The There Are No Stupid Questions Thread

Off-topic Chatter
1712

@Correllux
Thank you very much!
This is a lot of good information for me to work with.
All very helpful to me right now.

Is it a boost driver though?
Im wondering what makes it different than the “regular” convoy drivers.
Its “designed specifically for the 12v GTFC40 LED.”

So is it “boosting” the Cells power to meet the LEDs requirements?

Im mostly just wondering if its a “better” driver?
Boost is supposed to be more efficient right?

Its not critical informaion I need. Just curious and trying to learn.

1713

Yes. A magic one.

He gives the numbers that help you know….Input and Output.

Input is 3 to 4.2 volts, which is what’s normal for a single lithium-ion cell.

Output is boosted alllll the way up to 12 volts! Woohoo! And at that voltage has a current of 2.5 amps.

I’ve always thought boosting was a little magical. It’s easy to grasp the idea of a buck driver, where “extra” voltage is just diverted and wasted as heat…like flattening a heaping scoop of coffee grounds (which is sinful). But making more out of less is pretty special…especially when bumping it up to 12 volts instead of the much more common 6 volt boost needs. This is chosen by the particular emitter, of course.

If you look at the photo of the top side of the driver, that big grey square is an inductor, and that along with some other components is making it all happen. Some inductors look like little black cylinders, maybe with a black shrink wrap around them or maybe without, allowing bare copper wire winding to be visible…and some look like little glittery charcoal briquettes…lots of different types of inductors and they can be used for both buck and boost purposes (either/or, or both at the same time, depending on the circuit design).

Now on the flip side, take a look at this one from him…it’s a buck driver but it looks very much alike: 6.44€ |17mm fahrer, eingang: 3 8,4 V, ausgang: 3 4V 1200mA (single mode)|Taschenlampen| - AliExpress

That one tells you that the input is from 3 volts up to 8.4 volts, which would be the voltage of one single cell or two cells in series. Since normal 3v and 6v emitters will likely go poof if you press 8 volts into them from two batteries, this driver bucks off that extra higher voltage to regulate it into something that protects the emitter at a normal 3-4 volt range (the voltage an emitter uses is variable while in use and depending on current and binning, within a small range). Big fat square inductor but it’s being used for a different purpose here (it’s no doubt not the exact same spec inductor as on the other driver, but just as an example of the dual-purpose).

Here’s a pic of a different old-school kind of inductor, still popular in many designs and devices: 11.3€ 5% OFF|Super Output SSC P7 Led treiber Bord (Low/High/Mitte, 5,5 V ~ 15V)|board|board boardboard led - AliExpress

And an even older-schooler inductor with a fat iron donut wrapped with wire: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32760098085.html

All this inducting business is the magic of magnetism, by the way…same as in A/C motors and many other electrical things. The energy in naturally produced magnetic forces is built up or torn down to different levels and used for world domination.

1714

Tidbit: Dr. Jones designation of Guppydrv & Moppydrv from the names of his cats. The ‘drv’ being shorthand for ‘driver’.

1715

Awesome!

Thanks again for all the information Magneto

1716

Aha, thanks

1717

Just saw your post…typing that long reply. lol. Different driver than what is in your C8 with the Osram…very different. Your Osram is a normal 3v emitter, so no special buck or boost needs there. However, in some more expensive/complex drivers (and lights) a buck/boost driver is used even for the 3v emitters just because they are more efficient and usually also because they can better regulate output for more consistent light in at least some modes. It’s all a balance…if you want consistent light then you have to work the magic because the power from the battery is not constant like from a/c power or if using a really giant battery with huge capacity. So if a fully charged cell is at 4.2 volts but your emitter only needs, say, 2.7 or 3.2 volts at a given mode, then the buck part of the magic can run it more efficiently and with less heat, giving you better run time from the battery……then on the flip side when the battery is depleted enough to not be able to give the voltage needed, the boost part of the magic can do its thing and keep the light running for awhile. It’s a great design but they are kinda rare these days (easier to find them in expensive lights than it is to just find the drivers for sale separately).

So in picking a driver, you first need to know the power source voltage delivered, and then the driven component voltage requirements…and go from there. One cell (or cells in parallel), two or more cells in series….and if the emitter(s) you want to use are 3, 6, or 12 volts (individually/parallel or in series)….then whatever else you need. Without buck or boost magic, you just work with the battery voltage as it falls, and small simple components like the 7135 regulator chips will do what they can until they can’t anymore. Buck/boost opens up many more options (which is great if power source is limited, like one single cell, and of course the other advantages no matter how many cells are being used).

1718

lol, I thought you had a pretty lengthy response in such a short time.

All good though. I got a bit confused there for a second. I have an M21B in the mail with the GTFC40.
When I quoted you ” As for the driver in your light, he says down the page that is has a max of 4.8 amps (4800mA)”
I was thinking that was referring to my M21B.

So it all made sense to me anyway. No confusion.

1719

8th grade typing class was either the best or worst thing I ever did. lol

I didn’t know that about the driver cats….that’s cool. I’ve wondered whatever became of Dr. Jones.

1720

He spends his time doing cat-scans.

1721

What kind of shield or filter is enought good to block the blue light emitted by LEDs? If I’m not mistaken I had read that the milky plastic that covers the bulbs has good shielding, really?

1722

I just received a SC64W. Is XHP35 Hi or XHP 35.2 Hi recommended for an emitter swap?

1723

Whut’s a Coacherella and whut’s a Billie Eilish?

Every time I hit the yootoob, they’re both alllll over like stink on a monkey. Damn, can’t escape!

1724

The Coachella Music Festival is a huge music concert over by Palm Springs.

It was last weekend, and it'll be next weekend as well.

The last time they had it was in 2019 due to the pandemic.

It's quite expensive to go, but tons of people from Los Angeles come to the Coachella Valley for the festival.

It brings a lot of money to the valley, but also a lot of traffic in certain parts.

EDIT:

By the way, I live in the very southern tip of Palm Desert, and Palm Desert is right in the middle of the Coachella Valley.

1725

This isn’t the same Dr. Jones….is it?

:stupid Q’s:

1726

Not a clue.
But I only see my subscriptions or my search results.
I dont see what youtube displays on the homepage.

1727

Sorry ’bout that.
What is considered a “cycle” when charging a battery?
If I take it off the charger before fully charged then stick it back in… have I started a new cycle?

1728

@Ledhead;
Technically, a cycle is a complete charge. ie, you charge at 20, another time at 30 and then another time at 50% would be 100% or 1 cycle.
As we can’t tally these times, ballpark figure of how many times you would have completed the charging.

1729

Mmmm, I got the impression it was a sort of Woodstock for the hoity-toity.

Never heard of it before, but lately it’s been inescapable.

And Billie Billie Billie, yeah, I get it, she’s getting pushed… hard… but no idea why.

1730

Yeah, it kinda is.

Most people that go to it either get drunk or stoned and then enjoy the music all weekend long.

It's one of the biggest music festivals in the U.S.

I like music, but I wouldn't go to a music festival even if someone paid me to do it.

(I'm not a people person and I don't like standing for long periods of time.)

1731

Yeah, standing for hours is tough at my age but the worst part of concerts today is standing next to a 12 year old and their dad. Kinda ruins the experience.