home depot 3c triple $8

What kind of LEDs are in this light, does anyone know?

This is the one I used, snug but fits: http://www.mtnelectronics.com/index.php?route=product/product&path=59_108&product_id=679

See post #26.

Been pretty busy.

Update : I modified the flashlight to accept.

CR123A

18650

26650

So I have many options if I run into jam and need power source.

I bought some Liitokala 21700s (yellow), made a new Cu dummy cell/tube and I'm pushing 9A through this light. I was a little worried about a POOF but it's handling the current. Since this light has unknown manufacturer emitters, I can't say for sure but I'm hoping it's putting out at least 2000 lumens. It definitely has a high candela.

It comes apart very easily, nothing is glued. But you have to go in a certain order.

  1. Start by unscrewing the bezel.
  2. grab the reflector, and unscrew that from the body. The pill, which is screwed to the reflector, comes out (unthreads from the battery tube) with it. Pretty easy to get the rest apart from there…unfold those thin little tabs holding in the board with the spring, to get to the screw holding the reflector to the pill. Btw there is no driver in the pill. Is is a very compact e-switch driver with slow PWM located in the tailcap. Would be hard to change, as ther is no easy replacement.

I got 2000 lumens from this light, direct driving it with a single 18650 medium drain panasonic pd cell. High mode has PWM so I’m sure you won’t get the 2000 lumens going through the driver. I didn’t bother to see.

This is a very cheaply made, lightweight light and I dont feel like putting any time into it. The pill is very light and thin, the negative wire attachment to the body is a joke. Much better as a giveaway light for a non-flashaholic.

That is great information! I could 'see' the steps for disassembly but the reflector on mine is tighter than I think the force on the plastic may handle to unscrew it.

I just bought a Sofirn Q8 and compared the two. I have it 'mode set' on mode 5, (.25%, 1.4, 3, 33, full) and the Defiant is brighter on high than at 33% with the Q8. 33% would be approximately 1650 lm so I think a little under 2000 lm isn't too much of a stretch.

At least now, if I burn it up, I have confirmation on disassembly steps. It is cheap. I have better EDCs but this is kept in the vehicle, loaded with lithium AA primary batteries.

I took the plunge and disassembled it. Discovered that there was no thermal paste and considering how much I was pushing it, the light didn't fry. So I resoldered it with 20 gauge wire, copper braid bypassed the head spring, added paste and clamped it to the pill with fabricated 'nut'. Mostly it's the new wire but it's now drawing 10A +. It's heating up faster but I'm going to wait till paste dries to push for longer run times.

Edit: hours later... this thing will cook your fingers after <10 minutes left on high! Going 'hunting' for jack rabbits tonight!

What's going on with this driver? What parts do what? Why is a tail cap driver 'bad' other than just not being able to drop in a better one?

Thanks for the tear down pic BROODMASTER. Is there some thing bringing battery positive down to the driver?

Without seeing the other side of the Driver and Postive Battery PCB, it appears the driver is a direct-drive type driver. The chip labeled 9926A is a dual N-channel Mosfet. Appears they are using both channels parallel. Data sheet indicates it has about 5 to 6 amp capacity. The component labeled S4 and the 2 capacitors next to it feed power to the unmarked MCU. The resistors at the bottom are for the PWM feed to the Mosfet. R2 pulls down the built up voltage in the Mosfet's gates when the PWM is off.

Mosfet datasheet.

http://www.sztuofeng.com/upload/1387021609.pdf

I'm not aware of any issue with the driver placed being in the tailcap.

[quote=ImA4Wheelr]

Thanks for the tear down pic BROODMASTER. Is there some thing bringing battery positive down to the driver?[ /quote]

Yes, if I understand the question, the 'stack' from tail to head consists of just a steel spring on other side of driver (no electronics) in contact with a 21700, my copper tube spacer and a steel spring riveted to the 'contact board' PCB which sits in the driver shelf of the pill.

You can see the contact board and pill in my earlier post.

Thank you for your knowledge and research!

Well, Home Depot finally released the 1200 lumen version of this light. Picked up 2 of them for under $30

So, what is the emitter in these 1200s?

Not sure. I did not tear light down.

On related note : these lights sold out at some of the local Home Depots here.

Please pardon me. I went to check on LED type. It's the same.

I'm thinking they just did something to the driver for more output.

There's no thermal paste under the MCPCB but with alkalines, it probably doesn't matter. Ie.: ~3A with alkalines and 8A+ with lithium ion. ...but then, there's all that resistance in the driver\e-switch combo.

I could swear this light has the same emitter as the Defiant 3C:

I saw this light at Lowe's today . One of the example images says it has a Cree emitter (???). The reflector is 'C8 like' and perhaps a 26650 can fit. I'll pass though, as an Sp33 is far better.

Anyway, my main point is the emitters look to be the same.

Sofirn will blow this light away anytime. Also, output is too low 350 lumens? My Wuben E05 is 900 lumens and much smaller.

I know the triple is cheap but it seemed to be working just fine! However, one of the emitters partially failed. I could:

  1. Learn reflowing and fix with an XM-L;
  2. Run it with lesser current cells;
  3. Fabricate/modify a pill...
  4. TOSS IT!!!

Suggestions?

Price point not worth putting any money into it at all.

Finally found a Defiant that takes 18650…