Nitecore TINI overhaul - MELD UI + ultraviolet

emarkd · 2018-07-19T22:44:35.000Z

tterev3:

Emarkd:

My understanding, and my personal experience, is that polycarbonate blocks 100% UV and most of the optics out there are polycarbonate. Am I wrong? Or is Nitecore using something besides polycarb for its optics? Or did you do something different that I’m missing? In other words how does the UV get out of your build?

I think you’re right, I’ve encountered that too. This emitter isn’t extremely short wavelength though (405) so it seems to work. I’ve tried similar things before and had the optic fluoresce and ruin it, but this one didn’t

Yeah that explains it then. 405nm vs the 365nm I’m trying to put through a polycarb optic, and it just doesn’t work for me. Full block. Oh well, thanks for the info.

DavidEF · 2018-07-19T22:50:23.000Z

tterev3:

DavidEF:

BTW, do you still have any drivers for sale?

Yes I think I have a few of them left

Is MELD-X still the latest or is there a newer version? Are the changes you made for this build integrated into the main firmware, or just on this one?

I’d like to get a couple of the full driver boards if I can.

tterev3 · 2018-07-20T00:25:21.000Z

DavidEF:

Is MELD-X still the latest or is there a newer version? Are the changes you made for this build integrated into the main firmware, or just on this one?

I’d like to get a couple of the full driver boards if I can.

This one is one of (very) many customized versions of the firmware for one-off mods - none of the additions are pulled into the firmware that goes out on the MELD-x boards. I’m always happy to send out chips if anyone wants to reproduce these though.

Agro · 2018-07-20T17:39:48.000Z

Incredible mod.

ADDED:
tterev3, I have a question.

I don’t understand your driver diagrams or description. My soldering skills are far too small to attempt to build wire octopuses.
Would it be possible to do a resistor mod or something else to moderately increase current?

DavidEF · 2018-07-20T18:30:33.000Z

Agro:

Incredible mod.

ADDED:
tterev3, I have a question.

I don’t understand your driver diagrams or description. My soldering skills are far too small to attempt to build wire octopuses.
Would it be possible to do a resistor mod or something else to moderately increase current?

Agro, have you seen his old (now defunct) sales thread for his drivers? They don’t need all that work. These mods he does himself almost always include re-using the original driver, adding his own PIC chip, with all those tiny wires, to get the MELD firmware. If you look at his own MELD-X drivers, they use 7135’s on each channel, and are fairly simple to wire up.

Schoki · 2018-07-20T19:01:59.000Z

Agro:

Incredible mod.

ADDED:
tterev3, I have a question.

I don’t understand your driver diagrams or description. My soldering skills are far too small to attempt to build wire octopuses.
Would it be possible to do a resistor mod or something else to moderately increase current?

If you have a TINI and want to increase the current, you can do that by lowering the shunt resistor value (in the schematic, below the XP-G LED)

Agro · 2018-07-20T19:05:15.000Z

I meant…would it be possible to resistor mod or otherwise increase current of the stock TINI driver? I see it reverse-engineered, but that’s far beyond my level of electronics.

Agro · 2018-07-20T19:12:16.000Z

Schoki:

Agro:

Incredible mod.

ADDED:
tterev3, I have a question.

I don’t understand your driver diagrams or description. My soldering skills are far too small to attempt to build wire octopuses.
Would it be possible to do a resistor mod or something else to moderately increase current?

If you have a TINI and want to increase the current, you can do that by lowering the shunt resistor value (in the schematic, below the XP-G LED)

We wrote simultaneously.
Thanks.

And which one would it be on the board?….
In this kind of driver, current is linear with inverse of resistance, just like with sense resistors?

tterev3 · 2018-07-20T19:23:33.000Z

Yes the sense resistor could be lowered to increase current, but there are two potential issues in this case:
The battery is already being pushed very hard at ~1000mA draw on max, I wouldn’t push it further. Second, the sense resistor is buried way down in the folded-up flex PCB in what is already a ridiculously dense and difficult to assemble light, so it would be very tough to swap out.

Agro · 2018-07-20T20:22:09.000Z

OK, thanks for the answer.

RotorHead64 · 2018-07-20T20:35:36.000Z

I have a couple questions...

What size wire did you use on the MCU chip and what tools did you use to solder it with?

BTW, this is some cool stuff. Thanks for sharing.

tterev3 · 2018-07-21T00:18:24.000Z

RotorHead64:

I have a couple questions…

What size wire did you use on the MCU chip and what tools did you use to solder it with?

