Nope. I haven’t really paid much attention to the original BLF EE X6 driver. I have one unmodded unit, but it mostly just sits in its box to use as an occasional reference for comparison. The one I actually use is modded to work like the upcoming BLF X6v2, and I like it a lot better.
I see, something to learn every day! :-)
SS/Copper (SS/Cu)
NW
Quantitie 1
I have alerted Nitro to the possibility of these lights not being of the same dimensions and the original design I drew up for the riser/heat sink may not work in these. My initial X6 sample has a 35mm diameter opening in the top of the pill, where the original X6’s are 31.7mm, quite a difference.
So I am assuming that Nitro will hold off on a run for these lights, making only spacers for the standard X6. It is unknown to me at this time whether or not this 35mm dimension will remain unchanged in this next sample and/or the production run.
On it, though.
Edit: On the plus side, if the 35mm dimension does remain then it will not be necessary to trim down the 32mm Noctigon as before, which was one of the more difficult parts in building a triple.
How did they get the dimensions of the X6 just out of curiosity?
So have the pill opening made 32.1 mm so that the big Noctigon fits :-)
This is really a good reason to stay >=32mm, 31,7 mm seems quite ridiculous in this context.
Regards Juergen
Probably depends more on which cutters the (sub?contractor) has available, I’d guess they don’t have multiple complete sets of new sharp blades in each size.
OK so, strangely enough, all 3 BLF X6s I have access to are running a 3min 20s till stepdown…anyone else have this period before stepdown?
Dale, Thank you for your info on dimensions. Just a bit off-topic but some questions came to mind:
1) Won’t the original heat sink still fit since the 35mm opening is bigger than the 32mm heat sink? It won’t be as snug of a fit of course. Unless there is a concern that the heat sink will rattle around in the larger opening?
2) The noctigon board is 32mm so you had to shave off a bit less than 1mm off the circumference of the MCPCB to fit the 31.7mm opening? How did you accomplish that? With hand tools? What if we purchase the MCPCB with the LEDs already on it, how can we keep from damaging the LEDs while we’re filing and grinding away on the edges - the whole process seems a bit tedious with the LEDs sitting exposed while doing metal work on the MCPCB, lol !
3) Will using XPL-HI LEDs on the MCPCB give more throw? I assume so but was wondering what you thought. If more throw is likely, I’m thinking of ordering the MCPCB from Mountain Electronics and choosing the option to have the LEDs mounted by them (XPL-HI of course), especially since they will mount the LEDs at no extra labor cost.
4) How much will the stainless BLF/X6 weigh?
5) I assume the external dimensions will remain the same (5.23 x 1.57)” / (13.29 x 4)cm (Length x Head Dia.)
6) The smooth Ledil optic - how did you make it smooth? Is there more OTF lumens? More beam artifacts?
Well,
1) Won’t the original heat sink still fit since the 35mm opening is bigger than the 32mm heat sink? It won’t be as snug of a fit of course. Unless there is a concern that the heat sink will rattle around in the larger opening?
If the heat sink isn’t in contact with the sides it might have lesser performance. I don’t know how much that’d be a factor, but for me, designing it to work a specific way then having it not fit would be a fail. So I’d much rather the sink be made to fit the light, not just used as a drop-in. The reality is that the heat will disperse into the original shelf and out to the fins and it’ll probably work fine. Glue it in, so it can’t spin and twist wires or “rattle around”. The emitter shelf is smaller in diameter in these group buy lights, so far, so the base might not fit. Nitro had them made smaller so they just might, but that is a point to consider.
2) The noctigon board is 32mm so you had to shave off a bit less than 1mm off the circumference of the MCPCB to fit the 31.7mm opening? How did you accomplish that? With hand tools? What if we purchase the MCPCB with the LEDs already on it, how can we keep from damaging the LEDs while we’re filing and grinding away on the edges – the whole process seems a bit tedious with the LEDs sitting exposed while doing metal work on the MCPCB, lol !
While I haven’t done this with the emitters mounted, I don’t see a problem with a modicum of care. Ideally, a hole is bored through the center pad on the 32mm Noctigon for the wires to come through. I find it’s better coming through the center to prevent possible shearing otherwise. Once the hole is drilled, a machine bolt can be used to mount it to a drill and spin it for filing or sanding. I use a belt sander or a dremel tool or whatever works best for me at the time. 
