Convoy s2+ with biscotti driver

[VrestoTaylor]

i will use bistro drivers for my…but which is better?A6 or X6?..

[stephenk]

@Phlogiston

@Jack Kellar

Not to derail the thread too much of for too long, but how yellow is the 7A compared to, say, an incan lamp?

Also, any idea as to its CRI?

I haven’t got any incans to compare with, so I can’t help you there.

When it comes to CRI, the XML2 datasheet says “Typical CRI for Warm White (2600 K – 3700 K CCT) is 80.” CRI-binned stuff is available at up to minimum 90 CRI in the T4-7A range, but I doubt Convoy will be spending the extra money for CRI-binning.

These are a couple of photos with three Convoy S2+ with 1A, 4C, and 7A tints. Obviously, a camera image never quite matches the human eye, but they are close. Unfortunately, I don’t have an incan to compare. I would estimate that they are in the lower end of the 70-80 CRI range.

Taken with iPhone

Taken with SLR

[Blackdragon1230]

This video really helped me see what these lights were capable of. - YouTube
Also i now use this driver with Guppydrv firmware in mine and it offers a very low low and other good modes. QLITE REV.A 7135*8 3.04A LED DRIVER - 17mm
I hope this helps. As a side note ive got a light with the XM-L2 U2 5C tint and it seems like a perfect combo of warm and white.

[Jack_Kellar]

@SoCalTiger

@Jack Kellar

@Phlogiston

You’re welcome

I have a T4-7A S2+ myself, so you got me wondering what the Biscotti mode levels would be. The way to get me to answer questions is always to pique my curiosity!

Not to derail the thread too much of for too long, but how yellow is the 7A compared to, say, an incan lamp?

Also, any idea as to its CRI?

My oldschool Maglite incans appear VERY WARM compared to LED. In fact, I think that they are warmer than 2700K. The biggest difference in light spectrum sensitivity between incan and most LEDs are red tones. Incans pick up reds very well and blues poorly. This further contributes to the perception that incan is warmer because even if you had an LED and Incan that were the same color temp, the incan would still show much more red and the LED much more blue.

Check out the images in this post on Popular Mechanics here to get an idea.
www.popularmechanics.com/technology/gadgets/reviews/g164/incandescent-vs-compact-fluorescent-vs-led-ultimate-light-bulb-test/?slide=1

@stephenk

@Phlogiston

@Jack Kellar

Not to derail the thread too much of for too long, but how yellow is the 7A compared to, say, an incan lamp?

Also, any idea as to its CRI?

I haven’t got any incans to compare with, so I can’t help you there.

When it comes to CRI, the XML2 datasheet says “Typical CRI for Warm White (2600 K – 3700 K CCT) is 80.” CRI-binned stuff is available at up to minimum 90 CRI in the T4-7A range, but I doubt Convoy will be spending the extra money for CRI-binning.

These are a couple of photos with three Convoy S2+ with 1A, 4C, and 7A tints. Obviously, a camera image never quite matches the human eye, but they are close. Unfortunately, I don’t have an incan to compare. I would estimate that they are in the lower end of the 70-80 CRI range.

Taken with iPhone

Taken with SLR

That, that right there, is really rad. Thanks, my people :laughing: I actually got an S2 in 4C, and I’m very pleased with the beam tint, it’s about as close to incan as I was hoping to get one day. Time will tell if I’ll like the M1 in 7A that’s on the mail better, though I think I will

@Phlogiston

@SoCalTiger

[…] Even a 3x7135 gets around 350-400 lumens. That’s plenty for dedicated indoor use and more importantly if your kids will have access to it. The last thing you want is a 8x7135 that your kids get a hold of and leave it turned on at full power and on top of the bed or something. Not to mention that they WILL inevitably shine it in each other’s eyes. […]

If I were letting kids use a modern LED flashlight unsupervised, I’d be gluing a diffuser on the front first. Even 3×7135 will produce a high intensity beam at point blank, verging on retinal damage.

I can attest to that. Even on the low mode, the S2 with 3x7135 left me seeing stars once; I don’t even wanna imagine if it was on the highest mode if, by a rough estimation I’ve made, it reaches 370lm and you don’t need much more than 200 to consistently blind night-adapted eyes at a short distance, let alone with the surprisingly throwy cone of the S2.

[varbos]

@elwood

Another thing, if you buy directly from Simon’s (The creator of Convoy?)” store”:https://www.aliexpress.com/store/330416, you can request a driver with the newest Biscotti firmware for $1 more. It has a ton more modes than the previous firmware. You have to place your order and when you get to the step to pay, hold off and send him a message through his site requesting the new firmware. He’ll adjust the price automatically then you complete your payment. Also, the blue, red, and green versions come with a, IMHO, really nice metal tail-switch. However, it’s not as waterproof as the plastic switch and rubber boot on the grey & black version.

Can you elaborate on this?

I tried to do this (get new firmware) but there was no way to ‘hold off’ payment. Everything - address, payment, instructions to seller - was in one page and when I clicked proceed (expecting another page where I could ‘hold off payment’ as you suggest), the order was placed.

Should I cancel the order and try again? I don’t want to piss Simon off.

[Jack_Kellar]

You don’t click on “place order”. You simply don’t click anything “proceed” on the screen listing payment methods, you just back out of that screen and send Simon the message with the requests.

But with the order officially placed on AE, I don’t know. Maybe you two can still work things out?

[varbos]

@Jack Kellar

You don’t click on “place order”. You simply don’t click anything “proceed” on the screen listing payment methods, you just back out of that screen and send Simon the message with the requests.

But with the order officially placed on AE, I don’t know. Maybe you two can still work things out?

