Linear charging means that the charging chip takes in the 5V input voltage and puts out 4.2V by burning the excess, these chips usually get pretty hot, like the TP4054. Switching charging turns the higher voltage into current, like a buck converter, these are much more efficient.
These two has nothing to do with what type of connector or cable the flashlight is compatible with.
When a flashlights takes C-C charging with a power delivery adapter it’s because there is some form of communication between the two and it request 5V (even a resistor works), because by default a power delivery charger doesn’t output any voltage or current.
When flashlights only takes A-C charging it’s basically a type C port in place of a micro USB, No changes internally.
We are in the middle of a transition era where some folks are already ditching everything USB A to use type C exclusively, but at the same time most people haven’t even heard about power delivery. I’m all in for power delivery for charging high energy devices, but USB A should never cease to exist. It’s robust, truly universal, easy to repair and will stay relevant for many years to come.
ok, i guess my question was meant in a more general sense in that, if a flashlight with built-in charging DOES accept C-C, how do you tell if it takes PD short of asking on forums and hoping a knowledgeable person such as yourself answers?
So are you saying your HK04 charging works on a C-C cable? Hhmm, because mine did not, least from what I could tell.
This QC 3.0 wall charger is actually a USB-A connector, not a USB-C, so if yours is like this, then yes - I got the same results as you with a USB-A wall charger (it worked), but my HK04 doesn't work on my USB-C wall charger like this one.
I think Hikelite spelled it out clearly in the above posts.
You need a true PD charger to test it out, in the case of the K1 it will take in PD in a way that if you connect it to a 20V 5A 100W PD laptop charger it will request just 5V 3A, so technically it is accepting PD but at regular charging rate.
You don’t need a PD chip in order to draw current from a PD charger, you can get 5V with just a 56k ohm pull up resistor in the cable or receiving connector. I believe the newer LT1 batches have this.
And to add to the confusion, there are C to C cables with bad chips that could trigger 5V or other voltage without anything connected to it, and there are USB-C chargers that are not PD, some are just 5V 3A or Quick charge. This is when the manufacturers use a existing design and just swaps the USB-A to a USB-C, this is very common on powerbanks. So not all cases involving C-C cable means PD and true PD will not charge dumb devices without a pull up resistor or a PD charging chip.
Get a high quality charger + cable combo to avoid damaging any of your usb-C devices.
thank you! thats actually exactly what i wanted to know, cuz i have quite a few PD charging cables around the house, and i just wanted to know if it takes PD charging, and if not, will using it be harmful to the battery/flashlight in some way, so that answers my question. i also have proprietary charging cables for oneplus dash charge and huawei’s supercharge, im assuming i should also be able to use those to charge it, but just a regular rate as well?
and for the second part, just to clarify, theres just regular c-c charging, and PD c-c charging right? cuz im using anker’s PD charging accessories, im sure they are true PD, but just for my curiosity, is there c-c thats not true PD, but can charge at PD rate?
I believe one of those chargers you mentioned uses 4.5V at very high currents through a USB-A connector, this is not standard 5V that the charging chip inside the K1 was designed to take. It will most likely work but I’d rather stick with a regular 5V usb charger and charge the K1 with a regular A-C cable.
Thanks for the pics on spring bypasses with accompanying results Tom. I got the 90 version for big bro backup to my W1 and will now have to do the bypasses! This means I will have to dig out some equipment as I literally boxed up everything and stored it some time ago now. Maybe I’ll be able to put everything away again afterwards… lol
I, uh, seem to have a weakness for Anduril based lights. Thanks TK! (I think!) hahaha
Hank now has the W2.1, dropped the W1. I emailed Hank though and he is selling me a mounted W2.1 even though it's not listed. He is also selling me a couple of the K1 drivers - it's a good design, something I can tweak the regulated amp level on by swapping one resistor.
I saw that resistor mod for your greeny meanie, nice research! I’m content to leave my pencil beam K1 as is but the 90 could use some intake modification for horsepower.
Crazy times my friend, crazy times. Covid got my Aunt in August. My wife is an LVN and deals with tons of chaos and insanity every day. Me? Just getting old and cranky it would seem. Been modding, just not flashlights. Learned that Nitronic 60 SS is a bear on the lathe! Should probably stick with reading. 71 books down in 6 months, running out of library…
Kudo’s to Hank, great work on his part! He keeps making em I’ll more than likely have to keep buying em. Addictions, what’s to say?
I hope it won’t be too much of a bother when things switch to Anduril 2. There are some changes which people might trip over when going back and forth between major versions, but I think the newer design is better overall.
Basic use is still the same… click for on/off, hold to change brightness, double click to go to/from a bright mode. Many of the extras are the same too… same battery check and candle, etc. But there are a bunch of other differences which tend to pop up with deeper use.
Me, I’ve mostly been enjoying the improved sunset timer and the new memory timer. But I’m expecting a bunch of justified confusion when the new version starts shipping. It’ll take people a while to get used to some of the changes. And it’ll take people (including me) a while to get old lights updated. I still haven’t decided if I’m going to reflash my entire collection or just a few specific items… because that’s a lot of work.
Tom, I dug out stuff I haven’t used in months and bypassed springs. Couldn’t find any 20 ga so I crammed 18 gauge in. I see 22.4A at start on a freshly charged 30T that shows 23 mOhm IR. My light box shows a start of 5600 dropping fast to 4900 then slowly to 4600 by 30 seconds, at which point the heat sink area is burning hot! Should help light up coyotes st 400-500 yards… :D)
Yep, 22 amps is pretty good. I still go back and forth with my lumens and maukka lumens. My conversion factor, as originally calibrated, is 0.34, but for maukka calib, I use 0.3. So the difference is about 12% lower.
Dunno if you are a Haikelite fan, but the HK90 came in for me yesterday and it's a triple SBT90.2, ~100 mm head diam. Almost a dead-on size match to a Shocker. Other nice thing it's a triple 21700 battery tube, runs Anduril. Looks like the same driver as the HK04, and the HK04 driver uses a resistor low FET circuit for the low channel (About 0.35 amps) and double high power FET's for the high output channel. Also has a huge SS bezel, and weighs a ton of course - Haikelite has always liked metal
I thought so. I dunno why I never decided to get a k1. I heard it was a bit top heavy tho. Does it feel balanced to you?
The new fireflylite t9r would be it’s closest competitor. But it has a smaller head so most likely will get out thrown.
How much did you guys pay for the k1? Is there a coupon or discount anywhere?
I think it was around $135 with the 90.2, could be wrong with my memory and all.
Wow Tom, triple 90.2’s, sounds pricey right off the top! I had to pay about $50 each for the loose I bought awhile back. That’s one of the things I like about Hank, willing to be cutting edge, not greedy about it.
My Shocker is doing a little over 11,000 with triple MTG2’s so I’ll let it continue to hold that category’s spot on my shelves. Unless of course Hank has something up his sleeve I don’t know about…
When I got Maukka’s test lights a while back I rebuilt my light box so it has no multiplier, using filter sheets from an LED monitor. I ended up a little under but at least I have a straight reading and know without doubt I’m not exaggerating numbers. Folks will believe what they want of course and that is fine. I always used the light box as a reference point to my mods anyway none of it has ever been carved in stone. So, to bring Old Lumens (Justin) back into all this… it is what it is.
