Re: g-damian
Cool build! Appreciate the firmware notes. I got host and spacer for 17 usd, and shipping, labor, and optic/pcb/led together are 30 usd. So 50 for the Convoy, 80 for the d4. Not a bad idea. I’d personally rather do the dt8, more lumens in a similar package.
I currently have 15 triple mpcbs on the way, so I’d need to use those first.
Re: PyriteParachute
5000K would be fine. 
Update: finally got the LEDs ordered. Various temps, more than needed, so that I don’t run out in case everyone wants the same.
Have interest for 12 lights, can make 15. In the even that there are too many interested, I’ll handle the requests in the order I received them.
410 usd spent on materials so far, base price for a default 3/5mode driver s2+ is 50 usd, shipped to CONUS. Happy to ship international, so long as buyer covers part of the difference.
If you request another driver, I’ll ask you to pay extra. The driver-swapped builds will be delayed, as I’ll do them last.
Hoping to have these built and sent out by the end of October.
Here are the best drivers I could find:
6 usd: http://kaidomain.com/BD39-17mm-2200mA-3V-9V-1-cell-or-2-cells-Buck-Driver-Board?search=Buck
Same low-medium-high as the default driver, but no pwm, more efficient.
5 usd plus shipping: QLITE REV.A 7135*8 3.04A LED DRIVER - 17mm
Guppydrv allows for moonlight, but I assume there will be pwm.
11 usd plus shipping: led4power
Linear, not buck driver. No pwm AND moonlight.
20usd plus shipping: 17mm MTN-MAXlp HP 1A-5.5A Low-Profile Buck Driver - 5V-18V
Guppydrv, moonlight and no pwm, may be more efficient than theled4power one.
What triple mcpcb are you using with optisolii?
This one: https://asflashlights.com/home/134-sinkpad-copper-mcpcb-for-cree-xm-l2-xh-p-50.html
Url is misleading.
PWM is desirable on a very high CRI light as dimming with a constant current driver places the current range in a less than favorable location and often incurs poor tint and cri shift.
Noob question here (from me)… So are you saying that to get better CRI at lower lumen modes that PWM is preferred? I’m not planning on taking pics or video with this light, so would I be better off looking at the PWM options?
Some LED models like the Luminus sst-20 get green on the lowest outputs. So emulating that brightness with pulses of a higher brightness should be less green. That being said, I don’t know of data that supports lower cri at those low settings. The only time I’ve seen worse cri readings is when the emitter was being overdriven.
Most Nichia LEDs have little, it any tint shift at different outputs.
Thank you for the info. When would you need me/us to make a decision on the driver? If I’m not sure, could I just list a few preferences and have you decide what is the closest (I’m a noob on this stuff)?
I’ve made a few Optisolis triples and 1 quad s2+ now. If I recall there is virtually no tint shift even at extremely low output, and it certainly looks that way. Rainbow Moonlight.Then again, my reference is being driven by a Qlite board reduced to running two 7135 chips.
Great project, spread that quality light!
Plenty of time, won’t start on these till October. Yes, I’ll help pick a driver. I got the hosts in, only disadvantage of the included one is that the low mode is quite high.
Thank you!
Things I would prefer (in order of importance… at least for my plans for this light):
1. LVP
2. ML from off (not from memory)
3. Turbo or Hi from off (not from memory; it’s OK if it needs to be in a different mode set, i.e. SL’s 10 tap or guppydrv)
4. Modes in between ML and Turbo/Hi (ramping is fine)
5. Not a fan of PWM
I would have originally asked for the guppydrv option (the most expensive of the ones on your list), except I’m worried about no LVP for my uses. If you think that a quality battery with LVP is good enough (and will fit), I’m OK with this option. Side note on battery fit - ideally I would like to use one of my 18650 w/USB charging port, but am OK with normal protected 18650’s if necessary for this project.
5700k / 6500k
interested please
Interested in a 3000 and a 4000
A drjones driver may work for this, but I’d need to disable the fet somehow. LVP not explicitly specified.
Only 5000k and 6500k leds available, would need a quad host to hit that temp. I’d be willing to do that after using up my 15 triple mpcbs.
Lordlupulin, assuming all others remain interested, your pieces are number 14 and 15. Any further builds will require new parts and might be delayed till the end of the year.
Just wanted to add that after the year of edcing a 5700 optisolis based light I prefer a 6500k version. Nothing beats this pure white tint.
agreed, might go 6500k now.
Both the 5700K and 6500K versions are great, but there’s just something special about the 6500K Optisolis since it’s so white and yet has incredible CRI!
Usually 6500K LEDs are lumen monsters with low CRI and greenish tint.