Does everything work as it should on the Q8 after a spring bypass? Is there any other reason flashlight manufact. dont do this on stock lights, besides the fact that it adds cost?
Probably, yes. If it has a USB port, it can probably be used for firmware flashing.
We should stick to Narsil in this thread though, and go to other threads for other firmware options. Otherwise it’ll get confusing pretty fast.
I’m happy that the hardware can do off/low/high on the indicator LED though. Given how easy the Q8 is to reflash, it might be a nice mod option for people who want the switch to be less bright. It’s a very small patch, potentially just one line.
Think I posted a few times - I modded a batch of Q8's getting 7,000 to 7,200 lumens at turn on, stock Q8 LED's, batch #1 lights but with all the tweaks, but still used the stock 18 AWG wires. Some suspected our readings, some didn't post their readings thinking they were not correct. Turns out others ended up getting the same #'s once they got their lights and modded them, so now, it's been confirmed many, many times.
My best modded Q8, so far, is 7,340 @start, 6,720 @30 secs, and that's with 70 mm 16 AWG wires and the SIR404DP FET, plus all the usual tweaks, and it's a batch #1 light.
If I remember the discussion many 1000s of posts ago… The springs act as a sort of fuse. Bypassing them also bypasses that safety.
I wouldn’t mind having an AR coating on my lens. It means a few more % output out the front. Probably would never notice it unless one was pushing the light to it’s limits and had something to compare it to, but still it’s all about light out the front that these were built.
Just as an fyi, I actually did accidentally insert one cell correctly, and one upside down, running only 2 cells for testing. so tightening up the tube, nothing came on, then I saw a stream of smoke rising -- quickly disengaged the threaded body from the head. So the only damage was both springs were shrunk down and the coatings burned off, so I can confirm the springs will act as a fuse, as we've been saying all along. When you bypass the springs, the short will attack the next highest resistance path in the circuit, so not sure what that might be. My method of bypass still uses a small length of tracing on the tail PCB, but if you use braid going directly to the screws, then there is no PCB traces in the circuit. The PCB traces I would think would be the next weak point, but I'm not sure. I've seen burnt up traces from a direct short before.