Ok, change my Al (#120) to SS/Cu
Done 
As soon as there is a copper one, pictures will be shared.
Currently waiting on a bunch of improvements in the host design, and then waiting on yet another long holiday, so the earliest ETA is about two weeks into October. Manker has a list of like 30 changes / improvements to make.
Meanwhile, back at the ranch… I’ve been messing with EE and Manker X6 units and reflectors and focus and other stuff. Let’s see how they compare!
As it turns out, textured ceilings aren’t the greatest surface for beamshots… especially when the camera is right next to the light so the semi-gloss paint reflects it directly back. But it looked cool, like two galaxies colliding, so I ran with it.
I’ve been toying with reflectors and trying to get the best focus on both Manker and EE models. So far, I’ve gotten the following results:
- EE: 44.8 kcd
- Manker: 49.1 kcd
The Manker hotspot is about 2.7X as intense as the original BLF EE A6. It makes a nice compact thrower. I doubt the focus is quite optimal on either one, but it’s at least somewhat close.
They produce two different types of hotspots. On the left (below, cool white) is Manker, with a blurry spot that gets brightest at its center. On the right (warmer tint) is EE with a well-defined circle which appears brightest at its edges. Both also have a fuzzy corona before entering the spill zone.
This pic is taken from an angle to reduce the glare from glossy paint and ceiling texture.
Nothing is final yet, but I wanted to give an update about how things are going.
any news?
The led will XPL HI
Can you tell us what the 30 changes/improvements are?
Mostly just little things, like adjusting the emitter centering rings, rounding out some rough edges, and giving the MCPCB shelf a bit of room to make sure no parts will have to be forced in. And some stuff which has already been mentioned, like making sure the knurling is consistent on all parts.
As for emitters, the XP-L HI makes a nice throwy beam in the X6. I hope the K6 will get a throwy beam too.
SS/CU in NW please - 1 set.
and maybe Aluminum Matte in NW - 1 set.
Must not tell my wife.
I’m in for 1 Al set in NW.
Thanks.
I also want the aluminum in NW
Every light would get hot tail standing on the table on turbo, or kept loaded with a battery and turned on in luggage, why in the world would you do that? Don’t do that with any reasonably driven light. Since an A6 doesn’t really need step down with the same driver while you are holding it, and a BLF X6 has a lot more mass and radiating surface area, it does not need any babysitter step down. I’m actually very against this being put in here, in fact the whole purpose is to have the copper heat transfer and radiating power so we can finally have a stock light that will be able to be kept on turbo constantly.
Babysitter mode turns me off to the entire light, especially since most lights really don’t need them if you use your brain a little, and the ones that it make some sense, I still don’t want them in every season, they lose some functionality. In the fall only in over driven triples and above is it even the least bit helpful, and then in winter step down is actually working cross purpose for me since I want to use it as a hand warmer at the same time as a light and most barely stay warm constantly on turbo. Heck, even if you COULD start a fire with one if it could be so powerful, I would WANT that choice: awesome backup to have an emergency sacrifice if necessary if you are out in the woods for one emergency fire starter in your light!
Yes, there is always someone who can be dense enough to cause anything to be dangerous, that type of person shouldn’t buy this light. Let’s have a non baby sitter light for once please, this is a huge part of why I’m signed up for 4!
a massive +1 
As i said before, i am the driver i don’t need a attiny13 to tell me my hand is getting warm, coolness is just an off button away at all times, or if you still need illumination just drop down a level.
Also agree about the A6’s turbo time out, i tried a fresh GA cell and pressed up every time the turbo timer kicked, i counted to 12 turbos before i got bored waiting for it to get to hot. Of course i did use my hand properly to heatsink it & i haven’t bypassed the springs on it yet but most will not bypass anyway, and those who are advanced enough to bypass a spring probably don’t need the added protection anyway.
Seriously if people don’t understand to turn off a light that gets uncomfortably hot they shouldn’t handle a “hot” light, there are thousands of flashlights more suitable for them. Why limit the functionality to protect those who shouldn’t own this (for there own safety) and lose functionality for the flashaholic crowd in the process.
One solution could be to have a turbo timer we can turn off by a config option, who know with these new driver being developed all the time it could happen
It’s all opinion.
I definitely consider myself a flashaholic, and I definitely know how to handle a hot light, but I still put turbo timers in all lights that would need to be stepped down at some point. Why worry about manually stepping it down myself when I can have the driver do it for me? If the medium mode is well spaced, there is not a huge difference in functionality.
However, I would think that at least the X6 in this group buy would not need a timer, but the aluminum K6 would.
Again, it’s all opinion, and I’m not even in this GB, so it doesn’t really matter what I say.
I disagree with everything you said, except for the very last sentence. The way I look at it is that any light that is manufactured on a mass scale should be safe for the masses to use. If you want a light that has no turbo timer, either buy a light that is so low-powered that it can be left unattended until the battery drains and it will never get hot, or mod a light yourself (or get someone to do it for you) to get exactly what you want. But, having a config option to turn off turbo time-out, as per your suggestion, sounds like a great idea to me!
