It is a one time cost that has to be made. The entire product line could benefit from getting another, let’s say, 10% efficiency in handling heat.
Sofirn is one company that can easily do it. But do they?
So yes, they SHOULD be testing and improving, but then, short sighted companies see no profit in that. And in some companies, that carries into their quality control.
Sounds like they are sticking with an 18650 cell and keeping the shallow driver pocket.
I don’t know why they are bothering to update this light, they’re not really improving anything. Its just the old light with a driver change, and an odd size so no one will use it for a host.
I’m sure Convoy will like this news, the C8 and M1 are proven products that have this part of the market mostly covered. The new version of the S2+ with the 21700 body is almost ready and Sofirn can’t be too far behind. Its going to be tough for Lucky Sun to sell the same old same old with all the shiny new stuff around.
@Lexel
I thought they wanted to go with a standart size 17mm driver. They said they have max 19,5mm but why would they use it (or do you need the extra space on the driver board)? Makes later modding more difficult.
Here the last drawings. Added less material on the inside and removed a little bit on on the lower finns.
I have seen what you were refering to djozz. Now it should be better. @Spartan
Most people and LS fear that the head is becomming to heavy. So we reduced the mass a bit. But we still have improved the heatpath.
I only hope that Lexel is not going for a 19,5mm driver. This would make later modding more complicated. I hope they will end up with a 17mm driver.
I like my D80’s and with some simple tweaks they can do some serious throw for their size, as has been discussed already. Here is the 2 that I got from the GB , with one being totally stock and the other one I modded with FET driver / XPL-HI 1A emitter (on Noctigon) , spring bypasses and did just a little bit of sanding on the bottom of the reflector and centering ring to get the focus dialed in.
Keeping this short and and sweet due to continuing frustration with BLF database problems.
If this gets through:
Try 5.
Nothing much wrong with the head as-is. Except for the driver diameter. Make it 17mm please.
Finning is over-rated and contributes little in a torch of this size, IMO. Thermal mass more useful for extending turbo operation,
Better to improve the thermal path to the tube, then hand, on mine it barely hangs on by two threads. Make that three or more and it will be improved. This should improve steady state operation i.e. allow higher continuous output without over heating.
Screw down the MCPCB to the shelf for decent thermal contact instead of just relying on bezel/oring/reflector/centring ring stack to apply pressure (which it doesn’t). I’d say re-engineer all that properly, but I doubt that’s under consideration.
Reduce the LED hole in the reflector to XPL size and apply light orange peel to the flat portion, and a little way into the parabola to smooth the worst of the beam artefacts when trying alternative LEDs.
This short reflector is clever because the parabolic part (which generates the throw) is truncated to keep it short. It behaves like a deeper reflector, except for the wide spill.
An old Bistro driver is a safe inexpensive choice, but has limited firmware modding potential if using Attiny 25 and doesn’t move this forwards. Something like DEL’s FW3A driver with two banks of 7135 would be much more interesting to me, if the firmware could adapted for clickie operation instead of e-switch.
If also available (in 17mm) as a spare part I would have an immediate use for ten or more, to bring older torches up to date. This could be a steady seller, obsoleting Banggoods old imperfect offerings which are still the only easily available options for many of us.
Looking nice Lexel. 7135 X1 and X5. Sorry for doubting. Bistro is still a nice firmware and suits my preference for (relative) simplicity. Configure once, then just use.
I know 19.5mm is a stange size, I hoped for 20mm, but LS seems to max. that size without changes on the battery tube
but for Mods 17mm is for buck- or boostdrivers not ideal
I want to ask something about the Threads.
The old D80 has a very fine thread. You have to screw the tailcap really on. Not 1 or 2 turns. Would it be interesting to ask for something like this?
Still doesn’t make sense not to machine it to match the lens. The weight addition will be negligible. The machining time will be negligible. It’s a CNC, not a knee mill and the old step-and-cut.
The step-cut not only reduces the weight (even if just a little). It also should be sized to make a shelf for adding a spacer and optic for triples, quads, etc.