Interface confusion with Emisar D2 Dual

[jon_slider]

@pegleg

I must have been using guides for an older Anduril release.

The D2 I got last summer had older firmware, 2021-12-13, than the one I bought this year, which came with firmware dated 2023-10-31. They definitely have different ways to disable channel mixing.

My D2 w firmware 2023-10-31, has a white LED and a Red LED, which I do not want to mix together. The D2 ships with mixing enabled, and in Simple UI. So we must first get to Advanced UI, in order to disable mixing. Channel 3, 4, and 5 are mixing channels that need to be turned off.

The instructions moondigger and I posted for you, are for the new firware, dated 2023-10-31. If your light has older firmware, the process is different.

With the 2023-10-31 firmware, we use 3C to switch channels. To change from stepped to smooth ramping we use 6C.

The older firmware, 2021-12-13, uses 3H to switch channels, and uses 3C to change from stepped to smooth ramping.

This is what Channel 1 and Channel 2 look like, when properly separated:

this is what channel 3,4, 5 look like, as received from Hank with the new firmware, dated 2023-10-31:

With this new firmware, turning off channel 3,4, and 5 is the solution to undesireable tint mixing.

[moondigger]

@jon_slider

The D2 ships with mixing enabled, and in Simple UI.

Mine shipped with advanced UI already enabled. I don’t know if that’s normal or if it’s just a result of a functional test Hank did before shipping, but literally every Hanklight I’ve gotten in the past few months arrived in Advanced UI already. And I’ve bought a few: After the D2 Dual, I got a K9.3, a DT8K, a D4SV2, and a DW4. All in Advanced UI out of the box.

[jon_slider]

@moondigger

Mine shipped with advanced UI already enabled.

Thanks! good to know

I dont remember how mine arrived, Ive already changed several options and dont want to do a Factory Reset to find out the default.

The green marks show the options I have changed:

for the OP,
to confirm if your light is already in Advanced, do a battery check (3C from Off), if it keeps blinking the voltage, over and over until you click off, it is in Advanced UI.

If otoh, it blinks out the voltage one time only and then stops, it is in Simple UI.

[pegleg]

@moondigger

When channel 1 is the only one active (let’s call this “A”), 3C instantly switches channels from channel 1 to channel 2. (Let’s call channel 2 being the only one active “B.”) When I use 3C in channel 2, it enables channel 1 at the same time, so both channels are active (Call this “C”). Pressing 3C here leaves both channels active but changes their outputs so channel 1 is brighter and channel 2 is dimmer (Call this “D.”) Pressing 3C again, it adjusts both brightnesses again, but not much (Call this “E.”). Pressing 3C again returns it to “A,” which is channel 1 only.

3H, which (according to the manual) is supposed to do instant channel switching, still turbos. It does this in modes A, B, and C only – not in D or E. 3H

moondigger‘s above description matches what I’ve been experiencing. I tried to enable instant channel switching as it was described in a Reddit thread and in several YouTube videos.

Nothing. Worked. And it was driving me insane. I reset the light and went through all the steps again.

Finally I thought of altering my search terms here on blf and thankfully found this thread.

As soon as I get my kids in bed, I’ll grab the d2 and get started.

[jon_slider]

Here is a bit more detail about the 5 channels that the D2 w the 2023-10-31 firmware, ships with enabled:

channel modes:

1. channel 1 only
2. channel 2 only
3. both channels, at equal brightness
4. both channels, brightness can be different for each channel (3H to adjust the blend)
5. both channels, each channel brightness changes (blends) automatically, based on how high the output is turned up.

for a D2 that uses a white and a red (or UV), LED, channel 3,4,5 are not useful, as they turn on both LEDs at the same time. We only need channel 1 and 2, for Channel Switching

Channels 3,4,5 are for Channel Mixing, iow, blending both LEDs together (in different ways). Such as when using a D2 that has a warm and a cool LED, or a throwy and floody LED. Where having both channels on together can be useful.

For example, with channel 5 enabled it would be possible to turn the light on at a low output using the floody LED, and if I turn the brightness up, the throwy LED will turn on and as it increases in brightnness, the floody LED gets dimmer.

there are also additional channels that turn on Only the RGB Aux, (only on the bright mode, there is no ramping for Aux). So, for example, I could enable channel 6, IF I wanted to be able to turn the Red Aux on and off by themselves. Or, if I wanted Green Aux only, I could enable channel 8… etc for the other Aux colors.

