DBCstm, what was wrong with it? Is it ramping too fast? Not giving enough current? Pee on the carpet?
This is the one I got, but it’s got the white and pink wires just like in the link you shared. http://intl-outdoor.com/5a-3mode-2745v-circuit-board-p-547.html
The ramping won’t set. I’ve tried and tried and tried and it just wont set. I end up with a nice low (as picked) and a double hi with one only slightly less bright than the other. Can’t set a medium to save my life. And then when I’m trying to change groups, it’ll go back into the ramp set and mess everything up again. It’s just weird, probably a bad board. I have another as I ordered 2 at the same time, should I try putting the second one in and see if I get the same results?
Also, as an afterthought, the groups don’t do as they’re advertised. Group A is supposed to be Hi-Med-Lo, I can’t access it most of the time. And the Group D is supposed to be Hi only, but it’s a moderate medium, about 50%. And when I try to go from D to A (which is supposed to be next) I get B and it’s ramping again.
Very Frustrating!
And now that you mention it, no it’s not making 5A. I used 12ga solid copper (not braided) from Romex house wiring and made leads from my cheap DMM about 2 1/2” long, finally got realistic amperage readings from my lights. But this one only hit 3.38A, hardly the 5A it’s rated at and I’m using an IMR 26650 from Powerizer BatterySpace.com/AA Portable Power Corp. Tel: 510-525-2328 - Powerizer Battery Official Site supposed to be 18A capable.
Hey Dale, What emitter are you using? I haven’t looked into the source follower style driver that this is (use one 7135 with a MOSFET. 7135 regulates current while the FET ‘follows’ it to give the extra current). This is common on voltage regulators, but I’ve never seen a current regulated version. I’m thinking it will not do 5A to anything but multiple emitters in parallel (Vf gets too high with one).
The UI sounds frustrating, at best. I may let it slide through anyway and check it out. Maybe the FT one will have firmware improvements (doubt it, but crossing my finnas).
Hi Relic, using the XM-L2 at 5000K. I reflowed it to a SinkPAD copper star. The tail spring has a 20ga copper wire soldered into the brass cap and connected to the switch pcb and the driver spring has a 22ga copper wire soldered in as well. I even coiled a 12ga copper solid wire taken from Romex around the driver housing for the battery tube to screw down onto so that it would have thermal connection and solid ground, pushing against the pill to ensure it’s solid in the threads. This is in an unbranded HD2010.
I’ve got that soldering station coming next week, might just try the other driver and see if it works like it’s supposed to. If so, it would show this one’s just wack. Not sure I want to even mess with it as there’s just too much going on in the software with this thing. Would like a simpler, more reliable interface for quick grab and illuminate without having to wait for 3 blinks after 5 seconds ok change modes, oops it’s ramping! Ya know?
HD2010? I just did one with XM-L2 and I kept the East-092 in there. Works great, current is up to ~4.5A on a TF Flame 26650, 1200+ lm OTF, 81kcd!
That driver fits in the HD2010? Must be tight up inside the pill.
> i went to factory and try 0.5%,we will not see anything if too low
Go to a darkroom — no light (like photographers used for developing film) or only dim red light (like photographers used for printing paper).
Wait at least 20 minutes.
Then try moonlight — with dark-adapted eyes.
That’s how we use the moonlight level — in the dark, so dark our eyes have adapted to the darkness.
This is the difference: http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/vision/imgvis/lumeff.gif
Update: MORE GOOD NEWS! :bigsmile: Bill Zeng believes that a 3.2A boost driver version will be possible in 17mm and should know more soon. He thanks us for our interest and asks the we be patient, as the development trials are arduous and take time.
More to come at a later date…
Dale, it sounds like you’ve got either a bad driver or the firmware upload got corrupted. Since you have another driver, maybe go ahead and swap it and try again. Although not 5A, 3.38A is very respectable. It sounds like you’ve gone through great strives to make the UI work. Who knows… maybe the other driver will work & pump more amps.
Update: A quick reply of intent from Bill Zeng- His plans are to develop and test a 17mm 3.2A boost driver with mode memory and possibly a 3.5A boost version without mode memory. At some point in the future, a 26mm +4A boost version with mode memory might also be possible. He also commented that a battery capable of delivering high current through the entire discharge cycle, large gauge springs and heavy duty clicky, will likely be requirements in order for the boost circuit to function properly.
Sounds great. A 17mm boost driver at 3.2A-3.5A sounds pretty awesome.
Have we covered off the default modes?
