But, I have one, and have been testing it, outside of a light, and am having a problem.
The one I have does not seem to be able to output 3 amps at the emitter.
I am testing with 1x18650, and I see ~2.89V at the output with no emitter attached.
Measuring emitter current, I am seeing ~0.89 (890 mA) amps and 0.15 amps (150 mA), but no 3 amps.
I’ve tried with several different emitters, and also tried two different 18650 batteries.
The driver DOES seem to change modes ok, but only between what is apparently medium and low, but no high mode (3 amps). The IOS says that 2-mode sequence should be high-low.
Does anyone have any idea why it’d not have a high mode? Is the one I have defective?
I’ve tried the “wait 10 seconds and then off-on”, but I’m not sure if it’s changing mode sequences, but even it isn’t changing mode sequences, the IOS page doesn’t show a “medium-low” sequence, which is what is puzzling. It’s like the high mode is missing.
It could have been wrongly programmed if the 2 modes are medium and low, which they would appear to be. 890mA measured- specified 900mA output on Medium.
No, I’ve only tried with several spare XP-G emitters. XP-G is spec’ed at maximum 1500mA forward current, I think, but I’ve DD’ed these emitters off of 18650s before (for short times), so I would’ve expected to see at least 1.5 amps with the LD-2C driver, but so far, no go.
I have heard of IOS drivers being mis-programmed. I have a light being built, and the builder got a driver from IOS that had the wrong modes, but in that case, we were asking for a custom mode sequence, whereas the LD-2C is “standard”/non-custom.
BTW, although I’m not planning to try this driver with MT-G2 :), I don’t think that would work. As I mentioned, I measure 2.89V at the emitter leads, unloaded, whereas the MT-G2 requires 6V, so I don’t think this driver will drive an MT-G2.
I don’t think it’s misused. I got it awhile ago, but it was in the original packaging until today, because I haven’t had a chance to try it. I may try to email Hank at IOS to ask him about it.
have you tried it with two cells to see what it gives? I have one too but have not had a chance to play yet, too busy getting ready to move house next week, if it thinks it is in a low voltage situation, it won’t change mode groups I don’t think.
she didn’t want to take the test till her mum and sister are back off holiday and we’ve moved in, I’m mad busy with work (fridge engineer in a heat wave, from monday morning till Wednesday dinner last week, I’d clocked 39 1/2 hrs) so she feared the worst and not having much support with me out till all hours, we should have the keys for the new place on Tuesday and be in next weekend, her mum and sister are back next Saturday too so we’re hoping to have the test done as soon as possible after that.
The work and the house move are severely holding up some of my builds, including an l2 thrower for another member, that said, once I’ve moved I will have a proper workshop which will make builds much easier.
I’m hoping this ld-3c turns out good as its earmarked for my defiant 3c super thrower, along with a high cri xm-l2, I want to retain the 3c capability, but I now have a bored tube courtesy of another member, so I’m hoping to be able to run 1*18650/26650, 2*18650/26650 or 3c, the driver not doing what it should will force me into a rethink. hence my interest.
Ok, I think that I’ve found something: The emitter type makes a difference, at least for me. First of all, I think that the driver was in a weird mode state. It was hard to tell, because I was testing by just tapping the lead to the battery, so I added a tailcap switch. When I did that, I was able to enable the 3-mode sequence (leave on high, wait until blinks, then turn light off, to switch sequences). The currents below are all emitter currents, and this was with 2x18650 batteries:
- I switched to a new XM-L emitter, and with that, I get:
High: ~2.4 amps
Med: ~0.9 amps
Low: ~0.15 amps
- Went back to the (two different) XP-G emitters:
High: ~1.24 amps
Med: ~0.9 amps
Low: ~0.15 amps
I’ve seen this kind of behavior before, when I was testing an XR-E in a Jacob A60. No matter what I did, including DD, I could only get some smaller current (about 1.25 amps, if I recall). On the A60, when I switched to an XM-L emitter, the tailcap current went way up (remember, this was DD, so tailcap current =~ emitter current).
So, at least on my setup, with 2x18650, and the LD-2C driver, and with an XM-L emitter, the LD-2C driver can source ~2.4 amps to the XM-L emitter in high mode.
that’s still a long way below an ld 29 1 or 2 cell driver though :~ hmmmm
I have also seen the same thing with different emitters drawing different currents from the same driver, I just concluded “wth” and got on with my life, your direct drive measurements on an xp-e still confuse me though as I had to hold back the emitter on direct drive in a couple of jacobs where you struggled to get it to the “oh crap this is taking the mickey point”
I had one in an IOS T10 with an XM-L2 for a bit. I posted the results here, but I can’t remember what thread. I only remember I was getting 3A with 2 x 18350. I only swapped it out because I wanted 4+ A.
Do not ever power up a driver with no load attached to the outputs. Many of them can be damaged by doing that, and you won't know which ones are OK with it and which aren't until after it's too late. It's likely the no-load testing broke the driver, hence why it doesn't work per the spec sheet now. :(
I’ve been trying different XM-L (and an XM-L2) emitters, and things have been going downhill, to the point that I’m now getting only 1.74 amps in high mode, so you may be right, and I may’ve done something bad to the driver :(.