BTW, this is some cool stuff. Thanks for sharing.

I use 34AWG magnet wire for this - it is enamel insulated, so you can strip the ends by burning off the enamel with solder instead of mechanically stripping it. For soldering my favorite is a Metcal SMD rework iron with a fine conical tip, although I’ve done work like this with a lot of different irons. The Metcal is fairly expensive but something cheaper like the TS100 would be capable of doing it. The most important tool is a stereo microscope. This scale of work is just possible without magnification, but it is enormously easier under a microscope, and stereo vision is a necessity. The other thing that’s very helpful is flux - when I’m doing a solder joint to one of the pads on the microcontroller, it’s tough to add solder without adding too much, so I usually tin everything, then put a tiny amount of flux on the wire, then just reflow it without additional solder.

RotorHead64 · 2018-07-21T22:47:13.000Z

:+1: Nice!

Jerommel · 2018-08-22T22:55:06.000Z

Crazy modding…

I have a question though:
Is an emitter swap doable?
3500K 219C 92CRI would be nice.

tterev3 · 2018-08-22T23:33:58.000Z

Jerommel:

Is an emitter swap doable?

Yes it could be done, the led is mounted on flex PCB but it would withstand a reflow. Hot air would be best

ImA4Wheelr · 2018-08-23T02:44:47.000Z

Superior workmanship, design, and creativity as always. It seems, I learn something every time I read (and reread one of your threads). Congrats on the new light and thank you for sharing ttrev3.

Agro · 2018-08-27T10:10:26.000Z

Vinh swaps 219c into this, so yes, it’s possible.
Jerommel, if you do it, please report on how did it go. I consider trying this as well. With 4000k CRI90 LH351D.

Jerommel · 2018-08-27T12:42:17.000Z

Agro:

Vinh swaps 219c into this, so yes, it’s possible.
Jerommel, if you do it, please report on how did it go. I consider trying this as well. With 4000k CRI90 LH351D.

Well, i ordered a TINI Cu yesterday, so we’ll see in a few weeks or so if and how it is doable.
I have no hot air reflow equipment, so i expect it to be quite a challenge…

Agro · 2018-11-13T22:07:47.000Z

Jerommel:

Agro:

Vinh swaps 219c into this, so yes, it’s possible.
Jerommel, if you do it, please report on how did it go. I consider trying this as well. With 4000k CRI90 LH351D.

Well, i ordered a TINI Cu yesterday, so we’ll see in a few weeks or so if and how it is doable.
I have no hot air reflow equipment, so i expect it to be quite a challenge…

Any news?

tterev3:

Yes the sense resistor could be lowered to increase current, but there are two potential issues in this case:
The battery is already being pushed very hard at ~1000mA draw on max, I wouldn’t push it further. Second, the sense resistor is buried way down in the folded-up flex PCB in what is already a ridiculously dense and difficult to assemble light, so it would be very tough to swap out.

BTW it occurred to me that one can swap battery for a more powerful one, those lipos can deliver a lot with RC ones commonly being rated for 25C continuous and 75C happens with the most powerful ones.
If this:
Page Not Found - Aliexpress.com delivers its specs, it can do over 6A continuously with 10% capacity loss. Frankly, I’m suspicious of Aliexpress cells, but I don’t see a trustworthy source at this size….

Jerommel · 2018-12-04T04:04:49.000Z

Agro:

Jerommel:

Agro:

Vinh swaps 219c into this, so yes, it’s possible.
Jerommel, if you do it, please report on how did it go. I consider trying this as well. With 4000k CRI90 LH351D.

Well, i ordered a TINI Cu yesterday, so we’ll see in a few weeks or so if and how it is doable.
I have no hot air reflow equipment, so i expect it to be quite a challenge…

Any news?

Yes, the Cu version was lost by the Hague postal workers…. Probably stolen package… A**holes…
….so i ordered a silver aluminium one a few weeks ago and it arrived today (yesterday now).

I swapped the XP-G3 for an SST-20 3000K 95CRI

Nitecore TINI tear down + emitter swap Other Battery Type Flashlights

Got my Nitecore TINI in today, and decided to swap the XP-G3 for an SST-20 3000K 95CRI. Although the XP-G3 works very nicely in the TIR optic of the TINI (no tint shift problems), i like warm and neutral high CRI white LEDs, so i decided to swap it. Could have used Nichia 219C, but the 2700K and 3000K tints i have don’t have a tint i like. Apparently above the BBL, greenish hue compared to incandescent light. The SST-20 also has a low Vf, so it’s very suitable for the buck driver the TINI ha…