Q8 modding

hank · 2017-10-22T01:56:37.000Z

When youput new solder over old solder, you may get a mixture with an unpredictable melting point.

Solder suckers are little spring-loaded vacuum cleaners that work quite well.

ZozzV6 · 2017-10-22T05:44:29.000Z

Tom E:

They use SolidWorks here @work, but if it works out, I could maybe make a few available.

Can you upload the 3D files to thingiverse.com if it will be done? I have 3D printer so then I can print it for myself.
Thank you!

Terry_White · 2017-10-22T08:30:03.000Z

I thought I had posted what I measured the output of my Q8 stock when it arrived 5 days ago... I could not find the post but I always write down everything...

Stock when it arrived using 4 well matched 30q's fully charged I got 5805 lumen that dropped quickly to 5375 lumen.

I finally had a night off so I got to do my clean up and do spring bypass.

I took my time and made sure that I did the best that I could do, taking time to build the solder a little around the screw holes on the tail PCB.

I cleaned all the dirty lube and screw holes. Just put fresh lube on all of the threads and O-rings and using the same 30q's freshly charged my Q8 hit 7267 lumen...

For any that do not know my tube is really hard on any light. I keep it calibrated constantly. Every light I can add to the list I add. I have over 50 different lights logged to confirm my current calibration.

It almost always very quickly tells on any light over rated.

The first light to make claimed lumen on first try was the MT07S.

My point is that as greedy as my tube is I just hit over 7k lumen from a light costing less than 40 bucks.

You guys did an amazing job. I honestly did not think the emitter could hit those numbers...

My hat is off to everyone involved in this build. This really puts budget in budget light forum.

I think I will leave it where it is... 7k from a light the size of a soda can lol...

Thanks again..

I really hope that I can get the time to get involved in one of these..

joechina · 2017-10-22T11:13:26.000Z

Tom E:

Thanks! It was all done by hand sanding and filing. I like working with that stuff, gets a little messy though. I used smaller files for shaping the 1/2 circles.

The material started at about 8.25 mm thick from that scrap piece, sanded down to 4.4 mm. A mech designer at work said he’d try 3D printing a jig to fit over the button and fit into all four of the 1/2 circle notches. He thinks the material would hold up, but I’m not sure - it would have advantages to fit in all 4 notches though.

They use SolidWorks here @work, but if it works out, I could maybe make a few available.

A key for switch retaining ring 3D printed should be easy. It’s a few extruded rings and cylinders.

And you don’t need a full CAD software, there are online construction tools, e.g. https://www.tinkercad.com/ where you work with basic shapes.

Edit: Lazy-R-us was quicker than I.

Tinkercad and every other CAD can export to STL.

Export as STL-File
normaly there are export options. Look at the help of your CAD-SW what they do.
Normally you export in millimetres and you
set the value for detailed curves higher than preset.

Then there is the printer you want to use

- resin based printer, liquid goo

filament printer (FDM), long plastik strand on spool
A resin printer should work, a FDM is probably to coarse, maybe it works when you play with the settings.

Normaly the first design is a bit of and doesn’t fit well, be prepared to do a second, or file it down if to big.

And if you like you can upload the design to thingiverse.

There are collections on thingiverse
https://www.thingiverse.com/explore/collections
I like the section tools <— nice stuff in it

ZozzV6 · 2017-10-22T11:42:14.000Z

That is great joechina!
Thank you!
I just made a Convoy C8 lens cap with it I haven’t got the Q8 here with me at work

Lazy-R-us · 2017-10-22T18:36:27.000Z

Well, I printed both options and discovered that the simpler one works better. The X version has to be printed upright and, as such, breaks the tips off at the layer line. I have added some more finger gripping area, and a little more room for the button in the current design, but the one flat version shown below works and I have now successfully removed one of my Q8’s button rings.

Terry_White · 2017-10-23T09:13:51.000Z

This light is a ton of fun...

www.youtube.com/embed/RzgQgkRhM4g

Tom_Tom · 2017-10-23T10:57:27.000Z

Ilmatic:

Hello all,

So I got RMM’s nickel plated spring and went to install them today. This was my 2nd time soldering, but I was having a really rough time. Several issues:

1) The solder would form into balls almost immediately when my soldering iron would make contact with the solder. And these small balls would not stick at all. I am using a 2 in 1 wood burner/ solder from harbour freight (I know, cheap). Is that perhaps the problem? Also I am using this solder from MtE (MG 63/37 ).

2) After removing the original springs, there was all this leftover solder and glue type material left over…what is the best way to cleanly get rid of that stuff?

Any input would be great. Thank you in advance!

Lead free solder will have been used originally (RoHS). It is never as good as tin-lead solder. Nor does it mix well with it. And it needs higher temperatures to melt.

When modifying torches I always remove the old solder first, using solder sucker or de-solder braid.

Not knowing the “solderability” of the nickel plated springs, I would tin them first, before trying to solder them onto the PCB. If they don’t tin easily with ordinary rosin cored solder, you might need a more active flux, maybe ordinary plumbers flux, then thoroughly clean them (the flux can be corrosive). Only once tinned nicely would I try to solder them to the PCB.

khas · 2017-10-24T05:47:50.000Z

Put some XP-L HI in my Q8, three 4B and one 3C :

The emitters is from my discard bin so there is a few corners missing.

Distance to the windmill is about 675 meters.

