5 amp driver issues?

Flashlight Modding and DIY Parts
1

I’m thinking of trying a 5 amp driver in the Home Depot Super thrower. If the heat is under control, will there be any downside?

The heat from the 4 amp driver is sucked up so well by the beast that I can barely feel any extra warmth at all — even after 30 minutes of the light being on!!!. And the 4 amp driver pushed light output up about 8 % from a 2.8 amp driver.

My question: Is there any downside to using a high-amp driver like this as long as the heat is wicked off? Will the emitter toast in a couple days? Will light output with the 5 amp driver be insignificant over the 4 amp driver? Any other downsides?

Thanks for everyone’s help.

(BTW, I’m getting 40k lux in the HDST with a U3 emitter and a 4A driver off a 18650 — a 32% increase over the 27k stock setup.)

2

I’d get a noctigon mounted xm-l from ios first then consider the 5a driver myself.

3

>>>>>I’d get a noctigon mounted xm-l from ios first then consider the 5a driver myself.

Do you mean “octagon” Gords? The fasttech U3s are mounted on an octagon 20mm star, and that’s what I used. Is that what you mean?

The output with the 4A driver is SCARY. Like a different light it’s so bright. I also coppered the springs; added the glass lens; used copper wire in the spacer mod instead of a bolt and am not using the 26650 tube. That knocks down the output a few lux. Unprotected battery gives the best output from my tests, with this 4A driver anyway.

Do you think the 5A driver would make any difference in output?

Glad I bought 5 of these lights. I’m going mod crazy with them. Trying to keep one stock for measurement purposes, but it a mod may eat it up soon.

4

Noctigon. IntlOutdoor house brand MCPCBs.

http://intl-outdoor.com/noctigon-xm20-copper-mcpcb-2pcs-p-713.html

5

Ah a noctigon! Rolls off the tongue! My new favorite word for the day.

But besides that, any issues with a 5 amp driver and longevity?

I just ordred a couple so I guess I’ll find out soon enough.

The new 4 amp drivers from FT are GREAT. 40 minutes last night mostly on high with ONE 18650 and still 4.85 volts when I got home.

Of course, god forbid you make a mistake and mistakenly switch to one of the other two driver modes. You ain’t getting out. The thing is blinking and ramping and strobing and SOSing and ramping. The directions on Fasttech do NOT work. You need the blink in the low mode to change modes, they say online. Well, there is no low setting in the other two modes. I have tried EVERYTHING to get out of the other two modes. Didn’t work. Blinking here, blinking there. Finally got out I think by swearing at it. :wink: I have managed to get back to the normal mode a couple times, but I have NO idea how I did it.

6

If the 5A driver you're talking about is the V10+ one, it won't do 5 amps. Mine will only do about 3.85A, and it's not a voltage sag issue as I've tried it with multiple cells in parallel. And since output on high is below spec, there's barely any noticeable difference between medium and high (though it does show a difference in tailcap amps).

You're right, that UI is the most useless thing ever. I finally figured out how to change to the next group when it's in the single mode high group, damned if I can remember the trick well enough to explain it though. I think you have to turn it off for more than just a short press after it blinks at you, or maybe it's the opposite, just a quick half-press. Whatever. I just leave it in the 3 mode lo-med-high group all the time. It's in a 3D/XML/NiMh Maglite.

But, if you do find a different driver that will do a real 5 amps, in a light that big and LED on copper, 5A shouldn't be an issue.

7

>>>>>Mine will only do about 3.85A, and

Mmmmmmmm When I try to do a tailcap reading on the 4 amp driver, I can only get 2 modes to test, the medium and the low. (The light normally has 3 modes; this 2-mode-only deal is only when testing with a DMM at the tailcap.) The medium is 2.85 A, so I’m thinking the top must be close to 4 amps because I have another one of these lights with another 2.8 A driver, and this one is about 10-15% brighter on high. Soooooo methinks the 4A driver really puts out about 4A. Now the 5A driver is a different story. I guess we shall see because I ordered two last night.

If you have an epiphany about how to get out of the crazy modes, please let me know PLEASE. I spent at l;east 30 minutes last night trying every blink and off combo I could think of. Again, I got out of it, but I don’t know how I did it.

>>>>>Whatever. I just leave it in the 3 mode lo-med-high group all the time

Absolutely. The thing is: A couple times I have changed modes from low too soon after the change-mode-blinks and BAMMO I’m stuck in the modes from heck (and I do mean HECK) again. Or I forget and shut the thing off in low mode — again into the crazy modes. So if you can remember the sequence please post it.

