Sorry guys about the MT-G2s... they went really fast. I have more on the way already!
I also got a few Nichias... don't know if they're the ones you want but these are the specs:
Am going to reflow them onto 16mm and 20mm Noctigons.
Noticed the change to the sales tax note.
I’ve been looking at grabbing a BTU Shocker from you, and I’m in Utah. Wondering what sales tax is going to be on $118- ish. (Thinking I want the XM-L2’s….unless you’re going to be offering a NW tint anytime soon?? PUH-LEEEEZE??)
Anyway, I can estimate shipping on the site ($2) but I’m not sure if that’s included in the sales tax….
SO. What do you think my total to 84604 might be. THANKS a grundle. -ck
Your nichia specs look good.
That's good to know! I saw some... did some quick research then purchased a bunch. I don't know a ton about Nichia so I was hoping I got something decent!
Also, the new qlite drivers apparently come with silicone wire pre-installed! Very nice touch.
Hi Richard,
I hope you got my PM? :)
I really like the idea of a triple S3 with Nichia 219 emitters and a spotless beam pattern (similar to a spot+spill beam after adding DC-Fix, whichever TIR optic gets closest to that… 10507? 10508?).
If I got my numbers right, it should work out to something like this… 8x7135 = ~1.01A per emitter, or ~250lm * 3 = 750 emitter lumens, perhaps ~712 OTF (5% loss, not sure if that’s reasonable). With 4 modes, it’d be moon, 14lm, 178lm, 712lm. With a 3400mAh battery, roughly 1.1h on high, 4.5h med, 56h low, ~650h moon @ ~0.3lm.
|
chips |
amps/LED |
high |
med 25% |
low 2% |
|
8x7135 |
1.01A |
712lm/1.1h |
178lm/4.5h |
14lm/56h |
|
10x7135 |
1.26A |
770lm/0.9h |
192lm/3.6h |
15lm/45h |
|
12x7135 |
1.52A |
826lm/0.7h |
206lm/3.0h |
16lm/37h |
However, these numbers show ideal output with good cooling, based on match’s test results (below)… albeit, it was tested on aluminum instead of copper. I doubt the Nichia 219 deals with heat as well as a XP-G2 would, so it seems risky to drive it at its maximum current in such a small light.
The emitters are rated for up to 1.5A, and match saw increased output up until that point, but raw lumens aren’t really the point of this kind of emitter. It seems like these might work better with 8x7135 or 10x7135 to increase run time and reduce heat issues.
I think I’d be quite happy with a build like this, especially for biking. I had thought maximum lumens would be fun, but thinking about it more, I think I’d rather have an extra 60-90 minutes on medium than have a barely-perceptible (8% to 16%) increase in lumens. High mode would probably be a “turbo” in any of the above cases, nice to have sometimes but too hot to use for more than a few minutes.
RMM: Can you do a 3/4-mode with no mode memory, and still retain the 2/25 low and med modes (or is that nlite-only, and 5/33)? Does ‘moon’ mode work in this config, or is the current too low to light the emitters? Which optic produces the smoothest beam (brightest at the center, but hopefully no separate spot+spill).
1. I haven't tested the Nichia triples yet with the Carclo optics, but I would definitely build one for whoever wants one! I think that the dome angle is a bit different, at least it looks different. I think that the 10507 is probably the one that is the most like you describe (no hotspot, very little to no spill, very even beam).
2. NLITE would work, or I've got a new fully configurable firmware that JonnyC has been working on with me that can setup pretty much any type of mode selection you can imagine. I haven't tried the moonlight on these yet, but with the fully configurable firmware I'm sure we could get it tweaked until it works.
Just a little note. I’m not very picky about modes, the standard Qlite or Nlite is just fine…. BUT… I really really really wish the standard Nlite had a mode lock option. THAT, to me would be perfect. (maybe a quick 5 tap or any number multiple tap would be fine).
I just really need HIGH to be locked when I need it. When I have my light on my bedstand, I must be able to depend that when I need to use it, it will be on HIGH mode. If I accidentally fumble with the switch a little, I really need to know that it won’t switch modes.
Eventually I plan on having multiple Convoy C8’s weapon mounted. I really need a mode lock for this. The Convoy C8 is a perfect flashlight for weapon mounting, because the driver retainer ring protects the driver from getting smashed by the battery if you fire the weapon (the battery goes forward under weapon recoil and can destroy the driver). I know I could bypass the MCU and run it on HIGH all the time, but I still want to have a nice medium, low, and moonlite available if needed.
You could call it “Nlite Tactical” or something like that. Just the standard Nlite with mode lock would be perfect.
Just a thought about what, to me, would be a perfect driver, especially for EDC use. By EDC I mean a flashlight carried daily, accompanied by your every day carry pistol. If you need to use that flashlight for defensive purposes or threat identification, it really needs to always come on high mode.
I have a XinTD mounted on my rifle, NLITE already does basically what you want without the lock. Just choose "no memory" and descending mode order. The light will always start in high (after being off for about 1 second) but you can still switch to the lower modes if needed. I can also custom program any mode level / number of modes you want.
The Nichia has a 115º emission angle vs the 125º angle of the XP-G2. I have a triple Nichia 219 92 CRI in a copper shell at 4.16A (12 total chips on a 105c driver) with a 10507 optic that makes 493 Lumens OTF at 30 seconds.
Interesting.
Do you have any idea what the OTF value is at ~1 second? 493 is significantly lower than I expected, so I’m wondering if it’s a heat issue or if there’s some other factor involved. (aside from the obvious — that my quick-math-on-a-napkin estimate is no substitute for actual measurements) Is 4.16A a tailcap measurement?
I could easily see the difference being a matter of Vf (IIRC, these are relatively high voltage) and/or the lens (not sure how much loss to expect from TIR), too.
Thanks for the detailed answers. 
I’m trying to convince myself that I can justify buying another light, that the sheer awesomeness of it outweighs the fact that I don’t really need it.
An increasingly large faction of my brain has been telling me something else lately though… that I’d have a lot more fun building it and writing firmware for it than I would actually using it. So, there’s a pretty high chance I may end up just ordering parts.
Added a few Nichias to the website. Wish I could do better on the pricing but I they didn't come cheap!
ToyKeeper, the triple Nichia I have starts at 556 OTF lumens.
SRSLY?!? I snoozed and missed the MT-G2s? Sigh.
Any idea when the next boat docks?
Yep, hopefully will have some by this next weekend along with all of the other LEDs / Noctigons that are out of stock.
Thanks Richard for fixing my senile mistake on my orders.
Great customer service.
Now if you only had the reflectors I wouldn’t have to deal with FT or Restocking Tech! |(
Thanks :bigsmile:
I think I came up with another excuse to try a triple. It allows for the possibility of mixing tints. My favorite lighting is made of multiple sources of different colors, so why not try that in a torch? That is, after all, how the MT-G2 works… I just prefer a bit wider spectrum.
I wonder how it’d look to have, perhaps, a 8* tint, a 1* tint, and a 4*. Could take a while to find a good balance, I suppose.
A couple of guys have been mixing them for a while in the multi-emitter reflector lights... not sure I've seen it yet in a small triple.
More of everything is on the way, will be here shortly. I have a new source for the Convoy hosts, should be able to get them a lot faster and more reliably now. The new 35A 2500mAh Efest 18650 is also on the way (I am a bit skeptical of these ratings!).
you should send a pair of those nice new efests to hkj for review