Can anyone step up for an AA/2AA only BLF budget flashlight?

[DavidEF]

@calipsoii

@DavidEF

1. With your circuit design, is the 420mA output the most that a single Eneloop can do, or is it set at that level for safety, or efficiency, or parts are cheap, or what? 2) You said maybe 2xAA or 1xCR123A might do higher current. Any way we could get testing done on that? If you don’t have the time or the means to test, could you send a sample to one of the guys here that do testing, like djozz?

1) The 4R7 inductor is probably determining peak current. A 2R2 (used on most boost boards) would likely give higher current at the cost of higher ripple. ~350-400mA was always the target: decent brightness with a decent runtime. If I need brighter I’ll reach for a li-ion light.

2) Did a couple tests! This is through 15” long 22awg alligator leads connected to the battery with neodymium magnets so total circuit resistance is extremely high. Board was floating in air with no heatsinking and overheated before I could finish the 2x Eneloop run.

3) and 4) are undecided

Wow! That 2x Eneloop line! Let me know if 3) and/or 4) become decided.

[Fritz_t_Cat]

@calipsoii

1. The 4R7 inductor is probably determining peak current. A 2R2 (used on most boost boards) would likely give higher current at the cost of higher ripple. ~350-400mA was always the target: decent brightness with a decent runtime. If I need brighter I’ll reach for a li-ion light.

A lot of people here would just use a Cree XM-L2 or Nichia 219C that could take the ripple. There are advantages to standard liquor store cell voltage.

[vestureofblood]

@calipsoii

@vestureofblood

but an Attiny13A driver for a 1AA light would blow my mind.

Ah heck, I just can't resist VoB :)

• 14mm diameter
• ATtiny85V microcontroller
• 0.7 - 3.0V input voltage
• 0.4 - 420 mA LED drive current (XP-G2; 1x Eneloop)
• Full current-control through all drive currents
• Off-time capacitor mode switching
• End-user programmable via custom firmware:
• • 1-4 output levels
  • Brightness of each output level fully adjustable
  • Toggle between classic mode memory, hybrid or no mode memory
• 2xAA/1xCR123 not yet tested but should work with higher LED currents possible/likely
• Li-ion likely to run direct-drive (at least until the sense resistor burns out :P)

You got me bro.. Where do we send the cash? Seriously I am interested if you start selling them.


The program ability of an AA driver is a milestone in my book. Looks to me like based on the results in your graph we might expect 450+ma from a single NIMH AA.. I think my tank 007 about 700ma on one.

Thanks a million for sharing. You just poured buckets into my barrel of hope!

[Sprinkles]

Anyone remember the old programmable k106 akoray from kaidomain? Those were three mode programmable lights. Buck/boost? running either AA or 14500. This project kind of reminds me of those lights. Too bad the the drivers went bad on the ones I had.

[chenko]

My little input: I support the idea of not asking all tools to do the exact same function, if an AA BLF light has to be made I would find appropriate to make something a bit different that would stand out. We can already buy at quite good prices premium quality AA lights that do huge lumen numbers on AA and 14500, what about considering a different single AA host architecture than the usual tube?

Something like this:

[veer (vēer)]

This one appears to be out of production ;)!

[vestureofblood]

I would go for a light that style for sure. Especially if there was a head band option with it.

[Rufusbduck]

I agree it would be nice to see a GB take a step sideways(pun intended).

[vestureofblood]

Here are a couple I have seen like that.
http://www.aliexpress.com/item/Supply-Genuine-UltraFire-H2-flashlight/1474052819.html

Here are some, but some have no band with them.
http://www.aliexpress.com/promotion/promotion_trustfire-z2-promotion.html



I greatly prefer the look of the Ultrafire one vs the Trustfire.

[Fritz_t_Cat]

Or this:

I have the CR123a powered Z1, and its main fault is driver inefficiency in high mode.
This doesn’t come with a head band, but the clip can be used to shine it forward from a pocket or belt.

[DBSAR]

@calipsoii

@vestureofblood

but an Attiny13A driver for a 1AA light would blow my mind.

Ah heck, I just can’t resist VoB

• 14mm diameter

• ATtiny85V microcontroller

• 0.7 - 3.0V input voltage

• 0.4 - 420 mA LED drive current (XP-G2; 1x Eneloop)

• Full current-control through all drive currents

• Off-time capacitor mode switching

• End-user programmable via custom firmware:

• 1-4 output levels

• Brightness of each output level fully adjustable

• Toggle between classic mode memory, hybrid or no mode memory

• 2xAA/1xCR123 not yet tested but should work with higher LED currents possible/likely

• Li-ion likely to run direct-drive (at least until the sense resistor burns out :P)

Definitely interested in these if you decide to produce them!

[veer (vēer)]

Im not impressed by its looks design wise - talking about Z1/Z2 here ;)!

[Fritz_t_Cat]

I like smooth curves, but it is fairly cheap.

[veer (vēer)]

I dont like that crap looking reflector protrusion ;)!

Spark done away with much better design in their reflector-capable lights where you can buy reflector and scew it in :)!

[Ronin42]

Consider that the trust fire is dirt cheap.

Also (crazy huh) if this design was mixed with Reys Ti light we could have the creation of the first Daleks’

I can see it now when we put a bettery in they say ILLUMINATE! , ILLUMINATE!!

[lostheplot]

I would like a AA version of the x5 in the limited edition version Blf group buy ally not copper

Oops already covers in post 152

So there at least two people want one!

[hank]

ILLUMINATE! , ILLUMINATE!!

Yeah, a tiny little memory chip and micro-speaker …

[presterjohn]

Is the AA powered X5 available to buy on its own?

[emarkd]

@presterjohn

Is the AA powered X5 available to buy on its own?

Not yet. As I understand it, it’s a new design created entirely for that X6v2/X5 group buy and it supposed to go away afterwards, at least as far as blf is concerned. But if the X5 proves popular I wouldn’t be surprised to see it live on after the buy, although probably with cheapened guts.

[cajampa]

@emarkd

@presterjohn

Is the AA powered X5 available to buy on its own?

Not yet. As I understand it, it’s a new design created entirely for that X6v2/X5 group buy and it supposed to go away afterwards, at least as far as blf is concerned. But if the X5 proves popular I wouldn’t be surprised to see it live on after the buy, although probably with cheapened guts.

And the X5 is not AA powered, it is 14500 powered.