Enabling Aux color channels has limited utility, since they dont produce a focused beam from behind the sides of the optics. It is also a bad idea to leave bright Aux on, as they will drain the battery in just a few days.

[moondigger]

@pegleg

As soon as I get my kids in bed, I’ll grab the d2 and get started.

I just thought of one other thing you should be aware of before starting, especially if your D2 Dual has a visible light channel and a UV channel, as mine does.

After the 9H, while you’re still holding the switch, it can be difficult to see that the channel mode changed when you have a UV emitter. It’s best to have a white sheet of paper on the table in front of you to help you see the reflection of the UV light. Bright white paper has OBAs (Optical Brighteners) in it to make it look very white. These OBAs allow the paper to reflect invisible UV light back with bleed-over into visible light wavelengths.

Or you could use a piece of white cotton cloth (such as a wash cloth or towel) the same way. As long as it has been washed in almost any modern laundry detergent, it should reflect the UV light the same way. (Detergents also contain OBAs to make your white clothing seem extra bright in sunlight.)

This will help you recognize when the light has switched channels, making it easier to count out.

[jon_slider]

@moondigger

if your D2 Dual has a visible light channel and a UV channel, as mine does.

After the 9H, while you’re still holding the switch, it can be difficult to see that the channel mode changed when you have a UV emitter. It’s best to have a white sheet of paper on the table in front of you to help you see the reflection of the UV light.

Great info!
White paper to show UV is the Way

[pegleg]

It works-thanks so much! On top, I have the SST20 4000k und underneath I have another SST20 in deep red. I intend to use the light while hunting and channel mixing/tint blending was not what I was after.

I’m not a total noob, but this is my first dual channel light. This was driving me crazy. So again: thank you!

I have another question, though. I have the AUX LEDs setup for Low-level/Color dependent on battery voltage for both locked and unlocked states. When the light is unlocked and I switch off either emitter, I get high-level blinking AUX LEDs for just a few seconds before the AUX LEDs switch to low level/voltage color.

Have you experienced this?

[jon_slider]

@pegleg

I get high-level blinking AUX LEDs for just a few seconds

there is a feature called Post-Off-Voltage-Display, try turning that off…
its on the bottom near the middle of the chart I posted… to turn off do batt check (3C from off in advanced), then during batt check do 7H and hold until the 2nd blink, then release and just wait for the light to stop flickering.

Post-Off-Voltage-Display is usually a solid color, except if the battery is between two voltage colors, so not positive your Blinking Post-Off is actually what youre experiencing… but give it a try and let us know.

did you manage to turn off channel 3,4,5 already, to get the channel switching to work the way you would want?

thanks for informing your D2 has a White and a Red LED… makes sense your application does not need channel mixing, just channel switching…

I hope the light serves you well…

btw, if you dont already, there is a headband and clip mount that can hold the light on your forehead for hands free use… it is sold by Spicy3D for about $12… works very well…

it is held by a plastic clip that allows us to snap the light in and out, relatively easily when not wanting to use the headband.

[pegleg]

Hey, thanks again! I think it must have been the post off voltage display because I followed all of your steps and the blinking has stopped. Yes, I got the other channels disabled and the instant channel switching is working exactly as I want it.

I’ve seen the headband mentioned before but I haven’t explored it yet. Since I am in Germany, I’m not sure if it’ll be cost effective with shipping.

[jon_slider]

great to hear you got the channel blending and Post-Off blinking to stop

@pegleg

I’m not sure if it’ll be cost effective with shipping.

true… I hope you find a workable solution

[Vapethoven (Dylan KN6RSY)]

Thank you so much, Ive been confused (on the battery loop in adv and not simple) but this was exactly what I needed to get my 519a and UV d2 working just right, your a blessing, its been a few weeks. Thanks again!!!

[dirtydancing]

Welcome to BLF!

Just for your information, in case you are interested in a visual representation: by now, for the current Anduril 2 release 2024-04-20, there also is an exemplary model-specific diagram (by myself) for model number 0135, which is the model number for the D2.

This diagram includes information on the channel mode sequence, on which channel modes are enabled by default after each factory reset (channel modes 1 to 5), and on which channel mode the light is starting in initially (channel mode 4, Tint Ramp):

[Vapethoven (Dylan KN6RSY)]

Goodness thank you so much, I haven’t seen this diagram yet and this looks a lot more readable, and thank you for all the work you have done, I was shocked to see you your user name! Cheers!