I’ve been messing around with my Thorfire TG06. Right now I have a guppydrv driver in it from mtn, but I’m interested in trying an AA compatible driver as well. The original driver always starts on high, I’d rather it start on low, so that’s why I started screwing around with replacing the driver in the first place. I also want to get a convoy T2 to mod since the stock driver looks pretty bad.
This driver from kaidomain and aliexpress looks interesting. Probably AA only, but who knows, it might work with 14500. I like the stars to solder to select mode groups. There is no mention of mode memory, I’d rather not have it anyway. I’ll probably order one to try, but I was wondering if anyone has already tried it. I didn’t see this driver on HKJ’s review page.
TK05 has memory doesn’t it? Honestly I’ve passed on several lights to due mode memory that isn’t able to be turned off. I have this thing about wanting the light be predictable without me having to remember to leave it in the mode I want it to start in. I either want the ability to disable memory, or none at all.
The SP10 drivers are e-switch drivers. Sofirn also sells the driver for the SF14, which I could use, but according to Zeroair’s review, it has a step down from high to medium on 14500 and AA after 3 minutes. I understand stepping down when running on high with a 14500, but running on high with an AA should be fine without stepping down.
Don’t really recall if the ’05 has memory or not, as I always step down to minimum anyway, so mine always “starts on low” regardless.
Huh… lookit that. I thought the ’06 was a side-clicky, and it’s a tail-clicky. Okay, so you won’t need a driver that takes an eswitch, even easier.
This “Thorfire” CT01 I got, I was planning to just stick in a dumb driver, just a few 7135s, no µC, to be a 1-mode 14500-only light. Takes a ~15mm driver, though, so I’d have to shave down quite a bit to let it fit the pill.
That’s always an option, though, if you’re interested.
Those two drivers you linked are the same driver from the same place Kaidomain. LHT flashlight at Ali is KD’s Ali store.
The driver uses a PAM2803 boost IC. It will work with both Alkaline and Li-ion. When the voltage is above the led vf it’s direct drive but the resistance of the components the current flows through plus the feed back resistor reduces the current to a reasonable amount. When the voltage is below the vf of the led the PAM2803 boost the voltage. It does a decent job for its size and cost. Alot of drivers still use this same IC to do both types of batteries.
There’s a lot of info on this forum about using the PAM2803. http://budgetlightforum.com/search?q_as=pam2803
Yea I know it’s the same one. I was just being thorough I guess. What I really want to know is if it has mode memory since I don’t want that. I’ll have to cough up the $3.57 to find out I guess. I messaged KD on their site and on their ali store and they don’t reply.
I’ve just installed the 17mm KD driver listed in the OP and can confirm it has no mode memory and works on 14500, though obviously don’t know how that affects reliability. Also seems to work quite nicely on a 3v lithium.
Now i know it works i’ll solder the stars to set the l-m-h mode.
The reliability is determined by the components in series with the led and the value of the feedback resistor that determines the current. With a R120 feedback resistor (from the pics) it should be reliable more so with the smaller battery sizes like 14500 and 16340 that have more voltage sag under load.
I upgraded the components in a V11R that uses the same PAM2803 with a 316BCG rotary position sensor for more current.
This driver could also probably benefit from the same type component upgrades for more current. @Marc E What is value of the feedback resistor on the new drivers you just received from KD? In the pics it looks like it is using a R120.
Oooooh, more current! I like the sound of that.
I haven’t memorised how to read SMD values yet (and have forgotten the discreet resistor band values :person_facepalming: ) so have this 2000 word equivalent answer:
There is a problem with the driver though, on full power mode with an NiMH the output pulses. Every couple of seconds the output briefly increases by a few lumens. Need more time to test but here’s a video of what happens: (Haven’t learnt how to embed videos yet either. Soooo much to learn, only one brain… :confounded: )
Oh well, looks like it’s junk. Glad I didn’t order any yet. Seems like a decent AA boost driver with good modes doesn’t exist. The best ones seem to only come in specific flashlights and aren’t sold by themselves.
@jasonguitarist, in the event you’re still looking, I’ve used this CF 17 in a couple of Mini-Mag mods and can confirm that it does NOT have mode-memory. The driver runs without issue on either 2xAAA’s or single 14500 w/dummy, all modes in both cases. I use one (more frequently) with NiMH and the other (used less frequently) with 14500.
I bridged Stars from default H-M-L-Strb-SOS to Mode-3 L-M-H. I don’t have a light meter but I grabbed a couple of quick power readings just now at using a 14500 (4.11V), I got 0.12/0.68/2.18A readings at start respectively.
I have used this KD driver several times in 1AA cut down mini mags and never had a issue. Did you order more than one driver, maybe try another if you did.
Nothing that I can detect running 2x NiMH. Went ahead and ran using only 1xNiMH as well to see if perhaps it could be a single cell struggling to keep up, still no pulsing.
Here’s a short video of driver in action (first video post for me). Those changes in light level on High (after start-up from Low-Med) are as a result of my hand moving with the flashlight and not the driver pulsing.
Chucked an NiMH in it, turned it on… no pulsing. :person_facepalming: Waited a couple of minutes, still none.
Let it fester in the back of my mind for a while then ran it on a 3V lithium for a couple of minutes to warm it up, changed to an NiMH and…. pulsing!
After 12 minutes i noticed the pulsing was slowing down slightly erratically. Bright for roughly 4 secs, dim for roughly 1, bright for 6, dim for 1, bright 5, dim 1, bright 3 dim 1, 4-1, 9-1, 7-1 etc etc.
After 16 minutes the pulsing stopped. Turned it off, turned it on, no pulsing.
Remembered i’d measured the lux when i first turned it on, measured again and it was the same, so not losing any power.
Ran it on 3V again for a couple of minutes, no pulsing, then back to NiMH and… still no pulsing. Had it running for about 10 minutes now on NiMH and it’s pulsed a couple of times but that’s it.
At a guess it seems temperature related and possibly only on an NiMH which might not get hot enough on it’s own to trigger it, so not sure how much of a problem it is. Could be component in the process of failing though.
I don’t really use the light but i’ll try and use it at some point, see if anything happens.
