okay... so i finally "got started"...

Flashlight Modding and DIY Parts
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… and by actually got started? i mean i started switching emitters and drivers amongst the junk lights i have layign around me… lol…

the only thing that worries/annoys me?

i have a string of “dead generic emitters” and seemigly “dead emitters”.

the basic plot line playing aruond? i wanted to practice soldering and unsoldering drivers and LEDs, before i spend money on “real” emitters and “real” drivers…

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i actually ended up with ONE light i kinda like this way, cant wait to buy a real driver for it.

i was just fooling around with generic chinese no name emiters? and found out i can stick TWO 18650s in series, and all of a sudden the “ho hum 500 to 700ma driver? suddenly puts out 1500 to 2800ma, lmFao… mind you, they were originally 3xAAA drivers, lol…

am i reasonable to assume…

1) when a “force fed” chinese generic driver, intended to run 600ma on 3xAAA… gets 2 lithiums and cranks out 2 amps, thats probably the reason for the blown drivers?

2) i am assuming since increased voltage = increased amperage, that these were “resistor driven” and not constant current?

3) when i blow these drivers force feeding them like a @$$hole like i am doing just having fun, i suppose its normal to kill emitters doing this?

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i figure when i buy a “real” 2800ma driver, intended to put that juice out on ONE 18650… i wont have any problems? ’cos when i pop 6 dollars for a EMITTER and another 6 dollars for a DRIVER… thats 12 bucks… i dont want to start lighting ten dollar bills on fire.

NOTE: this was just “have fun killing the chinese underdriven junk” sort of fun, to get my feet wet soldering emitter leads on and stuff… and assembling and disassembling pills… i dont intend to *whomp” on real driver and real XML emitters like that…

so… what i describe whomping on chinese junk no-name drivers, and when they blow they tend to take the emitter with them, thats normal? (i had a few XMLs around, taken off a couple of walmart ozark trail lights i didnt like any more)

i just wanna make ure i wasnt doing something ELSE wrong, and when i buy real drivers to match up to the new XML2s i buy, i wont be lighting 10 dollar bills on fire…

(this was cheaper than going to flashlight college, though, lol… this is the “study at home” course, LMAO)

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1) when a “force fed” chinese generic driver, intended to run 600ma on 3xAAA… gets 2 lithiums and cranks out 2 amps, thats probably the reason for the blown drivers?

Yes. You are giving the driver a much higher voltage than it is intended to handle. While it does work at first you are doing permanent damage to the driver, causing it to eventually fail.

2) i am assuming since increased voltage = increased amperage, that these were “resistor driven” and not constant current?

This is most likely correct. You can't say this for sure as it is a possibility that a higher voltage could cause the parts of the constant current driver to fail leading to an increased current (unlikely but possible).

3) when i blow these drivers force feeding them like a @$$hole like i am doing just having fun, i suppose its normal to kill emitters doing this?

Yep.