Anyone know if you can use four batteries with a DRY driver?

Anyone know if you can use four batteries with a DRY driver?

PM relic38

Ok, dumb question as I know very little about modding and trying to learn more but I’ve heard this term DRY driver before. So, what exactly is a DRY driver?

Thanks!

Fancy Flashlights has (or had) a flashlight called the “DRY”:

http://www.fancyflashlights.com/goods.php?id=2

the “DRY” driver is the driver that they used in that light, which they still sell separately:

http://www.fancyflashlights.com/goods.php?id=114

Should work, in parallel.

I actually don't know if the dry was one that had the cell parallel, but that's what I assume...correct me if I'm wrong.

It’s the driver that goes with the DRY flashlight from Fancy Flashlights. He sells them (the drivers) for $5 and they are a great driver for a bunch of different lights. I use them in 3 XML lights and I’m now using them in a couple MG-T2 mods They have a low medium high and turbo. the Turbo is just direct drive.

I guess I should have been more specific I need to know is they can be used with four batteries in series. I’m hoping I can use 4 26650’s in series to run 2 MT-G2’s in series. Right now I’m using 2 26650’s to run 2 MT-G2’s in parallel.

They are actually in series. But it’s only three and it doesn’t say on their site.

Got your PM, and now I see what yer trying to drive.
If the driver can handle the voltage (16.8V), that is one part. Probably the easy part to test, a sort of $5 yes/no gamble :wink: I suppose Ric might know the answer.
The other part is the Vbat - Vf delta. We are talking about almost 4V or maybe more. That is a lot of overhead to distribute across the remaining resistance in the driver and light parts. I’m thinking you will be well north of 8-9A driver current. Things could get melty. Not sure the FET on the DRY driver can handle that much current. If it can, this may be a go.
The alternative would be 4xXX650 LiFePO4. I’m confident the driver would handle this, but battery voltage will drop too close to Vf too quickly to be useable for long.

Thanks again. I think I’ll be sticking with the two batteries and parallel. It makes for a nice size and very bright light with a great tint. Huge hotspot if you would even call it a hot spot. It doesn’t seem to get hot that fast. So that’s a bonus. It just feels like it could get pushed harder if you know what I mean.

Well Ric got back to me and said he wasn’t sure and that they were designed for 3 18650’s. So I guess the answer is there is only one way to find out. It’s only a $5 driver but I’m not really that curious anyway. It would make the light huge and I like the small form and I don’t think it would make a huge difference anyway. At least not for what I’m using it for. I don’t really need that much extra run time and I doubt it would make a huge difference in light to my eyes.

Sort of OT, but can the DRY driver with 2-18650s in series (8.4v) be used to drive a single XM-L2? I know that it works for single MT-G2 but the amp requirements and vf are obviously different.

Thanks!

It would fry it quicker than you can turn it off. It’s direct drive and there wouldn’t be enough voltage sag so even if it’s on copper and really has a great thermal pathway it would fry it.

Thanks! Thought you might say that. :slight_smile:

Was looking at relic’s ZY-T08 MT-G2 build and thinking that might be fun with an XM-L2 for a while before swapping in the big emitter.

you could just leave the cells in parallel and direct drive the emitter if thats what you fancy.