I used this driver http://www.fasttech.com/products/1612/10005161/1404708-tr-0124b-84v-5-mode-led-flashlight-driver-for-lumi which I think is a TR-3T6 copy, thanks to the RaceR86 Ima4Wheelr 10ohm pot mod to a XM-l mounted on aluminum mcpcb thermal glued to a large computer aluminum heat sink and it died at a little over 6 amps. I then tried a XM-l mounted on a sink pad to the same heat sink and it died at 6.5 amps.
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I could try killing another XM-l and see if there is a current spike with the TR-3T6 driver. The 87V has a min max function that records the min and max. Only thing is I don’t have any spare XM-l’s to serve the death penalty on at the moment, already served the sentences. R.I.P.
Stock defiant super thrower led on the standard pill (l use this for testing drivers) blew in a milli second at 7.5 amps.
I did a decent job on my pill, but that TN31 base and head is impressive. The base is not only much larger than a 20mm Noctigon, it also thicker. I have to be honest and say that my setup isn't even in the same ball park as the TN31. That being said, I do agree that the driver is probably the problem.
Side note, but maybe related. I see a thermal pad gap in many Noctigon pictures. That can't help when we're pushing emitters this hard.
If I can figure out how to mod an SST-90 driver to <7 amps I'll be driving an XM-L2 in that range for my current project. I'll let you know how it turns out.
Which SST-90 driver and in which light?
Im considering to modify the driver from my lustefire 3xU2 a bit and use that instead of the MF TR-3T6 (I think its similar to a certain type of SST-90 driver) I should be able to make it work in a ZY-T08 and make it deliver the amps I want.. Its not on the top of my "mods to do list" though. So while I take my time.. Feel free to share.. :)
I can't remember where I bought it, but it may have been from DX.
Here are pics of it.
Thanks, looks like the 3-18V driver that IOS used to sell. A few others seems to sell it. LCK-LED being one of them..
Relic38 have resistor modded one (used for MT-G2). Feel free to share your experience about how it works in the high current driver thread (how far can you push it, and how fast does the overheat protection kick in and limit output once its modded).
If you kill the LED, or make it work nicely at 6A+, this is the thread. :)
As I think about it, I probably did buy it at IOS. Do you recall which amperage version they sold? I'm pretty sure 9 amps will not be survivable, but if it is a five or seven amp driver I will be in good shape.
I just checked my order history with IOS. I did buy it from them. It was listed as Boost/Buck 3-18V Triple XM-L Circuit Board". So it must be less than 9 amps. More likely much less.
Does Vinh mod his switches?
I have run this driver without problems with a XM-L2 U2 on a noctigon.
It’s a Ultrafire T-90 from wallbuys. I sold mine so I can’t check but it sure seems to be the same driver in the Lustefire U2.
I have used this driver to drive a single XM-L2 without problems and I can’t swear to it but I think it’s the same driver as in the Lustefire U2. I put a dry driver in my Lustefire and put this driver in a ZY-T08 to drive a MT-G2. I almost considered driving another XM-L2 de-domed with it, but I already have a ZY-T08 that is running a TR-3T6 driver with no problems, in fact I have two of them, one aspheric and one regular.
You guys must be using a resistor mod with your TR-3T6 and that is what is giving you the problems?
I’m waiting for the resin to dry on the MT-G2 so I don’t know yet how well it will run one MT-G2.
Im pretty sure it was rated 5A to single XM-l.
18650 wrote:
You guys must be using a resistor mod with your TR-3T6 and that is what is giving you the problems?
Yes, resister mods, but we're not sure its the driver giving problems as there are other differences that have not been isolated. Assuming reports of TN31's running at 6.5 amps without LED failures are accurate, then there is some cause other than over driving that has caused the LED failures we have so far documented in this thread. Since there are other variables, RaceR86 is trying to gather failure data to see if a pattern develops. So far there are 2 big differences between the successful TN31's and the dead LED's noted so far:
- Heat sinking. The TN31 has a superior copper base and head.
- Driver. The TN31's driver appears to regulate voltage and current.
I have fried my share of emitters and so far it has always been poor heatsinking that kills them or a short of some kind. Well that and bumping the wires on de-domed ones, that has taken out more than anything. But that is just being clumsy. I have also fried emitters by not allowing my epoxy to set up properly. I am using wakefield deltabond now and I let it set up overnight, amazing stuff.
I wonder how many problems people are having comes from not properly lapping and using cheaper stuff like arctic silver which from what I have read is not really all that great. I would think that if it’s running fine and then suddenly dies it’s either a short or the epoxy has loosened or dried and shrunk possibly from the heat.
That T90 I built was supposed to be running at close to 7amps and it had no problem on an aluminum base.
I did hook a couple of LEDs to my capacitive discharge spot welder and pumped 20,000 amps through them… they did not like it… at all… they got angry… very angry… explosively angry… bastards couldn’t take a joke…
LOL. That's crazy Texas. Hate to see what you do to an LED that it gets you mad.
18650 wrote:
. . . That T90 I built was supposed to be running at close to 7amps and it had no problem on an aluminum base.
Aluminum emitter base?
Do you know if it supposed to be 7 amps to the emitter?
Did you get a chance to measure current at the emitter?
No on a noctigon. My MM stinks so it’s not accurate enough to bother with. Relic put an XM-L2 in his too, so you could ask him, he might have done it.
Earlier in the week I put the ZY-T08 back together with the driver circuit from my Lustefire 3XU2. I modified the driver to have pretty much the same output as the modified TR-3T6. I measured 6,4A at the emitter. I have not done any of my typical extreme indoor tests, simply because the de-domed emitter I put into it had the best tint I have ever seen from a de-domed emitter, and if its going to die, I want to say that I was able to enjoy it.. I can report that I have about 1hour runtime on the light, most of which have been on high and its still going strong. If it fails, ill report back..
The driver, or similar can be found on ebay, search "sst90 driver". Example. Its often rated at 7A. I have seen reports of 7-9A stock on this driver. But I have also seen some ebay sellers in the past say 5A. Either way, output seems to depend resistor..
Im not going to draw any conclusions, but so far it seems to be doing a good job.
Input current is around 4A on NCR18650B that have seen some use (3,93v resting) . Rough numbers:
4A*3,75V (guesstimated voltage at load)*2=30W
6,4A * vf around 4=25,6W
Efficiency around 85% on high..
I got another of the 5amp LCK driver in, tested it on my original XM-L on 20mm Alu (Tough little buggar, withstanding all the abuse I’ve put it through in the last month or so). Kaput before I could get a reading on the DMM. I was using the xml to test direct drive capabilities of batteries earlier today, getting up to 4.9 amps on 4.13v Pany ncr18650B.
My DST should be up and running with XM-L2 U2-1A, today or tomorrow, probably without spring/wire mods just in case this driver is running a bit hot. 
Actually, to be truer to Mark Twain's quote - The report of my DST's emitter death was an exaggeration.
Race man, do you recall if your 3T6 driver had the 2 matching components (in Bays Q1 and Q3) on the horizontal board below the sense resistors?
