Lets see what a $4 Ebay "Cree" ledspot looks like - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / projects

author: Kjelt
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 19, 2017, 12:49:13 pm
content: So what do you get and what do you not get if you buy the 9W Cree led spots for $4 from Ebay ?Lets look what is in the package.A led spot with a 100-245V leddriver outputting 9Ws with a wire and connector.Opening the driver we see a "standard" chinese led driver as also can be found on small Ikea and other brand ledspotswith the distinction that there is no compliance marking from any known testing facility which normally can be found on the Ikea and other brand spots pcb's.On the pcb:- bridgerectifier- smoothing electrolytic capacitor from some obscure brand called ECD which can be obtained from firms like Alibaba- 3 mlcc caps- 4 smd resistors- transformer- ic unknown probably buck converter of some kind marking: 61KL6W3FR- 1 diode US1DGood advice: if you are going to use this driver, please make sure no one can touch any metal parts.

author: Kjelt
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 19, 2017, 12:51:05 pm
content: Lets go to the second part: the led spot it self.Turning the fixture anticlockwise it opens up and the aluminium base where the leds are mounted directly pop off the heatsink.Obviously there is a shortage of screws and coolingpaste in China at the moment. But upon closer inspection, even if the westernworld would donate bags of screws to the poor chinese manufacturer they still could not mount the aluminium base on the heatsink, sincethe holes are way off.So next the "Cree" leds. I have never seen such "Cree" leds before and under the microscope they show an engraving of the name XUYU.http://xuyuoptoelectronics.en.forbuyers.com/Why would Cree engrave their leds with a lower quality competitors name I wonder ?Inspecting the alu baseplate at least the leds are properly reflowed on the base, trying to desolder a led with two irons on both sides failed,which is a good sign and indication that at least the cooling pad on the bottom is reflowed to the aluminium base, without that the averageled lifespan would have been less than an hour.So what do your $4 get you?A bunch of parts (see next post).What do you need (to do) in order to get a decent led spot from it:- replace the wire to the leds with something a bit thicker- drill holes in the heatsink that match the pcb, tap the holes.- use enough cooling paste to cover the base- attach the base using appropriate screws to the heatsink- buy or build yourself a decent led driver for 5-7W I would not go for the 9W with this heatsink and quality.If you want a real Cree ledspot, replace the XUYU leds with Cree leds that cost $2 each.

author: Kjelt
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 19, 2017, 01:01:50 pm
content: So to answer the question, this is what you get.

author: Kjelt
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 19, 2017, 01:55:11 pm
content: The plot thickens, looking at that XUYU website learns that those leds are actually 1W leds, not 3W although in the brief specs on the site it says 1-3WWhat ? 1W would be around 300mA but 3W is 900mA, that is quite a differenceProbably the lifetime will be around 20000 hours @1 W and 2000 hours @3W or something like that, but I can't find any datasheet of the thing.

author: Nusa
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 19, 2017, 02:09:04 pm
content: Well, if you put the circuit back together, you can easily find out what voltage they're running the LED's at. That'll give you a good idea how bad they're being abused.

author: sleemanj
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 19, 2017, 02:24:26 pm
content: Quote from: Kjelt on April 19, 2017, 01:55:11 pmThey may make them with different die size for 3w versions, of course you need adequate cooling too but that's a given.

author: tszaboo
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 19, 2017, 02:39:19 pm
content: Ok, so pro:- It might kill people, whom you dont like.Contra:- It is not 9W- it falls apart- its not cree

author: Kjelt
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 19, 2017, 02:48:00 pm
content: Quote from: NANDBlog on April 19, 2017, 02:39:19 pmThat's a good recap

author: Kjelt
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 19, 2017, 02:58:31 pm
content: Quote from: Nusa on April 19, 2017, 02:09:04 pmWith risk for my own lifeI did just that and the current is 0,3A and the Voltage is almost 10V so, they do run it at 3W for 3 leds, so they lied just yet again.Instead of 9W Cree led spot it should have been a 3W XUYU led spot.

author: james_s
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 19, 2017, 07:33:14 pm
content: Those look like the standard generic Chinese power LEDs, some of them are halfway decent but I would not run them at full rated power.On the bright side, if you inform the seller that they have sent you counterfeit goods that are definitely not Cree as advertised, you will most likely get a full refund. I think that's the standard MO for these sellers, just refund anyone who complains and bank on the fact that most won't notice or bother.

author: Kjelt
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 19, 2017, 07:37:43 pm
content: I will contact him, maybe get some partly refund or ship another batch. I can probably still use them but not what I intended them for.

author: ZeTeX
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: April 19, 2017, 08:33:52 pm
content: Quote from: Kjelt on April 19, 2017, 07:37:43 pmYou don't even need to recap this whole thread for him, the sellers who sells fake crap like this know exactly this is fake they just don't care, just say "its not Cree I want my money back" and you will get a full refund. I can't count how many times I bought some brand and got a cheap chinese knock off.

author: james_s
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 19, 2017, 10:16:14 pm
content: If you have a use for cheap knockoff stuff you can take advantage of their dishonesty and get the stuff for free. Buy the item knowing full well that it's probably counterfeit and then when it turns out that it is, ask for a refund. If more people did that, fewer sellers would knowingly sell fake crap.

author: james_s
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 20, 2017, 01:03:38 am
content: It is certainly possible that some of the sellers don't actually realize that they're selling counterfeit goods but I'm inclined to think that most of them are well aware of the fact. Certainly if you buy something, inform them that the item is counterfeit and then they continue selling it then it's on them. I would never advocate fraud, and certainly if you do this make real sure the item is in fact not as described, but assuming it is a fake/re-marked/counterfeit then I don't feel bad about it. They tried to cheat me, I only turned the tables.

author: floobydust
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 20, 2017, 02:13:08 am
content: I stopping buying this chinese crap (mains smps) because of the safety hazard. Notice the PCB trace as "the fuse" by silk text V1, and creepage/clearance would never meet UL/CSA/IEC regulatory requirements, plastic not UV-94 etc.BUT as far as LED's go, I find eBay LED's equal Cree's offerings for brightness. It seems many chinese companies are packaging dies. Some are using Cree but expensive.