17mm 12x7135 drivers with custom firmware (Group Buy Interest thread)

Well.. Yes, and no. :)

There is no "flashy mode group", but the current flashy mode is remembered like any other mode => From strobe, turning the light off and on again will turn it on on the strobe mode. First mode change (= two clicks) will return to first standard mode.

K.I.S.S. for “stock”

3-4 modes w/ hidden blinky

That quote made me to quickly write an off-time version of TheStar.. ;)

Unfortunately I don't have any caps, so I can't test it right now. :( Anyone willing to be a lab rat?

Is there a way to just have L~~M~~>H

Hidden fast access LL
Hidden fast access Turbo
Hidden fast access strobe (maybe with tab through SOS and alpine beacon for strobe modes)

I think this would be most simple, most useful and cover all bases in some way.

All simple users want L/M/H, all advanced users want Turbo and LL AND want to get there instantly, but may not want to go through/confuse simple users. Fast access strobe with strobe selections is a bonus but…not necessary?

With electronic switch there is. Without.. Well.. At least I can't instantly figure out how that could work. Maybe with some kind of timed double/triple click logic?

OK wait, maybe I read wrong. So what you are saying below is Turbo WILL be accessible in all configs as a hidden mode?!?

Thats awesome if so, my pet peeves are PWM speed, no turbo, blinkies/LL you have to go through in mode changes, this would solve ALL of them! :slight_smile: My only addition in this case would be a FAST access hidden turbo: LL, then turbo then disorienting strobe? I’m quite certain LL and turbo would be the most used and desired hidden options.

B42, it sounds like you may still have one misunderstanding. Turbo is in the normal 3 mode group that _the_ described.

The "normal modes" are:
L - M - T

where:
L = 2% mode
M = 25% mode
T = 100% mode w/ stepdown

What's hidden is LL, all the blinkies, and a Turbo that never steps down. There is an additional pseudo-level which _the_ refers to as "high" but you can't select it - it's just what Turbo steps down to.


I think I've got that stuff right.

Yeah I realized I may have misunderstood in the first post. Based on your reply, I may be misunderstanding something different: are “hidden” modes enterable from “off”? If this is true, a Turbo (never stepping down) would be a useful hidden mode just like the disorienting strobe, and used more than at least 7 of that list of 9 modes and should be easier access than #9 priority. Thats what I was getting at. If not…I’m confused…

I see what you are getting at now. Based on my current understanding, here’s the situation:

  • to initially get to never-step-down-turbo rather than regular turbo you need to click through the standard 3 modes twice, then click through LL and the blinky modes. So approximately 14 fast taps after the initial turn on in order to get to never-step-down-turbo.
  • I assume that never-step-down-turbo will be memorized just like the blinky modes are (see post #72). So as long as you don’t change modes it will stay in that mode the next time you turn it on.

My assumption is that this firmware is geared towards having the ability to set a small-bodied light down and then pick it back up without getting scalded.

I’d holler at 15-20 at the right price. Already having the 7135’s added would save a ton of time. As far as modes, simpler would be more preferable. 4 modes (moonlight~~low~~>med->turbo), turbo ramps down to med after 90 or 120 sec. Blinky modes are utterly pointless. Especially a hidden strobe. For a strobe to actually be useful it needs to come on first always, or at a minimum come on easily by holding down (or somehow otherwise preselecting it). An assailant/intruder/giant murderous bad guy isn’t going to wait for you to cycle through to access your strobe mode. Are there any other uses for strobe (I can’t think of any)?

Anyway. That’s all to say that at the right price with simple UI, I’ll take 15-20 pretty please.

How about starting a poll on what kind of mode group would everyone prefer?

The hidden blinky modes are potentially useful as beacons. For that purpose it generally would be OK even if it took you a few minutes to get it into the mode you wanted… (Several of the ones in TheStar are even called beacon. :-p)

My dad said he saw a wrecker guy using his to get peoples attention at night…but I guess the HUGE truck with yellow flashy lights did a better deal than his blinky light

Truthfully if you could build a two group Nanjg style setup, one group L>M>H, 2nd group L>M>H>Blinkies but fix the daggum PWM on it…if people want other than “custom” let them flash them themselves

You mean like the ones from FT? I really dislike that group-change-blink that happens in Low mode on those 2-group drivers they sell.

Maybe a “faster” blink can be programmed instead of the long wink, if someone can program it, or instead of a light interrupt, maybe a slight throttling from low to a moonlight blip so the light doesn’t drop out but for a split second dims (I guess flicker would be a better word)

I hate the long group-change-blink too but like the ability to have flashies if needed…but for “stock” drivers should be simple

I like the 2 group option, would like better PWM and a really fast mode switch blip…

Either or…I will probably just flash em out anyway

OK I ended up getting an early response from them tonight.

It’s yes on the firmware and they will be sending a sample so we can check them out. They are not Nanjg105C they are made in Taiwan but supposedly the same.

Most importantly 18sixfifty, have you anticipated the potential workload involved? 1000 drivers shipped out under the most ideal scenario of 20-25 per order is still a lot of trips to the post office, packaging, printing labels, organising. It’s a big workload and you’re not going to make any money from it. We would all appreciate it immensely because it would be a good deal but I don’t want to tire you out either.

A more realistic scenario would be that your average orders would be 10 or so. That’s a lot of work!

Thanks.

I actually ship from home now so it won’t be too big of a deal. I retired and this is my hobby so it keeps me busy and out of my wife’s hair. :bigsmile:

I’m more worried about actually getting enough people interested so that it’s a go. Well that and making sure that they get it right on their end.

18sixfifty, thanks for all of your efforts. I realize this is a monumental undertaking and requires a lot of effort.

Will they flash 2 versions of the FW as we had discussed?

Will they accept 500 min order?

They haven’t gotten back to me on that question yet.