Do not label it “BLF” if you are not using a Copper MCPCB with direct thermal path. Did any BLF member from the X6 groupbuy ok this? You can call it a “special edition” but I personally do not want to see “BLF special edition” added to any inferior version (without an ok from the groupbuy organizers).
The BLF special edition used a Copper MCPCB with direct thermal path.
Soon when we see someone with a “BLF special edition” we will have to ask: Is that a real one or the “other” version?
And before someone brings it up, yes, I know we can’t stop some junkfire brand from using any name they want but it is different when it’s a company we have worked with.
Easy guys. EE is trying. If there is no copper and copper is wanted then all that is needed is to tell them that DTP copper is required. I am sure that EE will try and cooperate. All he has done is leave out Banggood and come here directly. There is room for everybody to make flashlights for us the way we want them to be made
Added edit:
If "BLF" was not on the tube and light was named "Special Edition" then it could also be advertised on the "other" forum but they too will only want with DTP copper for the emitter. The only other issue is Aliexpress. Many will buy from Aliexpress because they cannot use PayPal. If a vendor is chosen (hopefully Banggood because they do help sales) then there should be only one vendor to avoid counterfeit "EE Special Edition" lights like we saw in the past.
I assume not, but there are boards out there that are not DTP but do perform better than others. I tested a non-DTP board (the base was copper, but in my opinion that was not crucial for the performance) in a comparison test of six ledboards, that performed surprisingly well, at 3.5A the light output was only 2% less than the DTP-boards, only over 5A it really began to perform less than the DTP-boards. link
For example, if the traces on the ledboard are of higher thickness copper and close to the led they widen into a 'poor' over the board surface (this one could be that way), the heat can go sideways and cross the dielectric layer over a large surface, thus helping the shedding of the heat in a different way than a DTP does.
In practice, some of the BLF-dogma's appear to be more nuanced than we think.
EE has some fairly good deals on their site. I nicely built C8 for 13.99. I would like to see some more lights with XPL-HI in them. Only because I have many of these already!
Aluminum substrate is fine. What people are asking for is Direct Thermal Path. The center pad on the LED is the thermal pad. The corresponding thermal pad on the MCPCB needs to be able to conduct heat away effectively from the LED. A Direct Thermal Path MCPCB has no dialectric layer under the thermal pad. It has direct contact from the aluminum or copper substrate to the LED thermal pad. The LED+ and LED- pads have dialectric under them to insulate them electrically from the metal substrate. It is only the thermal pad which is better to not be insulated.
keith, I haven’t done this, but from reading about others doing so, it appears that it’s quite easy to do, if you’ve got a steady hand and decent soldering skills. You will need a spacer, though, since the quad optic is shorter in length than the original reflector. Nitro was selling copper spacers for a while, but I’m not sure what the current status is. You can ask DB Custom in a PM. He might be able to tell you what is currently available.