The 12x12 switch base will be the tough part for the pots, as they are 3x3mm each. It would have to be a pretty big ring
Really, just the standard ring with 3 resistors would be more than fine. I tried to ream the centers, but that did not go well. I would be after the 17mm ring, maybe a set of 19mm’s as well.
Have not received the clear gaskets for the S2+ yet, and I do not know how many Simon has sent to me. When they arrive I will report, and also will put one in a red S2+ that already has six nice red leds that for now are illuminating just the inside of the tail.
Here it is. Unfortunately I couldn’t make a 17mm version, as the base of the switch is too big. Even on the 19mm diameter the resistors are pushed almost all the way to the edge. Interior ring is spec’d at 8.4mm, probably will be 8.1mm when you get it from Osh.
I will try it… the resistors on the 17mm that I have used so far have set on the switch but it seems to work fine. Will try to get a pic this weekend for you…
If you are fine with the resistors riding on the switch then I can chop it down for you. I just thought that would cause problems with fitment.
So far the hole size has been the only problem. When I sand the stem housing down, they seem to work ok. Those resistors are so thin… a tiny bit of plastic would hold it level if needed.
At BG the X5/X6 driver is for sale now, which is prepared for the lighted tail.
It appeared about one week ago .
There is also a coupon (bistro).
Is the following the timing issue seen with too high a bleeder resistor value or is it something else altogether?
I have a FET+7135 driver with OTC and a bleeder resistor (470 ohm), however, it now has a strange issue where if the light gets hot, the switch timings shorten considerably so that short-click is impossibly fast so that I do a medium-click instead. The timings become normal again when cooled down. The lighted tailcap works perfectly.
This issue occurs even when just a wire is used instead of a tailcap.
I have seen that a few times. The worst one I have is an S2 triple, when she gets to hot the modes are really unpredictable. I am going to change it the the H17F driver and see if that settles it down. I should since it ramps on temperature, from what I have read it does the ramping very smoothly and with a fair amount of intelligence.
Usually if it’s a very drastic difference when hot it’s a bad OTC. Either a cheap one that isn’t rated for the heat, or one that was damaged by too much heat while soldering the driver.
Occasionally a lower bleeder will fix the issue, but if you’re having the problem even without the tailcap installed, I don’t think it’s that.
This is my first attempt of lighted tail cap build.
Which rev should I choose for Convoy C8?
Rev 6 has attiny board, can I use it without it?
Thanks PD68 for that useful tidbit!
I removed the bleeder resistor and it functions normally just like before, eliminating OTC damage as a cause.
Without the bleeder, the resistance of the driver is ~22k and works normally without the tailcap. With the lighted tailcap, the MCU must be remaining powered as the OTC never drains and thus the mode always switches no matter how long it has been off! More investigation is needed.
I suspect the solution is a higher resistance but not so high that the MCU remains powered.
Rev6 needs an mcu, and so far is mostly untested.
If you want just a ring on top, you will want one of the Rev5 boards (one is unlisted, I’ll fix that tonight. The BIG SWITCH version I just did for Matt should work well) and/or a Rev4 board if you want the added utility of the little switch on the bottom.
If you look in the OP, I have linked the post #’s of where each board version is introduced. There’s a bit more info in those posts
Cool.
The whole idea of these tailcaps is based on observation and not some high level of electrical experience. Most of what happens between the tailcap, OTC, and bleeder is still essentially unknown.
So keep us updated on what you find
Well said PDog… each build is a new adventure! They are fun to work at, great to look at, but can be a pain in the behind to troubleshoot. I have one working properly on a Shadow JM07, it is red and orange and shows up well under the truck seat!
I tried a 2.2k bleeder + no tailcap and that shortens the OTC timings even when cold.
Finally got all my parts in and built one yesterday. Couple observations:
- For a Convoy S2+, the stack is a bit thick. The tailcap retaining ring gets maybe one full turn. I just ordered more boards in 0.8mm, should fix that issue.
- I can’t get normal operation out of my MTN-17DDm “New”. This is a common theme with the A6/Bistro firmwares it looks like, because of OTC and driver voltage issues. I’m trying to run 300ohm total resistance across the bleeder and tailcap (red LEDs + need a lot of light to see through the small gap in the S2+ metal switch). Following some advice earlier in the thread of running a 5:1 ratio, I set the tailcap pot to 250 and added a 50 bleeder resistor. Good brightness, but nothing but forward presses worked. Additionally, turning off the light, waiting 5 seconds, and turning it back on did not start from the bottom, but continued on the next higher mode. Lowering tailcap resistance had same results. Raising the tailcap resistance resulted in all of my short presses became medium presses, cycling the driver backwards into the strobe modes no matter how fast I pressed (not clicked, just pressing).
Not really sure what to make of that. Doesn’t seem like anyone has conclusively figured out how to work the mcu and OTC with the lighted tailcap, at least not at lower resistances. I’ll fiddle with it some more.
Hi pilotdog, do you know offhand if this will fit the Convoy S2? The Rev5.1x did not fit. The hole was too small to fit over the switch.