View Full Version : Degrading of LEDs?
I'm using an older Petzl headlamp (Myo XP, 6yrs old) and am under the impression that the LED doesn't deliver as much light as it did when brand new.
This brings me to the other, even older Petzl LED that rests in the shelf now for occasional home use, which is now ~11yrs old and it sure has degraded a lot, I wouldn't consider it usable for hiking any more.
(both Petzls still work perfectly fine, new batteries, etc.).
Whats your experience regarding this topic?
Crossbar
11-18-2021, 08:51
I’ve got several Petzles relegated to home use now. I’ve seen the same as you.
garlic08
11-18-2021, 09:55
I've haven't noticed it yet. People keep giving me new headlamps for volunteering at trail events, etc, so mine don't get used that long. But I studied this stuff at university and looked it up--indeed, LEDs do degrade due to failures in crystalline structure and imperfections in manufacture. Glad you mentioned it--I didn't know that. LEDs are a big part of life now and it's good to know their limitations.
I don't know if the LED ages, but our eyes certainly do!
atraildreamer
11-18-2021, 15:28
Dollar store, or Harbour Freight LED lights. So cheap, who cares if they degrade.
Thanks for confirming the issue.
What I still don't know but am wondering at is, wheter LEDs degrade just by time (lifespan), or by time in action.
I will still buy Petzel products and am not going the cheap way, because of the superior ergonomy of function and design.
We have several super-cheap LEDs going through our hands which are giveaways or gifts, or I've found some used LED headlamp on the trail and all of them failed rather sooner than later.
Can't stand carrying stuff that eventually fails.
I don't know if the LED ages, but our eyes certainly do!
True. My eyes are close to the limit required for the driving license now.
Just one more reason to go hiking...
Replacing the batteries and a throughout cleaning of the headlamp did the trick so far.
There might have been something wrong with the contacts and the ecletronic wrongly interpreting the issue (just a wild guess).
Anyway, the 6yrs old Myo XP works like new now.
peakbagger
12-31-2021, 08:47
The actual LED emits a couple of different colors of light dependent on chemistry. In order to get white light, the LED colors shine one phosphors that convert the colored light to white. I think the phosphors eventually degrade.
NY HIKER 50
12-31-2021, 23:25
The actual LED emits a couple of different colors of light dependent on chemistry. In order to get white light, the LED colors shine one phosphors that convert the colored light to white. I think the phosphors eventually degrade.
If that happens then you will have a blue or uv led since that's how it's done with the phosphors. They make it look white. Did you ever notice that most led's do have a bluish tinge?
LEDs that are driven hard by design will definitely degrade. I'd assumed that the big names weren't doing that as much, by it's certainly possibly.