Convoy s2+ with biscotti driver

[Lexel]

The 0.1% is a firefly useful enough to navigate in the dark but not to see small objects you may step onto

The main advantage of the new firmware is you can disable memory and turn light always on on lowest mode

[Phlogiston]

@elwood

This guy has some great info on the S2+. It helped me quite a bit when buying my first one.

@teacher

My goodness, that is some good, no great; info on the S2+…… all in one place.
Thanks for the link. It is a great reference to the S2+, as well as a few others in the S series.

Thanks, guys - it’s good to know people find it helpful

@furball

elwood - thank you! I’ll be getting the battery you recommended. I have seen the info from those two links. In fact, I was trying to use the chart to calculate the lumen output against the settings on the new Biscotti driver, but am not having any luck - bad at math, too new, who knows?! I wish the comparison table with Bin and Driver were updated with the new driver options.

The reason I haven’t done an updated version yet is that there’s only one Convoy light available as stock with the new driver. That’s the clear-anodised C8 with XPL HI LED. Everything else is special request or DIY. I’m basically waiting to see what other stock options come out so I don’t waste my time crunching numbers for the wrong stuff.

Having said that, here are some rough and ready figures for a current-model S2+ with an XML2 T4-7A LED and a new driver with 8*7135, which I gather you’re considering:

Mode %	0.1	1	10	20	35	50	100
Cree Spec. Lumens	~1.2	~12	115.4	222.8	~370	499.1	853.8
Approx. OTF Lumens	1	10	92	180	300	400	680

[teacher]

@Phlogiston

@elwood

This guy has some great info on the S2+. It helped me quite a bit when buying my first one.

@teacher

My goodness, that is some good, no great; info on the S2+…… all in one place.
Thanks for the link. It is a great reference to the S2+, as well as a few others in the S series.

Thanks, guys - it’s good to know people find it helpful

@furball

elwood - thank you! I’ll be getting the battery you recommended. I have seen the info from those two links. In fact, I was trying to use the chart to calculate the lumen output against the settings on the new Biscotti driver, but am not having any luck - bad at math, too new, who knows?! I wish the comparison table with Bin and Driver were updated with the new driver options.

The reason I haven’t done an updated version yet is that there’s only one Convoy light available as stock with the new driver. That’s the clear-anodised C8 with XPL HI LED. Everything else is special request or DIY. I’m basically waiting to see what other stock options come out so I don’t waste my time crunching numbers for the wrong stuff.

Having said that, here are some rough and ready figures for a current-model S2+ with an XML2 T4-7A LED and a new driver with 8*7135, which I gather you’re considering:

table(table#posts).
|Mode %|0.1|1|10|20|35|50|100|
|Cree Spec. Lumens|~1.2|~12|115.4|222.8|~370|499.1|853.8|
|Approx. OTF Lumens|1|10|92|180|300|400|680|

Your welcome ’Phlogiston’!!

Your Thread has a ton of good info in it…. all compiled in one easy to read & see reference. You must have put a load of time into compiling this, thank you again for sharing it. :+1:

I hope at some point you’ll post it here on BLF. As far as I am concerned it should deserve “Sticky” status.

[furball]

Phlogiston - brilliant and thank you! Your original comparison thread was extraordinarily helpful, as was this addition. Thank you!

[Phlogiston]

You’re welcome

I have a T4-7A S2+ myself, so you got me wondering what the Biscotti mode levels would be. The way to get me to answer questions is always to pique my curiosity!

[furball]

While I have you, I have one more question if you don’t mind. If I get the 7135*6 2100mA driver, how long could you run that on high before it becomes uncomfortably hot?

Your chart suggests the high lumen output for 2100mA is 550 lm. There are times where I may need to run flashlight at the brightest available for 30 minutes or more. My thinking is, I could rund the 2100mA on high for a longer period of time than the 2800mA and it would be brighter than stepping down the 2800mA to 50%. But I’m not sure if 30 min. on high is too much for the 2100mA.

Thanks again!

[Jack_Kellar]

I wonder: given the tint comparison chart, what tint looks most like an incan lamp? I thought it was the T4-7A, but the picture makes it look like it’s an incan on a brownout. The T5-5B seems closer to what I’m looking for.

