I also really like lights with e-switch on board. Utorch S1 Mini, DQG Tiny 4th 18650 are some of my favourtes. Simple, compact and cheap. Though not always applicable, f.e. it wouldn’t work well on a zoomie (unless that light had a really short zoom travel). And sometimes prone to failures (DQG Tiny 18650 has problems with it).
I got to agree. I really like e-switch lights and I see their benefits, but it would be cool to have some state-of-the-art clicky driver options for the most popular hosts. I don’t even mean boost or buck drivers (would be very nice tho)… I mean linear drivers, 17 mm, with stable timings (OTSM) without tantalum caps. I’m sure Mike C already has his own, if not several.
That’s it… I’ve held off on the E3 until today. Just ordered my first Amutorch! It looks like your Lume Aux RGB boards should probably fit. That’ll save me some time, no need to make the aux board from scratch.
One challenge I see with the Amutorch E3 is that the charger bay is very shallow, like the FW lights and the Noctigons... In this particular design, it's very difficult to mill out a slot from the top (since it's unibody), so I'm hoping that I can either do something creative if it doesn't fit:
- Using a spacer under the screw, which would actually improve DC contact with the body and the screw (since I can crank the screw down tighter without flexing the PCB), though this means the driver isn't well sinked to the body.. also need to check switch placement too
- Use parallel, flatter, inductors with option of going both sides of the PCB
- Use a board cutout and manually solder the inductor (so it sits 'inside' the PCB)
- Mill out a slot from the button-hole side
If this works it could be a first real step towards a 'BLF Zebralight-styled' flashlight with Anduril. Yes the Lume1-FW3A Aux RGB boards should fit. The MCPCBs (single LEDs) need to be in series, so I'm planning to connect the pads using copper tape + soldering to keep them as flat as possible for the aux board to sit on top. However if I do manage to add some LEDs under the switch dome itself (likely need to find a replacement clear rubber switch boot), then I'll likely not install the aux LEDs on the front.
You can also scratch the traces to transform the 1S3P MCPCB to 3S1P.
Yes, though I'd much prefer not to do it because the only thing separating the traces from a short is the thin dielectric between the copper trace and the copper core; a small disaster waiting to happen. I'll also need to add some protective covering for reliability anyway, which would be almost the same resultant thickness, and may not look quite as clean.. It will work but it's definitely not something I'd be comfortable in a product that lots of people could end up using/replicating, especially so in a high power lithium battery system.
Depends how thick the dielectric layer is, on a Noctigon MCPCB I had no problem cuting the traces while keeping enough thickness for isolation
When did noctigon triple mcpcbs stop being configurable?
A long time ago. I tried to buy some from Hank incase he had some laying around in October 2019 with no luck 
I think having the switch on the driver board is probably the better design for a light overall. The reason I dislike it is because it eliminates my ability to to mod (particularly, driver-swap) the light since i can’t spin up a custom pcb to adapt to the switch placement. Maybe with gchart’s progress on in-place MCU swaps this will soon be less of an issue!
I’ve been a weird lurker-fan of Amutorch for a while: I’ve really liked some of their stuff, and given them points for trying new things with other stuff, but I have yet to own one!
Indeed I tried to find where I could purchase these but I haven't been able to find a source yet..
That slipped past me. I have a only one I think still in my possession. I know I’ve had more over the years, but can’t place where they’ve gone… KDs boards aren’t the highest quality, but maybe they perform fine. The optic holes are of a larger diameter though. Maybe MTN would make one if we get enough momentum, or if we can convince hank to bring it back. I’m surprised this is an issue.
YES! FUGGIN YEEEES! Finally someone solveded the non-moonlight modes problem.
I have ALOT of emisar lights that would get a new driver if/when this goes in production 
How about SinkPAD? I believe Meodex has some triple, but they are aluminum. I am interested in a light with the triple in series, too. Those MCPCB’s are star, not round. The size should be close enough, perhaps some sanding. Where to source them could be an issue.
Cutter has some addressable DTP copper boards as well. Rounded 20mm “star”.
