Issues aside, more modes = more options. I was referring to Biscotti in general (not just for the L21A which I agree doesn’t need that many modes), this is standard firmware used throughout the Convoy range. Having standard firmware with more mode groups = less development cost for new lights = lower prices for us.
Good news is once you get it to work you have an opportunity to get good beam shots.Thankfully I have a decent phone camera and I live in the sticks where Light pollution basically is non existent.I am able to see the true beam.profile without any interference .
Thread below of primarily L21A KW CULPM1 TG
Thanks for posting this chicken-d…
Curious does this light use the same reflector as its predecessor convoy L2 ?
I couldn’t agree more. I have mine on lode set 10, which 4 groups. I tried mode set 6 I believe with 3 groups which is nice too. But once it’s set I’m never touching it again and accidentally going into mode selection is very unlikely.
For what it’s worth i think at least half of the mode selections are relevant for this light. Some that start on high, some with 4 or less selections. I guess the ones with 3x strobes or a 50% max output don’t make sense but all others do.
The light is a home run in my eyes, for price and quality received, it’s one of my favorites
Yes it does.
Its basically a L2 with a 21700 tube
Now I start to understand the pain and headache of what manufacturers going through. Changing mode used to be about 10 clicks or so. Many BLF-ers requested Simon to make it to be more than 20 clicks for some reasons. Simon agreed to proceed with more than 20 clicks. On and off, we will see complains here and there, FB, etc… about 20 clicks is too much, complicated, etc… Once again, we/BLF-ers asked for it.
And yes, Simon should have added or change comment on products about 20 clicks. But this is a transition time. Maybe give him some times? We do know, Simon is doing something like a “ONE MAN SHOW”, replying posts PM here, replying chats in Aliexpress, etc… All are done by Simon himself.
Biscotti was created way back. With request and input from BLF-ers too? And then modify a bit here and there with request by BLF-ers? I’m not sure. If someone can enlighten me will be great.
End of the day, whatever Lights in the world exist today, there will never be 1 light that satisfy everyone. There’s the true thing about life.
Cheers…
[quote=hodor]
I dunno why there’s so much hate, I like biscotti and have not had any problems (only small issue was with biscotti clone v1 and the mode selection timer). It’s good being able to choose mode groups, more the better I say, we all have different use cases and preferences. I usually choose a mode group when I first get a light and never touch the config menu again. But even if I have to I don’t find it a chore and it’s pretty straightforward imo. 20+ half presses is enough that it shouldn’t really bother anyone in normal use.
[quote=hodor]
Straight forward? Right! It states “20” on Alliexpress. Not 30 plus. I believed them and kept trying for an hour!
Obviously you did not have the issues,frustrations and misinformation that I and others had. I have had well over 100 lights in my life.This was the worst of them all In terms of programming it.
I have no issue with biscotti. I think all my Convoy lights are set to whatever group is “1 mode max”. No messing with changing output levels, no accidentally changing modes because I turned the light off and on again too fast, no annoying thermal step-downs. Just a good full-output light no matter how I use it.
OK got it thanks!!
20 clicks was not the issue.
The issue was it wasn’t in a proper mode when unpacked
-click on = nothing
-click off and on = some sort of buzzing strobey thing
-half click went low
-half click though and you get a few modes then strobe then buzzing.
Then it might do something else like pulse or turn off with the switch in the on position.
Now you tell me which of the 12 mode groups this is meant to be?
Then the first few times trying to program it. It would enter program mode and blink blink blink really quickly. Maybe 3 blinks a second then buzz then increase the number of blinks before buzzing again.
So again - you tell me which part of the instructions explain this and what it was doing.
It seems it was on programming mode, which can be recognized by the buzz.
People who are familiar with biscotti probably recognize that.
But again, this shouldnt be happening straight out of the box the light should give you a nice experience without flaws.
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Well, sorry to heard about your bad experience for what you have received.
At the first place, I was putting up a general remark collectively with all the comments posted in this thread. I didn’t mention that your issue is with the 20 clicks. Like Yokiamy said, it’s probably in programming mode.
Anyway, glad that now the light is good or at least you feel better. After all, it’s a good light especially for the price we paid.
Cheers.
Sounds like group one and memory mode on to me. Presumably the light was tested before it was sent to you which I don’t see as a negative.
No worries 
I probably over reacted anyway.
Was the tail cap switched on when you first installed the battery? You may have got older stock which has a bug that resets to the first mode group, or quite possibly bumped it into config. To check, switch the light on and unscrew the tail cap, then screw it back on very slowly. If it resets then that answers that.
Using this firmware with all the modes isn't amazing, but it reduces costs for us using the same firmware across a lot of lights.
Re: amps, lumens, throw
Remember that this is a buck driver so you need to measure the current from the led wires, not the tail.
How are you measuring lumens?
I have a integrating tube that's calibrated and get 1300 lumens at 30sec, but this is with my own dual springs installed, hate those rubbish bypasses, make sure yours hasn't snapped.
I measured throw at 1359m, this was taken at 9 meters. I got 50m less outside at 15m.
Nice thing about them is that you can lobotomise them by just solder-bridging the enables to the positive rail and make it a 100%-only regulated linear driver. One little solder-blob and it’s done.
Great in a C8 or even S2+ as long as they’re not too high-strung, once you pick how many 7135s you want.
What do you mean by “enables”?
I’ve got quite a few 12*7135 drivers that would be nice having an option for 100% only
Sounds almost like someone got to it and was monkeying with it. Opened could put crap on the glass and reflector, clicking on it like a crazed chimp could’ve put it into programming mode, etc.
With things “disappearing” in transit, maybe someone was eyaballing it, locked it into programming mode, tried “fixing” it by opening it, and then rather’n just dumping it, repackaged it and sent it on its way.
Re: Numbers of taps to enter programming
I specifically asked Simon to increase the number. This firmware is used on the C8’s that I sell as gun lights, if used with a pressure switch, 10 taps was terribly easy to enter by mistake. Even for normal use it was too few, my wife had it change groups without her knowing what happened.
No firmware exists that will suit everyone
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