I had thought of that way back when thinking of ideas for my gasket, should have gone with that instead. It was easier to design my gasket with my limited ability in CAD software at the time.
3 Thanks
Anyone know at what temp a spring will collapse?
I used a lower current spring to pair with what comes in the 3X21C LHP531, it seems to cap output to 27K but heats to 55°C in 30 sec, at 60 sec I burnt myself touching the springs. Seems these springs prevent collapsing, I just wonder what’s the max temp they’d handle?
Just trying to get these units to a place they won’t fail on customers. Capping the max current seems to be the best approach, I also bundle button top cells to help with that by adding resistance.
At 30 sec the glass starts smoking, the surface is cool to touch, so maybe it’s the anti reflective coating?
1 Thank
The glass may be greasy or dirty, try cleaning it to solve the problem.
Brand new, just pulled off the dust protection film. Thanks for the suggestion though.
It’s just the very outer edges. Not really an issue since it’s only a tiny bit, but thought it to be strange.
Super niche, but could anyone identify the type and value of the circled SMD component on the new T3 5A driver?
It fell off (the solder pads detached from the ceramic body!) and seems to cause 1% to flicker on NiMH. Tried to solder it back on and now the solder pads have fallen off on every side…
1 Thank
It’s a capacitor, maybe a 0603 size.
To get the value it would need to be desoldered.
1 Thank
Thank you! I suspected it was a capacitor due to the tan color. I tried to get a measurement (it was already desoldered), but sadly the multimeter is not picking anything up, possibly due to the solder pads falling off. The dimensions seem closer to 0402.
1 Thank
Thanks @Simon_Mao for the excellent customer service. The replacement light got to me in record time 7 days China to Los Angeles, by non-USPS last-mile service . The lost light, ordered nearly a month ago and handled by USPS last-mile, is still floating somewhere.
For anyone curious this is an M21E (my favorite Convoy host) rocking Buck 8A driver and throw LED SFT-25R 5000k. First measured output 1615 lm, highest I’ve seen of my four SFT-25R lights. PS Thanks also for the green-reflection AR lens.
4 Thanks
Hey, that’s my favorite host as well. 
1 Thank
Sorry just a little OT. Staying up late to measure since this light with its warm CCT and lowish Duv got me so HYPED LOL.
Holy macaroni. Throw = 302 Kcd, 1100 m. Confirmed with repeat. How is this possible? (I think I might know why.). Anyone else besides me having this light to confirm the crazy throw?
Rest of light, briefly: still beautiful warm color rendition but a little greener center than my T8 w/ same LED, ringy obvious with white-walling that doesn’t bother me IRL use (so faint next to hotspot) but YMMV.
At turn on or ansi?
I can’t get closer than 960m ansi on multiple C8+ reflectors of various batches. I personally find 0 sec measurements pointless when it usually drops off so quick you don’t visually see that value.
Thanks. My throw measurement is always ANSI @ 30 second, and lately 10 meter distance. I also have light on tripod and meticulous (not to suggest you’re not, I know you are!) about having sensor right in front of white wall such that the shadow confirms sensor is in the exact middle of the hotspot.
At any rate great, thank you! 960m is close enough. I wouldn’t be able to sleep if you had said something like “I could only get 700m” LOL.
If I’m not mistaken C8+ has same SMO reflector as M21E right? Do your lights have green reflection AR lens? And same Buck 8A as mine?
1 Thank
@Simon_Mao are you aware the gaskets for the 3X21C are lopsided? I was wondering why all the emitters were off-centre.
2 Thanks
Is it the same? Maybe it’s not and it focuses better, or it’s just a difference in light meters.
Both 8A buck driver. Green AR
1 Thank
I have two such damaged drivers, with missing resistor and capcitors, one was possibly caused due to heat. The other, when I was installing the replacement and the bastard notched retaining ring casued my lens spanner to dislodge it.
I turned to Gemini and other assistants for help, the former couldn’t even see a missing part and started a fight. The other method (a thread I can’t restore as it was temporary) identified the resistors/capacitors after requesting several close-ups. You could try a similar approach, if not I will start a new query.
1 Thank
That retainer ring is the worst. I killed two drivers so far by slipping there!
Yeah no direct experience but per web site it appears C8+ and M21E share same reflector.
BTW battery matters also in measuring throw of course, but… sometimes in very intersting and unexpected fashion, due to ANSI’s 30 second requirement:
My 15,000 lm Nightwatch Avaritia A54U measures 390m throw with Molicel P45B, but 440m with a low rank Wurkkos battery. Puzzled, until I realized ANSI throw could be like the tortoise-hare race: P45B has higher brightness and triggers thermal step-down sooner, right before the 30 second mark, hence kills the throw number.
1 Thank
Could it be a tool problem?
I have the little pliers from Convoy and they work well
Often, I firstly use long tweezers with bigger tips because I can turn them faster, then for torque I use the pliers.
Dear @Simon_Mao
Thank you so much for my order! It’s perfect!
It’s m fantastic ti see copper color on the pill of TI S2+
It’s real copper or is galvanised?
The only think I don’t like and you see in the picture is the spring of B35AM driver.. it’s too hard, probably too long and bent the tip of 18650 so I think I have to cut 2 or 3 mm before the spring bent all my batteries.
I suggest to find or use more soft springs.
Thank you always for support all the community as best as you can.
2 Thanks
Hey, thank you so much for the input!
Was your query successful in determining the part missing, and were you able to fix the driver by sourcing and replacing the missing component? I’m a bit dubious about identification from a photo because components with different values may be visually identical.
I went to the local makerspace and got myself six 0603 capacitors spanning from 10pF to 1uF in increments of 10x. I’ll see if I can binary-search through them to find the right order of magnitude and then narrow down further. The missing component is likely a filter capacitor to cut down on noise/flickering, and I’d assume a replacement does not need to match the original very precisely. I’ll report back after trying.
1 Thank