Why aren’t all flashlights built with brass screws or copper?
Besides electrical conductivity, brass conducts heat better than steel. So that big M4 screw that connects the super heated MCPCB to the big heavy reflector? Well, its the only point of contact of metal to the reflector, the other points are where it sits on the 4 plastic centering rings, and where it's held in place on top by the o-ring and glass lens. So does it make a difference? Maybe, but why not?
With the 2 screws holding down the MCPCB, yes brass is a good thing to have between the MCPCB and shelf, and again, it's the only direct metal contact between the two - the flat surface area is coated in thermal grease. On the 2nd batch though it's a different setup. I got my first 2nd batch light and I got pics and details to follow.
Please see the comments above. Even with steel screws they managed to bugger the heads. Brass is a very soft metal, but it conducts both heat and angry pixies much better than aluminum. Tom is experimenting on getting the heat away from the LED’s quicker. The tail benefits from improved conductivity from the battery springs to the body.
Imagine giving each of your underpaid, overworked assemblyline screw attachment people one of these:
https://www.aliexpress.com/w/wholesale-adjustable-torque-screwdriver.html
and a lesson in how and why to use it.
Going old school…my dad’s old tripod.
Only had a rubber spacer/washer handy …. what’s a good heat and scratch resistant material to use between head and tripod mount?
Here's the new setup in the 2nd batch:
Wow, they really made a big change here, threading holes in the reflector:
The new MCPCB screws are M2.5 x 10mm:
The new big reflector screw is M4 x 10 mm. The screw on top is from batch #1: M4 x 8mm:
Here's all the screws below:
- driver (2): M2.5 x 4 mm
- tail PCB (4): M2.5 x 5 mm
- reflector (1): M4 x 10mm
- MCPCB (2): M2.5 x 10mm
Overall quality and attention to detail is wayyyyy better than batch #1. Screws were tight but not over-tightened like they almost all were in batch #1.
This one tested, everything stock as-is on 30Q BT at 4.19V:
Lumens: 5870 @start, 5510 @30 secs, 56 kcd taken at 5m (473 meters)
As a novice computer user/programmer, I never felt I knew a program until I had seen every error message.
(only 1.4B more workers to teach screw technique…kinda daunting to think about)
Ok i finally received my Q8 today! But it has already given me a headache…
When i got the package it looked like it had been through a war. (torn, smashed, etc. The box the Q8 was in (inside the envelope was crushed, broke open, and light partly out of the box.
First thought on it, is the packaging is horrible.
The light didn’t seem to be damaged other than the body was only screwed to the head barely a turn or two in the head when i opened the package, and a couple blemmishes near the switch.
-When i first put cells in it and tightened the body the light came on. (without pressing the button) after a dozen or so clicks i get it to turn on & on, but can only get it to ramp up and down, the quick click gets it to the last ramped setting, (i despise ramping-only to start with!) I can get the double click to high working no prob, the battery check mode, the strobe mode, but tried everything to get it to change from the ramping setting to the mode-settings.
Also is the green button LED supposed to be on all the time when off? The only way i can get that to turn off is either unscrewing the body, or the 4-click lock out.
- Edit: Tom-E helped my tired brain to figure out the basic mode issue)
As for everything else on the Q8, it an awesome light. Powerful, nice neutral tint, body design, a real pocket-rocket.
Yikes, you got a good one 
To change from ramping to modes, from OFF, ramp upa little, then ramp down and continue to hold for 8+ seconds til the main LED blinks. Should blink twice quickly, then once slowly -- click once (it blinks when clicked), then press&hold til all the blinks finish. You should now be in mode set operation, defaulted to 5 modes including moon.
That sounds much like what I first experienced. I found I was performing too long a switch click to make the light go off. It requires a shorter click than the other side e-switch lights I have (like Olights).
The illuminated switch can be made to stay off when the light is off. The easiest way to get it to do that at first, is IMO, to ramp the light in the downwards direction, let go of the switch and then very quickly give it a quick second click.
It took me a while to get used to the click duration to make it go off.
@Tom E: what’s that goo on some of the screws? Glue or else? Where some of them ‘locked’ in?
Thanks for the detailed pictures.
@DBSAR: Your light seems to work… It may be a matter of getting used to the UI. I haven’t played with it yet, but kind of understood it can be confusing because of the ‘two blinks’ preceding a setting number… No sure though.
Thanks! i got that to work. ( i must be exhausted or brain-exhausted after getting home from a 10 hour work day and repeatedly banging the Q8 on my forehead to get it to make noise. I don;t know why it turns on though when i screw the body tight to the head, but not every time.
On the 2 long screws, that's thermal grease - that's ok.
On the one driver screw that has something near the bottom, I dunno what that is. If it was glue, it seemed to loosen easy. It's not a screw used for electrical or thermal transfer so doesn't matter much to me.
It’s supposed to give 2 dim blinks on the main leds when power is connected. It should not stay on.
Is your main leds staying on sometimes when power is connected?
Also, one of my videos in my sig is all about changing the settings.
it oddly does sometimes, not every time though.
Thanks for the pictures!
Do you have a comparison set showing the same parts and the screws from the earlier Q8?
“Here’s the new setup in the 2nd batch:”
Great info & pix. Thanks!
Mine from batch 2 arrived this week.
Such a sweet light for $40.
Many thanks to the entire Q8 team…
Mine finally arrived today. Just a quick glance and it must be 2nd batch.
If things slow down at work I will dig deeper.
Overall it looks great...Ready to start modding...
Hey All, what diffuser has worked the best thus far for the Q8. Im looking into buying one and want one that can be used for a camping/ party situation.
That’s definitely something the Miller should look into because it sounds like a legit issue. No one has ever reported this behavior, either.
You might try a factory reset and see if it continues.
I’m sure the Miller will be along soon.