Ahh, I've been flashing long time . Seriously, there's lots of info here on BLF and here: http://flashlightwiki.com/AVR_Drivers. Basically you need some hardware ($$$) and some software (free dnld). I use Atmel Studio 7 here, and AVRDude, then you need a $3 USB ISP programmer here, and the most expensive part is the SOIC-8 clip, with a cable to connect to the USB ISP programmer. This is not for the casual techy though. I don't have all the best links off hand - sorry, been doin this at least 2 years now, and I'm a full-time consulting software/firmware engineer, so this is relatively easy and common for me.
Many of us here do this, and there are many dedicated threads around on it. If you were near to me, you could drop them off and it would be easy for me to re-flash your lights, but w/shipping to/from, the costs would be crazy I would think.
I consider myself a “casual techy”. I have no experience in programming or anything like that, I went to school for Theology. Still, I only bought a single Qlite driver from Richard before I bought my USBasp and clip to start programming/reflowing my own. Technical things just seem to come naturally to me sometimes.
Building/flashing your own drivers is where the flashlight hobby really starts to get fun.
As a new guy to this, and only somewhat obsessed lol, I would like to thank everyone for their tips. That goes to everyone. …and thanks to PD68. This is definately a learning forum. I hope to be able to contribute eventually.
If I remove the LED from the tailcap it’s ok to leave the bleeder resistor on the driver, right? Would removing it have any benefit on timing?
Also, I only briefly messed with it but it looks like moonlight mode is stuck on on my X5. Toggling that option doesn’t seem to do anything.
Hank, what’s that do to the reflector fitment inside the bezel? The seal on that o-ring is dependent on pressure flaring the o-ring into the side of the bezel, without downward force from a 3-way fit on that o-ring, your reflector will be sitting loose, the o-ring won’t be sealing anything, and focus will almost certainly suffer. Fortunately, the mcpcb is screwed down on these lights.
Unfortunately I’m having problems with both of them (Al set), and wondered if anyone could advise me on sorting them out?
Basically, I’m having a problem with the X5 stepping down from turbo almost immediately and continuing until it turns off - takes probably 20 seconds from start to off. I’ve tried resetting the thermal calibration and turning the thermal calibration off, with zero result. I’ve also tried a factory reset and then setting the thermal calibration, etc., again with zero result.
I think Hank(?), had this problem but I’ve not been able to trace through thread to see if it got resolved.
The X5 is presenting a different problem. Initially I couldn’t access configuration mode, which wasn’t too bad (it was in mode group six but with mode memory off), but not my preferred setting. For some inexplicable reason, having done nothing other than turn the light on, the light now comes on in configuration mode every time I turn it on. Additionally, it drops into configuration mode as soon as I try to cycle through the mode group (which it drops into if I just let it run through config. mode). Again, I’ve tried a factory reset with no effect.
Advice and suggestions welcomed (though please bear in mind I have no modding skills and access only to a cheap multimeter). :~
CB - Try turning of the the thermal protection again. It can seem like it does not work the first couple of times but it is often just not being accustomed to the UI. OR you may want to try resetting the defaults.
Good thing to check. Looking at mine (remembering this is the Aluminum light, and there’s likely variation among individual samples, YFlashlightMV
With the light in its original configuration, here’s a visible gap between the head and the body with the head screwed all the way down, so the ring isn’t changing the spacing much.
Not very big a gapp — when I hold them up side by side they look the same though I can’t push the Solarforce ring into the gap without more pressure than I want to risk. Awful close though.
I have some metal shims around somewhere, I can check how close the gap and ring are eventually.
My reflector doesn’t budge either way. It’s not going to budge unless I do something more extreme than I want to to unscrew it.
Reflector fit might be an issue, but on mine it doesn’t change the focus visibly and I can’t hear anything rattle.
If the lens is loose it’s only half a hair thickness loose. I’d guess the O-ring has enough bounce to make up the difference.
The tradeoff is, with a working clip on my pocket, I’m a lot less likely to drop the light.
So, much less likely to drop it into a puddle.
Besides this is California, we don’t have puddles these days…
With the Solarforce clip in, and the bezel and lens and tailcap off, I don’t detect any air movement when I suck or blow through the tube. I don’t know if the driver board is airtight, but kind of doubt that.
Not an ideal solution — I’m still hoping we find out that there was a bad batch of clips we can tget replaced for the AlKX5s.
Meanwhile, I’m going to look for a source for Olight S15 clips.
Just to check; to disable the thermal protection, I turn off the light whilst it is in the fast strobe for the relevant config. option?
Cheers!
Chris
Edit* Just gone through the firmware post and realised it was whilst it was to turn it off before it ramped to turbo - this is what I did before, not what I posted above!
. Seriously, there's lots of info here on BLF and here: http://flashlightwiki.com/AVR_Drivers. Basically you need some hardware ($$$) and some software (free dnld). I use Atmel Studio 7 here, and AVRDude, then you need a $3 USB ISP programmer here, and the most expensive part is the SOIC-8 clip, with a cable to connect to the USB ISP programmer. This is not for the casual techy though. I don't have all the best links off hand - sorry, been doin this at least 2 years now, and I'm a full-time consulting software/firmware engineer, so this is relatively easy and common for me.
