TA:
I’ve got a couple of basic questions. I’m still learning, so please be as detailed as you would like.
1. If building a S2+ triple, do 7135s fit on the back side of the TA driver? And what advantages would this have over MTN 17DDm?
2. Which size and setup do you recommend for modding a L6 for max lumens and versatility?
1: With a normal 1.6mm thick PCB the backside 7135’s will not fit with the retaining ring but you can solder it in place. I have gone to the thin .8mm PCB’s for 17mm drivers exclusively myself and these are thin enough to allow the retaining ring to be used even with the backside 7135’s.
As far as advantages over the MTN, well the 3rd channel is a big advantage, It is my most used mode personally. It also has the latest component setup that actually eliminates the voltage spiking instead of treating the problem with a zener. Both ways work, I just prefer to stop the issue before it starts. The firmware for this driver has a lot more mode groups as standard.
Overall though both will work equally well in the real world, they are basically the same when it comes to real world use for 95% of people. This driver is just a bit more efficient and has more features that most people will never use.
2: The TA30 LDO is the driver that was made for the L6. I have several PCB’s here that I can sell since they are pricey from oshpark. The issue with them at this point is that Narsil triple is not finished and Tom has not had time to work on it further. It lacks LVP and the ramp is not as smooth as it could be. Also the tailswitch resets the driver instead of simply turning the light off. So you are basically converting it to a e-switch only light until that is taken care of.
Although if you watch your cells closely the driver works great and narsil is lots of fun. The ramping is way nicer then I first thought it would be and with this driver in place my L6 is now making ~6000 lumens with just the driver swap.
So… with these newer low vf leds, are these fets too much for single cell lights? Speaking of nichia 219c cri, xpg3, XPL2? Any thoughts?
The XP-G3 and XP-L2 both work ok with the FET @ 100%. The XP-G3 is a bit overdriven but that is only with a full cell, after a few mins the voltage drops and things are good. The XP-L2 is fine at full power and actually not even making max lumens.
The 219C 90+ CRI on ther other hand will pull over 10A with a high drain cell and 100% duty.
You have a choice, either use low drain cells or knock the duty cycle down to ~80% or so. I knock the duty down and it works fine.
Ok. Thanks. Was wondering this for a while but now I have some 219c cri to try;)
In case anyone is on the fence or about to order some parts, I hear that there is a discount code for Arrow for a short time: ROOSTER17 I have not tried this, but it comes my way via another list that I follow and trust.
Yes, they advertise this on the site as well, I just saw it a little bit ago. I think I might grab a few more XP-L2 80cri 4000K LED’s, I put one in an M1 and REALLY like it. I am curious what it would look like sliced.
I get a no memory reset time of around 7-8 seconds. Can this be shortened?
you mean what to do in firmware or are you asking for a hexfile?
Btw, I’m using the compact 15mm version, filed down to 14mm. In a McGizmo haiku pill. Pretty Darn good so far.
Is it a software or hardware thing?
Is it a software or hardware thing?
It can be either. Don’t know what firmware you are running, but it can be adjusted in firmware, so maybe the values used in your firmware are just a bit too low for your liking.
I don’t flash. It’s stock from Texas Avenger.
Oh ok.
Well, someone correct me if I’m wrong but I think you could try to increase EDIT decrease capacity on the OTC, but you would shorten all switching times that way.
This is something I didn’t think about but since the 15mm PCB does not have the voltage divider the OTC timings would be changed as you can see.
As for fixing it, it could be done with either hardware or software. In the firmware you can recalibrate the OTC timing and fix it that way, this is the “correct way”. The other is to play with the OTC cap as mentioned above.
If you cut the OTC from 1uf to .5uf it should in theory cut the timing in half, so about 3.5-4 seconds.
Hmmm. I don’t flash. Maybe I can buy a cap somewhere…
Hmmm. I don’t flash. Maybe I can buy a cap somewhere…
The caps are not hard to find but then flashing a driver is not hard either. Just need $5 in hardware and a PC (windows and Linux works find and I am sure you can do it on mac as well). No coding needed if you have a hex file.
Although a cap is a bit simpler. Just a matter of finding the right size. a .5uf is a good starting point but I would try a few different sizes to see what works best. You can get assortments on ebay that should have a few values for you to work with for a few bucks.
This is the compact 15mm version. I think you said flashing it requires disassembly.