This friend of mine is very careless and can seem to find a way to wreck most anything
…and is interested in a Convoy M1 as a car repair work light
What are the potential risks and can they be mitigated?
I would need to get the light, some batteries and a charger (on his dime of course, but he is cheap).
Chinese chargers are not known for their safe design
Over discharged li ion can explode (he won’t have the sense not to fully drain a battery, it will be fully drained every time it is used). Can one count on a Qlite cutoff to prevent explosion?
I’m considering a 4AA, but eneloops are not cheap in Canada plus a smart charger is well over $30
Biggest problem with the Convoys is overheating, if you leave the light on accident at max or on a table, it will quickly overheat and may damage the LED / battery.
I mentioned to him earlier, but he does not believe me, i would get the 2100mAh, and i talked him out of the S2 which is worse, how badly will it hurt the battery?
Is there a better body in a similar price point?
So he is careless, stubborn & cheap?
Li-ion is not for him. Go for a multi-AA or even AAA plus a dumb charger if he doesn’t want to pay for a smart one. On amazon NLee the Engineer does detailed reviews on ni-mh batteries & chargers. If this friend of yours insists on li-ion I would let him make his own choice & purchase, otherwise you’ll be blamed if he manages to cause himself a problem. If you really feel compelled to assist get him these seiko protected panasonic NCR18650PF 2900mAh, it probably the closest thing to a protected Li-Mn (IMR).
You could mod the Convoy M1 for lower current on high. I see RMM will even bulid & test a custom Convoy M1 for your friend.
He is one of those has to be ultimate people, less bright is no good as long as you can get more bright (he knows nothing about modding, he probably thinks LEDs are like incandescent, they have a max brightness) but i would get a lower max brightness M1 so a little less heat
Why is IMR better?
IMR is safer since it takes higher temperature (vs li-ion) to reach thermal runaway, aka “vent with flame”. IMR / Li-Mn 250°C vs li-ion 150°C. But they usually don’t add protection to IMR batteries.
I don’t believe those panasonic NCR18650PF 2900mAh are pure Li-Mn (should be lower capacity if pure). Rather it seems they are a hybrid. Which is why I say “closest thing to a protected Li-Mn (IMR)”.
You could also lower the current on the driver by cutting a trace. Easier then desoldering chips.
I can just pay RMM to pull 2 chips, i priced out an M1, Qlite driver with LED turn off at 2.8V, 2 of those batteries a nitecore i4 charger and xm-l2 on noctigon, and assembly, its $66 plus shipping plus CAD$ conversion, probably about $80
I think that will cause a lot of sticker shock
I think that starry light form illumination supply is a good idea if it works out, maybe some duraloops on sale and any suggestions on a cheap smart charger (which i would also buy a few extra to give away to other people)?
The Sony BCG34HLD is good. Sony BCG34HRE is a bit better.
BCG34HRE charger + 4 AA BCG34HLD charger + 4 AA
They include quality low-self-discharge NiMH AAs similar to eneloop. The prices tend to go up & down on these charger packs. Closest thing to just the charger on it own is this BCG34HLD charger + 2 lite AA Lite AAs are only 1000mAh (half of the normal version) so they are of less use.
Agreed they get hot pulling 3amps as I have a few configured that way for winter/outdoors. However on medium they do not get too hot indoors. So I’d assume that if you used an AMC7135*4 driver pulling 1.5a from IOS you’d be fine, and no need to be pulling chips. Also don’t forget Simon will sell you the host, or the M1 configured the way you want it. And with regards to chargers, didn’t HKJ test the HXY chargers and find them to to be an acceptible budget charger? Should be able to get an M1 light with XM-L2 on copper base, charger, and 2 decent batteries for around $50.00 all-in that way.
If you’re getting him a light using AAs, aim for one that as low voltage cut off. (reduces risk of alkaline leaks and protects rechargeables.) Get a charger that has Independent charging (incase he mixes up cells).
WRT M1: Potential risk: possible solution.
1) OVERHEATING (forgetting light on for eg.): As mentioned before, reduce the chip count. An M1 can easily handle 4x 7135. 6x would be close to the max i think.
2) OVERDISCHARGE/ OVERCHARGING: Get a protected cell of a known brand. Also, get a charger that does not overcharge even if the cell is left in overnight and one that can handle incorrect insertion of the cell without burning out. (The Qlite is a good idea but should not be depended on alone for cell protection. What if Mr careless throws the cell in his toolbox and shorts it out? What if he stick the cell in some random device that doesn’t have protection?)
3) EPOXY/loctite the parts he doesn’t have to open shut! You don’t want him medelling with things.
I was thinking 6x7135 in xm-l2 on noctigon, should be similar to my output with less heat, how reliable are protection circuits, i’ve only used single cell lights so i’ve never looked into them
I assume loctite is cheap
Is a nitecore i2/i4 a dependable enough charger or can you recommend a better one? Very good point on the incorrect installation, i can guarantee that will happen, anyone know if the nitecores can handle that?
I’m hoping that starry light pouts out 980 lumens, that sony charger is available again at a local store, and target may have more duraloops
The nitecores have reverse protection WRT protection circuits, if soley depended on, in general, they overcharge the cell a little and cut off pretty close to the minimum recommended voltage (2.5V) for LiIons. They ARE however a far better option than allowing the ‘human battery protection circuit’ of your friend to determine when to stop using a light. lol. In rock climbing, safety systems are always doubled up so if one fails, there’s another to keep you alive. In the oil industry, safety systems are sometimes trippled because millions could be at stake if shit happens. Qlite + protection is the way to go for mr careless. J)
You have no idea how many times i have wanted to say this :bigsmile:
You will get no argument from me, i’m not convinced these two put together will be enough, and mr pyro has shown its almost impossible to destroy eneloops, he wired double digit amps into it without incident
the I2 is a perfectly good charger, termination on mine is at 4.15v and termination current is so small that you could leave the battery on the charger for a couple hours after all three bars go solid.
the HXY is not a good charger. HKJ reported it had no termination and on mine the voltage where the indicators change color is inconsistent.
Bort, this charming fellow you’re buying a light for, does he have a significant other or children? Because I’d just give him a 4/5/6 x 7135 M1, two protected cells of your choice, and a I2. And if he does something incredibly stupid and burns the house down while he’s sleeping…well, maybe he’ll win the 2014 Darwin Award. I have little sympathy or damns to give for willfully or obstinately stupid people. Give him what he wants and let nature take its course.
You can put in a driver that handles up to 6v and have it run on two CR123s. That way there’s no danger involved, and no charger. He can buy new CR123s anywhere. Case closed.
I’m doing this same thing for a friend that just needs a good light to peer in through studs and joists to see what’s behind them. It will mostly be in his toolbox, and the cells should last a while. The lithium CR123s can also be left in his truck and will not be affected by freezing.
He could also try to get his fireplace going by pouring gasoline on it.
There’s a point where you just have to let Mother Nature weed out the gene pool.
