How much tail cap current are you guys getting? I’m at 2.8 amps using multimeter, one probe on battery (-) and the other on tube. Battery is NCR18650GA.
What prices do you use with your multimeter?
Sounds to me as standard measuring probes?
If you can, make some short 14 or 12 awg probes.
(thanx PD for correcting me 
)
Is the NCR18650GA the only battery you have? Is it a protected battery?
The only other issue with a FET driver I have had in measuring current is at times I cannot get the modes to change reliably. You may be on a lower level inadvertently. Enable mode memory on your light, put it on turbo for about six seconds, then turn off and try measuring again. I had something like this happen on a FET driven triple, it would not change modes to high when using the multimeter leads to interrupt the current and change modes.
Thicker than that even. 12awg or 14awg would be better
Absolutely. Do not even bother measuring high currents with the stock leads of the DMM.
The battery is not protected. I put the same battery on another direct drive light I have and it pulled 3.9 amps. I’ve measured 4.5 amps on other lights with the same multi-meter and probes.
I’ve tried measuring it in both modes and get same output. There’s another guy in this forum or CPF that is getting the same current draw.
BTW I’ve tried other batteries, but it measures even less. 
Might end up having to bypass springs, which I didn’t really want to do. Oh well.
While your 2.8A may be a correct measurement because let's say the driver is faulty, other 4.5A through the same DMM are slightly irrelevant to this case. Always use short and thick leads, that 4.5A could be 6A in reality (really long and thin leads only add resistance, creating voltage drop, lowering current) , it's not a level you have to reach with your DMM, resistance is different in different setups, the higher the resistance in circuit the lower the reading due to leads resistance and basically anything else that a high current at low voltage has to pass through. The goal is the have the lowest resistance possible in the leads.
I agree with your comments, but the 4.5 reading was a comparison with a similar setup and readings with different multi-meters.
The other person on the forum got the same readings, could be we both have the same bad multi-meter setup. Could be my old multi-meter took a dive. That’s what happens when you keep tools for so many years(decades), you expect them to last forever.
Thanks for your help.
I had most likely the same problem, my amp readings were way off.
Changing the standard measuring probes to homemade 14 awg probes was/is the solution.
You know I just found some 12 gauge and made 2 6 inch probes (what a pain to reach) and got a better reading at 3.2 amps, but that’s a long way from 4+ amps everyone else is claiming.
Well a Panny GA isn’t the highest performance cell, but yeah I would expect closer to 4amps. Is it still fully charged?
and then clean the threads and especially the end of the tube that screws into the head.
A bad ground path will/can lead to crappy amp readings.
That small area on the end is all you have for current transfer, also check to see that it is flat/square to the head.
If there is overspray of the anodization on the end that will give crappy connection as well, if it is there sand it off.
Then try spring bypass.
HTH
Keith
Yes, fully charged. The same battery on another light pulled 4.75 amps.
I was considering getting a Samsung 30q or E Fest 35 amp, but not sure it will make a difference.
Could be some shoddy soldering on the driver.
Have you braided the driver spring?
Have you tried switching modes with the measuring setup and counted the numbers to be sure that you are in turbo? Maybe you accidentally cycle one mode down…
Yes, I tested the light in both modes and I’m sure it was in “turbo” mode. I think I have some braided wire that I’ll use to bypass the springs. Thanks
Ano version or bare? Does the brass retainer screw all the way down on the driver? Led wires fully wetted to both the driver board and mcpcb?
Also if your using nyogel or similar, make sure you don’t have any of it on the contact areas. Threads only. Not on the ends of the tube, tail cap nor head. And don’t use too much 
Just to follow up, touched up some soldering on the driver, bypassed the springs, and used a Samsung 30Q, and my new reading is 5 amps. I’m ok with that.
One more item(whether it means anything) I measured the lux reading on a couple of lights I have for comparison in my “LightJohn”(light box with the appearance of a bathroom).
Here they are:
Olight M2XUT (98lux), 4sevens XML Direct Drive X10 (93lux), BLF A6 18350(120 lux) 18650 (140lux), Old Skyray King 3 XML-T6 (275lux).
Glad to see this!
Do you have a favorite theory about why you had lower readings on the GA?
After the mods/touch-ups, what measurement do you get with a fully charged GA now?