Hence the blow lamp - saves explanations. :bigsmile:
Ok, I decided to do a little test while I walked over to pick dyl up from scouts. It’s about ten minutes there and back.
I put in my freshly charged keygos 26650, I don’t believe it was as bright as the king kong, that’s now in the charger as I’ve used the light heavily today in work.
Anyway, I let the driver ramp up to high, stuck it into my pocket and held onto the head and set out.
When I got back, the head was lukewarm to touch, its throwy enough considering reflector size, the spill takes in both sides of a British teraced street - three car widths with passing space, plus six foot of pavement and lights up the houses on both sides.
I’ll try and get a high reading on the keygos cell tomorrow, see what current its prepared to give, but you definitely want good cells to get the best out of this driver.
In use, when you power up, it goes to the last saved output level, even after cell change. A half press goes into ramping, depending on if your above or below medium (indicated in ramping mode by three slow flashes) it will either reset to minimum and ramp to high or just start ramping up. To accept your light level, turn the light off then on. Your light is now one mode till you half press again. I like it as you can set your level and stick to it. For example I’ve been using it at night as a night light if Luke wakes up. I enter ramping, it does three slow flashes, turn off then on, I have a low output, like a 3 lumen ti. This is great for not disturbing people.
At work I ramped up to medium. This is ideal under vehicles and ceiling bouncing in the little boxes I was working in, just don’t look at it when you pick it up, you see stars. :cowboy_hat_face: I inadvertently found the flashy modes today too, didn’t pay too much attention, but to leave them find the solid output, let it quickly flash three times, turn off and on after two seconds (i counted to three to be sure) back to three mode, select low, three quick flashes, off on, back to ramping.
I think this driver is a brilliant addition to any c8 sized light that will take its 10.9mm minimum height. You need something with some meat to handle the max heat generated, but it does give you many options in one light, and as said in ramping, once you have your output, you have a one output light till you need to change. No need for two buttons, nice and simple. 8)
Sounds great for the TF A8!
Did anyone ask you why you had a flashlight on in your pocket??? :)
-Garry
No, but I was waiting for it…… I had a damm heavy duty 3/4 jacket on, weather proof, my work outdoor coat, the pocket was glowing and the light kept throwing beams about if I didn’t trap the lense in my palm, this meant the considerable heat building in the lense was letting me know the xm-l was getting its fair share of current even if it was not the most the driver can give… I need to meter it with a freshly charged keygos cell, see how good they are.
Me, too, I broke down and ordered one, also. Got it on ebay from go_market, which is really a keygos marketer. Paid only 9.99 plus 9.99, so I think I got a bargain. Thanks for the advice on how to get stuff to fit. I have a bunch of C8s, but this takes a 26650 so is more flexible for a mod.
If you like c8’s you’ll love it, I’m reluctant to give away the new one, it is my….precious. :bigsmile:
Seriously, its one of the most underrated lights, nice size, fits the hand far better than a c8, well designed reflector, good balance of spill and hot spot, pocketable. I could gush for hours, but I really just like them a lot, two for two recieved fully functional, easily modded, 18650 sleeve included, what more could you possibly want?
It looks damm good too, flames well, takes paracord, so custom lanyards are an option, it really is Cinderella of the budget light world.
I don’t like them really…. 0:)
Can you give the dimensions of the reflector?
I can strip one and measure, roughly its 10mm deeper than a c8 reflector, same I’d but i’ll confirm that for you. Just not tonight, had the kids all day, I’m too drunk now… :bigsmile:
Diameter of the reflector is about 41.5mm and the height 31.5mm ie. pretty much the same as my KD C8 has.
I’m going to change a driver too, my original measures about 1.8A at high, has blinkies and no memory (starts always on the next mode! I could live with it always starting at high but not with this.
Buy this driver! Its the best thing you can do to an m10, if I did it over, I’d sacrifice the extra lumens over a t6 3c emitter but I’m good with cw so I’m happy. It’s certainly dampened my spirit for splurging on an xintd c8…
I would like to try this driver on my M10a, I havent received the flashlight yet (ordered it last week along with a M12)
Will this fit a Keygos M12? If it does I wrecken it will throw a lot more!
Your only issue is deapth, this driver needs 11mm of space minimum, if you have that, your laughing. You can always use a contact board to reduce to driver size, as long as you have the deapth.
I’m still troubling myself whether to buy a KE-5 or an M10 with the 3.7A driver.
It will be bought from keygos.com no matter what.
ARRRRGGGGHHHHHH Decisions, Decisions…
Buy both…… The ke-5 is nice, myself, I do prefer the m10 but out of the box, a good ke-5 will have the better output due to the east-092 driver. Just some don’t like direct drive on high.
The ke-5 also won’t take keeppower 3400mah protected cells (thier a gnats dick bigger than normal 18650 cells).
gords, did you soldered the spring back on the new board or not needed?
I added the spring, technically, as long as you have button top cells rather than flat top, you don’t need it, but why limit what cells you can use? Just rob the spring off the old driver, takes seconds.
Ok, cheers!
You swapped your T6 for a U3 right, can you actually see any differences?
I intend to keep original LED (I dont know wich one I will be receiving, I read about people randomly getting T6s and U2s on this light), just want to swap the driver.
The only real difference is I won the tint lottery, its a nice cool white. It’s hard to say you can “see” a difference because I replaced a 2.5a driver with a 3.7a driver and swapped emitters, what’s making it appear brighter? The emitter? The driver? I can say that the t6 in a ke-5 I fitted this driver too does not appear as bright to the eye. But is that the led or reflector?
Thanks, I’ll probably get the M10 (first :bigsmile: ).
My first post on BLF, I have spent a lot of time reading on here its a great site. To start out i have got myself an M10 and a TR-J12, obviously I am not dissapointed either. But like many here, modding is half the fun of it.
My question is though, when i read the XM-L/XM-L2 datasheet i read it saying 3000mA max current. Have i missed something or are you guys just overdriving them with these drivers? If so, how determentle is this to the emitter?
menace
P.S. my spell checker is not working and spelling is not my strong point, so apologies in advance.