Trustfire AK-47 9x XM-L Driver Defect / Repair / Upgrade / Photos

Okay, just installed a gold plated +B spring on the Lightmalls 9x T6 high output driver, and verified it’s exactly the same output as the Kaidomain version. With 3 x 26650 MNKE cells, it’ll gross 62 watts - 64 watts or 5.60 amps at the tail cap.

Don’t get me wrong, this is huge output on a Trustfire AK-47, it just isn’t 90 watts output like the old style Kaidomain driver. But battery power will last longer and I won’t have to worry about the light hand-grenading on me.

I also just received my SoShine LIFEPO4 26650 Protected cells. I’ll see how they work on this light. I’m curious to see how the low voltage protection works with these lower voltage cells.

Not to bring this back from the dead….

But is this the KD driver being used? http://www.kaidomain.com/product/details.S020165

I have a Trustfire 9T6 which seems to be identical to the Skyray 9T6, and was considering upgrading it.

Is that driver the only real option now? The description still says 70-100w, but if its only doing around 60, that is disappointing.

Hi Bdiddle,

I’ve purchased the 9x T6 driver from 3 different vendors, Lightmalls, Kaidomain, and now the one I just received today from lck-led.com. Both Lightmalls and lck-led both show the larger capacitor older more powerful version, but they’ve all arrived in the new style (compact version) that Lightmalls sells. So don’t go by the photograph on the websites.

Unfortunately none of the 9x T6 drivers output the rated 90 watts - 100 watts installed in my Trustfire AK-47 3 x 26650 light. The drivers I received from Lightmalls and Kaidomain, both output 62 watts or 5.55a at the tailcap. I just installed the lck-led driver and that one produced 67 watts or 5.90a at the tailcap.

I’m really pissed off these retailers show a photo of a driver, but have no problem shipping a newer and less powerful version of the driver. Still, even at 62 watts, a Trustfire AK-47 outputs a huge amount of flood light. I’m really not aware of any light these days that can flood like one of these 9x T6 lights.

Here are the links to the above drivers.

http://www.lck-led.com/26mm-3000ma-driver-modes-p-962.html

http://www.lightmalls.com/9-led-series-3-mode-for-three-lithium-battery-led-driver-with-low-voltage-protection

http://www.kaidomain.com/product/details.S020165

I guess before I order an iffy driver I need to get some good leads for my DMM and get a good tailcap amp reading.

I was also considering upgrading to U3 led’s, or sinkpads……but that would be pricey and time consuming.

Did you get an AR coated lense?

The AR coated lenses available these days do not come in a large enough size for a Skyray or Trustfire 9x T6. But either of these lights produce so much output, even at 5.55a - 5.90a, an AR coated lens is really not required. But if one was available, I’d still purchase it…lol.

Also, I recall you mentioned you want to install one of these drivers in a Skyray 9x T6. It’s possible with that light a problem may arise due to it being wired in 3S2P, if I recall correctly. I can only say any of the drivers I mention in my last post to you, will work perfectly in a Trustfire AK-47 due to it being wired fully in series.

Yeah I’m aware I’d have to rewire the LED’s……that’s why I was considering just replacing them all. And then I realized I only paid $50 for mine at the Wallbuys sale and it may not be cost effective in comparison :smiley:

Personally, I think it would be worth it to rewire and change out the LED’s for better heat sinked versions. It’ll make it more efficient and certainly brighter. My Trustfire AK-47’s I’m going to leave as is, but when I get a few more dollars together, I’m going to be doing a full upgrade to my Skyray 9x T6. If you can handle the work involved, I say go for it. Just try and get it correct the first time and you’ll be really happy you made the upgrade.

I say this again: on the 9T6 the positive spring is a big limiting factor, add some copper braid and you will get 9+Amps…

Richie, a fairly newbie here. You’ve done excellent job with detailed info. Just got to look at the thread today and happy to see the work.

I order 10 of these Ak47 (unfortunate name that may trigger NSA monitoring - LOL). Sold 5 in stock form to people i work with, $80 each. I installed the KD $20 board and confirmed your observation with Trustfire 26650 cells. They’d just flash then go out. Advertised at 5,000mAh but simply don’t have the juice to run it.

I put a 12v 2.5a (before I read your info) and it’d turn on for about 7sec then the PS protection circuit trips. I bought a 5a 12v PS and it would stay on a long time, but the fins got really hot so I didn’t leave it on long. Then I pasted on the heat conductive mud from KD. It smoked when got hot.

Planning to try a few things.

What is the value of that R820 ?

R820= 0,82*10^0=0.82 ohm

Thx, Werner.

Looks like, It has room for a 1/4 or even a 1/2 watt resistor, the regular kind.

Do you know if the stock driver board has ReversePolarity protection on it ? A simple diode. One of my flashlights came back and the lady (not the brightest bulb) claim that it doesn’t work after she recharged batts. I opened it and three batts are upside down! I’m sure she clicked the switch a few times. Two of the batts refuse to take charge now. I’m reluctant to insert new batts…

There is much room, even 2 Watt resistor should fit. Use whatever you have in the right value.

