Interesting O-L. I would think from the specs it would work well. Says its CC circuit so it should hold the current at 6 amps if the input voltage is higher than vf plus driver overhead and battery sag factored in. It may even be moddable for more current if those 2 parallel resistors are current sense resistors (R200 & R082). Pretty big driver at 28mm diameter. Who’s going to order one. UPDATE: Comfychair is on the ball as usual, ordered before this thread even started. I’m not buying anything from DX ( I have my reasons). I’ll try to find some other supplier.
Was looking at DX, the other evening, and the same idea crossed my mind, give it a go…
It looks good on the spec. One would have to have to keep in mind that it is advertised as it seems 28mm in diameter and 21mm tall.
Even bigger at 38mm but I'm sure it will fit in something.
ID of a D-cell Maglite tube is a hair over 34mm...
I just received one yesterday. I don't think it will work with the MT-G2.
I hooked it up to an MT-G2 with 3S NCR18650's. It worked for couple minutes and then started smoking. I didn't get a chance to measure at 3S. I could not turn it off with the switch.
I then tried to run it with 2S cells. It would only stay in one mode (1.1 amps). After many attempts it changed to a higher mode. It pulled 2.4ish amps, but then started fluctuating and then amperage dropped. Driver became quite hot and I could not turn it off with the switch.
I haven't looked to see what component was smoking yet.
EDIT: I just looked at the driver and tried it out again. Still doesn't want to change modes. Looks like 2 resisters in different areas burned up.
The driver shouldn't be able to tell the difference between a single MTG2 and 2 XMLs in series, right?
The driver would not care if it was an MT-G2 or XM-L in series. I would say that in order to power the driver, you would need a minimum of three Li-ions to give enough voltage under load. If it's like most buck drivers, it needs at least one more volt above what the driver needs, so for 6 amps on an MT-G2, with resistance and sag, I would think the driver would need at least 8 volts minimum to work right. 3xLi-ions.
I would say OL is probably right. 6 amps is going to be quite a strain on most 18650 li-ions.
From Djozz testing it took all most a forward voltage of 7v to reach 6 amps. Factor in the other variables, no way it will work from 2 Li-ions at 6 amps.
So 3 is probably needed to stay in regulation.
There seems to be conflicting info in the ad. It says multiple xml in parallel, but then is shows output of of 3.3 - 10 volts. The inductor doesn't seem like a thick enough gauge.
| Brand | N/A |
| Color | Black |
| Quantity | 1 |
| Material | ENIG PCB |
| Operating Voltage | 7~18V |
| Current | Max. 6A |
| Mode Arrangement | Hi / Mid / Low / Fast Strobe |
| Board Size | 28 x 28 x 2mm |
| Mode Memory | No |
| Functions | Smart driver board |
| Other Feature | Input voltage: 7~18V; Output voltage: 3.3~10V; Output current: Max. 6A; Working efficiency: 90%; Suitable for multiple Cree XM-L or SSC-P7 emitters in parallel, or SST50; 4-Mode: Hi / Mid / Low / Fast Strobe; With reverse polarity protection; High quality MCU, constant current circuit; A: High light, current: 6000mA 100%; B: Mid light: current: 4000mA, 66%; C: Low light: current: 2000mA, 33%; With 3-second power on memory |
| Packing List | 1 x Driver board 1 x Rubber button |
It does seem like the specs are incorrect. I went by the voltage statement. If that is true, then it would be XM-L in series, not in parallel.
Comfy, I may need to ask you to read a couple of the resistor labels when you get your driver. I can't read the burnt ones. I will try to clean them and see if that helps first. If I do need the info, I'll take a photo and point them out to you.
That will not work with an MT-G2 it can't output more than 3.9V
That's an awful lot of components going to waste then, there are much simpler ways to run a single 3v LED at that output. We'll know soon enough, I guess.
Im sorry to hear about the driver failing ImA4Wheelr. Hope you get it up running again. And thanks for taking one for the team! :beer:
Phew! I almost ordered three. I’m still hopeful though. Perhaps ImA4Wheelr got a faulty one. I’ll be keeping my eye on this thread.
Edit: did you remove the built in switch to connect it? I’m wondering if the switch can’t handle 6A.
Ouchyfoot wrote:
Edit: did you remove the built in switch to connect it? I’m wondering if the switch can’t handle 6A.
I did not remove the switch. The switch is quite small and may be an electronic switch for sending a signal. It certainly doesn't look like it can flow 60watts (rated output of 10 volt x 6 amps).
This is a shame because the driver looks real good. Lots of components. All nicely soldered (by machine, I would guess). Makes me wonder why they are selling it so cheap. I was hoping it was due to the awkward layout.
Maybe if I would have better heat sinked it, but I doubt it would have made a difference. I think it is just designed for 3+ volts. Comfy has one on the way and he is knows much more than me about this stuff.
Just saying what the specs say : Output Voltage : 2.6-3.9V Best for SST50 or SST90 Led
RaceR86 wrote:
I'm sorry to hear about the driver failing ImA4Wheelr. Hope you get it up running again. And thanks for taking one for the team!
Thank you for the sentiment and recognition. I tried a couple times to find the thread where this driver was first brought up, but it eludes me. If you happen to know it, please post it so I can update it. I think I have a link to it at work.
I'm hoping I'm missing something and Comfy figures out how to make this work with MT-G2. It would be nice to have a low cost 3S option for it.