CPF Cometa review

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:

https://www.fasttech.com/products/0/10002748/1483104-uni-t-ut33d-1-9-lcd-palm-size-digital-multimeter

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. :wink:

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)

My wife would kill me and scatter my ashes in the beams of my lights if she saw the totals on what I’ve spent in the last couple of years.

Noctigon Copy. Shaped like a Nocti but look at the cut outs for the leads, 2 lead holes, 2 narrow hold down holes. My 20mm Noctigons measure 20.5mm this copy measure’s 19.8mm. Probably why you have a bigger clearance around the Cometa pill mcpcb pocket, board can move around more?

Ahhh, you know I didn't look close, but not surprising! Thought the X6/X5 threads said they were painted over. Maybe that was in the early phases? Hhmm - ok, good to know... So does that mean the X6/X5's were these same copies?

Thanx KB1428!

Yep, your welcome Tom! I used a real Noctigon and the emitter is centered and less chance of clipping the emitter pad corner when you put the cover on, probably help with the leads touching the cover too, since you won’t have all that slop!! :wink: Check out the driver pocket 18mm O.D. 16mm I.D. not the same as my JAX X6 pill, probably the X6 pill is the same as the Z1 ? Not the cometa pill when it comes to driver component clearance?? :open_mouth:

Take a look at the solder pads on the Noctigon compared to the BLF Kronos? See a difference? Look at the difference in the DTP pads too???

Oh boy, gotta take a better look for sure now. Your pics really tell the story of basic differences - another case of apparent cloning. Dunno, must have missed this if it was discussed and noted before. Sooo many risks I'd think with a new MCPCB, different manufacturer, but really, Hank's were not so perfect and consistent over time - it's been detailed here on BLF, and emailing with Hank, he's had some stories of bad batch's, and bad pieces, etc.. But I always liked Hank's own QC with his knowledge and concerns, and good designs.

I'm gonna swap out the LED anyways, probably de-domed XP-L V6, so yep - go with a true Noctigon then to get it well centered, like you said. Could really reflow the noctigon in there, specially if it's a snug nice fit, then screw the cover (not screw actually) if I want to, black it all out.