Bad news (regarding the modding). Wonder if it’s possible to cut the traces on the MCPCB and wire the LEDs in parallel …
Got mine today but haven’t disassembled it yet. NW - which is very warm but I guess I like the tint. Has some dents, anodisation is far from perfect but not too noticable with the grey version (which actually isn’t grey, more a green/brown/oliv at the tube, the head a bit brighter and the bezel looks like stainless steel).
Also measured about 2500 lumens, not much of a difference using Keeppower protected or Liitokala 5000. About 7 Amps draw with Keeppower at 4 Volts. Due to the construction also (some?) protected cells fit.
I’ve been thinking about this light, at 2500 lumens from 7 emitters it’s making some 355 lumens per emitter, which is really down there in the efficiency range of the emitter. Amperage per emitter is low, heat should be pretty well controlled as it should be quite low at each emitter, just wondering how it adds up?
I really like the look, have no idea if or how long I’ll leave it stock.
It did get warm at 30 secs, but nothing crazy. Actually in the quick testing I've been doin, haven't noticed it getting hot. Theoretically would be more efficient even with XP-G3's or XPL2's - that's my minimum mod plan. As you can see in the pics, lots of sub ohm resistors wired to the LED- wire, so I'm sure resistor modding would help, but risky since replacing/upgrading this driver is not so easy if you blow it because of the 7S design.
No mode memory, but it's how it's designed. On BG's listing it says:
"Four easily accessible brightness levels and memory function for fast boost"
Which is accurate - when you dbl-click with the light ON in lo,mid or hi, turbo comes on, then 1 click returns back to the mode you were in.
Little tricky to re-assemble after loosening the battery tube to get access to the driver. Some of you I'm sure may be aware of this trick. The driver in mine is not glued or even press fit in. The brass fitting/ring over it is also loose. It counts on the tightening of the battery tube to hold it together and in place. You must align the switch yourself - no alignment notch's, or anything that sets the position. So, trick is to hold down the driver while dropping on the brass ring, then continue holding it in place downward while threading on the tube. I used a simple solder pick tool with a dull point to do this. So, while holding the driver down firmly with the solder pick tool, I dropped the brass ring over the tool to set it in place, followed by dropping the battery tube over the tube, all while keeping downward pressure on the tool. This resulted in the driver w/button held in the perfect position.
I’m sure this is what happened to mine during assembly. Like you said, the only thing holding the driver and ring in place is the tube body. If that driver is not aligned where the switch sits in the slot, screwing the tube back on will result in shearing off the switch.
Maybe a good trick to reassembly would be to use a pencil to hold the parts in place.
I’ll look at mine when it arrives, see about cutting a new brass retainer that’s threaded to match the tube. That should help. Might drill a locator hole and thread it, put a single screw in the driver to hold it in place or act as a stop so it can’t twist.
Thanks Tom, nice tip. I have done that kind of thing before with drivers as well as lenses, but might have forgotten.
Sounds good Dale. Sure you will have ideas once you get it and look it over. The pencil is a better idea! The eraser won't mark up the surface and gives you some traction against possible twisting. I'm not crazy about the stiffness of the button - I've said this many times before with other lights. Good on preventing accidental activations, not so good for wear&tear on the switch, specially a right angle mount one, plus lots of clicks and holds can be a pain.
Does anyone know if D.Q.G. is RIC's company? I always associated this line of lights with RIC and BTU, but never 100% sure. Weird he doesn't have it listed yet on cnqualitygoods.com.
I like to use JB Weld Water Weld, it’s a jelly roll epoxy that you simply cut a slice off the doughy roll and knead it together, place it form it and it’s hard as a rock within about 10 minutes (less actually) A big dollop of that backing the switch would go a long way towards making it indestructible. It will also serve to pot the driver which should help with any heat issues it may have or simply make it long term durable.
They call it water weld because you can slice off a chunk, start kneading it to mix the two components while you dive into a swimming pool and by the time you reach the bottom where the pool is cracked you’re ready to shove the epoxy into the hole and stop the leak. It hardens under water, on a leaking gas tank, anywhere and everywhere. It’s drinking water approved as well. Amazing stuff.
We used to carry 4 or 5 tubes of water weld when sailing offshore races. If a through-hull fitting ever broke, you could plug it with that stuff. A chunk pressed in behind the switch for support seems like a good idea
It’s so quick and easy, aside from getting the fingers a mess, there’s really no reason not to do it. It’s like mashing up white play-dough then pushing it into place. Some gets on the fingers but it’s dry, washes off easily enough. Just be careful not to spread it around on the outside of a black light coming off your fingers (or wipe it down quickly before it sets)
You can drill it and tap it for a bolt within 10-15 minutes. Seriously. (It really does harden miraculously fast, you have to be quick and get it right or it’s just tough luck, be prepared for that, have a towel nearby, maybe some wet-wipes, go through the steps thoroughly in your mind so you know exactly what you’re doing then do it.)
I've been doin this for a while (Yezl Y3 below), using regular 2 part JB Weld, but the sticks sound a whole lot easier. I had a relative's Y3's switch fail, well he didn't realize it actually, I didn't back it up with JB Weld. I was expecting it to be off the the PCB but instead, the switch mechanism inside the switch failed - no longer clicked, but if you pressed it hard it would still work. I replaced it but made me think how much more difficult it would be if I JB Weld'ed it. I bought a bunch of spares and noticed the switch's from Mouser have true spec sheets and MTBF ratings, etc. The eBay sourced ones are Chinese generic, which is probably the same as used in most of these lights. So who knows what the reliability is.
Ok, so smear some Johnson’s Paste wax on the back of the switch or place a bit of Saran Wrap over it, then smash the JB Weld in place and in a few minutes trim off the extra Saran Wrap or whatever. Then if the switch ever fails it’ll be free to be removed, not stuck to the epoxy. Still backed though….
Edit: Option would be to use Arctic Alumina Thermal Adhesive. It’s a two part epoxy I use to glue a copper mcpcb to an aluminum emitter shelf. It cures quite fast, a bit slower than the JB Weld Water Weld but still quite fast, and if you heat it with a soldering iron it can be removed. Not exactly easily, but still, it can be removed.
Received my black NW today. Not really neutral, much warmer in tint but not bad. I like the UI. 1 click med, 2 click high and 3 click low. press and hold for turbo when off. double click for turbo when on. I’m using a 26650 spacer with sanyo button top GAs works well and feels really lite. I’ll probably buy the cool white in grey. This one is black. Thanks again for the group buy freeme!
I haven’t even dropped a cell inside but looking at the inside and seeing no springs at either end but insulation rings i’m wondering how it is supposed to work?
…and what are those two small orings i found in the box for?
