My Convoy S2+ arrived, my god.

[conanthewarrior]

Hi people, my Convoy s2+ finally turned up!

There was some confusion if it was the XML or XML2 emitter, but it is on a silver backing so I guess is the xml2!

One thing though, I was expecting a green power button, but got black. No worries though, as it actually looks better.

This thing is actually powerful, and I mean it blows any other torch any one of the family have owned before.

We was using my grandfathers(We all live together) torch, which was incandescent bulb for looking for things/night.

This thing on low is brighter, so even low power mode is enough for me. It is daytime now, but I tried mid and high, and actually could light up the room in daylight. This thing is super powerful, and I am super impressed.

I am a bit confused with the mode choosing though, as it seems to be a bit randomized which one I get? Could anyone tell me how to actually choose a mode? I managed to somehow get a strobe and nearly trigger a mass seizure due to the brightness of the thing lol(not making fun of seizures or epilepsy, I myself had a bad seizure last year thats left some lasting damage, just pointing out how bright the strobe was).

I just have to say, for the price of this thing, it is amazing. It is also the perfect size as a ‘fist load’ incase I get attacked late at night.

Now I am just waiting for my Tank E09 to come for the keyring, I guess that will be like the convoy on low, but that is perfect for me to get home, and thats what its for, so that is my next shiny package.

BTW, any dart players on here? I got another package this morning, some 21 gram stingrays, I play and collect so if anyone else does hit me up .

[Halo]

Turn on then “half press” and release the button so that the light goes off but you don’t actually click the button off. This will change modes. You could also fully click off and back on but half presses are quicker, easier.
It has “on time” memory. It will remember the last mode you used if you stay on that mode for at least 5 seconds before turning the light off.

[MountainKing]

Glad you like it mate! Thanks hali. Going to set the group on mine now!

[unknown00101]

It should be 2 second on time memory unless they messed with the drivers recently.

You may have the driver with 2 mode groups. High-Medium-Low and High-M-L-Strobe-SoS

If that is the case you can access the different mode group by going into low mode and waiting for a quick flash off/on (should take about 3 seconds). Right when you see the flash give it a half press or a click and you’ll be in the other group of modes.

[Noki]

@unknown00101

It should be 2 second on time memory unless they messed with the drivers recently.

You may have the driver with 2 mode groups. High-Medium-Low and High-M-L-Strobe-SoS

If that is the case you can access the different mode group by going into low mode and waiting for a quick flash off/on (should take about 3 seconds). Right when you see the flash give it a half press or a click and you’ll be in the other group of modes.

I have previous gen Convoy M2 and new red S2+. When light blinks in low mode I just click 2 times fast (off-on) and change mode group.

[unknown00101]

@Noki

@unknown00101

It should be 2 second on time memory unless they messed with the drivers recently.

You may have the driver with 2 mode groups. High-Medium-Low and High-M-L-Strobe-SoS

If that is the case you can access the different mode group by going into low mode and waiting for a quick flash off/on (should take about 3 seconds). Right when you see the flash give it a half press or a click and you’ll be in the other group of modes.

I have previous gen Convoy M2 and new red S2+. When light blinks in low mode I just click 2 times fast (off-on) and change mode group.

That works too; when the circuit is interrupted (off) is when the mode groups will change. The interruption can be either a half press or full click.

[conanthewarrior]

Just went for a quick 1 am pitch black walk (no streetlights) Low is enough to get you home safely, medium Lights up whole streets, and the only reason I can think of high mode is to blind pscychos who try to rob you in the night lol.

And yes, mine is the one with the strobe/SOS built in, I have that turned off for now, but one day I may need it so its handy to know how to get it back on. I tried a few times and its super easy, just wait for low to go off for a second, then turn it off then on to switch between modes.

[Halo]

Where did you get your Convoy s2+? Link? Just wondering what the amps are on high for yours. You can get them with different levels of power.

[MountainKing]

The mode changing can’t be easier. Super satisfied with it. For the time being I’m on the L-M-H mode!