3) Will using XPL-HI LEDs on the MCPCB give more throw? I assume so but was wondering what you thought. If more throw is likely, I’m thinking of ordering the MCPCB from Mountain Electronics and choosing the option to have the LEDs mounted by them (XPL-HI of course), especially since they will mount the LEDs at no extra labor cost.
In theory, yes, the HI’s should have more throw. As with so many of our builds there are trade-offs though. It’s easier to find a higher binned XP-L, and a de-domed V6 is quite different than a HI in V2 or V3. The win for the HI’s is the purer color tint.
4) How much will the stainless BLF/X6 weigh?
The stainless X6 with a copper pill section will be a chunk! I like it for that, I like it a LOT for that! I don’t like the wimpy is-it-still-in-my-pocket flashlight that seems to have no substance. That’s a personal preference of course, the weight of the SS light won’t be for everyone.
5) I assume the external dimensions will remain the same (5.23 × 1.57)” / (13.29 × 4)cm (Length x Head Dia.)
Gonna be real close, we don’t have the new samples yet so I can’t say how true they’ve been to the original design. There were quite a few things we asked them to address, so it’s a lot like starting over.
6) The smooth Ledil optic – how did you make it smooth? Is there more OTF lumens? More beam artifacts?
I sanded the face of the optic from 120-1500 grit paper then polished it with Mother’s Billet Polish. I don’t know that there’s a measurable difference in output, there will be some artifacts not noticed with the diffused face, but I like how it looks as you can see the internal TIR whereas you can’t with the original honeycomb pattern that’s present. So it’s mostly an aesthetic for me.
I do like to use a lens over the optic, and I like using specifically the UCLp lens from flashlightlens.com. There is no substitute. Period. (flame away, my opinion is based on my experience and I’ve yet to see ANY lens from any maker beat the performance of an UCLp in my lights, gaining in some cases 400+ lumens and in others 27Kcd throw. I’m a beliver because I’ve seen the results in a LOT of different instances.)
Hope that helps! :bigsmile:
Dale,
Thank you so much for being so patient in answering my questions. Thank you for your time!
Here is a smooth-faced optic by Khatod (35mm diameter x 11.8mm high) “narrow beam”. So its a bit shorter than the Ledil Optic (35mm diameter x 16.5mm high).
With the lower optic height, this will change the heat-sink/spacer dimensions. Or maybe get a thicker Nitro “no-glass-lens-in-front” spacer and make up the difference by putting in a glass UCL and a thicker O-ring.
Do you have a thread (with pics or a diagram) on your high-current tailcap mod showing exactly where to drill and attach the bypass wire so our tailcap doesn’t fail with the triple mod?
Thank you again!
My black blfa6: 40s
My bare blfa6: 51s
I would not have minded your 3 minutes :-)
The attiny13a clock speed varies by quite a bit. When I hooked up an LED as a light sensor to measure PWM speeds, I found quite a bit of variation from unit to unit.
In any case, the X6v2 doesn’t need a 45-second step down like the A6. It likely doesn’t need a turbo timer at all, though it’d be cool to have some thermal regulation.
djozz, in case you missed it, he is talking about the X6-SE, not the A6-SE. The original X6-SE lights were made by EE, and the A6-SE lights were made by Manker.
I did miss that, thanks for noticing :-) I can not check my BLF-X6 though, it has got a LD1 driver.
By Christmas 2016, but that would be a new topic entirely …
I hear the samples are ready to ship, and they’re gorgeous!
The copper sections got an anti-oxidation treatment to keep the metal bright and shiny, all the rough edges are smoothed, the logo appears to be etched pretty deep, the knurling is an art all on its own, and check out that all-copper beauty! Not to mention the upgrades and refinements on the inside… but more about that after they arrive for testing.
Whoa! That’s what I’m talking about!
The etching is beautiful - nice font, nice and deep - the logo itself will probably give us enough grip!
The tailcaps match-up to the body end-to-end nice and tight! Love it!
The all-copper K6 looks like a shelf queen already!
Congratulations to the BLF SE X6 team!