that one bank is not lightning up at moonlight level is rather a cosmetical thing
I am happy that a 12000 lumens light has the lowest level so dim that it is below 0.1% of the max brightness
matching 3 Buck drivers at such low levels is not easy and its a budget light
having 3 buck regulators with medium current is easier and cheaper to get done than one big one
Thanks, Lexel. I saw your post earlier and actually tried your method first.
Even at 750 degrees Fahrenheit I didn’t have any luck right away, and I was nervous about dislodging the switch and resistor and creating more work for myself. 
I was also too lazy to walk a block to my friend’s house to use his hot air rework station. 
It could also be a loose wire for this particular MF-01 “Bad solder joint” & “budget flashlight” coexist sometimes in the same sentence.
I’d wished they had a BLF team working on the MF-01 to take the most out of it…but mine is working fine so far. 
MONSTER FLOODER…. :laughing:
Yes, measured it all out - used the thru hole as a marker. The body shelves there taper off. I think it worked out well. If I wanted the heavy gauge wire loop for measuring amps, it would all be different, working from the backside, etc.
Dunno if you guys have seen low lows - I got lights where you can barely see the LED's glow - you can't see light accept in total darkness, only a slight color change of the phosphor - amaz'n. My 16 X XHP50 light is like that sub 0.1 lumens to 37K lumens, pretty incredible.
Actually if you play with setting moon mode levels in the the Q8, might be able to see what I'm talking about. Think I reproduced it in a Q8 at level 1, not sure though...
That’s not it. It is a tiny mis-match of one driver out of three. Crank it up a bit and all is good. But I say again, we are drifting off-topic, this is a Q8 modding thread.
What about the MF-02 ?
That sounds, err, very useful ?
The lowest moon mode is undetectable to me, unless I cup the lens and hold it to my eyes. Haven’t looked at it in the dark though, still sure it’s super low.
Left Off, Right Lowest moon mode.
Actually no, think of it as three times the chance of success, provided even if two out of three drivers fail, they do so benignly (not short circuit).
Edit: assuming that you are using the torch for a practical purpose, and are relying on it working.
It would take a FMECA to figure this out properly.
Even on 1/3, you still have 4K lumens potential.Which should be more than enough for any conceivable real world use-case.
Which aircraft would you prefer to fly on, over water ? One with three engines, or a twin-jet, or just one engine ? I like to see four, but I’m old-fashioned. And I always have a backup torch in my pocket.
> which aircraft
Well, when you look up the statistics ….
Sorry for the digression, folks
Well before the Q8 became available for ordering I ordered a couple of quick release tripod screws here and though the listing stated aluminum I received black chrome plated steel. A bit disappointed until I filed the screw end down on one and installed it.
MF-01 Production Try Out/R&D
MF-02 Production Model/Small Run, get it in the hands of the general public, pray for minor fall out!
And so on… :laughing:
I would like to ‘try’ removing the side switch thingy … in the hopes that they might send a new switchboard someday that I could somehow install and get my locator beam working again. I am TOTALLY CLUELESS at this sort of thing however. Does the boot come off first or not? I see (4) sort of clover things around the boot. Is that what you turn? And then does that outside ring unscrew? Is it all one piece. Sure would be nice to see one before I attempt anything. And then how long are the wires on the board? Long enough to slide the board out and desolder 3 wires and then resolver the new ones on? Is that an easy solder job? Piece of cake for you guys - monumental task here. I removed a reflector from a light one time and thought I had conquered a mountain.
thanks for any help
pat
1. Remove bezel ring, see here for example.
2. Button is embeded in bezel
3. Switch board is laying inside hole, may need a hook such as dental tool to pop it out.
4. Wires should be long enough to desolder. Although, on mine, the driver board wiring was twisted a couple times, so you may have to remove 2 screws and driver to untwist.
thank you Etex. My smallest needle nose aren’t small enough to get in there 
They are not needle nose pliers. I find it easier to use “snap” ring pliers” since the jaws (points) open as you squeeze the handles, allowing you to keep expansion pressure while you turn. They are handy for other flashlight keeper ring removal.
Hi Pat. I hear what your saying and understand what you mean. What I suggest below may or may not help, I hope it does in some small way help yourself and others in a similar situation.
The first big challenge work gave me had me panicking as I did not have a clue how to do the job at hand. It took me awhile to learn how to achieve results I thought impossible but after a period of time did learn that negative thinking achieves nothing.
I learnt that in the big picture was a starting point. That starting point led onto the next step and so on until the job was completed.
What I’m trying to say is dont look at the big picture as a whole, break that big picture down to a starting point. That starting point will lead to the next step and so on.
Etex has pretty much explained what I do to stop panic attacks in the manner I have just mentioned. Broken the big picture down into a starting point and then onto the next steps. Once the first step is completed move onto the next.
In my thread on building a light in this years Old Lumens comp I have no idea on how to move onto the next part of the build until I have finished the step I’m doing at the time. One thing leads to another and finally I will have a working light. Sure not all things work out the first time but in the end a result is almost always assured.
Cheers pat and all the best.
Will the next shipped batches of Q8s have drilled driver holes to 3 mm? Or will we need to do it ourselves?