[conanthewarrior]

@Halo…

Where did you get your Convoy s2+? Link? Just wondering what the amps are on high for yours. You can get them with different levels of power.

I got mine from gearbest, It is the 2100MAH model with 6 chips( I think thats what they are called) there was a 2800MAH model, but I felt that was complete overkill, so I went for the more powerful of the middle power range(1400 and 2100MAH).

It said 7135 X 6, so I guess they are the chips (Please correct me, as I am probably using the wrong name being new)

http://www.gearbest.com/led-flashlights/pp_44144.html that is the same as the one I bought, and the only one listed like that on gearbest so I guess the same seller, only thing is mine has a black on/off button instead of green, but It looks better I think that way so doesn’t bother me.

(Or is gearbest a shop? I am a bit confused with them due to the chinese, I am not sure if it works like ebay or is a stockist of electronic goods?).

EDIT: Sorry, it doesn’t state it but it does come with the XML2 emitter and not the older XML, I looked at the colour of the base of the LED and its silver/white so seems to be the XML2 as I was expecting)

[chuckhov]

Hi Conan,

It is most likely a XM-L2 U2 - 1A,
rather than a XML U2 - 1B, as this is what Convoy is currently making.

The XM-L2 is purported to give 20% more lumens than the XML.

The 1B - 1A thing, is the “tint” binning.

The 940 lumens listed for your light is not correct, in fact, that would be ‘somewhat’ optimistic for the 2800mAh model - Id expect more like 600 lumens, and even that may be pushing if we are talking OTF (out the front).

Any way you look at it though - That thing is Bright:-)

Thanks,
-Chuck

[Billy_X]

Hi Conan,since you mentioned that the 2.1 amp driver is perhaps too much,and that you have done vaping mods, so know how to solder,a little knowledge of what is going on inside would be good.
this is a driver similar to your’s,but with only 3 7135 constant current chips instead of your 6.Each 7135 gives 350mA(some are 380mA),they are wired in parallel and addition the current.The middle of the 3 legs is negative as is the single pad opposite.To reduce the power on max to 1.4A,you unsolder 2 of the 7135’s(you probably have 4 on one side and 2 on the other.)

The 8 legged chip is the Atiny micro processor to control modes.It does it by pulse width modulation(PWM),switching the 7135’s on and off very fast(kHz) , so high is 100% on , med is 30% on 70% off,lo is 5%….The percentage,hence mode spacing ,stays the same regardless of the number of 7135 chips added or removed.

A year ago,I would have told you that the Atiny chip has its modes and that’s it.Today,people here are reprogramming that chip to set their own modes!

This is all just background information,enjoy the standard S2+ as it is(for the moment )

[MountainKing]

Billy X are you french? Your english is great TDF next week!

[conanthewarrior]

@chuckhov

Hi Conan,

It is most likely a XM-L2 U2 - 1A,
rather than a XML U2 - 1B, as this is what Convoy is currently making.

The XM-L2 is purported to give 20% more lumens than the XML.

The 1B - 1A thing, is the “tint” binning.

http://toykeeper.net/torches/cree-tints.jpg

The 940 lumens listed for your light is not correct, in fact, that would be ‘somewhat’ optimistic for the 2800mAh model - Id expect more like 600 lumens, and even that may be pushing if we are talking OTF (out the front).

Any way you look at it though - That thing is Bright:-)

Thanks,
-Chuck

I did gather with it being a chinese torch they might be optimistic, that clarifies it. Main thing is it is one of the brightest torches I have seen/owned, and that pleases me wether it is 600 or the claimed 940LM. Do you know what it throws out on medium?

As that is just about right in the pitch black for seeing into the distance and lighting things up, and yesterday I got 3 and a half hours runtime on half ( Which I REALLY don’t understand, as this should not be possible with the batteries I use.

