Sadly I paid ~95$ for the light shipped. The money wasn’t a problem though. Receiving a malfunctioning light was. Anyway…
So you recommend AWG 16? Anything wrong with using the 20 AWG instead?
I have paid about 120$ with shipping and taxes, but this doesn’t count. It counts for which price you can get it now. And at wallbuys another 9x6 is offered for 57$ including shipping.
Bigger is better, awg20 will do the job quite good. The length of the wire is so short that even the crappy stock wires work. But it’s a must to replace the main wire through which all the current flows.
I have only replaced the main wire from driver to LED, I had first used awg16 but it was to thick to place the reflector and front cap perfectly. So I finally used awg22, I soldered on every 3 led group one awg22 for + and one for -.
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I taped the underside of the reflector with kaptontape to make sure nothing can short.
Replacing the LED wires with thicker ones can lead to a misfitting front cap.
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The tailcap current gets increased a lot, it is now 7-8A with not fully loaded batteries. The driver is a pulsed direct drive, so tailcap current is LED current.
If we get 6A tailcapcurrent every LED gets 2 A.
Awesome… I like the concept of the insulating kaptontape. Too bad it’s so expensive. Hard to justify that, given its limited use to me. Are there any cheaper options for something similar?
I don’t really know much about drivers to be honest. What is a pulsed direct drive? Thank you for the pics by the way!
That's really neat work there Werner.
Kapton is real affordable, I like it a lot.
I used 10mm wide kapton but I have ordered the 30mm variant,too.
One fasttech 30m are sold for 2$ ……rather cheap mine was more expensive
I am not sure how to call that driver, so I created the name myself.
Between the LEDs and the batteries is a FET who drives the LEDs. We can see this FET as an electronic switch opened or closed with the controller. The controller opens the FeT in pulses(we can here it, some noise).
I also added a o ring and cut the “pimple” on the tailboot, nice tips I had read here some times for making a flashlight tail standing. Now it can tail stand better.
Edit: I tested with almost full batteries 12.3V and I got almost 9A. I tested only 5 minutes, now I am recharging to really full batteries and will test the new peak current :bigsmile:
I was a bit surprised because the soshine 26650 are claimed as 8A max.
Edit2: I have charged them up and then pushed them with a power supply to 4.2-4.21V, current was 9.4A.
So just by upgrading the wires you upped the current that much?
Where did you get that wire?
I upgraded the wire and I added a copper wire on the positive spring on the driver. Because I recognized that the current increased every time when I pressed the batteries harder down the tube.
Hobbyking sells really nice silicone wire.
It’s ultra flexible and the insulation is heat resistant.
I had ordered 1m on some different sizes, so that I have same here in case I need it.
I also have requested them on fasttech.
Edit: I have thought about it and I can’t really explain why this increased current. I have measured resistance from the removed wire and my DMM showed zero Ohms….?
But then I powered the wire with 5A from my power supply and it gets hot, I tried one of the awg22 and it stayed cool and it was double the length……?
So I am now puzzled.
Can someone please try to improve just the spring and measure current before and after.
Thanks for the high temp tape link from FastTech! That’s perfect. I’m going to mask my reflector as well.
Please keep us posted on what you find out about the increased output from your mods. Very interested. Thanks!
My driver is broken, nice burnt smell that’s it. All the other parts are easy to dismantle except the driver, is it glued in?
Tips please
It is not glued in at all. Easy to take out.
A pair of snap ring pliers on the back of the head will unscrew the metal ring holding it in place
The head comes apart in two pieces as per my pictures.
What new driver are you using?
Please make a picture of the burned driver.
I don’t have such pliers, I will get some and then let you know. You can’t see anything on it or at least I can’t see it that something is burnt.
Just smelled and doesn’t work anymore. If I have to buy an new one I give this Kaidomain http://kaidomain.com/product/details.S020165
a go should be interesting for 20 dollars
Hmm, I am very fascinated by this. Let us know if that works out for you.
just posting a reply on here so its in MY POSTS so its easy to find for future reference. does anyone know of an easier way to maybe bookmark a thread for easy future locating? sorry for the interruption, thanks, ted.
s. great beamshots, thank you and everyone else who replied for listing all the detailed info. really helpful for a newb like me, appreciate everyones efforts.
Tweezers will work to - i actually just use a pair of needle nosed pliers and be careful.
Good luck with that driver, let us know how it works out for you!
Richie086 else had tried but got a bum driver. This Thread shows his issues. I’m not sure how it turned out for him.
On the bottom right corner of the first post there is a “click to subscribe” button that will do that.
thanks camaro and werner. thats much better. sorry for nooBness.
Brining back an older thread. When I follow the link in the op it takes me to a “Trustfire” 9xT6 light. Although the pics are Sky Ray. Is this how it’s always been, or is it a different light now?
I noticed that yesterday too. If anyone is to purchase a Skyray through CNQ, I’d email them first for clarification.
The one I got from CNQG was an Ultrafire. I think they just give you whatever they get for the cheapest.
One thing I would mention for a long time: the kaidomain driver is for 9 LEDs in series so it won’t work with the stock wiring in the 9xT6. Stock wiring is 3s3p