(if someone could tell me the CRI on those bins, I’d love you to death)

@elwood

Another thing, if you buy directly from Simon’s (The creator of Convoy?) store, you can request a driver with the newest Biscotti firmware for $1 more. It has a ton more modes than the previous firmware. You have to place your order and when you get to the step to pay, hold off and send him a message through his site requesting the new firmware. He’ll adjust the price automatically then you complete your payment.

That is AWESOME information, elwood, thanks a bunch :laughing: :+1: Finally I can get a Convoy with a non-blinky Low mode!

[caramba]

I was going through the same dilemma and read the same very useful info.

Personally I use moonlight 90% of the time when indoors. I have the 8*7135 version. The next mode 1% is already too bright for me.

Not sure how a 0.1% moonlight will be in your 4*7135 version but another idea would be to use a RED difusor, Simon had a bunch of colors but I thought red is great for night vision,

With a difusor you might be able to use a higher mode without waking up your family

[Jack_Kellar]

@caramba

I was going through the same dilemma and read the same very useful info.

Personally I use moonlight 90% of the time when indoors. I have the 8*7135 version. The next mode 1% is already too bright for me.

Not sure how a 0.1% moonlight will be in your 4*7135 version but another idea would be to use a RED difusor, Simon had a bunch of colors but I thought red is great for night vision,

With a difusor you might be able to use a higher mode without waking up your family

From my calculations (likely off, as I’ve used a linear proportion between current and lumens, but it serves as a baseline), 0,1% moonlight on 4x7135 should be about 0,5lm. Good enough for me myself.

[garrybunk]

I use an old S2 w/2.1A driver as my EDC and frequently tailstand it on my dresser in the morning while getting dressed so as not to disturb my wife. I had the original “2-group” driver with the annoying low mode blink & memory. I used to have an old XM-L T6 4C in it, but changed it over to an XM-L2 T5 5B1. The 5B1 is without doubt my favorite tint and the one that most realistically represents colors to me.

I finally got my self setup and educated to flash my own firmware and flashed STAR (regular on-time memory). I set it up with no memory and modes of: 3.5% - 34–100. I found low was still too bright and “on-time memory” (even on a driver with “no memory” since it affects mode changing while the light is on) was really driving me crazy! So I added the off-time capacitor and reflashed STAR Off-time with low adjusted down to 1.4% (I aimed for 1% and actually got 1.4). The off-time memory work fantastic (exactly as expected) and now I know what all the rave was about! Low could still be adjusted a little lower though. I am one that does not light “moonlight” (i.e. a barely glowing emitter that doesn’t hurt your eyes to stare into) as I see no real purpose for it (not for me anyway). My guess would be that something around 0.5 output in my case would be ideal. It’s really nice being able to tweak firmware and reflash drivers to give you exactly what you want!

About your decision on which driver (2.8A vs 2.1A, etc. . . ). I agree with others that you can always choose a lower mode and only use max as needed. With custom firmware you could create a “Turbo” with or without a timer (I’m out of the loop on temperature sensor firmware) and have high up around 75% or so where turbo is barely a step up for “max” while “high” is your normal able to run unlimited time high mode. My S2 at 2.1A will get hot on high after a minute or two, but it’s not scalding. I’ve never tried to keep it on high for long periods of time though. (I have discovered it in my pocked switched on by accident and feeling hot.) I know user Comfychair has posted up that he would let similar lights (like S6, S3) run on high (2.8A? not sure) sit and run for long periods to prove that no damage was done and that the bodies could handle the heat. I feel the 2.1A version is a good level for the S2 and good balance of runtime with output (2.1A draw on a Panasonic NCR18650B 3400mAh cell tested at 3,128mAh @ 2A draw would yield approximately 1.49hr runtime (3128/2100=1.49) and I calculated 470 lumens out-the-front in my D.I.Y. sphere on my previous XM-L T6 4C emitter). I will be retesting my S2 again in the near future. I also need to get back to my sphere work and analyze how my sphere calibration is working out.

Also - I posted this “”color rendering comparison”:User Review: Nitefighter BT40S ( CAt Review ) | Page 9 | Mountain Bike Reviews Forum over at MTBR awhile back which might be helpful. (I spend most of my time over there nowadays.)

