, I have used The Custom Saber Store or LEDSupply. TCSS is a bit pricier as a base cost, but if you're ordering alongside other components you may end up saving a bit of cash on shipping than if you were to source your components separately. For the module itself you'll also need a 1" OD heat sink (threaded, for constructability), a 3-up narrow spot carclo lens (as available on both sites), some thermal paste or an LED star thermal pad, some wires and soldering tools.

In terms of the brightness claims, I would also agree that 3 properly driven Cree XP-E or XP-E2 dies would be brighter than 4 XQ-E's. They should draw ~25% less battery than a max-driven 12W (less if you're wired for FoC) and should expend less heat based on number of modules/resistors alone. The trade-offs seem to be color mixing (more possibilities of colors with 4 dies than 3) and some complexity in terms of wiring the positives.

Anyone else have some info to throw in?

wow, amazing for taking the time to explain it so clearly. I got it!