I wonder if it was feasable to order the D4 or D4S with a 2x2 array of SST20 5.000K with 6500K or 3000K with 4000K. I wouldn't want to mix 65CRI and 95CRI, though.
All builders could heed the voice of reason and sanity in this ‘sizzle sells’ market.
It is precisely why I use a MecArmy PT16/18 instead of my D4 lights.
I wonder if a buck driver is possible at all. There is really very little height in the driver cavity of the D4. A couple of 7135 would fit though.
Yes, it isn’t listed as an option, but Hank will make them upon request.
D4 SST-20
Left: 3000K/4000K mix tint w/ 10623 optic
Right: 4000K w/ 10622 optic
This 2200mA buck driver (just new from KD, I bought 2 of these) claims a total height of 8mm. For a D4 type of light you want at least 6A to drive 4 SST-20 leds to a decent output, so a bigger coil is probably needed, adding thickness.
This buck driver does 5.5A with 6 mm inductor height and 3.5A with 4 mm inductor height:
Post #5000!
(at the moment)
That's great news! Thank you Jay! Does he also offer different optics installed upon request? I only know about the 10622 as the standard optic for the D4.
He also offers the 10623 floody optic for the D4, which you can find in the regular options when ordering. Throw is reduced, but it makes for a smooth floody beam that’s great for indoor/close range use. For general purpose/edc, I’d stick with the 10622.
If I recall right even 4mm is very tight but perhaps someone has his D4 currently open and can measure the height of the cavity?
Emisars feature very thick shelves. Would a cutout for inductor degrade thermals too much? Especially with current reduction…
TK measured the driver cavity previously. It’s only about 2.5mm deep:
With a 4.5mm thick shelf, however, careful machining could hypothetically make a pocket for an inductor. I think even machining all the way through the shelf, as long as you kept the pocket no larger than necessary, would have a reasonably small effect on the heat transfer from the MCPCB to the rest of the body, especially for a 5.5A driver.
Has anyone ever figured out what the “grainy” finish is on the D4 and D1S lights? Its very unique and I can find no explanation of it anywhere, I have the white D4 and the grey D1S. I guess I want to know out of curiosity.
It’s just anodizing like on pretty much every aluminum light. However, there are different ways of doing anodizing, and the anodizing finish chosen on these lights results in a grainy unpolished finish, rather than the much more common smooth finish.
I have a few lights with a grainy finish like this:
- White Emisar D4 (quite grainy)
- Blue Emisar D4 (grainy, but not so much as the white)
- Sunwayman T26C with tan finish (quite grainy)
- Yellow Fireflies E07 (quite grainy).
- Olight S10 Ti bead blasted. It’s not grainy anodizing like the others but has that same grainy chalky feel as the other lights.
Overall, I’m not a fan of the grainy finishes. Feels like I’m holding a stick of chalk. The texture just doesn’t feel good in the hands even though it does noticeably increase grip. I’d much rather have smooth anodizing with knurling for increased grip.
the finish before ano determines the surface after ano. A polished raw light stays polished and vice versa.
Post 5009 (at the moment. )
5010 
Yes please! Waiting for Hank to use put this in his lights!
This makes sense as the inside of the tube is smooth anodized so its probably media blasted before anodize.
I didn’t realize that other brands were using that finish. It does make sense that it would be annodized, especially seeing that the inside of the battery tube is smooth anodize. I’m kind of with you, it looks nice but it’s not nice to feel with dry hands. If my hands are greasy/oily like with lotion or actual grease/oil it feels a lot better, but dry hands it feels chalky. If it is anno over media blast then it seems both together make it chalky.