Modding help: ordered C8 size pills from fast tech: what is this for?

Flashlight Modding and DIY Parts
1

Hi everyone,

I recently received some nice pills that I intend on building into different setups:

2.1A driven XP-E2 on sinkpad
5A driven XM-L2 on sinkpad
2.8A driven XP-G2 on sinkpad

They are going into my unique fire uf-t20’s for some experimenting.

Anyways, upon inspection these pills have wires soldered in. I was wondering if somebody could tell me why and what for and if/how I can use it.

Thanks!

2

I would say that is a ground wire most likely, connect it to negative in on your driver. (Or just ignore it)

3

Hi,

I asked the same question a couple of weeks ago. Grounding was one possible, and another was someone suggested it might be for sensing temperature, but no one knew for sure.

Edit: I think the best guess is to use it for grounding. That pill is rather large, compared to a P60-style pill, so it’d be hard to solder the driver board to the pill, so they did it for you/us.

Jim

mizjif,

BTW, if you going to build that C8 drop-in, can you post about it? I have a couple of those C8 pills coming in also, and am new, so would be very interested in your build.

Thanks,
Jim

4

I first heard of that just today from the machinist making my custom light. It’s to ensure the driver has a solid ground to avoid any flickering or other ground issues. Good solid performance, use it and perhaps the whine from pwm or other such issues won’t be an issue in your build. :wink:

Fred actually drilled and tapped the hole in the pill for the ground wire and screwed it in for reliability.

5

I also had figured it was a ground. If so, where do I solder it too on the driver?

Thanks for your input everyone!

And Jim, I will definitely post when I have updates! I am still finishing up exams so free time is quite limited right now, but I will!

6

I got one of those for my Wallbuys C8, but the pills are not interchangeable :frowning:

7

I’ve read that that’s the case with C8s, i.e., not all are the same. What was the problem? Was it dimensions? Or, threading different?

8

The dimensions are all different. The top part of the copper C8 pill, where there is no threading, doesn’t even exist on my aluminum one in the C8 right now.

9

What kind of light was the original C8?

Can you post pics of the pill from the original C8 and the new one (pill)? Or maybe provide link where you got the new pill?

10

The pill that I bought is the same one at the top of the thread. It doesn’t work in the Wallbuys C8. I will try to post pics tomorrow

11

Oops. Got confused.

Looking at the pic in the OP, it looks like the pill from my Ultrafire C8.

If the original pill doesn’t have that top part, is it just flat on top then? If so, can you file the edge of the new one (the one in the pic)?

FYI, here’s the drop-in/pill that I pulled out from one of my Ultrafire C8s:

12

Anyone know what should be soldered to where if this is a ground wire?

13

I got those FT pills and am using them in C8's - I just de-soldered the wire, cleaned out the solder with a dremel and put copper discs in there for extra heat sinking. They fit fine in the UltraFire C8 (LightMalls) and one from TMART and I think others. I believe the top pill clearance worked out fine and the threading was good, but I may had to extend the driver mount with a 17mm-17mm brass ring from FT as well. The convoy C8 hosts, however, don't use the same threading - it's a problem, really wanted to replace that trashy pill they have in there - shame because "Convoy" was generally above average in quality, but that under-sized alum pill for a 16mm star mount is below par.

14

The tail cap thread are different on the convoys too. Pity

Chris

15

They fit perfect into my unique fire uf-t20

16

To the ring around the O.D. of the driver, which is the ground plane (verify with ohmmeter). Or anything that checks as ground and is easiest to solder to.

17

Too narrow on the thread diameter! I thought it’s a direct replacement too. Red dimensions are from the original.


Any source info for the dimensions in red?

18

I think I got C8 brass pills from KD, and they fit more C8s. C8 from different manufactures have slightly different pills, some shallow, some deep, some with separated mid treads, some top to bottom threading, kind of annoying…also, the emitter depth varies as does the emitter lip…

19

I felt the same way. But earlier I had seen a comment by a respected member with lots more experience than me, he liked that pill, so I thought I’d just shut up about it. I was hopeful that that C8 pill on FT would work, disappointed when I saw it will not, as I like that Convoy C8 host, just not the pill. I wonder why they’d use such different pill styles in their various hosts.