Think someone did do work with the 84 a while back, not sure. No flashlight board designs available I’m aware of - I don’t know Eagle. Would be interesting to look at, but if we go the 84 route, could also go the PIC route - think better MCU’s, more pins, not sure though. We also have some published PIC source code, but not sure if in C - I’d hate to go back to ASM.
It took about 7 hours of frantic paced modeling, even with the parallel version as a reference model, but I finished the 3S version of my AA holder design. What can I say… I tend to draw in wireframe line by line so it takes me a while. (parallel version in post #258) The center rod just acts as a stop to help with insertion of the cells and will be made from tool steel “drill rod” for rigidity. The design concept was to make a holder by sandwiching thinly machined components together.
Last night I re-tested/recorded the fully modded BLF SD10 (Lumintop) with a FET+1 driver. I took off the protection circuit from a TrustFire 32650 and got incredible results with it! All measurements done with a clamp meter at the tail w/heavy gauge wire loop:
TF 32650 @4.09v: 6.67A
SAM 30Q #2 @4.21v: 6.60A
SAM 30Q #4 @4.20v: 6.53A
EFEST 26650 4000 #4 @4.22v: 7.03A
BASEN 26650 4500 #1 @4.22v: 6.82A
BASEN 26650 4500 #3 @4.22v: 6.93A
BASEN 26650 4500 #4 @4.22v: 6.89A
TF 32650 @4.22v: 7.58A
The "unprotected" TrustFire 32650 must have incredible IMR power to beat those other cells, and it beat them significantly.
With the stock XM-L2 U2 3C on a 20 mm Noctigon, and the unprotected TF 32650 @4.22v, I got:
TrustFire TR-A9 (where available - FastTech says in stock if you believe them ) and Lumintop SD10 (obsolete now, maybe still available somewhere). Both have issues with heat mgt, poor pill designs unfortunately, TR-A9 could be worse.
Ahhh - or have Dale make a 32650 size tube replacement for a Convoy L2 or L6, or a EE/Manker/BLF X6
These #'s from the unprotected (ripped off) TF 32650 are pretty sic. Richard sells them already unprotected - wondering if my 32650 is "golden" or from a "golden batch" - love to see if repeatable with one from Richard.
I'll be testing my 32650 with a FET based XP-G2 light I got around - simply holding the cell to the driver spring, but want to see if I can get a good bump on XP-G2's as well - that would be the ultimate use for it. Also think'n if the BOSS1 could be adapted to 32650's - might need creative mill/lathe work of course... Dale?
I’m taking pictures as I go. I might make a build thread when I finish if the light looks ok. Right now it looks pretty beat up.
Last night I replaced the black Sugru with grey Sugru. As expected, just mixing black and white Sugru gave a neutral grey. It does not match the bronze-grey coloration of the anodizing on the light. I’m undecided if I want to buy colored Sugru and give it another shot.
Colored Sugru costs $18 a pack at the local hardware store (includes 1 packet of each of the primary colors plus black and white). $18 for one attempt with only a half-hour mixing and application time for the project sounds rather expensive.
Alternatively, I could try painting over everything except the switch button using my method with acrylic paints and super-glue. That would give me a much better color-match. But I’m not sure the paint would stick well. Sugru is a fairly hard rubber, but it’s still far more flexible than other surfaces. A little bending and flexing would cause my paint to break off.
A crude mod today, a hanging hook for my BLF-A6 bare 18350, made from a piece of iron. This light gets beaten up against my keys all the time, the finish does not have to be or stay pretty.
It was a stiff iron pin from somewhere, chromed at first, but I heated it to orange colour with a blow torch to make the bends, then the chrome flaked off. Actually I think I could just as well have used a common nail.