Flashlight concept #2 - the ideal Luminus SBT-90 Gen. II light

K30 gt price is JAW-DROPPING Does making higher price solved the problem? Bluffing.

Well, yes and no. I was only referring to three cells in series (3x 4.2V = 12.6V) but the buckdriver will convert it accordingly.

It still doesn’t make sense. You can do a 9V LED with 3S but not a 12V and if you are going to use buck for anything less than 9V why would you choose 3S? You need 4S for 12V out

Sorry, I think we misunderstand each other completely right now. I never meant to talk about a 12V LED. Instead I was talking about a 3V LED that requires a buckdriver to convert the voltage of 12V (3x 21700 in series) down to the 3V LED voltage. I hope it makes sense now. Sorry for the confusion.

If that’s the case (which seems pretty slim chance of happening) you should do 3s2p 18650 and make a long tube where you can choose to put 2, 4, or 6 batteries in and scrap the idea of charging.

Even better since we are dreaming make a buck-boost driver and have either two tubes or an extension tube so people can do 3p or 3s2p or anything in between!

Wow first time I’ve heard of this new light. I was going to say I prefer a more compact 3x18650 since 3x21700 is about the same diameter as 4x18650. I also like the SP70 and L6 form factor. Maybe even a 32650 battery host would be one of a kind. I would love to have a long base ball bat like flashlight for self defense.

Realistically all true, but I don't really care - it's for me, not the general public . My problem would be fitting the 20 mm MCPCB in a small head, and getting the reflector hole to fit around this huge LED. There are XHP70 tactical lights around, little bigger maybe than pocket carry, but similar argument could be made against those but they do tend to have boost drivers that limits the amps considerably, least considerably from what we typically do with a FET driven XHP70.

I'd probably go with a larger pocket carry light like the Lumintop SD26 - takes a 26650, has a great small SMO throw reflector, etc. Vinh used to rave bout this light and for good reason. I got one all modded up runnning NarsilM - outstanding quality and performance. Shame it's apparently dropped now - great light, should have done better and been rev'd up. The craze of TIR optic multi-LED lights kind of killed it. Here's the page on it: http://www.lumintop.com/sd26.html, broken links to buy one.

Any progress? Do You think the newest ft03 sbt90,2 will be better?

I've been working on the SBT90.2 in a 1504 pill and a B158 pill. Got the MCPCB fitted in both, with clearance for 22 AWG wires.

The brass 1504 pill was designed for a 16 mm MCPCB so had to dremel out a shelf or lip to widen it out - took a lot of hand work, least for me, but think I got a fairly even surface now, widen to about 19.4 mm or so. Still need to sand down the MCPCB to fit, and it does, barely. The 22 mm wires are a tight fit right now - think'n of widening out the LED wire holes even further. Clearances between the solder pads and the brass pill wall is really close - would be risky/difficult to get 20 AWG wires in there. The plastic retainer/centering piece can't be used anymore - the threads have been completely eliminated for it, so will have to drill and tap out holes for 2 screws to hold the MCPCB down. Other option would be thermal grease/thermal epoxy combo - something I've done before, but think the screws is a better approach and I've done a lot of those too.

For drivers, right now plan on using an existing SIR800DP 17 mm, 4 mode driver I already have in the 1504. For the B158, the B158 pill I modded with the SBT90.2 takes an odd size driver of ~18 mm, so need to adapt a 20 mm to fit.

These things never go easy and haven't had much time lately to give it the hours needed.

I like the concept, for me, I categorize this kind of light as “What was that noise outside” sorta light. It would sit at home or maybe go on a camping or fishing trip. A little too much size to be carrying around for extended periods, although the mass helps with the heat. I’m fine with a single cell, medium size reflector, side switch light. My wish list appears to have been answered with the Astrolux FT03 SBT90.2 that’s coming out. I just cancelled my Nightwatch NI40 because of the ongoing issues with the clicky/mode switching. The reflector of the Astrolux is about the size limit I would carry around in my pockets. (Cargo shorts) The 26650 size body calls to me because I really liked the feel/grip size of a C cell Maglight.

Interested!

No no,haikelite is making almostly the same as Lux_perpetua showed us, 85mm head, 3*21700 batterry, type-c, fast charging and Andùril UI, pic below is raw material what the new light will be made from.

That all sounds real good, bout perfect actually, and HL tends to overuse alum in their lights which is a good thing for this LED. Just hope the finning is aggressive and the pill area beefed up.

HL host is super robust and good heat shedding with their fins. Looking forward to this especially considering it will have USB-C recharge instead of a proprietary charger.

Should blow away the FT03 in beefiness, runtime, throw. No comparison really - look'n forward to more details. I got an original MT07 engraved with my BLF name, from doing the original review. Now has a sliced XHP70.2, custom driver - it's a beast! This new SBT-90.2 sounds like it will be a very similar form factor - bout same head diameter, 4x18650 vs. 3x21700, etc.

HL just might produce the most exciting thrower since the GT. Fingers crossed that they can produce a reliable/stable driver at the +20A power levels, while incorporating large cooling fins where they are most needed.

Haikelite, if you’re reading, we want HUGE cooling fins around the shelf/pill area that extend up the length of the head. Don’t taper the fins to follow the head contour… leave them huge and deeply finned. A 1 piece head would help facilitate heat management. Id pay more for the added cost of the larger diameter aluminum and cost to machine the head from solid round stock, just as Olight once did with their large SR series lights.

I’ll second that!

Continued from post #31, I got the SBT90.2 working in the 1504. Results are not bad - I was able to do over 500 kcd, hitting a peak of about 540 kcd measured at 5 meters indoors. Measured 21.6 A max on a GOLISI but I'm using only 22 AWG LED wires on a SIR800DP based driver. Lumens was under 3,000 - low but expected low on a aspheric lens.

For comparison, in the same light with an old good dedomed XPG2 S4 2B I got 510 kcd.

I'm still not sure though the SBT90.2 is fully focused. When I hit the max at mechanical focus, the beam is still shrinking. It could be at max or close, just not sure. The light is staying fairly cool considering, but it's in a brass pill, and being a zoomie of course, the heat is somewhat hidden inside.

On a new Shockli 5500 from Neal, it hit 20 amps max - actually it seems to work as well, maybe better than the GOLISI, since the GOLISI seems to drop off fast. The Shockli tested at ~5800 mAh.

What are the advantages/drawbacks of an aspheric lens vs a smooth reflector?

Aspherics:

  • way less spill, really no spill if done right. This could be a big advantage for some uses, like in tactical situations, not blinding animals/people out of the hot spot AOI (Area Of Interest), not bothering neighbors, etc.
  • for me, way easier to mount a non-standard size LED - no worry bout the LED retainer ring fitted to the reflector, etc.
  • if it's an adjustable zoom, when the lens is drawn in, they tend to have a real nice consistent spill/flood, way better than TIR, reflectors, multi-LED's, etc.
  • of course there's a price: much less lumens in either full zoom out for throw, zoom in for flood. The flood setting is higher lumens.
  • Adjustable zoom aspherics are really two lights in one - a flooder and thrower
  • hot spot tends to mimic the shape of the LED, so hot spot is typically a square

I'm not sure what throws further given same head diameter - this 1504 is a 70 mm head diam and getting 500+ kcd - not sure how that compare with true thrower reflector lights. An FT03 is rated at 69.5 mm head diam, 875 meters, 190 kcd throw for the SST-40 model. Dedomed SST-40 should be close to 400 kcd, if these numbers are legit. I assume the throw #'s between aspherics and reflectors are close, depending on the quality of the lens or reflector.