New Convoy C8 – Clearly better

Good advise!
I got 2 sheets from my old laptop screen.
One is like 5° diffusion, the other is like 30° (both are my guesstimates).
The trick is to glue it on the back of the lens with a thin layer of (for example) Kafuter UV curing glass glue.
Glueing it eliminates the losses you get when the light travels from diffuser sheet to air to lens, because the refraction index of the glue is similar to the glass and / or the sheet.

That’s good advice. However, I didn’t want something permanent just yet, so I just press it against the glass and use some tape to hold it in place. Yes, it likely does leave an air gap which decreases efficiency, but it still gives pretty-good results overall.

Yeah, of course first try if you like it.
I have 3 lights i did with the 5° stuff, and i liked it enough to do it permanently with Kafuter glass glue.
The glue is also very handy for fixing a TIR optic in a bezel by the way.

I like the idea of turning the light into a mule by just removing the reflector. Not sure about the DC fix thing as I don’t want it marking up the lens

The problem I find with mules is that they cast very harsh shadows. The LED is so tiny. I just don’t like the look of the light on things.

With diffuser film, it softens the shadows quite a bit. Makes things look much nicer.

If you go mule you’ll need to glue the emitter down since the reflector is what usually does that.

Convoy C8 is supposed to have screws that hold the LED board.

The screws you see down there are for anti-rotation. They are not for downward pressure.

I was a bit concerned after reading about this light that the beam might be too focused for my needs but it seems the great thing about the C8 is easy of modifying. I’m quite good with soldering so I can always order different emmiters to try :smiley: I am surpised the board is not screwed down, I guess the reflector applies downwards pressure?

The board is screwed down, most of the C8’s I’ve seen have a head on the screw that compresses the MCPCB. If not, replace the screws with ones that do. Or use Arctic Alumina Thermal Adhesive underneath the MCPCB. The lens itself would still need to be glued into the bezel without a reflector to hold it.

I disagre.
They push down the board on the shelf, it can run without reflector without cooling problems.
Well, mine can anyway.
They’re screwed tight.

Screws meant to clamp down on metal look like this. These are pan head.

The screws used in the C8 have a tapered head (countersunk head) that will split and distort the mcpcb if tightened too much. So even though the screws can provide a certain amount of clamping force, they are not meant to do that. It is just a side effect.

If I were going to not use the reflector, I would swap to some proper pan head screws that were longer than stock to provide a good clamping force without stripping the threads or distorting the mcpcb.

I guess I can be a bit too technical or precise about things. Sorry.

Switching screws shouldn’t be too difficult. I don’t think I would use thermal epoxy in case I ever need to swap the emitter. I was wondering is the pill removable in this light? If it is would it not be simple to have different pills with LED and driver mounted and just swap them in and out?

Only the old style C8 use pills. The newer C8 have integrated shelf.

It’s not “just a side effect”, it’s what they do, even when they have tapered heads.

All they have to do is squish the thermal greaseinto a very thin layer.

Well, technically you’re right, but practically it works well with tapered heads also, but it’s not ideal for clamping down the board on the shelf.
But it doesn’t have to be ideal, it has to be good enough.
They probably use tapered heads to prevent the PCB from moving sideways when tightening the screws.\
It would probably be my choice too if i was the manufacturer.
And with copper and aluminium boards, the screw will dent the contact area with the PCB, not deform or bend the PCB.

does anyone other than Convoy sell the driver retaining rings, i contacted Simon and he said he would add to an order, but with no paypal and a foreign transaction fee plus i would like to purchase a few, i was just wondering.

thanks

simon sent me 10 for the price of shipping. it cost me $2.65. I didn’t have to pay foreign transaction fee

EDIT: there was a fee of 8 cents.

im not sure if you can get the retaining rings anywhere else but Simon is an awesome guy. he’s helped me out numerous times.

I might want to try this sometime. Would using this board lower the maximum output? Any downsides or concerns to be aware of?

C8 with the XP-L HI U6-3A 5000K diode has recently reached me. I checked how it is really and it’s perfect. Score 5079K. Current measurement in three light modes 0.23A / 1.45A / 2.89A
2381 lux with 5 meters

Nice verification komeko, love that chart and how it clearly shows what the emitter is producing.

Wish I knew how to purchase emitters with a specific x/y illuminance to get pure white.