They are only 2500MAH, but original Smasung 25R’s and can handle much more wattage pull than a flashlight, I am thinking maybe where it was hardly stressing the battery could be the answer? I am going to run it again tonight with a Different 25’R, as that may well be a good one and actually have a higher MAH than advertised, I number my batteries so I know where they are from and if they go wrong who to contact, (a small sticker with a number on the side of the battery, and then write down in a pad the numbers which shop it came from, might be an idea for some of you to use? I find it handy to know where I got them from, and which batch/date I got it)

[conanthewarrior]

Hi billy, thanks for your tips/info. Ahh thats quite cool, my regulated mod uses PWM to vape with to control the voltage and wattage to what I want it to be.

Yes, after getting angry I had been mugged off thinking I had a 700MAH torch and ordering the 2100MAH torch in black this time but from fast tech instead of gear best, I unsoldered it and realised that part came out. On the other side were 4 more chips, so I feel like a bit of a mug now lol. But I am going to use one for modding, so thats a bonus :).

I am not sure exactly what mods I could do, but anything technical interests me, thats one of the reasons I vape( I don’t use nicotine, I make my own E-juice and add my own flavour concentrates, and even make my own coils to different Ohm ratings depending on what I fancy, and only use the finest unbleached cotton as my wicks, so no carcinogens as I don’t use nicotine, and its a bit technical so I like it, and the flavour and building a RDA is fun( The RDA I currently use might as well be a fog machine, it has so much airflow and if I run enough watts through it and heat, its insane)

So, anyone with some simple mods I can start with, would be great :).

EDIT: Hang on, people reprogramme these chips? Ahhh I am great with hardware, but software is not my forte as I have been using a mac for 5 years, so the last windows I used myself was XP.

[tristanxoxo]

If you are interested in the modding your flashlight, I think the next thing you should look into is replacing the driver with a LD2. If you are concerned with efficiency, this driver is for you. It is MUCH more efficient in the lower modes…while having near DD performance on high. It’s a pretty easy mod to do…just need a soldering iron and solder.

You may also want to replace the aluminum star with a Noctigon copper star. Reflowing a LED on to Noctigon is a bit more tricky, but you also just buy them pre-mounted .

[conanthewarrior]

Driver replacement sounds interesting, does that mean a longer battery life in the mid modes?

And complete newbie question here, but what benefit do I get by placing the LED onto a Noctigon copper star VS aluminium? Is that a more efficient material to deliver the power from drivers to the LED?

[tristanxoxo]

@conanthewarrior

Driver replacement sounds interesting, does that mean a longer battery life in the mid modes?

And complete newbie question here, but what benefit do I get by placing the LED onto a Noctigon copper star VS aluminium? Is that a more efficient material to deliver the power from drivers to the LED?

Yes, the LD2 would be more efficient in all the modes besides high mode.

A Noctigon would greatly improve thermal transfer and hence improve cooling. The cooler the LED remains, the more output can be sustained.

[Deputydave]

@unknown00101

It should be 2 second on time memory unless they messed with the drivers recently.

You may have the driver with 2 mode groups. High-Medium-Low and High-M-L-Strobe-SoS

If that is the case you can access the different mode group by going into low mode and waiting for a quick flash off/on (should take about 3 seconds). Right when you see the flash give it a half press or a click and you’ll be in the other group of modes.

Exactly. I had to inquire about this when I got my first Convoy. Very useful feature!

[Deputydave]

Conan,

As a point of interest on run times for your 7135*6 Convoy (from Simon’s page):

How to calculate the working time of every mode:

working time≈real battery capacity / current. For example,sanyo 2600mA,assemble 7135*6 on this flashlight,high mode current is 2100mA,mid mode current is 840mA,low mode current is 105mA,so high mode working time is 74minutes,mid mode working time is 3.1hours,low mode working time is 24.8hours.Last ,notice the ultrafire battery ,the capacity printed on their body is fake.

As was pointed out to me here on BLF, this is a guideline and actual performance may be around 90% of the above due to loss in efficiency that all electronic devices suffer. Thought it may be of interest. I have a *3, 4, 6 and 8 Convoy S2+. I really like them all but EDC the *3 as I want maximum runtime on an EDC light. The *3 is approximately twice that of the *6.