The 20R is still the king of peak lumens, but after a few minutes the new 2500mAh cells gain ground then pass up the 20R due to their extra capacity. All three new 2500mAh cells are close enough that I doubt you could ever tell a difference without a light meter. For everyday use the 2500mAh cells are probably a better choice but they do cost a bit more as well. The Pana PF is still a great compromise cell but it will limit output compared to the other cells, it is probably what I would choose to run in a stock or Mod 1 M6.
On another note, I don't think we need the toroid/flyback diode to get ultra low moonlight levels out of these FETs. What I think we need is a good gate driver circuit, the 7135s may even work. Wait until you see how low the moonlight is on the Mod 1 M6, you can turn it down really low without any of the drawbacks and extra costs associated with the toroid/flyback diode. The FET connected to the MCU with a resistor already goes pretty low, but this is crazy low. I had to turn it up so that it was bright enough to even tell that the LEDs were turned on when the lights are on.
Hey guys, I just tested the Sony VTC5 flat top in both the M6 and Securitying and it works in both. No issues if you want to order this cell for these lights, the button is raised just enough to make contact.
If you're getting a lower low mode after adding the gate resistor, that's a sign you're running the FET in a less-than-fully-on state, which they are really not built for. If the MCU is able to control the FET without the resistor you really shouldn't use one. Adding the inductor to calm down the low modes is at zero risk of burning anything up. How much will it cost you if FETs start dying after they're out in the field? Less than what it would cost to just use the inductor & diode from the start?
7135 won't work as a gate driver, it's only capable of switching a low side signal (ground), the FET gate needs a positive signal to switch it on. Even the 7136 that's sometimes used in similar circuits isn't able to provide any amplification of the gate signal, it only has a pass-through that connects the input pin straight out the other end to the output pin that runs the gate on the FET.
The inductor and diode chapter that makes life easier on the FET. Can you send me a copy of that? Need to figure out if I need to rebuild a couple. Especially my M8, want that one to last forever…
You are right. The circuit I'm talking about is actually using a series of 7136s along with some other unknown diodes, resistors, etc. Need to do some more research but this seems to work very well.
Dale: the toroid and diode don't make life any easier on the FET vs what you're doing now, they just allow a lower moonlight mode than what is possible otherwise.
They most certainly do, you might want to check with texaspyro or PilotPTK. FETs can die from being run in that middle range between fully on and fully off, and if the gate resistor affects the light output/current, then it's running the FET in that middle range.
I'm talking about what Dale is running right now, which is phase correct PWM starting with a value of 2. No issues there at all, the MOSFET doesn't get hot at all. What I understood him to was asking was whether or not it would save his drivers and my answer was that it would not. Trying to get a lower low than what he's currently running may be a different story but I don't think that's what he was asking. I'll keep running this modified one of mine with the 7136s and see how long it goes before it dies or sees something else happen, I was just putting it out there that it may be possible to do this without that extra stuff which won't fit inside of most flashlights outside of the SRK/M6/other flashlights with large driver cavities. I know that in theory it may kill the MOSFET a little faster, but how fast are we talking? 10,000 hours or run time vs 50,000 hours? 15 minutes? That's what I want to find out. No way to know unless you try.
That’s right RMM, I was asking in concern for the FET 105c you built for my M8…primarily. Really like how that one has shaped up and want to ensure that it keeps working.
My other pride and Joy? If the toroid and diode together aren’t much bigger than a flea, a baby one, then it might be possible to use em. No real estate in this light!
The M8 doesn’t get used often or for long. The TP get’s used almost daily, and usually in it’s lower modes. As a matter of fact, I forgot to engage star 2 for moon mode and it looks like I’m gonna have to go back in and either engage it or flash the driver with some lower options…this light gets used primarily late at night, walking through the house checking doors or refrigerator raids, late sweeps on putting flashlight modding gear away, so I’d like a lower than 7 lumens low.
Would it be better to back the modes down with a new flash or simply engage moon mode? Either way I have no choice but to de-solder the driver from the tiny 1/2” diameter pill and de-solder the emitter, then remove the driver completely. Getting better at it, but really don’t like soldering/de-soldering repeatedly to the pill. This is a one-off, an expensive one at that, and sooner or later I’m gonna kill something if I keep messing around with it.
This is a public service announcement : in the period from 4/25 until 5/15 there will be no custom build orders available. The items that will be affected are:
"Super" XinTD
ZY-T08 Mods
M6 Mods
Securitying Mods
"S3" EDC Triple XP-G2
FET Drivers
Adding 7135s
Other Custom Work
On 5/15 all of these items will again become available. Any pre-existing orders will continue to be built and shipped during that time period. All other items will be available as usual.
I've got some of the purple 18350s here, just need to get them on the website. Efest tells me that the 18650s should be available any day now...still waiting.
