Review: Sky Ray 9xT6 - The King of HOT Rods?

Werner · February 6, 2013, 8:49pm

Please make a picture of the burned driver.

karlnapf · February 8, 2013, 7:22am

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

oRAirwolf · February 8, 2013, 7:24am

Hmm, I am very fascinated by this. Let us know if that works out for you.

tekordecki · February 8, 2013, 9:44am

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.

FMcamaroZ28 · February 8, 2013, 12:12pm

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.

tekordecki · February 9, 2013, 11:31pm

thanks camaro and werner. thats much better. sorry for nooBness.

Chicken_Drumstick · February 23, 2013, 8:13pm

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?

Richie086 · February 23, 2013, 8:20pm

I noticed that yesterday too. If anyone is to purchase a Skyray through CNQ, I’d email them first for clarification.

oRAirwolf · February 24, 2013, 1:12am

The one I got from CNQG was an Ultrafire. I think they just give you whatever they get for the cheapest.

Werner · February 28, 2013, 3:44pm

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

Richie086 · February 28, 2013, 4:13pm

Hi Werner,

When I tried using the KD 9x driver in both my Skyray and AK-47, it worked with 2 cells but would get screwy once the 3rd cell was put in.

But my question is this; why do the manufacturers wire these lights in 3s3p, is it better due to the very thin gauge wiring they use?
I have been considering rewiring my AK-47 in series and eliminating the 3s3p and using 22g silver wire, but just wondered what you think?

texaspyro · February 28, 2013, 7:29pm

3Sx3P LEDs actually requires thicker wires than 9S since the current in them would be three times as much. Running 9S would might not be as efficient for the driver since it requires a higher voltage boost ratio.

Richie086 · February 28, 2013, 7:50pm

Thanks Texaspyro

Werner · February 28, 2013, 7:57pm

The KD driver is a boost driver so it only works when battery voltage is lower than LED voltage…thats why no one tested this with a positive result in this light. I wanted to hint that longer but I forgot and was reminded as I surfed through KD today…

If you want to test the KD driver than you have to change LED wiring, but thats not so much work as you only have to resolder the parallel wires in series.

The manufacturer do that because it is simpler, 3 LEDs in series can be direct driven with 3 cells and the skyray 9T6 driver is just a controller and a FET, the only thing which confuses me is that the driver is not on 100% duty cycle in high…???

Richie086 · February 28, 2013, 8:12pm

Hi Werner,

I’ll check this out on my Skyray and see what happens

Werner · February 28, 2013, 8:20pm

I am tempted

Richie086 · February 28, 2013, 8:28pm

Question, what would happen if using the KD driver, and I eliminated the parallel wiring, and used the 22g wired all in series? Would the silver wire be able to handle the higher current? Would I loose any driver efficiency?

texaspyro · February 28, 2013, 8:34pm

Series connection requires LESS current and can use smaller wire than a parallel connection.

Werner · February 28, 2013, 8:53pm

like texaspyro wrote.
Higher voltage and therefor lower current lead to less energy lost, thats why the power supply lines are normally in high voltage.
If you solder them in series the resulting current through all wires is 3A.

In Stock the tailcapcurrent flows through the wires between driver and LED and a third of that current flows through the LED wires.
If you mod it all wires see the same current from about 3A…

AWG22 is good for that. The stock wire is to small in anyway

Don · February 28, 2013, 10:00pm

FMcamaroZ28:

If you look at the back of where the leds are mounted, you will see that its just a recessed cavity and the LEDS sit on a “shelf” that is only max 1/4” thick. You would need a custom made piece of copper ideally that would fit into that hole as thick as you could make it.

I don’t have my light near me right now but I’d be willing to bet you can make that 1”+ and it would help in taking the heat off the leds a bit better. It would also make the head HEAVY.

I haven’t done that to mine, to be honest.

As for wire - the stuff on there is pretty cheap. Its probably not marked but I’d be willing to bet its somewhere in the 30+ AWG area. The biggest flexible wire you can comfortably fit on there is only going to help you. Especially if you thinking of upgrading the driver.

You could try making a clay mould of the space you want to fill with metal and see if you have a local sculpture workshop - the one near me can do bronze and copper melting and pouring into a mould. It’ll cost a bit, but probably way less than paying someone at UK prices to machine a chink of copper for you. Machine shops here charge a LOT.