D.I.Y. Illuminated tailcap

Two things that stand out to me:

  1. According to the image, I think you have the polarity reversed. With the “HGJ-16” up top, I think the right leg is negative. I always double check myself with a DMM each time just to make sure.
  2. A 1K ohm resistor is probably going to be too little resistance depending on your LEDs and desired brightness. For 6 blue LEDs, I usually use 10K ohm. 20K ohm for 6 green LEDs. Around 6.2K ohm for 6 red. For only 3 LEDs, I’d double the resistance (ie, 20K ohm for 3 blue LEDs).

IRL, it’s pretty green. I don’t notice any blue, but I’m colorblind. Guessing it’s just the color balance of the image. Here’s a pic of a few sitting on my desk. I know these colors are off. From left to right: green+blue, white, blue+white, blue, green. I’m not too good with photo editing to properly adjust the colors.

You do not need the 1K resistor on the purple wire.
The resistor needs to be placed on P1 and P2 between the big solder point and the inner solder point. The outer solder point is not needed.
Instead of the resistor you can place an adjustable resistor (poti) on the tree solder-points, like it is linked in the OP: https://www.ebay.com/itm/10PCS-3X3-50K-SMD-Adjustable-Resistor-Potentiometer-20-Original-Panasonic-/252047736341

0.56 mA was too much for me. Sure it looked cool during the day, but it was excessively bright at night. So I tried a 4.64K ohm resistor and measured 0.30 mA. That still was too bright in the middle of the night. I like that the tailcap shines nice and bright since it’s a neat feature, but it also needs to be reasonable. Then I tried a 6.74K ohm resistor and measured 0.20 mA and that seemed about right. Here it is next to the Meteor M43 (on the right) turned on, which was my target brightness.

I looked at your Tail cap designs

One thing I find a little odd, you have to switch between the 2 potentiometers

Wouldn’t it be better to use those 2 potentiometers to control both LEDs brightness to be able to change the effective light color
and the switch to turn it off and on
for example from Green to yellow-green-yellow-amber-orange red-red

I saw later the 18mm top board but that does not fit a 16mm host, the potentiometers seem to be further out than on the 16mm bottom board

17mm

16mm

Thanks, I’ll try again :beer:

A quick look at a Convoy switch shows me definately polarity reversed
If you got only one sort of LEDs there is no need for a balancing resistor, but thinking of it some balance resistors would be useful to even out small differences of the LEDs like in the first batch of Q8s with uneven LEDs

so added with balance resistors
17mm

16mm

I liked having a low and high “setting” I could easily toggle by flipping a switch. Being able to vary different colors with the pots sounds cool too. Feel free to continue development in my absence. I make no claims on the designs.

With all of those resistors outside of the LEDs, wouldn’t they interfere with the seating of the tailcap?

Nice new additions Lexel, will order the one with individual resistors! And pd, thanks for letting everyone continue with your designs! :slight_smile:

Those resistors are pretty flat, and robust, the silicon wil just be squeezed around them I think.

I just noticed set including switch, tailcap and plastic washer for Convoy lights on banggood and aliexpress

Bangood says under restocking, aliexpress has them
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/DIY-1288-LED-Lights-Lamp-Lighting-Switch-For-Convoy-C8-M1-M2-S2-S2-Flashlight-Torch/32842239773.html

Interesting! And very inexpensive.

I’m wondering if this is because in order for it to work properly, the driver would need a bleeder added.

Ordered 5pcs now :slight_smile:

Yes, it’s because you need bleeder. Without bleeder biscotti driver goes to next modc memory (at least mine did).

You would have to experiment with bleeder values and tail resistor values to find a set that works for the biscotti driver without messing with the UI timings too much. I have not tried that for biscotti, I just know that the BLF-A6 driver works with all kinds of values and that the BLF X5/X6 driver is very choosy.

When doing mine, I’ve always just added the bleeder. I’ve never even tried without. Figured it would just take less time to add it rather than to monkey around and try without.

I have found right value long time ago :slight_smile:
I just don’t remember it.

No need to change tail resistor values.

If someone needs I will post it when I get time to disassemble my lighted S2+

I always just drop in a 680 - 750 ohm resistor and haven’t ever run into any issues. But I usually only use the nanjg105c, BLF A6, and Mtn Fet+1. Then again, I also use PD’s Rev5.3 boards - not those with the LEDs down by the switch’s PCB. Those configs use significantly different resistors on the tailcap boards.

I checked and it’s 1k resistor on my biscotti driver.

If I remember correctly, lower didn’t work good.

Very nice find and a great price! I like that it also comes with an Omten switch. Too bad that it doesn’t have a double spring like the Astrolux switch, but doing a spring bypass isn’t too hard.

Cool find XXX-man.
Spring looks like its the same one used on the Convoy store 16mm Sw assemblies with Omten. Those springs are pretty stout for compression.
Anyone catch the LED color? I missed it if listed.
Washer is kinda different with the outer wall or recess. Great price for including washer and cap.