According to Uniquefire, they can do a copper pill but would have to have 5000 orders. That isn’t going to happen, so I’m waiting to hear back if Neal can find another source for a copper pill. It may just not happen without lengthy production time and much higher cost.
In an effort to make everything easier for DTP pcb’s, I think the LED’s should stick with XP-L’s and XP-G2’s as they use the same pcb. The XM-L2’s and XP-L’s are so similar it only makes sense to simplify the pcb’s. Let me know if this is an issue. I think we might be able to offer a XP-L one and a XP-G2 one if we use the same pcb, instead of just offering a single light. Possibly the XP-L V6 2C and the XP-G2 S2 1D. Both would warm up with dedoming.
I asked for high quality springs and to make sure it has an Omten or Omten quality switch
As far as driver, if we can’t get a brass/copper pill then I don’t see a reason to try to use the AO17DD driver from the A6 group buy as I don’t think that the thermal pathway will handle the power. So, looking at a 3.04a 7135 driver if unable to get an upgraded pill.
An aluminium pill will handle any heat perfectly fine, even brass will do that. Copper pills are a BLF-hype/snobbery (nothing wrong with that btw ) that makes no real world sense! What matters is a DTP ledboard (Maxtoch/Noctigon/Sinkpad) that is screwed down well on a (flat!) pill with a thin layer of thermal paste. If possible I'd still go for a DD-board with pwm-ed lower modes.
BTW, the second batch of the 1405 already came with an Omten, so that should be possible.
Ya as for copper pills, I am not too concerned. I am ok with brass or aluminum as long as my LED’s are on copper stars and mounted as djozz stated above.
There is always the aftermarket option of one of our fine members here producing copper pills for them and selling them after the fact. I am just itching to get a 1504 in my hands. Honestly if these lights came the way i wanted them, that would be fine but it definitely would take away the fun of modding which I am looking forward to.
I can ask about having them screwed down. I’m just a little scared of it turning into the whole x6 where there was only 1 screw, etc. 1 screw is appropriate to just hold it there, doesn’t do much for ensuring the best thermal pathway. Not to mention, hard to ensure that they use quality thermal paste. As far as the pill, I’m ok with aluminum as I just want the light.
I don’t know about the driver though. I never got an email response back with permission to use it from wight and he is gone for now. Plus it would likely extend production time a bit, and a lot of people are wanting this light sooner than later. This doesn’t look like it is going to be a super customized light, and a large point in this is to just get it into production. I am leaning toward just putting a cheap driver in there and getting it made and shipped out.
Does anybody have a legitimate reason to not switch the XM-L2’s to XP-L’s? The light output is similar. It would just make sourcing DTP stars a lot easier to be on one pill and would open it up to possibly being able to get a choice in emitter.
Everything sound very good And i agree with the others, the stock aluminum pill is absolutely enough for handling the heat produced by a 5-6A DD MOSFET driven XP-L like with the driver from EE A6 GB, remember the A6 is tiny thin tube light, & the X6 that many of us are modding to triples & quads is pulling up to ~14A in a 35mm head, the 1504 is much larger and should easily be able to take the heat, as long as we have the copper DTP mcpcb.
As djozz said the copper/brass pill is just a luxury, so we can reflow the mcpcb on to the pill for a better heatpath, but it is really not needed to make a hot build.
I would suggest the XP-L V6 1A instead of the 2C, because although the XP-L’s seems to dedome nicer than the XM-L2’s, it still gets more yellow and because the 2C are over the BBL on the ANSI chart i think it would get much more yellow than the 1A.
Another good XP-L tint to dedome is the 2A who should end up even more of a better NW after dedome.
I dedomed a XP-L V6 1A for my Zeusray & the tint was very decent for a dedomed led. Not overly green or to much yellow at all.
EDIT Quality thermal paste as long as the pill is flat and there is enough of it and it is screwed down, i would think is a non issue, any thermal paste is good enough for a thrower with a single led like these.
TWO screws please.
Placed on diametrically opposite sides of the emitter.
With clearance so they actually can be tightened to apply pressure holding the emitter down firmly.
Not stripped threads in holes.
I’d have assumed this ought to be obvious, but I know better from recent experience.
