FREEME ✌ ASTROLUX FT03S SFH55 9300lm & FT03 SFT40 2200lm 1300m NarsilM v1.3 USB-C - ALIVE

Do you think using Molicel P42A 45A 4200mAh 21700 will not only be unable to increase output, but may shorten the life of the LED and circuitry?

I was greedy and bought them on sale,never knowing or thinking that this battery is not only unnecessary[no improved output] but could be detrimental to the light itself. I have no other 21700 lights!

21700 has not been good to me! I have had Two other 21700 lights and returned them and gave away the Two 40T’s that were used with them!!! At that time they were $14 batteries,now Jon[Liionwholesale] is selling them for $11

Well, that’s a problem of FET drivers with modern LEDs that have low voltages to drive them.

The circuitry will be fine, but the LED might not be if you decided to do modifications like even better BeCu springs or a spring bypass.

The MJ1 and GA have a chemical mix in them to maximize their capacity at the expense of generating current. This makes their internal resistance a bit higher. Therefore they don’t generate as many amps when put under a heavy load.

BTW, Mooch considers the Molicel P42A to be a 30A continous discharge cell. So just a bit better than a Samsung 40T, competes with the 30T. For those curious.

tm07’s FT03-NW tail amp test showed 9.15A (235,000kcd @10m).

In koef3’s (corrected) SST-40-CW-N4 test, 2000 lumens occurs at 6.8A and the maximum is ~2375lm at 8.4A. Perhaps this is where Astrolux got its “2400” figure, but it’s obviously an unrealistic number as the bond wires start failing at those currents.

nkresho’s NW light starts at ~1820lm (207,360cd at 20’ [6.1m]), which would be around 5.7A of emitter current on koef’s corrected chart, bearing in mind that the chart represents a CW-N4 emitter. Note that this is a rather substantial difference from tm07’s light, both with NW tints, though I don’t know which battery nkresho is using.

Do we have a general idea of how much is dissipated in the driver and wiring and how much actually reaches the LED? Many here are much more familiar with these circuits and emitters than I, so I thought perhaps there were some rules of thumb for different driver designs. As keof3’s corrected test was done with a C8 reflector, I assume it represents a reasonable estimate; the tint/bin would be bigger factors.

My FT03 status for order #634304XX today changed from “Processing” to “Back Order”. There are many people in line ahead of me and I don’t expect my light to ship for quite some time, but I keep mentioning changes in case others are watching their orders. I ordered via the app on 2019-03-21.

Most of those emitter tests are done with a bare LED. Once you put it in a light with a reflector and lens and driver you can typically lose 20% to 30% of the output.

My pre-order of FT03 was ordered and paid on Feb 13, but the status just changed from Back Order to “Shipped” a few hours ago…

NW version
2142 lumens
205 kcd
8,5A
Misplaced bezel O-ring.

Unboxing:

Just in case anyone was wondering why you measured higher lumens (and I know people will), you use your own reference light, right? ZozzV6 lumens?

Some of the previous users measurements (in the 1600-1700 lumen range) used Maukka’s calibration lights to determine the scale.

Thanks. I think koef3’s “corrected” test represents an emitter in a C8 reflector, but without driver and lens. If I understand koef3’s updates and follow-up post, the reflector alone seems to cost 6. If an AR lens costs another 6, that leaves around 8-18% lost in the wiring and driver.

The koef3 numbers I quote are the “reduced” values, which are labelled “CORRECTED” in the top-most “LED TEST” chart. The other charts only show the initial bare emitter figures. I am somewhat new to the details, but I do understand what domes do and such.

I’ve been reading this and related posts as well, but I was most interested in the difference between tm07 and nkresho’s lights. tm07’s light appears to be making 2000lm or more if both cd figures are accurate.

I can tell you already you’re going to get way more loss in a reflector than 6. More like a minimum of 15 to 20% assuming it’s a really good quality reflector. Most are over 20%.