-Garry

[Jack_Kellar]

To complement what garrybunk said: a 2.1A torch would be a 6*7135.

[Phlogiston]

@furball

While I have you, I have one more question if you don’t mind. If I get the 7135*6 2100mA driver, how long could you run that on high before it becomes uncomfortably hot?

I don’t have any 7135*6 driven lights, so I can’t answer that with certainty. The best I can do is point you to my discussion of S2+ thermals on CPF. My estimate was 3 minutes 45 seconds, but you have to understand and agree with my method before you can adopt that figure.

[Jack_Kellar]

@dingdong

@elwood

I ended up going with the *8 driver. Some people recommend the *6 as it draws 700mA less which equals about 200lm less on high but generates a bit less heat. The tint you chose is the warmest for the S2+, it will be very yellow/orange. Check the comparisons Maybe that’s what you’re going for, just want to make sure you know. This is probably one of the best & highest capacity protected 18650 out there. Any charger off that same site will work as well.

Thanks for your information, i will note it just in case i need, it really helps.

Neither of your links match with those that elwood posted. Both point to some “Jio TV App” stuff.

[elwood]

@Jack Kellar

@dingdong

@elwood

I ended up going with the *8 driver. Some people recommend the *6 as it draws 700mA less which equals about 200lm less on high but generates a bit less heat. The tint you chose is the warmest for the S2+, it will be very yellow/orange. Check the comparisons Maybe that’s what you’re going for, just want to make sure you know. This is probably one of the best & highest capacity protected 18650 out there. Any charger off that same site will work as well.

Thanks for your information, i will note it just in case i need, it really helps.

Neither of your links match with those that elwood posted. Both point to some “Jio TV App” stuff.

That’s really odd. If i check the link in that original post, it links to the correct place. But if i check the link in a post where i was quoted, it links to the jirotv crap. Not sure what’s going on but this is the original link: http://s20.postimg.org/fuqwlhopp/Convoy_Side_By_Side_Tints.jpg

[teacher]

Go back up and look at post #26… ‘dingdong’ changed the links when he quoted you ‘elwood’.

I guess he had nothing better to do on his first (and hopefully last) post here on BLF………… :person_facepalming:
————————————————————-
EDIT: You will notice your links still work fine when quoted in posts #4 & #6

[elwood]

@teacher

Go back up and look at post #26… ‘dingdong’ changed the links when he quoted you ‘elwood’.

I guess he had nothing better to do on his first (and hopefully last) post here on BLF………… :person_facepalming:

Ahhh, Good catch! Gotta hand it to em, that’s some pretty slick spamming. :money_mouth_face:

[teacher]

@elwood

@teacher

Go back up and look at post #26… ‘dingdong’ changed the links when he quoted you ‘elwood’.

I guess he had nothing better to do on his first (and hopefully last) post here on BLF…. :person_facepalming:
————————————————————-
EDIT: You will notice your links still work fine when quoted in posts #4 & #6

Ahhh, Good catch! Gotta hand it to em, that’s some pretty slick spamming. :money_mouth_face:

Yeah, it was a valiant effort on his part I guess…….

[Jack_Kellar]

@Phlogiston

You’re welcome

I have a T4-7A S2+ myself, so you got me wondering what the Biscotti mode levels would be. The way to get me to answer questions is always to pique my curiosity!

Not to derail the thread too much of for too long, but how yellow is the 7A compared to, say, an incan lamp?

Also, any idea as to its CRI?

[Phlogiston]

@Jack Kellar

Not to derail the thread too much of for too long, but how yellow is the 7A compared to, say, an incan lamp?

Also, any idea as to its CRI?

I haven’t got any incans to compare with, so I can’t help you there.

When it comes to CRI, the XML2 datasheet says “Typical CRI for Warm White (2600 K – 3700 K CCT) is 80.” CRI-binned stuff is available at up to minimum 90 CRI in the T4-7A range, but I doubt Convoy will be spending the extra money for CRI-binning.

[VrestoTaylor]

i perosnally want red and blue convoy s2+ only with single led.not triple anymore.so sense of it…too small body.sadly…is good idea to use bistro driver for this light?no turbo timer….i want it for how long i need…fet from a6 reduce it…
also-is better to change also the led?are the leds fake leds in this lights?its a long long time,when i bought cheap light…