Thanks

8

Pretty thorough thread on the underwhelming V10+ here: https://budgetlightforum.com/t/-/17990

OK, the part of the group-changing that is tripping you up is that there are two very slightly different 3-blink signals... the cue to show it's ready to accept a group change after ~5 seconds, it goes blinkblinkblink, then you power off and back on immediately, and it's in the next group. Now in ramping mode, it also does 3 blinks at the bottom and then the top of the range, but they are timed different - say blink-blink-blink, then ramps up, then blink-blink-blink at the top. To get out of the ramping mode, give it a double tap to send it down to dimmest level, once it starts ramping up turn it off. Turn it back on and it should be at the level it was when turned off, and after ~5sec it'll go blinkblinkblink - then turn off and right back on. It should jump to the next group.

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Thanks for the info on the blinks. I didn’t realize it was posted elsewhere. I will check it out. I tried looking a few days ago but that was when BLF was going on and off and nothing was working right.

Did you figure out the blinking sequence? How in gods name did you figure it out? That is NOTHING like the fasttech explanation.

That is the most RIDICULOUS mode implementation I have ever seen. And the amount of blinking and button pressing to get out of the joke modes is just as ridiculous. What was the manufacturer thinking? Obviously he wasn’t.

10

Why not just use Nanjg 105, QLite or KD V2 and stack a few 7135s?

My HD ST currently has a V2 with 4 extra 7135s for 4.5a (XM-L2 on sinkpad). I may end up adding 2 more to get over 5a but wanted to see how the switch handled the current, so far no problem. In all honesty I probably wouldn’t even notice the difference (no lux meter).

What lens are you using? I still have the original one.

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>>>>>In all honesty I probably wouldn’t even notice the difference (no lux meter).

I have gone from 27k lux with a completely stock HDST to 50+k lux, about 48k lux sustianable, and BOY can I tell the difference.

Why this driver instead of a nan? Well, I had to buy some kind of driver and you don’t know whether something is good or bad until you try ’em. Except for the ridiculous mode system, I think the 4A version is fine. I don’t know about the 5A vesrion. Need to read the BLF thread about it. Made the order when BLF was down so didn’t have the benefit of other’s experiments.

Yes, I have 4 of the Leica coated lenses and they make a difference. Hugely surprised. I’m thinking 10%, but my various versions are getting confusing for comparing specific parts, so I need to sit down and chart everything out (but it’s more fun doing more mods!!).

Also “coppered” the springs (added thick stranded copper inside the springs — thought this was cork sniffing until my test showed improved lux with the copper). Stuck with an 18650. The A8 26650 add-on tube really produced a lux drop. This is probably due to the extra A8 switch, but I don’t want to lose my A8 for the HDST p, so I stuck with the 18650 mod with a coppered spacer. Lost the bolt. The bolt’s resistance (if that’s the right term) resulted in anoother lux drop.

I have only had my lux meter for a few weeks but BOY is it teaching me about output differences. I thought my eye was good at judging diffs, and I am really good at it, but the details that the lux meter turns up are a real help.

I need to sit down and compare all my notes from version to version.

So far I have 5 independent versions working:

1. HDST stock driver with 18650 conversion, plastic lens (about 27k lux).

2. HDST stock driver with U3, 18650 conversion, leica lens (about 32k lux).

3. HDST with U3, leica lens, coppered springs, 2.8 driver (measured at tailcap), 18650 conversion with copper replacement for bolt (about 38k lux).

4. HDST with U3, leica lens, coppered springs, 4A driver, 18650 conversion with copper replacement for bolt (about 44k lux).

5. HDST with XML-2, leica lens, coppered springs, 4A driver, 18650 conversion with copper replacement for bolt (50k+ lux).

I have one more stock unopened HDST that I’m saving for the 5A driver test.

Unprotected batteries SLAY the protected ones in my tests with this light, but that’s no surprise. I didn’t try al of my 300-or-so batteries, but did try a bunch. And surprisingly, the Samsung purple 2800 seem to do best with the 4A driver, beating the panasonic 2900s, which work best over anything I have for the stock HDST driver.

I may try the Nan driver if the 5A driver busts.

But I am pretty happy with the 4A version. I can get 30 solid minutes on high. Light starts at 4.20 volts, 50k lux; ends at 42k lux, 3.85 volts, Samsung unprotected 2800 purple 18650. Like I said, the numbers above may not add up completely correctly. I’m reading from scribbled notes on 10 different slips of paper. Wrote down readings on one component and not on another. Sloppy bookkeeping on my part.