I am a Chinese flashlight manufacturer and want to try this circuit in our flashlight,
but I cannot contact the owner
Annyli fhashlight, did you try to send him a PM using the forum? You can try this: https://budgetlightforum.com/messages/new
This is how I manage to message to forum members.
So BLF, I finally had an opportunity to purchase a Zebralight SC700d.
Expensive, even with a good deal. But since my goal is to develop as good a flashlight (driver) possible, I figured I needed to have at least a good benchmark to challenge myself against.
The Zebralight SC700d is often considered one of the best flashlights on the market not only in terms of its physical construction and machining, but also its driver efficiency and performance, as well as its thermal design and durability. I have to say that my first impressions are very good. The flashlight, despite being a 21700 light, is extremely compact, even smaller than the 18650 KR1, and noticeably lighter as well (even with battery) - almost makes the KR1 look clunky! The machining, anodization and finish, are one step above the competition, even when compared to Noctigon / Emisar flashlights. The flashlight is unibody, with the only screw thread at the base - threads are fine-cut but anodized, precise, well lubricated. Switch design is well thought-out - recessed but tactile. I could go on, but that's for another post.
The bottom line - just using it for a short while really validates all the work I've been putting it for high efficiency switch-mode drivers. The performance of the ZL is really noticeably better than cheaper flashlights using linear drivers. I understand the definite need for lower cost flashlights (e.g. $30 or less) - for those flashlights, a linear driver is the sensible choice and is here to stay.
However, having used these switching drivers, I personally find it difficult to justify paying for a flashlight over ~$50 which still uses a linear driver; it's like purchasing a nice sports car with amazing bodywork, interiors, sound systems and tricked out suspension, but with an engine from a compact sedan.
One of the reasons why I purchased this was because the SC700d is also considered to be one of the contenders for 'King of the Moon Mode', having exceptionally low moon mode.
Here you can see the ZL SC700d on the left at its lowest mode (which is, in fact, very low, especially vs. almost all AMC7135 drivers). However, it's very bright when compared with the Lume X1, even when the Lume X1 is running at around ~10x its minimum brightness level (potential to go even lower)! This image was taken at ISO1600 f/4 1/10s and illuminated by early dawn light. I was glad that this test also validated the UDR performance of the Lume X1 driver.
For top-end performance, the SC700d with its more efficient but lower CRI LED (still high at 90 CRI though) XHP70.2 performs very well, producing 3000 lumens (from ZL's spec sheet), which should correspond to something like ~22W output. The KR1 with the Lume X1 and GT-FC40 reaches a peak brightness (from my eye) a little less than the SC700d, but this tells me that the Lume X1 performance is higher than the SC700d driver since the GT-FC40 is extremely inefficient (but CRI 95), and I was expecting ~2500 lumens after the optic, with about 33W power drive. Running the XHP70.2 with the Lume X1 should produce north of 4000 lumens without issues.
At this point I understand better why the XHP70.2 is a controversial LED - while its output efficiency is undoubtedly high, the tint of this 5000K 90 CRI emitter in the SC700d exhibits a greenish tint (compared with the peachy white of the FC40), and worse, exhibits moderately strong greenish yellow tint-shifting from the OP reflector. The center of the beam is pleasant but it falls off quickly into a frankly fairly ugly corona. Outdoors, this is not a problem. But indoors it's very noticeable and is the definite minus of the SC700d. I can't help but think that something like a Ledil Olga in the SC700d would improve things significantly (but too bad the Olga optic doesn't fit as it's a fair bit smaller). Alternatively, dedoming the LED could produce a better beam profile, likewise with the addition of a simple green-reduction filter / film.
Side note - I tested a few different ramping tables and I found that I did like x^4 curves a little better than x^3 or some others I tested, so I'll be testing that out for now.
annyli fhashlight, yes please feel free to drop me a PM and I'll be happy to see what your request is.
I’ve wished for years that some Chinese manufacturer would attempt to compete with Zebra quality, maybe even beat it while offering good LEDs, BLF UIs, higher outputs and no glue…
You drivers bridge a part of the gap. It is still wide in other areas though.
I’ve been wondering how a casting process would pay off for unibody or larger lights. Nitecore does it. Really opens up possibilities in thermal design while managing machining overhead. Requires volume to pay off I’m sure.