Yeah, it could be the colors. I recently have used Red, amber, and yellow. And for those I had to get the 100k pots. I did a mixed blue and green one though and used 50k with it and it’s too bright. I’ve been meaning to switch it to 100k at some point (my X2R).
I adjust my pots on my bench with the power supply and usually without the silicone on top. If I have to cup my hands over the assembly and put my eye up close to see anything, that’s roughly the right brightness for me.
Either way keep on trucking, you’ll get it dialed in. This is why I recommend people lear for themselves vs just buying them pre-made everywhere.
I just tried another one with 6x red LED’s and it is working a lot better. I was able to get it down to .22ma and it still light up although that is still only 10k ohms. I might be able to get it a bit lower but these pots are so touchy! A twitch too much and they stop lighting up all together, (verified by 0 current passing through them).
I can’t decide how bright I want them honestly. Part of me wants them bright enough to be able to see the glow while they are on the shelf, the other says that just bright enough to show me where the light is in pitch black is ideal.
I also need to find more springs, I am having to pull all the spares out of the convoy hosts right now lol.
I’ve done two with 6 leds (two color mix), and three or four with 3 leds. The single-color ones are easiest and seem to give the best efficiency for me.
I assemble everything on the top board and bottom board separately, including mounting the pins on the bottom board first. Then I do my testing and adjusting by applying power to the omten contacts and just sliding the top board onto the pins. Then when I’m satisfied I trim the pins and solder the top board on as the last step. It works for me.
Thats what I do as well, basically, I put the switch on while putting them together myself so that the hole keeps it centered.
My issue is the bottom side of the header pins where it contacts the retaining ring. The top side hits the rubber boot and that keeps it insulated in the S2+.
Yeah when I’m putting the pin in the bottom board I just only put it halfway in the via and solder it there so it isn’t anywhere near the surface on the other side. Does that make sense or are we talking around each other?
Yeah, same thing I plan on doing. Although I think I will cut the pin next to the “plastic spacer” on the pin to the right length to make things simpler. Or you can slide the plastic piece down a bit until it is at the right height.
I have to say, these are an amazing idea and work good. Just a matter of dialing in the components.
I think that since all the TA drivers use the same components it should be entirely possible to figure out a parts list for a “build and play” lighted tailcap.
On your pots, do they spin all the way around endlessly? repeating the same range each revolution? Or do they stop at the highest and lowest points? All the larger pots I have used stopped spinning (or clicked) when it reached the end of the adjustment window, thats one thing that is making this so hard.
Swapped the tailcap to the 6x red @ .22ma and it looks like it is working properly again. So yeah, just have to dial in the current to the bleeder resistor.
Now to figure out what current I want and what values it needs.
Thanks for this great idea!
I have noticed that ever since I got the S2 it is the one that everyone grabs when they don’t need the big monster lights.
Ahh, I do love my S2(s) - carrying one right now. I have all the parts to do an illuminated tailcap now, but my worn out soldering iron wasn’t up to snuff. Ordered a new one (Aoyue 469 + genuine Hakko T18 tip), and it’s sitting at my house while I’m down in Austin, TX for a conference. Can’t wait to get back and try assembling it again.
Putting these together was actually quite nice and easy. Just the little things that needed to be sorted.
I really like scientific data for things is my real problem, I like knowing it is the best possible setup.
I am thinking about putting together a tailcap on a breadboard later and experimenting with the resistance and current draw to see what kind of brightness of various color LED’s put out.
I was looking at these last night and if I just give up on them looking cool during the day (although it makes me rethink that tiny13 enabled board again, oh the options) then somewhere in the .10-.20ma range seems to be about right at night.
Hmm, BG is now selling the X5/X6 illuminated tailcap, ready to roll. Of course this is the Gen1 style and you’d probably still need to add a bleeder. But might be an easy way for someone to get off the ground. OK, and being Gen1 style, you’d need a translucent spacer, too. OK, maybe won’t be too useful… oh well