To get a 6% loss a reflector would need to use a silver coating. That’s too expensive for most flashlights. Typically flashlights use an aluminum coating which is a lot cheaper but also a lot less efficient.

In Koef3’s tests, corrected means it’s at 85°C.

Leds lose output as their temperature goes up. The blue line is at 25°C which is about room temperature. That would be like “turn-on” lumens.

Once the light has run maybe 30 seconds that’s where you see his “corrected” lumens at 85°C.

When you measure a light according to ANSI-FL1 specs you measure after the light has been on 30 seconds.

Different people on BLF like to use different times. Some care mostly about turn-on lumens, but most prefer the more realistic number at 30 seconds. I try to include both numbers in my measurements so people get an idea how fast the lumens drop. Of course, with a really powerful light that gets hot super fast, you might have to post the lumens at 25 or 20 seconds.

Note that Cree also lists output for their leds at both 25°C and at 85°C so that’s probably why Koef3 used those exact numbers. He is also probably estimating they are at 85° since you can’t actually measure the junction temperature of the die.


Koef3’s follow up post was about luminance which is different from lumens.

Lumens are to total amount of light.

Luminance is the amount of light per square millimeter of the die.

Mar/05/2019 12:31:20 —-> Apr/05/2019 23:52:47

240.480 Cd (0”)
230.040 Cd (30”)

NW.
6m.
5,89A at the tail with blue 26650 Liitokala
Perfect focus.

Got my FT03 yesterday, forgot all about it, what a surprise, surprise, surprise! :smiley: :+1:

. My NW came with the board off center making the spot oblong and fuzzy. Broke the board loose by the screws and the thermal grease, floated it in, it is much better now! Proceeded to clean all contact surfaces with Dykem, a very strong alcohol and then clean again with No-OX-ID leaving a light film/residue behind.

.

. Some readings

. The best reading I got on output was just over 2000lms at turn on, this was the second hit…

.

. When I tested the 30T it actually lost out put from too much current 9-9.4 seems to be the max before output drops from over current on my FT03.

. Indexed the tail cap and drilled the holes bigger for a lanyard also have a clean de-domed SST40 for it, might just leave this one alone, it’s a Keeper for Sure!

. :heart_eyes: :+1:

@Kawiboy, that is way too close to the SST-40s current death.

Seems like the gold wires are having a very hard time keeping up with such a high current load.

They may have been damaged very slightly, which is why the numbers are probably lower.

Mine MW just shipped yesterday. Ordered on 3/5.
BG has really upped their game with deliveries, most people here receiving it in about 10 days. Hope to see it arrive before end of the month.

What it is drawing and what the LED is seeing is 2 different things from my experience, I don’t put too much faith in tail cap current draw, you have to measure at the emitter. This is were my FT03 out put topped out at, that is were I will run it at …….Wide Open Throttle!

Edit: The Black and Gold Liitokala 50A netted 1987lms. at turn on, straight off the charger 4.21v.

I have CW SST-40s putting out 2200lms so for NW this is acceptable to me.

Thanks for the testing Kawi! :smiley:

You may be more proof that my Brand new Molicel P42A 4200mAh 45A 21700 will be too much amps for the light! I got $22 worth of batteries[fixed income] and no other 21700 light to use them in!

I love that NO-OX-ID,Illumns turned me onto it 6 years ago,great for so many things! :+1:

EDIT: The P42 is more like 30A continuous. Mooches test show it has little value and gets too hot[battery degradation] at 45A. Still has Amp draw slightly better than 40T and very similar to 30T.

Is going to be time to charge my light, I know when I connect the cable the switch turns orange, a few questions

1. Does the switch change to another color (Green?) when the battery is fully charged?
2. What is the cutoff voltage when it stops charging?
3. I know I can turn the light on while is being charged, but does it still charge the battery while flashlight is turned on in the low modes? (moonlight to Around 50 lumens)

Thanks!