my first build, any advice greatly appreciated

all 32650 batteries have arrived, the driver and the leds are still on the way.
Now I need some good thermal glue to mount the leds. What is the best thermal glue?
And would mixing a thermal glue with copper powder like this http://www.ebay.com/itm/50-grams-Analytical-reagent-grade-copper-metal-powder-element-sample-99-8-pure-/271422906923?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3f3210e22b make some difference? Copper particles should enhance the heat transfer right? But is it necessary in my light?

There are all kinds of arguments about the thermal properties of adhesives and pastes. On single emitter lights that the reflector centers itself on the LED I use Arctic Silver Paste. On multi-Emitter lights where you need to center and stabilize (glue down) all the LEDs before you wire it up, I just use Fujik Adhesive. Some will tell you that it’s thermal abilities are not the greatest, but when you are pushing the emitters at 5A, the heat moves where it wants…fast. I haven’t had any problems, and I can feel the heat outside the head immediately. I paint the underside of the MBPCPB with a thin layer and tighten down the reflector and bezel so it squeezes it tight…leave for a day.
If you have to remove a dead emitter, it is easier to remove than thermal epoxy.
I save my copper dust and have mixed it with Fujic to attach copper rounds to my pills, but have never used it with MBPCBs. You don’t need it, better to have only a very thin thermal layer between the Noctigon and the pill.

I’ve never seen copper dust online before though, thanks for the link.

this one should be even better, it is from Germany and costs even less than the chinese powder I linked first :smiley: http://www.ebay.com/itm/99-50-Kupferpulver-copper-powder-7440-50-8-45-m-325mesh-vom-Fachhandler/251613610419?\_trksid=p2045573.c100033.m2042&\_trkparms=aid%3D111001%26algo%3DREC.SEED%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D24901%26meid%3D5e6f9df9609b4ae5af1472fbff8a8648%26pid%3D100033%26prg%3D10502%26rk%3D2%26rkt%3D4%26sd%3D271422906923

Which thermal glue should I buy? I think I need a thermal glue that is not epoxy based, but more like silicon. So that I do not damage anything should I need to remove it. ( I will also use it in other applications) Are there any except for the Fujik? I do not orientate on the market well, ebay churns out too many results when I search for it… I dont need brand top end stuff, just something decent that will do the job without damaging circuit board during removal

https://www.fasttech.com/products/0/10000468/1049304-fujik-heatsink-silicone-thermal-glue-50ml

It doesn’t really matter what thermal paste you use, just lap the pill and noctigon so you use as little thermal paste as possible. Most people prefer Arctic Alumina.

Since he’ll be wiring up three emitters, he really should use adhesive, not paste. Trying to line up and center three emitters with wires attached that are not already secured by adhesive can be an unnecessary nightmare.

bad news: one 32650 cell does not work. It has even negative charge- –0,17V
Are DX good at warranty issues?

Perhaps the protection circuit is tripped.

To reset a batteries protection you need to hook it up to a good (non-tripped) cell. Only do this for about a second.

As as a last resort, you could remove the protection altogether and see if it will take a charge.

Resetting it did not help. I have already contacted DX, hope it will get solved soon. I dont want to remove the protection, because all the other batteries are protected, so I would have to do the same on them too.

a new battery from DX has arrived.
I made a contact board for a new driver. It looks really ugly :D, but should do the job.
But I am still waiting for the XML-2 LEDs on noctigons. It is really annoying to be limited not by your already extremely limited free time, but by shipping…

still waiting for the XML 2 emitters on noctigons. The seller did not respond to a paypal dispute, so I have escalated the claim to the paypal. That should speed the things up a bit!

this seller http://www.intl-outdoor.com has been ignoring me and all he does is play a dead bug for over a month! All I want now is to unleash the PayPal on him, so that I can get my money from July 29th!!! In the meantime, where can I buy similar XML2 leds on copper stars? I have already given up the idea of getting them from the Outdoor Store!

BTW, will I see some improvement with an AR coated lens? My longterm plan is to unlock the true power of this flashlight. I want to buy a FET driver, unprotected cells or remove protection from these ones, and an AR coated lens when the current driver or batteries die just to reach its full potential.

There is a measure able difference but you would likely only notice it by switching back and forth quickly between them. The human eye sees increased output on a logarithmic scale so a few percent difference is hard to see.

Yes I know that, but small details negligible on their own, make a difference when upgraded and fixed at the same time. The FET driver will increase current from roughly 5A to ±6,2A per led. Adding the AR lens will add up to 10% of the total output on top of that, so the change SHOULD be visible. I asked a few people about the difference after the driver change, and they all said it is a visible difference. Almost all high end light have AR coated lenses, so it SHOULD have some effect worth the effort. I do not expect a huge increase in the power, but a noticeable improvement. A lens is not that expensive after all. But I am no expert, and since I do not plan on having multiple lights, I will most certainly buy one AR lens just to see how much it changes the output. I always like to use the full potential of toys I have. I just like doing things properly :slight_smile:
Or is it really pointless? Any personal experience???

An AR lens is NEVER pointless. :slight_smile:

I ordered from Intl-outdoors many many times and never got a delay, sorry to hear that.

If you need them shipped fast, try mtnelectronics.com.

As for the thermal adhesive, I used arctic alumina on my lights, it works good.

By the way have you installed the BLF driver yet?

No, I don’t have it installed. I have a stock LCK driver, already potted and installed, thats why I say these changes will come no sooner that the current driver or batteries have died.

BTW, would anything get damaged if I tried to dissolve the fujik thermal glue in concentrated alcohol or gasoline? Electronics likes them right? If that was possible, I just might change my mind and mod this driver for a higher current output and remove the protection circuits from cells and get an AR lens at the same time before waiting for anything to die! I am stuck waiting for XML2 leds either way. Provided thaf it is possible to remove the fujik from the driver without damaging it…

A rookie question: Which XML-2 leds are the best to get? There are quite a few XML2 led emitters for sale. I have no idea what the differences between them are. Will these CREE XM-L2 U3 1A LED on Noctigon 20mm MCPCB http://www.mtnelectronics.com/opencart/index.php?route=product/product&path=60_61&product_id=80 be OK?

U3 1A = Newest XM-L2 with cool white tint, this one is good if you like pure white light. You can see the temperature rating in the description of each product.

Don’t know about removing the fujik, but I’m not really a fan of stock drivers. There are lots of great custom drivers to choose from with excellent modes. Qlite, BLFDD and the new LD-1 are among my favorites right now.

You probably don’t need to remove the protection circuits just yet, unless absolutely necessary and make sure you can shrink wrap them again.

I have a question regarding dedoming. What are the risks of dedoming? Any long term effects on the led after the “dome” has been removed? I know that the process of dedoming itself can go wrong, but if it is performed successfully, is there any danger to the LED over the course of time ? I want to dedome my LEDs to increase the throw.

I have my money back. Too bad it had to end this way, but the seller did not give me any other choice. I will buy XM-L2 U3 1A LEDs from somewhere else