Experiment MOD: Small Sun ZY-T13 with MT-G2 (now with beamshots and various measurements)

I have not measured led current, so I am guessing 4 amps max after losses. Or less.

Nice mod RaceR86. Is the reflector in this light identical to the HD2010. From memory the internal reflector measurement is 53mm. The reflector in the Small Sun ZY-T621 is identical to the HD2010 and one day I was planning om modding it to MTG-2. Just got to much other stuff on.

Very cool! I want to do this (some day)! Will that trimpot work FTP adjust to 4.0A output?

-Garry

Looking at this post in the other thread:

he just shorted the outer resistor and got 4.8 amps.

So, how would this work if you just took a stock light, replaced the emitter with an MT-G2, and shorted that one resistor? Would that be ok?

I’m pretty sure that the HD2010 and ZY-T08/T13 reflectors are different. I’m going off memory. I have a particularly painful one of grinding through into the finished side when trying to clear wires in the HD2010. The beam profile is a little different too. The HD2010 has a bigger hotspot and more friendly to use in midrange.

Im not sure how far the trimpot will let it go in terms of output. Ill get back to you if I find out… Could always use resistors though. I normally use resistors.

Based on what I have seen with this driver and an XM-L it seems like LED current are pretty equal to tail cap current x 2.
But if you are seeing 2,3A at the tail with and XP-G2, then that seems promising in terms of what the driver can handle.
Ill take beamshots with the setup I have right now (MT-G2 at 3,29A), then I might be tempted crank up the lumens! J)

Of all the cheap drivers I have looked at, the T13 driver seams built to stand the most current. I need to try driving one with a dedomed XML2……

Crank it up man! Gotta at least push 4A through it! And definitely report back on heat management. (I just noticed "FTP" in my last post - stupid iPhone autocorrections even though the word was typed correctly!)

-Garry

Bumping my own post (sorry), but doesn anyone know the answer to the above?

Ohoya, I can not answer your question direcly, maybe others will, but you may find my various measurements with this driver interesting.
Lots of info have been added to the OP! Various beamshots too! :slight_smile:

Hi,

Ok, thanks, I understand. FYI, the reason for my question is that I’m interested in trying this light and the MT-G2 but with increasing the current, but don’t have a trimpot, so was trying to take the “easy way out”.

Unless/until someone with more electronics knowledge finds an easier or better solution I would say don’t bother if extreme output is your goal.

For those who are happy with a budget alternative to the 100$ CRELANT 7G5MT MT-G2, this light is a good option.
But people should ask themselves, is it worth modding the ZY-T13 when you have other lights out there like the King, KUNG, Warrior, M6 etc etc that can be modded too.

If you like the form factor it might be worth it…

Thank you R86 for all the hard work and reporting. Very informative.

So I guess one easy solution (should one want to go MGT2 and high current in this host) would be to just go direct drive. Save the fairly unique driver and use a contact board in its place. Not sure if the tail switch could take 7 or so amps though.

Thanks RaceR86! So perhaps a Dry driver is in order for this light?

-Garry

The reason that I’m interested in this is not so much achieving high current, but I am interested in easy way to get an MT-G2 light that has “good” throw.

Have you, or anyone else, measured the lux with the resistor mod(s)?

No, I don’t have a lux meter, but as you can see from the beamshots its not really a serious thrower in anyway. If it had 5 amps to the emitter (30+ watt) I suspect it would be more impressive and would very easily and clearly outthrow a 30+Watt SRK… The beam is more of a large hotspot “thrower” with good spill. In order to get more throw, it needs lots of current. The stock driver circuit in the ZY-T13 does not seem to be able to do that (At least not by the typical resistor tweaking).

I believe there is no such thing as an easy way to get an MT-G2 to have good throw without having a very high amount of amps combined with a large reflector. Unless you are using an aspheric.
If you want good throw with less watts, then stick to hard driven XM-Ls. Or several smaller emitters.

There are a bunch of alternatives to an MT-G if you are looking for good throw and high output.
Just to name a few that could be good options.
5 XP-E2s in a SRK sized 5 emitter reflector.
3 XP-G2s in a SRK type reflector.
3 de-domed XM-L2s in a SRK type type reflector.

I suspect those three options could be somewhat similar to an MT-G2. But you have advantages with a more compact reflector/light. The advantage of using various types of AMC7135 based drivers. You also get more tint options, and also the ability to mix emitters. Ill be testing options like that in the future.

The T08 is not a thrower at 5Amps, IIRC, about 25-30kcd. The T13 should be similar.
However, that throw is in a hotspot about three times the diameter of the original T08. Very useful for broad searching close range.
Using a trimPot would only be useful if you intend to adjust the current. If you are going for max, then short out the sense resistor and hope the driver can handle direct drive. Based on my experience, if the emitter is on a Noctigon and making decent heatsink contact, 2x18650 cannot kill an MT-G2. I tried with two Pana 18650PDs, nothing but 20ga wire and a 25 milliohm ammeter, and got 7A.
That’s a long way from the 16A that djozz pumped through one trying (and failing) to kill it.
Now, 7A (~45W) in a flashlight gets mighty toasty in short order, so maybe avoid tailstanding and walking away :wink:

Updated OP.
Latest update on the top. That post is starting to become fairly long and messy now… But I think im done with this MT-G2 project now.

Garry, Im not familiar with how a DRY driver works in combination with MT-G2 and 2-cells. I assume it would work quite nicely in terms of output, and I could be fitted in the light. But you would loose the UI of the ZY-T13, and to me, that is some of what I like about this light.
You can easily use the ZY-T13 for an MT-G2, but if very high output is your goal, then I would say there are better suited hosts out there if you want a 2-cell thrower style light.

Relic38, I agree. Its no thrower and probably very similar to the ZY-T08.
Ill pass on shorting the resistor, I don’t want to risk killing the driver any more than I have already pushed it. It does not seem to want to output much more than 4 amps to any emitter as far as I can see.
Just a queastion, Im I right in assuming that the ZY-T08 with MT-G2 at 5A will +slightly+out-throw a SRK modded to 2,8A to each emitter? Both of those should have around 30W of power.

What I do like about the ZY-T13 with MT-G2 is the useful beam for what I would consider close to mid-range.
But personally I can not justify putting an MT-G2 in it and only running it at 3 amps max. That makes it too similar to a modded TR-3T6.

My SRK is no where near stock anymore (3xXM-L2 U2 2.8A/emitter), and it reaches 33.4kcd. The ZY-T08 MT-G2/DRY driver at 5A hits 39kcd.
So yes, a slight advantage to the ZY-T08.
I agree, there’s not much point in doing this mod without pushing it to 5A territory. The output becomes typical and can be reached with a very hard driven XM-L2 U2 and at the same time get waay better throw.

I know your SRK is not stock :wink:
(and neither are mine, both of them 0:) ).

Thanks for confirming the numbers! :slight_smile:
They were like I though based on my impression with my modded SRK and my impression of the modded ZY-T13 with MT-G2.
Not a huge surprise really, considering what you can see in the beamshots posted in OP.