Led4power.com : LD-4 CC linear drivers, ILC-0/1 illuminated tailcaps, optics, MOSX, copper DTP MCPCBs...

If you pre-tinned the MCPCB +/- pad and wire (preferably with leaded solder so everything is easier) your solder blob that you pre-tinned should melt quickly with the chisel tip and iron turned up high (I think I do around 410-420c for this purpose).

Since the tip is so hot it will turn black, you want to clean it with a brass tip cleaner right before you go at it so it’s nice and shiny.

Your trick with using something to break the tight bond between shelf and MCPCB is good too if you can do it. I will sometimes prop up one side with a tweezer or lay it uneven on the shelf for a second but it’s not necessary.

Yes it was pre-tinned on both sides and I was using classic 60/40 solder. The temperature was probably the problem as I was using my standard 340°C soldering temperature…

Well, I’ll see on the next try as soon as I get another LED.

I would recommend b) for mosX/mosDTP boards, people who says a) - it's like trying to solder solid piece of metal with these boards, and you risk LED damage from too high temp.

I have never seen a board worse than Noctigon quads positive therminal to solder to

But still with 330 degree celsius and a proper solid tip and flux its no problem

Mostly if people say hard to solder they lack simply proper quality solder gear

The linked Hakko tip is ideal for soldering MCPCBs any tip can do as long as its thick and short

There is absolutely no risk cooking the LED while soldering leads to it as you never reach 240 degree temperature on the whole board even if you lift it

Heating the whole head to about 100 degree helps a lot soldering build in MCPCBs

If the MCPCB is heatsinked well it will suck the heat from the soldering iron.
You would need to set it to like 400+ degrees to even start melting solder.
The best option is to have the wires already soldered to the MCPCB, or at least not add thermal paste and tighten the MCPCB down until the wires are on.

I recommend bismuth based solder for thermally tough joints. But watch for fakes:

Use that big hot iron with chisel tip but also: keep the tip clean. An oxidised tip can ruin the heat transfer very effectively while a freshly cleaned tip does the job effortlessly.

I don't recommend low melting point solders for anything flashlight related. Low temperature means low diffusion of alloy and that means weak joint.

L4P when will the spacers for C8 and X6 be available? They were supposed to be available a long time ago…

I will put them later today on my site.

Just to keep you updated, I put the Luxeon MZ on MOSLED 4040 board in a Convoy M1 with an A6 Fet driver.
The beam is smooth with the OP reflector, and it does produce some nice lemons. It’s the first time I’ve seen such a cool tint with good CRI. It’s disturbing, I don’t know if I like it yet :person_facepalming:
Anyway, it’s a nice hand warmer for the winter :-p

The LD-4B driver is now set to 4.5A in my C8, along with an Osrma White Flat 1mm² and does a nice 160kCd :slight_smile:

Surely there is a slight donut from several meters or no?

Added:

https://led4power.com/product-category/components/

Note: if you want to order some of compatible pcbs with LEDs soldered for use with driver other than LD-B4, please add bare LEDs in cart together with PCB and leave a note about soldering.

Thanks. I just need a PCB. I plan to use it with lh351d 3x 4000k and 3x 5000k

on the LD-x4 drivers what happens if you set the current higher than what the cell or LED will support? Does it just act like a normal FET? If so, is there some extra resistance somewhere making this a bad idea?

It behaves like DD driver on that mode (so called dropout mode of linear power supply). Nothing bad will happen, this is normal condition when battery is more or less empty and (LED Vf + parasitic voltage drops) is higher than battery voltage.

Neven, will we see E-switch support on your drivers? If so, when? If not, why?

Also, why no reverse polarity protection on LD-BVHV?

I'm working on new driver generation, it will take few months,so there will be e-sw support.

Regarding LD-B4HV, there was no space on pcb left for RVP.

Ok, thanks.

To fit a triple MCPCB with Luxeon V under a Carclo optic, does it have to be very modded (as in, as much as with XP-L HD leds)?
Thanks in advance!