It’s not a thrower but I think the XP-L HI tightens up the beam nicely and I really like the tint. I have some XP-L HI U6 5A3 on the way that should be just perfect for the Q8.

I had a spare SRK tail PCB and some really beefy springs from a Niwalker bk-fa09s :

It’s not pretty but it works.

Tom_E · 2017-10-24T11:51:58.000Z

Wish I could get more IOS "A" springs. If anyone has any luck finding a source for something like them, please post!

I can hit over 7000 lumens at startup on the "A" springs, no bypasses. Need to do some serious searching on Ali I suppose.

kiriba-ru · 2017-10-24T12:23:02.000Z

Tom E:

Wish I could get more IOS “A” springs. If anyone has any luck finding a source for something like them, please post!

I can hit over 7000 lumens at startup on the “A” springs, no bypasses. Need to do some serious searching on Ali I suppose.

How do they look like?

Tom_E · 2017-10-24T12:26:29.000Z

They are "gold" covered, believe the spring wire is 0.9 mm thick, so on the thick side, pretty stiff, 11 mm high, maybe 8-9 mm wide at the base. I like the narrower base because they are easier to solder when the base PCB pad is wider.

giorgoskok · 2017-10-24T13:54:17.000Z

Tom E:

They are “gold” covered, believe the spring wire is 0.9 mm thick, so on the thick side, pretty stiff, 11 mm high, maybe 8-9 mm wide at the base. I like the narrower base because they are easier to solder when the base PCB pad is wider.

Tom , maybe these :

http://kaidomain.com/p/S027055.DIY-Gold-Plated-Battery-Driver-Contact-Support-Springs-8mm-x-11mm-for-Flashlights-5pcs

KD has a quite big variety : http://kaidomain.com/p/S026963.DIY-Nickel-plated-Battery-Driver-Contact-Support-Springs-7mm-x-10mm-for-Flashlights-5pcs

DB_Custom · 2017-10-25T15:07:00.000Z

I put blue SMD LED’s behind the switch cover and it looks really nice, dimmed it down considerably. It’s still fairly bright in an otherwise dark room though, could stand to be even less bright and I might have to address the resistors. So far the wife has been ok with it, of course I can lock it out and turn the light off but I do find myself favoring that it’s located easily in my sea of lights on the shelf. I have several with trit vials, and disabling the LED’s here in favor of gluing a couple of trit vials on the switch board has occured to me but I’ve seen this switch cover act funny… my grandson pushed from the side and the button shifted over off the switch and made the cover lopsided. It took a bit of doing to get it aligned again without removing it.

DB_Custom · 2017-10-25T15:08:36.000Z

Oh snap! Just remembered I was supposed to get lumens readings with my hot rodded light both with my modified tube and with a stock tube to see what difference there is…. totally forgot as I’ve been on the lathe a lot lately. (24 hour project, finally done)

I’ll charge up 2 sets of the same cell and see if I can get that done……

DB_Custom · 2017-10-25T19:52:11.000Z

Ok, so I finally remembered… again… and did the testing. My third Q8 came in the mail today so I also have a pure stock battery tube.

My modded Q8 head with freshly charged button top Samsung 30Q’s, with my modified tube, 8452.5 lumens
My modded Q8 head with freshly charged button top Samsung 30Q’s, stock tube with brass screws, 6762 lumens
My modded Q8 head with freshly charged button top Samsung 30Q’s, fully stock tube, 7,003.5 lumens

Fully stock Q8 that just arrived, with freshly charged button top Samsung 30Q’s, 5727 lumens

My modded Q8 with freshly charged Sony VTC5A’s, 8728.5 lumens.

Lazy-R-us · 2017-10-25T20:44:32.000Z

Wait, whut?

Stock tube with Brass screws is 240 lumens LESS?

DB_Custom · 2017-10-25T21:06:50.000Z

Ayup. Double checked after re-charging the cells. So there is some variance between lights, apparently.

Shall I stick brass screws in the spring pcb of the new light and see what happens?

{didn’t buy the brass screws to use as darts so they’ll be going in this light anyway. }

Edit: The newest Q8 to my stable now makes 5830.5 lumens with the screws swapped out with brass ones. That’s a 103.5 lumen gain for 30 cents worth of screws in this particular light.

Crazyeddie · 2017-10-25T21:09:57.000Z

Hi Dale,
In anticipation of three Q8’s, Giggles GT and a few other lights, I bought 32 Q30’s, 5 sets of four with button tops, and 3
sets of 4 flat tops. I have always had excellent results with the Q30’s. Then I discovered the Emisar D1, D4 and D4VN. Since Vihn reccomended the Sony VTC5’s, I ordered a set of them. After seeing your results, I may be ordering a few more sets. In your experience, do the VTC5’s always out perform the Q30’s? Do you have any experience with the VTC6’s and if so how do they compare to the VTC5 & Q30’s? Thank you for letting us know how different cells perform for you!
Ed

DB_Custom · 2017-10-25T21:19:52.000Z

The VTC5 isn’t the top performer, the VTC5A is the one to get. It bests the VTC6 in most sheer power comparisons and is typically a shade better than the 30Q’s as well. The reality is that any of those will do well, the LG HE-4 is also a good one to get. The differences are seen on devices for measuring, our eyes can’t tell much if any difference in most cases.

VTC5A
VTC6
30Q
HE-4
Efest 3000mAh
HE-2

What have I left out?