Maybe Aliexpress has changed but I don’t have any way to ‘back out’ of a payment screen. There’s only three steps.

1. Add item to cart
2. Click ‘Buy from this seller’ (takes to checkout page)
3. Click ‘Confirm and pay’

If I back out from step 3 then I haven’t really done anything other than add item to my cart. Is that what you are saying I should do? Add item to cart and then contact Simon?

[Jack_Kellar]

@varbos

Maybe Aliexpress has changed but I don’t have any way to ‘back out’ of a payment screen. There’s only three steps.

1. Add item to cart
2. Click ‘Buy from this seller’ (takes to checkout page)
3. Click ‘Confirm and pay’

I mean back out of the screen on the browser itself, not through an in-site command.

@varbos

If I back out from step 3 then I haven’t really done anything other than add item to my cart. Is that what you are saying I should do? Add item to cart and then contact Simon?

Yes, exactly. When you don’t complete step 3, Simon already has an ID of the items on your cart to use as reference.

[varbos]

@Jack Kellar

Yes, exactly. When you don’t complete step 3, Simon already has an ID of the items on your cart to use as reference.

Thanks, I did not know that. :+1:

[Jack_Kellar]

@varbos

@Jack Kellar

Yes, exactly. When you don’t complete step 3, Simon already has an ID of the items on your cart to use as reference.

Thanks, I did not know that. :+1:

Anytime!

[DoubleA]

@Phlogiston

Having said that, here are some rough and ready figures for a current-model S2+ with an XML2 T4-7A LED and a new driver with 8*7135, which I gather you’re considering:

table(table#posts).
|Mode %|0.1|1|10|20|35|50|100|
|Cree Spec. Lumens|~1.2|~12|115.4|222.8|~370|499.1|853.8|
|Approx. OTF Lumens|1|10|92|180|300|400|680|

Is there any convoy or similar with all these modes (0.1 - 1 - 10 - 20 - 35 - 50 - 100)in one group. The biscotti seems to be missing 20% when in combination with the other modes.

[Jack_Kellar]

@DoubleA

@Phlogiston

Having said that, here are some rough and ready figures for a current-model S2+ with an XML2 T4-7A LED and a new driver with 8*7135, which I gather you’re considering:

table(table#posts).
|Mode %|0.1|1|10|20|35|50|100|
|Cree Spec. Lumens|~1.2|~12|115.4|222.8|~370|499.1|853.8|
|Approx. OTF Lumens|1|10|92|180|300|400|680|

Is there any convoy or similar with all these modes (0.1 - 1 - 10 - 20 - 35 - 50 - 100)in one group. The biscotti seems to be missing 20% when in combination with the other modes.

It’s not “missing”, it was left out on purpose by TK. There’s far too little visible difference between 10 and 20, 20 and 35, and 35 and 50 to justify them being all present.

[DoubleA]

@Jack Kellar

It’s not “missing”, it was left out on purpose by TK. There’s far too little visible difference between 10 and 20, 20 and 35, and 35 and 50 to justify them being all present.

What you said is true when in flashlight mode, but not when in lantern mode.

[adam7027]

Sorry if I ask a newbie question, but…

Has the new driver for some Convoy lights (S2+, C8) any other changes, than new firmware (Biscotti)? I mean, is it possible to run it using only 1 of the x (3-8) pieces of 7135 regulator, or it is still using all of them at the lowest modes (e.g. 0.1% and 1%) as well?

If I would like to use low Vf emitters in Convoy S2+ lights, do I have any driver choice with better efficiency, than using x pieces of 7135 regulator.
(These would be for bike lights, I would like to have a good set of low to mid-range levels, nothing above 2A, and no DD - sorry if I off this thread a bit.)

[bmengineer]

The driver is still single channel, meaning it runs all 7135 chips at the same time. If you only want 2 A maximum, just limit the number of 7135 chips and you should be fine - otherwise you’ll have to swap in a driver with more channels.

[qop]

is there any option to change the strobe mode for 10 Hz? the biscotti driver made, a crap from ideal light as it was the S2 with the old driver (
everything about this crappy issue with strobe is here Review with X-ray image: Convoy S2+ Desert Tan/Sandy Brown
is there any option to fix it?

[Jack_Kellar]

If you really want the extremely niche 10Hz for light painting or whatever, your only option is swapping the driver back to 3/5.

[Lexel]

I bet some programmer can easily change Biscotti firmware modes to have different strobes in a modegroup with any blinking speed you like

[Macka17]

Lots of info here on S2’s.
A good walkabout light for some.
But really. A little powerful for what he says he wants,
Indoors. toys. kids use.
Personally I’d go a Astrolux AO1 or similar.
3 levels, more than enough power for indoors.
It’s the one I use. in conjunction with a BLF 348 and AAA.
They both run AAA. with option of Li-Ion 10440 for extra power.
Then you can use S2+ for external work with latest driver/LED in there.

I have other ones here too. No Name. 6in by 1\2 in side sw. Stainless case.
Built in battery, charge with phone charger,
gives around 45/50 mins per.
with a perfect round beam. They were a batch of ten for $2.70 ea. Del.
or individually.
Had for yrs. Occasionally there’s a dicky sw.
Just drop it in bin (I do). In 20 I’ve had one so far.
The ones with grey plastic collar round lens end
are a better switch than the metal collar ones.

Just an alternative.
Oh it has a strap/loop on tail end.
I hang mine on wardrobe door near my hand as I get up.
Kids and women love them for night and looking round Comp desk etc.

[qop]

Simon should/could try fix this crappy strobe in new biscotti and rename it V3