FET-specs are beyond my understanding, but I'd just try some out, as long as you can make them fit. Those 3-leg FETs have long leads, they canbe bended to anywhere I suppose.
true its dangerous to bend those legs ,will have to wire solder them.
Oh, and thanks Rufusbduck for the short history of the BLF direct driver builds :-) . I had the pleasure of watching it all a bit from the sideline, these developments I think are among the absolute highlights in the (short) history of BLF (at least in the period that I have been a member).
So I was looking at NXP’s (the FET manufacturer) videos on YouTube and when they said they are at Manchester I laughed, that’s like 30 miles from here! And I’m buying their transistors from China which is thousands away, crazy world.
I used to wonder why we can buy CREE LEDs from China at relatively low prices considering it is American company, then I came to realize that CREE has manufacturing plant in China.
Another similar story is that Samsung does operate a battery manufacturing plant in my country (known as SDI) and the plant is only 30km (18.75 miles) away from my home. But since they only produce for exportation purpose we don’t get to buy them any cheaper or any more conveniently. 
We still have to buy these Samsung batteries from China and waiting for month(s) to get here.
Hi djozz,
Are the stars on the driver (Dealextreme version) can help to change into different mode group, or does it only come with 5-mode?
Oh okay that is a really good one. It is 20mm and it can fit perfectly in some flashlights.
Thanks. 
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Soldering the stars change mode groups.
DX drivers arrived quite quickly around 11 days, here’s how I modded mine.
DX 1A 2/3/5 mode Drivers, and PH4030 FETs.
Diode delete for increased gate drive, and wires soldered for bench testing. I like the 10% 100% mode group best so far.
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Output current is a percentage of high mode. So if high is 4.5A, low mode (first star) will be 450mA.
Group of modes:
1st Star : Low (10) - High (100)
2nd Star: Low (5) - Medium (30) - High (100%)
3rd Star : Low (5) - High (100) - Strobe
4th Star : Low (5) - Medium (30) - High (100%) - Strobe – SOS
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Thank you to all the great brains out there who figure these things out.
Good stuff going on in here. Nice budget finds and testing of the new FET option (that Rufusbduck originally identified). Heart of BLF type stuff. For the folks actually using the new FET, does it get hot on high or does it stay cool like the 70N02? I'm assuming it has low resistance and therefore low heat generation, but we all know what assumptions can lead to.
As far as i understand it, a FET shouldn’t get warm at all in this kind of DD with PWM for levels application, thats only when you use it for linear regulation like led4power’s LD-1.
yes, with a drop of 25mV at 5A the FET produces 0.125W power. To see that in perspective, every 7135chip in a lineair driver on a freshly charged battery and an XM-L2 may burn as much as 0.350W (depending on total drive current and voltage sag of the battery).
I made that wrong conclusion myself just some months ago and thankfully wight explained it to me, so now i wont forget it 
I don’t know why, but i like being wrong on an incorrect assumptions, when someone takes the time and explain how and why to me.
I always remember those times as some of my most treasured learning experiences
On some boards the stars are dummies and mode group changes are done just after a blink in the lowest mode of a group.
I came late to the party?
can i just think “FET” anytime my first electronics idea is to think “transistor” ? (because thats what happens…lol)
in my “pea brain”, when FETs (and MOSFETs) started getting popular for circuits, i kinda “see” a transistor in the “breadboard of the mind”
I initially had trouble understanding transistors and old-fashioned power tubes other than knowing they amplified signals. And had trouble understanding the difference between them.
my “mentor” (or elmer if you will, lol…) broke my head ice by explaining the transistor as a traffic cop? for example a 10mw signal might come across the collector-emitter legs a 50mw signal… i remember there were “graphs” for selecting a “linear” chunk of the graph, so as to accurately represent the waveform.
=
so… in my pea brain? we are taking a 1A nanjg driver… and applying the 1A output to the base of the FETsistor…. so 5A is flowing across the other 2 legs? and the output of the driver is driving the base of the FETsistor… so our new “line out” is the output of the FETsistor? meaning its drawing its power from the battery?
everyone is talking about problems with PWM output for lower modes? that makes sense to me, as the PWM is just a sequence of pulse train, which constitutes a signal. Transistors had among other specs, a Mhz rating for what speed signal it would handle before destroying the signal (and the rating was a sick joke), you had to look at the graph and select a portion of the graph as an operating region, so as to preserve linearity of the source signal. Source signal here being the PWM pulse train.
Rufus,
You are not kidding. Keeping up with all of who is who is a job in itself. Pretty soon BLF will end up needing a directory of sorts, with credits :) I do not hold a candle to these people and their talents but it sure is nice to able to watch and learn from all of them and you!
Sometimes it’s interesting to see how something came about. That was just my perspective on the events so I’m sure it seemed different to someone not privy to the pm conversations. This forum has been really great about people stepping forward and adding their skills unselfishly. It’s fun to watch.
BLF is more like an advanced light forum than it is a budget light forum. I have seen on other forums, not all flashlight forums, where it is purchase and show (similar to CPF) but here it is what the manufacturers do but out in the open. I truly wonder how many actually watch and read THIS forum for ideas, etc.
Totally agree with bugsy36. My entire idea for modding and building flashlight is inspired from BLF. I’ve seen on other forums but always come back here. I’d love to watch someone with dedication working on some stuff that result in perfect just as expected and share it with anyone else with honor. Sure thats a nice thing we get only on BLF.