making a small batch of Texas Avenger "TA" Drivers fully tested running Bistro or Narsil, Clicky or E-switch, SIR800

It is TA bistro with Triple channel.
Mode groups and hidden modes are different from stock Bistro.

This has all the information and link to firmware

Ok skilhunt H02 has no indicator LED, but you could add one

Thanks, can you please put me down for a 20mm 1S Bistro as well,you don’t need to add the resistor to the two 21mm drivers putting a indicator LED in the switch is way beyond my skill set :slight_smile:

EDIT : 20mm 1S Bistro long spring

an easy way to place an indicator LED is drill 2 small holes through the switch PCB
use some epoxy to glue the wires in there so that the insulation is a tiny bit outside so there is no short
the glue helps to cover copper if there is some where you drilled the holes
then solder a SMD LED on the 2 wire ends

Good news for the 2S drivers

I am going to order the parts and boards next Monday

OP updated prices for phodsphor bronze springs and increased costs on Digikey.de due to changed parts costs

Is the indicator led the red one and seperate from the green power led? I’m hoping to have some type of led to show me when my rear switch is turned on (for an L6). Also to help me find it in the dark.

The driver has just the resistors you connect the LEDs to,
you can choose any color you want, but I have no SMD LEDs here, so if you want them delivered with the driver I have to order them.
I dont know how the L6 sideswitch is build and which LEDs it has on it.

If the L6 has no LEDs in the sideswitch you have to modify the switch PCB, drill small holes and glue the leads in them and solder the LED to the leads should work well.
I can order LEDs and solder them to the top of leads you just drill holes to the switch PCB.
But this will cost you some $ as I have to order at least 100 SMD LEDs for each color and solder them.

See where Tom said adding LVP to NarsilTriple means losing LED indicator support? I don’t know what LED he means.

I though there were 2. One was a power indicator (green) and one was a low voltage indicator (red). Or whatever colors you want.

You can use all dfunctions in 1S configuration as it used the Vcc for LVP.

The driver has one pad for as bleeder resistor, which can be used for Power indicator LED if the resistor is only soldered to positive side then to LED and cathode of LED to other pad of bleeder resistor
when the switch PCB had already LED and resistor you can solder the leads just to the pads of the bleeder resistor

The driver has an indicator LED that needs to add a resistor to a pad connected to pin 7 R2 pad, the negative to R2 ground pad
If the indicator LED has already a resistor on the switch PCB just solder the leads to R2 pads

You can place the LEDs where you want, but there are no specific pads for LEDs on the board, best is to place the smd LED directly under the switch cover.

If you want me solder resistors, leads and LEDs on the driver I need to order LEDs and this will add some cost
Also if I order those from China the shipping time might delay your driver

I’m sorry, I may not be making things clear.

I was asking about the firmware support, not anything on the driver.

I should probably ask Tom E.

The firmware supports an indicator/locator LED as described in the manual feed from MCU pin 7

some quoted from manual:
“An Indicator LED (SMD LED) is supported as a locator LED and low voltage indicator
The functions of the indicator LED are also availiable on the main LED, but you can configure it to indicator only, both or main LED only
The locator can be enabled ”Enable/disable the Locator LED feature (locate the flashlight in the dark)”

So you can use the indicator LED maybe as well as power LED
“Indicator LED
When enabled, the Indicator LED can be used for the following:

- to locate the flashlight in the dark (Locator feature)

- to blink out the battery level

  • as a secondary indicator of blinking when the main LED blinks
    When the Locator feature is enabled, the LED can be temporarily turned OFF (only in Mode Sets), with the main LED OFF, 1
    quick click followed by a click&hold til the main LED goes off. To toggle it back on, repeat the same procedure (OFF -> quick
    click, click&hold). Note the locator feature is turned OFF when the light is in Lock-Out.”

so the locator needs to be enabled after you turned off the light via Eswitch manually, this does not fit what you want

A power on LED just needs to be connected to positive from battery and the ground
those connections are availiable on the bleeder resistor pad

I checked on the L6 e-swich leds and they share the ground with the e-switch.
That should mean that you only need to run two extra leads from the driver board, one from R2 positive and one from bleeder positive.
Or am i completely wrong? :smiley:

Okay, I think I understand. I just need a power on LED so I know the rear switch is on and also to help me find the side switch. It seems I can add that circuit myself.

you are right
just add the resistors and run 2 wires to the eswitch for both LEDs
Keep in mind that if resistors are applied on the driver they have to be only soldered on one pad or you cut the trace from 2. pad

Ok I am ready to pull the trigger and start order the Oshpark boards

Please write me a PN with what you definately want to order so I can give you my paypal address and give you payment details

springs and AMCs are already ordered

Oh boy, must have missed this. I have, and been testing Narsil for 2 channel with support for both R1/R2 and the internal 1.1V ref (compile switch), so think it should go easy in NarsilTriple 3 channel.

Interesting, glad to see some people are interested in this. I think people were just a bit shy of a new driver when I was offering them. Glad to see someone else picking up the mantle and offering these.

I had really wanted to get a batch of these machine made to drastically reduce costs but there never appeared to be the demand for it. I have just been using A6 drivers myself lately, I kinda burnt myself out building the ~100 or so drivers I did build for my lights last year.

FYI, you can get the larger PCB’s from a few places for much cheaper per PCB then oshpark. The smaller pcb’s are still cheaper with oshpark.

I tried both of the following places with good results. They took about the same time to arrive and were both what I ordered. I could recommend either of them based on the 1 order I made with each. These drop the price per PCB down to about $1.25-1.50 each for the 30mm+ sizes this is a pretty big savings.

ITead - A bit higher quality possibly but also a bit higher cost.

Maker Studio

I have a few 30mm PCB’s and 46mm 2s/4s drivers left over from my order if anyone wants them quicker and cheaper then oshpark.

Did anyone remember (or figure out) what size driver the Courui D01 has? The question was asked earlier here, but I don’t remember it being answered.

Edit: I just looked it up. From this thread:

Do you have a driver board that size?

The TAD01 was made for the D01, while I don’t know of anyone having tried it yet, it should work it in by the measurements fine.

I personally piggybacked a driver onto the stock pcb as I didn’t feel like spending the $15 just to order the PCB’s.

It is running narsil with an XP-l HI throwing right at 1000m.

Hi,

For all the narsil drivers I want to point out,
temperature threshold can be choosen as you want.

With a Triple on a small host a lower temperature is like 55°C advised, as the temperature still rises when the light dstarts to step down

With a single LED in a medium or large host its better to go to 60°C or above

if you are using DTP stars the body can be too hot too hold without damaging the light
Djozz told me he uses on all his lights 70°C

Well damnit i wasnt gonna make any changes… :person_facepalming:

Set mine to 70°C then haha