Something like this I think would be hugely popular:
4th Star : 20mA - 2% –30% –100%
Further moderations to be done inhouse?
I prefer a lower moonlight mode. With or without memory, I prefer this order:
0.5% > 2% > 30% > 100%
With a 3.2A emitter drive: 16mA < 64mA, 960mA, 3.2A.
Email sent to Bill thanking him for his efforts ans asking to reverse the modes and aim for these levels.
I’d be happy with that, and thanks for your efforts. 
it sounds like one of the issue drivers I had, low current and unusable ui.
I would definitely try the other, I get 3.7a out of one of the 4a drivers on xm-l and 3.3a on xm-l2 using a king kong to test. The ui should also be very stable. ramping marks lowest mid and hi with a double flash before commencing ramping.
I’ve been thinking about putting that other driver in, but have a simpler one coming with 3.04A and I’ve also ordered some chips and went off the deep end and got a Hakko soldering station (FX888), so I’m getting pumped about adding a couple 2 or 3 chips to that new driver and seeing how that works. I never planned on using the full 5A of this driver if it did indeed produce it, was figuring on using the ramping mode to set Hi at around 85-90% in an effort to keep heat down and preserve the led.
Yes, the double board driver is a tight fit into the pill. I cut a piece out of a large shrink wrap tube and layered it inside the pill to protect against shorts and also cut a narrow strip of the same stuff to line the sides of the pill with. Everything works, well everything but the UI. For what it’s worth, did the same thing with the shrink wrap to cover the star so the reflector wouldn’t ground out.
The new driver is a single board so it should be much easier to use. It’s that new one at Intl-outdoor that promises no whine 3 modes. Looking to boost it up to around 4A and see how it performs with my XM-L2.
3.38A is indeed a respectable number at the tail, but I’ve got a 2” keychain light that’s pushing 2.8A to an XM-L from a HD 10250 cell and it makes the bigger light seem puny…not that the little light throws or anything just that it comes so close to the same overall output from a tiny light. But it is an MBI HF after all so it’s pushing the envelope in it’s own right. Now if I can get the HD2010 to push the envelope for it’s size, I’ll be happy! (for a few minutes)
Great call on the low to high mode arrangement. Have you tested 16mA with XML2 yet?
i dont know if low to high with no memory would be best. maybe if its going to be in an edc type light… but the two lights i was looking to put this driver in are my spot what went bump in the dark lights, and 75% of the time are on high
but i may be the minority on that thought
The 3.2A driver will have memory. If the 3.5A driver materializes, it probably wont have memory.
Rethinking it, most 18650 lights I have ever handled are “high to low” with memory. Sure, there are many exceptions and everyone has personal preferences. Also, the advantage of a boost driver is to provide maximum constant output (constant wattage to the emitter) until the cell has become depleted… thats its main advantage over linear regulated drivers. If candle mode is your thing, you should probably be considering AAA lights instead. I personally almost never use anything 18650 powered for anything other than 50 or 100% output most of the time, and Ive observed the same with others that use them. For me, clicking up to get to 50 or 100% level = driver swap or it sits in the drawer. After all, probably more than 80% of these drivers will exist in C8 size 18650 lights. Im sure some will do this, but dropping one into a smaller host will just equate to a very hot running light that mostly defeats the advantage of this driver in the first place.
For those wanting to concentrate on lesser modes as a primary focus while using the much larger 18650 flashlight (as opposed to AAA lights), I think a 7135 based driver would be a far better solution since”” one already exists to provide the modes you want. That driver will also cost less and probably be far more efficient at the lower levels that you will be using more often. Save the boost driver for lights that will have the greater advantage: lights that will run mostly in 100% mode.
“Low to high” modes can help protect night vision, but even as a very small child, I learned to cup the reflector of my flashlight to accomplish the same means… or close my eyes momentarily until I have selected the desired mode.
I personally dont care either way, but to better serve the masses and drive sales (lightmalls must succeed or there will be nothing for anyone), I think we should change it back to “high to low” for both memory and without memory versions. Am I missing something here? Sorry that was so long…
What do others think? Please do post your opinions.
I also realize a later MCU swap would allow any combination of mode selections to the user if custom firmware can be written to support the ramping memory modes explained earlier in this thread.
I agree completely. Max brightness (the reason for this driver) first.
For this size of light, and I mean power level, Hi is a first priority. Don’t care about memory as long as Hi is what it turns on at. If I know I want lo to preserve vision, I can cover the light and triple click.
I want this for power, constant, maintained throwing power.
Simple enough.