How is that good? Hotter, driven at higher wattage... won't that lead to early failure?
Seems like skimping on hardware. Blackstars are driven at ~52%. Area51 at between 45-55%. Which means users of those lights are getting more LED bulbs per driven watt. Longer life, cooler operation.
Percentage that they are driven isn't the real problem...percentage drive just happens to correspond to a operating temp usually which is the actual cause of failure when "driven hard". A similar concept to how lumens/w based on hps spectrum is the standard for light measurement...but we know the same PAR can be created with less lumens because of a better spectrum(LED's). You must ask yourself what is really going on in there and why...
You are also assuming the same efficiency in the chips of CLW and BS...not the case I'm sure.
Take the companies and specific chips away from your thoughts and think about this...
If I can keep the chip at 50*c...I can drive it 100%... And I will get roughly the same life as the same chip driven at 50% that maintains a 50*c temp also.
And if I can maintain better thermal management at 70% than a chip at 35%...then it will last longer or just as long.
Stardust has referenced this before...we are all using cxa of the same bins(3 to choose from)...but who is has the best thermal management system is what will make theirs the true best use of the chips capabilities.
IMO the reason companies are driving them at the lower currents is to maintain heat more than anything. Next is efficiency. But I guarantee that if they could keep the heat manageable at a high currents they would be doing it. No one over the past couple years has gone for the efficiency claim too much...ya the better ones like AT and a51 are efficient and using great chips...but it's the output of those chips that is the main reason for being implemented. coincidently efficiency usually corresponds to output as well like it does heat.
I am not saying that CLW has a great TM system...but them driving their chips hard is not the issue in reality...the issue is that they can't manage the thermal characteristics...so driving them harder is not the best idea in that situation.
I hear this a lot about CLW and have seen their units in person my self many times. But how many have really failed...no one has reported a failure in the circles I roll in...just that they run hot.
And just for thought...a light operating at 50*c...fine temps...feels and runs hot(cobblers know what I'm talking about)...so unless we know what temps it is actually running at... the only thing we can say is that it doesn't work for the growing environment(warms it up too much)...nothing to do with operational longevity.
lol
