Thanks mate
That would explain the weight i thought i read copper some where but oh well.
Thanks for doing the review!
Brass and copper weigh about the same.
About the always step-down on all modes: I have that in several group-buy lights (X5/X6) that have the Bistro software. I’m not sure what bug it is but it was annoying me and it disappears if you disable the turbo step-down via the configure interface.
Definite configured turbo or temp step-down. Pretty sure it's timing based like djozz said, though so most likely turbo. 30 secs is ridiculous for a light like this. It should have been defaulted to 2 mins at least.
Hhmm, can't post anymore to the main Cometa thread - no quote or reply options, no new post option... Weird? Maybe SB shut it down? It was getting nuts, so maybe...
That thread has been locked Tom.
Not a Noctigon.
Another caution - not sure if noted yet. Don't over tighten the bezel. The outer edge of my lens cracked and splintered. I removed the broken chard's of glass, and it is totally hidden when assembled. I can't be sure if it came like that or I did it the first time re-assembling.
I think there's something wrong, or bad tolerances up in the inside top of the bezel, because I don't think the Z1 had this problem. There is an o-ring there, like the Z1, but this stuff is probably very sensitive to tolerances and design.
Since mine is all tweaked up, greased up the zoom threads (better but not near as good as the Z1), and really thought I could gift it or sell it, but that bezel concerns me, if all someone has to do is give it a good CW crank.
Huh? Wut do you mean? My Cometa has a Noctigon, painted white, but a Noctigon.
Bistro uses thermal regulation for step down, you have to configure it by running the light on Turbo in level 7 until it is the amount of heat you’re willing to live with, then turn it off. It will then use this reading as it’s base for stepping down (or stepping back up when it cools down)
Enter configuration mode by clicking 16 times, the light will stop responding to your clics, each level will blink softly once for the level than “stutter”. (Yes, it takes a while to wait out all the levels blinks and stutters)
At Thermal configuration (level 7) bump (short press) to enter this level…the light will then come on in a medium level. If you turn it off here step down will be disabled. Leave it on in this med mode for a couple of seconds and the light will step up to Turbo. Do this with fresh charged cell, run it till it’s as hot as you wish. Turn it off. You’ve just configured the thermal step down.
Most Bistro drivers come in with the Thermal regulation activating at virtually ambient temperatures. Set it once like above, then forget it. This will solve your step down issues.
Ah, first time that I understand this, thanks for the explanation. It does mean that thermal stepdown is happening at all levels, not just at turbo.
Hot is hot, regardless of what level causes it. If the setting is too low, then the ATTiny25 attempts to reduce power to alleviate the low temperature setting.
I guess it would take an individual setting each and every light before shipping them out to have that working properly upon arrival, so of course it’s left to the end user only they don’t mention it.
Thanks Dale, my bad, should have known that!
When you say different leads, do you mean thicker? I.e. 10 or 12 awg leads?
If you just used a different pair of thin leads that won’t aid in seeing higher numbers.
I just made my Cometa safe with 2 insulators. And I bypassed the driver spring (which was single in my light) and I changed the emitter wires to 18AWG.
Now I read 4.9 AMPERES at the tailcap on turbo! Using one of the “lightweight” BASEN 26650 from the GB.
I got 5.79A tail on a clamp meter (UNI-T 210E) with the stock 24 AWG LED wires and stock driver spring, on a BASEN cell at 4.22v.
With the tail spring bypassed, and NO-OX-ID treatments and Nyogel on the o-ring/threads in the tail, I got:
Lumens: ~1,139 @start, ~1,071 @30 secs, 146.5 kcd taken at 5m (765 meters), all on a V0 3B stock XP-L HI
Wow!
I read some 4.15 before the mod. But I’m doing Ampere measurements with the DMM using short bare wires.
Or maybe there’s some other variation! As I don’t have other 26650ies I’ll try with some high drain 18650 and report back if I get significantly different readings.
The UNI-T cheap meters have outstanding quality, believe it or not, for high amps measuring. I work with a "super tech" here who swears by them, has several all over the lab, and the amps measuring circuitry he says is as good as his high end Flukes. $15 is what I paid for mine from eBay. It's this one at FT:
I also bought from FT this one, because of better features like auto power savings:
https://www.fasttech.com/products/0/10002748/1204400-uni-t-ut50b-25-lcd-handheld-digital-multimeter
Of course you still have to use short heavy leads... And, a clamp meter will still read higher, more significantly at higher amps.
If the wire loop is repeated, does the ensuing readout need to be divided by the number of loops?
IE: If 3 loops are used and the readout shows 12A, would that indeed be 12A or 4A?
Thanks, thought I’d heard that but with my memory it pays to double check. 
When is this practical? A light with like 2.3A and a 20A setting on the meter? Something like that? Or say a 500mA UV light?
Yeah, uh, NO. I just added up my expenditures at 3 stores and figure I’ve spent my coffin money on flashlights. :confounded:
(there has to be a joke or pun here somewhere)