Have you tried connecting your power supply direct to the board instead through the positive contact spring?

I can try when I get home. I think it’s thin but gold plated spring.

These 10 lights all have GITD rings and appear to have the third resistor but I have access to only a couple of them right now, if two of 10 is good sampling.

I’ve also a J18 replaced. Let me check on it later at home.

Update: newest ak-47 lights do have the 3rd resistor populated, BUT not the first resistor! That space is empty. It is under two small capacitors that can be lifted up to see the first resistor. Do your KD, and others, have this first resistor ??

Newest J18 board has the third resistor unpopulated, but it does have both of the first two.

Based on that, I would guess that these 3 resistors are used to program the output voltage: 2nd & 3rd resistor (R820) are to do bootstrap to 30v output for 9x in series. 1st & 2nd resistors are to bootstrap to 23v for 7x in series. That should explain why presence of the 3rd resistor increases the brightness because you overcome the forward voltage of 9 LEDs more comfortably. Note that current vs. forward voltage is not as ideal, turning on magically or ideally at 3.1v, as you would want. At 2.7v, you should already have some current. That is the real world of semiconductors. That’s why both boards are identical, except for the resistor population to use on either 9x or 7x.

I don’t get what you mean? Aren’t that the currentsensing resistors? A picture would help…?

If these are normal currentsensingresistors then they are all parallel. The currentsensing resistors are in series with battery and LEDs, so every current which flows in the led goes through the resistors causing a voltage drop. This voltage drop is measured by the controller and used for a constant current…

If you now lower the resistor without changing other things the controller regulates to a higher current until the voltage drop is like before…

So check if they are parallel. Check which values has every light. Calculate the resulting value of resistor and you will probably see that the current corresponds the resistor values with a nice linear factor…

The r820 is in the middle. First resistor is missing. Third resistor is there.

Also, check out this 9x. They are all U2 stars.

This message is for Richie086

I just bought a Trustfire light … the logo on the barrel says 9XT6 and NOT AK47. And it says TrustFire and NOT Skyray. And the reflector pattern is what YOU show in your picture as a Skyray reflector pattern.

so what do I have? i bought this through amazon from a vendor who had had one opened and returned … so I got it for $50.

AND …
I read in a review on Amazon that the flashlight, stock, only draws 25 watts and says there is a 90W upgrade available … from somewhere NOT QUITE specified … so i can’t find it. Any idea? Does this upgrade exist? If so, from where (EXACTLY) can it be found?

THEN, this reviewer says the tube needs to be modified to fit FOUR 25500 batteries. What the diff between 25500’s and 26550’s? Why would it need 4 x 25500’s instead of 3 26650’s?

And this driver thing … WHERE is it? HOW can it be got to? SHOULD i inspect it? and if so, WHAT do i look for.

I am most especially interested in this so-called upgrade to 90W … TO GET THE HIGHEST POSSIBLE NUMBER OF LUMENS out of this beastie. If something like this is available, is it something that can just be … “Plugged In”?? I’ve got some soldering experience, but i’m NOT what one might call expert.

Can you help me out with any of this? or direct me to somewhere that already talks about these things?

Hi Wayne,

The version light you have it really the Skyray unbranded.

As for light output, whether it’s a Trustfire or Skyray, stock they only put out maybe 32 watts, but it’s still a good deal of light. Back when I purchased mine, you were able to purchase from Lightmalls.com, a 90 watt driver, but they stopped making them. The new drivers available from vendors today only put out about 52 watts maximum. They may say in the description it’s 90-100 watts, but they don’t come close to it.

The actual Trustfire AK-47 is wired in series, 3S1P, so it’s very easy to swap the stock driver for the higher output 52 watt version. The Skyray is wired differently and may require the LED’s rewired in series for an upgraded driver to work properly.

Lastly, stick with the 26650 cells, they are the best and no reason to use anything else.

Look in the review of the 9xt6 to find out how to disassemble the light and how to find the driver.
Make a picture of the driver for modding assistance. And make a picture of the LEDs without reflector so that the wiring is visible.

Apologies for resurrecting this thread. A friend of mine has got the Skyray 9xT6, and after seeing this thread would rather want the reflector in the Trustfire AK-49. Do any of you know where he can purchase only the Trustfire AK-49 reflector?

Thnx

As far as I know, you can't buy this reflector anywhere. I've never found or seen multi-led reflectors for sale, certainly not more than 3 LED's.

Don't worry bout the SkyRay reflector -- I don't believe that's an issue. I think the AK-47 performed better because of the higher amps. I just got 2 AK-47's, both are the body of the SkyRay 9xT6, and same reflector/LED configuration with 3 LED's in the center, not one. So, no guarantees... My AK-47's do have the TrustFire driver though, but the under-powered one resulting in about 3A at the tail with 3 cells, 3.5A with 2 cells. I'll be adding a resistor to boost it, along with copper wiring up the springs to handle the extra amps. The stock spring on the driver is a joke -- I'll be replacing it. If it fails, it can kill the driver.

Richie hasn't posted since November, so I don't think he's active anymore.