12

In a light that big, you really should go to multiple cells in series (two should be fine if you're sticking to XML/2s) and a good buck driver. Wouldn't it be nice to have not only longer run time, but also constant light/current all the way to the end?

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>>>>>>you really should go to multiple cells in series

AZZBOLOOTLY. Got a driver in mind? I have ordered and tried in the past month two series two-cell drivers in a similar light (the most recent being the 2-cell driver from Fasttech) and they have been a bust. The FT driver only gives me low power (even with 1 cell).

Of course using two PROTECTED cells will lose some lux I would imagine. One unprotected cell way beat a protected one in my tests on this light. Was very surprized.

Then again, I was surprised that I got a solid 30 minutes out of the 4 amp driver with ONE 18650. One cell in the tube and two in my pocket gives me 90 minutes of 40k+ run time on high. That ain’t too shabby considering how much light’s being blasted out of the HDST.

I was goinng tomorrow to get an estimate at a friend’s machine shop to have a couple of the tubes cut down to hold one 18650.

14

http://intl-outdoor.com/9a-3mode-5512v-circuit-board-p-561.html (ok, that one may be a bit much for a single XML) :bigsmile:…BUT, may be the way to go, with a resistor mod to reduce the output to something tolerable, like 6A or so. I have one, but not used it or dug into what to tweak where to make it do stuff. (note: 26mm contact board)

http://intl-outdoor.com/boostbuck-318v-triple-xml-circuit-board-p-542.html <–this one does 5A when running a single LED, from 2 or 3 cells, in that setup it’ll be running in buck mode, boost mode won’t come into play - however, despite the “3-18v” in the title, it does not run properly from only one cell… on two or more it’s fine. (note: also 26mm contact board)

http://intl-outdoor.com/ld29-28a-12-cell-circuit-board-p-416.html I have not used this one, but lots of folks here have, I think it can pretty easily do higher amperage with a resistor swap, don’t know if it can be pushed to 5A or more (but then, the V10+ won’t do 5A in the real world, either - not even in the semi-non-real world of the test bench). Forum search on LD-29 will give you lots of reading to do.

There are some that get mentioned a lot from places like LCK-LED, but I don't shop there, so I wouldn't know what's what enough to make recommendations. If anybody else knows of parts that run in the 5-6A range, post them up!

15

I have a spare XML2 I'm willing to sacrifice, a 20mm copper board, a big heatsink to bolt it all to, and that 9A driver linked above. I could do a mad scientist experiment to see what that combo does (driver may not do the full 9A into a single XML2 since that's not what it was built for), if it'd be helpful... :evil:

16

I received what was supposed to be the 4A model. After a few minutes it went into single mode (high) and stayed there. No amount of button presses would change anything. When I did a tailcap reading, I got 4.4A reading. The amount of light of course was prolific, as was the heat build up of course. I’m in the process of trying to RMA it to FT and trade for a more reasonable driver, in the meantime I put the direct drive driver in and it seems to work fine.

17

Unless your water cooling the led 6 amps is a total waste. I had a supposedly 5 amp driver in a HD2010 with massive copper pill which put out 6 amps on high. You could not tell the difference in light output from 5 or 6 amps. Unless you have exceptional cooling personally I would stick to 4 amps. Your eyes just cannot tell the difference in the minor light output with the higher currents which would rapidly decrease due to heat build up. Please dont let me stop you though as I love reading about what others are doing.

18

Did I read that right?
2.8A to 4A caused an 8% increase in output?

If that’s the case then there is something seriously wrong, either it’s not actually at 4A or there is terrible heat management. I wouldn’t go above 4A, it’s just a waste.

“The heat from the 4 amp driver is sucked up so well by the beast that I can barely feel any extra warmth at all — even after 30 minutes of the light being on!!!” - This is usually a sign of bad heat management.

19

With Rustoleum's new NeverWet product, you might just be able to have water cooling by removing the o-rings and dunking the flashlight in a tub of ice water.

20

>>>>>2.8A to 4A caused an 8% increase in output?

>>>>>>If that’s the case then there is something seriously wrong,

Could well be. That was with a U3 emitter. With a L2 emitter, the output zoomed up 24%.

Since the L2 emitter worked so much better than the U3, I will be changing that light to a L2, when the L2 comes in. So it will be interesting to see if that light is the same output as the other one, which is 50k.

There are a bunch of questions and suggestions here, but I am really busy today. Will try to get to this, but it may be a while.