I just emailed asking the XP-L to be 1a or 2a and about 2 screws for the star. People asking about price, I don’t have anything set. Without going too wild, figure the hosts will be between $10-20 and light $20-30. I know that’s a broad range, but I know what they quoted me initially. I just don’t know how much upgrades will be nor how much the seller needs to make this worthwhile for them. Hopefully it will be somewhere in the middle or lower end.
When you are talking to Uniqefire, maybe drop a hint for an even larger aspheric light maybe something in the 75mm range or in the larger size where they can find good quality lenses.
I really think they are on to something here with this form factor, single 26650 and a huge lens for a crazy budget thrower, that is something that has been out of reach for budget buyers until now. That kind of performance would need an investment of ~$150 before with for example the Dereelight XSearcher and similar.
If they would start to use a strong DD type driver in these they really could change the market forever.
EDIT
Someone in the 1405 thread, i think bought the DX lens in the 1405/1504 size & said they where exactly the same lens, so we know they use the same supplier, and DX have a 75mm so they should be able to source a similar or the same size lens…….
A Uniqefire 1604 with a 75mm lens is on my imaginary wish list for 2015 J)
I had to sand a tiny bit off the lip to get this to fit, and I had to add another o-ring on top of the lens, but it will fit and has a shorter focal length.
Very cool 8) this is exactly what i have been wondering about, if it is possible to upgrade the stock lens to a larger size, thanks KKW
But please tell me some more about it, what was the kcd with the stock lens? how much improvement did you get? or is the main improvement the bigger spot when zoomed because of the shorter focal length?
EDIT
Fasttech haves several slightly larger lenses after the 69mm one like 70.8mm & 73.5mm, do you think it is possible if one sands down even more of the lip, to go even bigger?
Never had a direct comparison with the same driver, but it pulled 380kcd with the stock lens running about 4.6A on a different driver. In theory (for what it’s worth) since they have the same diameter they should have the same throw, just the hot spot size should change.
To be honest i just recently have been trying to wrap my head around this focal length & aspheric business, but because advanced math or even not advanced is not my strong suit, i am struggling a bit to really grasp how it all fit together. But i am getting there slowly…… i hope
Most people are interested in throw, spot brightness. Aspherics theory is very simple for that:
Assuming all else the same (led, current, lens quality), if you double the lens surface area, you double the throw.
I am also interested in spot size and light loss, in that case the focal length of the lens comes into play: shortening the focal length (thicker lens) will reduce light loss inside the flashlight and increase the spot size (spot brightness remains the same).
Nice, that was very good info now i absolutely got it thanks djozz
Ok, that means the fasttech 69mm is a good upgrade then (of course it was but didn’t really understand exactly why until now :laughing: if we mod it to fit we get an more intense & bigger spot, but without any real downsides.
First i thought that when you get a shorter focal length & bigger spot you lose kcd, but if i am getting things right, that isn’t the case as long as the lens is the same width.
I think in need to buy some crazy big lenses & play a bit by making some MacGiverish contraptions
Put me down for a light. I will trust the judgment of the majority on what the specs should be. It’s an ugly little spud but these group buys always end up with an interesting item by the end of development and manufacture.
There is one downside. With the 1405 the front ring that holds the lens in place isn’t thick enough to protect the front of the 69mm aspheric lens from fasttech. I made an aluminum ring and press fit it to the front ring to provide some protection and the ability to stand on its head.
) that makes no real world sense! What matters is a DTP ledboard (Maxtoch/Noctigon/Sinkpad) that is screwed down well on a (flat!) pill with a thin layer of thermal paste. If possible I'd still go for a DD-board with pwm-ed lower modes.
And i agree with the others, the stock aluminum pill is absolutely enough for handling the heat produced by a 5-6A DD MOSFET driven XP-L like with the driver from EE A6 GB, remember the A6 is tiny thin tube light, & the X6 that many of us are modding to triples & quads is pulling up to ~14A in a 35mm head, the 1504 is much larger and should easily be able to take the heat, as long as we have the copper DTP mcpcb.
maybe something in the 75mm range or in the larger size where they can find good quality lenses.
is not my strong suit, i am struggling a bit to really grasp how it all fit together. But i am getting there slowly……