Yes, all of this is of course only opinions and all sides have there merit
But what i don’t really like about turbo timers is they don’t adapt to the outside environment like air temperature, available heat sinking like a hand firmly clasping it or is it tail standing, or the inside like the strength of the cell in the light or an changed led, many can solder in a new mcpcb in a light but fewer know how to reprogram a driver. I feel it is to blunt an instrument and in the end you almost have to set it in a mass marketed light, if at all at worst case scenario.
I really look forward to when these new attiny25/45/85 drivers starts (if ever but i can hope) to be more standard with the internal driver temp being the new turbo timer. That makes much more sense to me & should have an inbuilt adaptability to much more variations in use, for example using a light as a very nice handwarmer in winter time or change the step down after all those things i mentioned earlier in the post.
Couldn’t you just place a little bit of black electrical tape and aim for that on the shiny light to get an accurate reading?
Ah sorry, I thought you were arguing it needs a stepdown because it will run hot if you leave it on turbo tail standing — nobody should do that and just about every light I have will get hot in that situation. Then someone posted about having it on in luggage 
I really don’t know the answer to your question and I’d say its too early to measure since the final designs are not settled yet. But since the “copper” is shiny copper/steel, its definite that the aluminum would run cooler. If you are talking about the little guy, I’d say its pretty clear the adonized black aluminum would radiate better than copper too.
As for the stepdown making a light “safe”, really any Li-ion LED light can be argued as “unsafe” and many do argue this (I have a friend who wont touch them, many older people too), following this line none of those should be available to the general public… Where does that line end? Its the user which can make anything safe or unsafe.
I agree about a functional temp sensitive stepdown to prevent internal meltdown, but thats not what we have right now. And I’ve yet to have a single LED light that truely can use a stepdown. The way I use lights they never get hot enough to cause any issues, and on every light I use turbo as constantly I can until I drain the battery or it gets too uncomfortable in my hand as one of my initial tests. After that I also use them on turbo very frequently. I think you’d have to be in a hot climate or doing something pretty dumb with the light for a single XML, XPL and smaller LED to need it (yeah MTG2 or XHP etc, but not what we are talking about). Its funny how hot the A6 can get in 74 degree or higher weather on constant turbo, then take it out on a 60 degree night and its not very warm at all…and never can I not turn it down myself. This light is going to have the same driver with a lot more mass and cooling fin surface area, it will be another BLF X6-like step down: “why in the world did it turn down on me?”. Remember the smaller one wont be able to pump as much Amperage into the LED either because of the smaller lower Amp batteries.
I really don’t see a need for the step downs in these for almost all uses, again, someone can always do something dumb yes…and those people are also likely to buy Ultrafires (which ironically though unsafe, would make the light safer not being able to supply enough Amps to make it get hot), unsafe chargers, text while driving, cross the street while texting, etc.
Two points:
- I don’t think the X6 or K6 will need a turbo timer. They simply don’t get hot enough during use to need it with a single emitter.
- Don’t leave a high-powered light tail-standing on turbo, or buried in a blanket or something. That’s asking for trouble. Even with thermal controls, it’ll probably still cause problems, like the person who burned holes through their Meteor holster.
So, worst case scenario, the X6 / K6 will at least have the driver from the A6, which got good reviews, but without the turbo step-down. And with turbo taken out there might be room to add one more small feature, though I don’t know what yet. Perhaps a police strobe or something.
Best case, and I’m not promising anything until it’s all done, tested, and confirmed (so don’t get your hopes up)… it might be possible to use a tiny25 and add thermal controls. If this is the case, it would ship with a safe default but still allow the user to set their own temperature threshold. But I have no idea how well it would work, considering the MCU is not actually touching the pill. I’ve got a lot of testing and development to do before I’ll know if it’s even an option.
Yes :bigsmile: I know you said don’t.
But i like hoping for stuff even if it doesn’t materialize, it is the perfectionist in me who really enjoy looking forward to better & more optimized things
I find it makes the journey to the future more pleasant especially when the path to it is filled with good ideas
Good to hear! But as for the use of the extra space, how about a battery check that does 1-4 flashes for whole number and then a pause then 1-9 flashes for tenth of voltage instead? This would make the battery check much more useful, as is its a nice idea but not really useful I find on the A6. I’d like to use it before going out with a light to make sure I have a full battery, but since 4 flashes will very rarely ever be present unless its topped up to 4.21 or so and 3 flashes covers everything from full to half full, its not helpful.
Also is the less thermal sensitive chip going to be added on these so we don’t have the changing of press speed as it heats up? This is somewhat difficult for anyone who tried it to get used to using as is, and even for me I find myself trying to go down, nothing happening, going up instead, then back and forth a few times to try to get to the mode I want after it warms/cools all the time.