Not really. It’s harder to see PWM at “moon” levels, so it’s okay to run those a little slower. I’ll have to do some testing to see where the sweet spot is; where it should switch to faster PWM.
In any case, I’ll probably only reduce it to 4.5 kHz at the moon level, which cuts the ramping loss by 75% and is still fast enough most people can’t see it. Maybe I can increase the “moon” runtimes from ~50 days to ~75 days. Looking back at my efficiency measurements though, I doubt there will really be much difference at a “low” mode of 5 to 10 lumens. Moon is the main spot where the efficiency drops.
At the very least, slower PWM would probably allow more fine-tuned changes in the output level on moon modes. The last light I tested went from like 0.14 lm to 1.14 lm just by changing the PWM value by one, with nothing in-between. I’d kind of prefer if it were closer to 0.3 lm instead.
I think that the picture pretty much says it all! A very nice light from all outward appearances, but appearances can be deceiving...
I got this one from a member on the forum to hopefully mod but ended up just doing a UI upgrade instead.
I bought that SRK POS from an Amazon seller unfortunately. Externally looked good and actually cost about $10 more than a internally much better SecurityIng bought a bit later for under $30. The SecurityIng at least has a proper LED platform that attaches to the body for cooling purposes. Have to go back and see if I can give it a one star review that mentions the seller by name.
Tonight I’ll be soldering the MCPB for the triple XPL to the copper spacer of my Cypreus. I have soldered the spacer to the pill and dedomed the emitters. Still seeing a triangle of spots after testing to see that they work. I will have to do the paper sack test after completing. Link
I ordered a custom copper Cypreus 18650 kit. Mine will have a shortened head specifically designed for a triple along with a shortened pill. Entire light should be about 100mm long, instead of the 130mm for the stock kit.
When it arrives I’ll put a triple XPL inside along with FET driver.
I should order a new driver from Richard for this. I’m thinking off-mode memory with 3 modes: moonlight - 20% - 100% with 30 or maybe 40 second stepdown.
Or maybe I should go with 4 modes: moonlight - 10% - 40% - 100% with 30-40 second stepdown.
I remember reading many years ago about how cool LEDs ran for their light output. Even referred to as “cold” light sources IIRC. Now we are pushing power levels to the point that any glitch in cooling can cause catastrophic failures including “melt downs”. We are mounting the LEDs direct to copper heat sinks for better heat conductivity and pulling every trick except mounting them on Peltier coolers. Not using the last due to their power requirements and getting hot in the non cooling surface area too I expect. How times and LED power levels have changed.
I recently bought a NOS 128 LED shower head light just to remember what LED light technology used to be. Definitely a shelf queen. Six D battery requirement and a head that looks like it is off of a toilet plunger!
OTOH, showering with a waterproof LED light can be fun. Especially if it has motion-stopping strobe modes. Water looks cool when you only see it in narrow timeslices.
Is there any consensus as to what the best batteries are for current medium to heavy current draw flashlights with good capacity versus performance considered?
Based on capacity versus current rating I like the Panasonic NCR18650BD Protected 3200mAh batteries for protected ones as the base battery is rated for up to 10 amps continuous output. If you can use them the unprotected flat top versions of the same basic battery are good as unprotected cells it looks like. Richard does not list a button top unprotected version yet.
For an unprotected button top battery the “Panasonic NCR18650PF 2900mAh Button Top Unprotected ” ones look good unless you are trying to get the ultimate out of a unregulated high current light in which case any of the 20 Amp+ continuous output batteries from Efest, Sony, Samsung or LG that Richard offers should so far as I know provide comparable performance.
The move is now in full swing. I am finishing up all custom orders today, tomorrow, and Wednesday that were placed before this week, so all of you that have custom drivers and flashlights outstanding will get them soon. We will ship all other orders that are placed tonight but anything after that will not ship until next week.
Thanks for all of your patience and continued support! You guys are great to work with!
Low-frequency PWM is usually still too fast. I mean, it can work… but it’s a lot better when the frames are farther apart. I find that about 20Hz is nice, but most slow PWM is more like 150 to 200 Hz.
As for the best battery… it’s a complicated question with no simple answer. But there are a bunch which seem pretty good, and it could probably be narrowed down to a single product if you have a specific light and a specific use case in mind.
Ok, so it’s not as bright as it should be. It burns one hole quick, the second a little after that and the third did not burn through. They are in series and not parallel. I thought when you soldered the bridges in place that made the emitters in parallel?
Also, I can go the full 90 seconds until step down without burning my hand.
Also that stunt with the paper sack… smoke and steam darkened the lenses of the TIR.
The darkest I assume is the brightest one, the clearest the least bright.
What happens if I take those bridges off? Assuming my underpowered soldering iron can loosen them since the MCPB is soldered to the heat sink and pill.
