Being as how I’ve made more than my share of posts on the existing threads on this light, I figured I should start my own for the video and accompanying photo’s. So please bear with me on this, the 3rd such thread on Solarforce’s new K3 MT-G2 head unit.
For the record, this light is no longer in stock 1500 lumen form. Comfychair helped me make the mods with very generous and patient instruction on driver how-to in order to get a standard Q-Lite 105c driver with 8x 7135 chips pushing 3.04A to run off of 2 18650 cells at 8.4V with 12 chips and run 4.40A through my MT-G2 for some 2400 lumens of awesomeness!
Let me address this mod first. The driver no longer has reverse polarity protection, nor does it have over discharge protection. What it does have is oomph! By removing the polarity diode at the base of the LED positive lead and replacing it with a 200 ohm resistor, and by stacking a 4.3V Zener diode on the capacitor on the spring side of the board, this anassuming driver is now the heart of a beast!
The stock driver…note that I added a 6.5mm x 18mm slab of copper up inside the pill under the emitter in my mod for heat sinking
32mm slab of copper under the MT-G2 emitter, thanks Solarforce!
Trying to come to grips with what needed to be done to the driver
The Q-Lite 105c driver, modified
The copper plug in the pill for heat-sink, glued in with Arctic Silver Thermal Adhesive
Added copper plate on top of stacked chips for heat dispersion
This animated GIF shows a before and after of the stock vs modified K3 In looking a straight line towards the red oil drum, the pavement at the bottom of the picture is 15 yards from the camera, the edge of pavement further out towards the drum is 28 yards from the camera. G1X zoomed in to 112mm equivalent. (4x optical)
And this video shows comparison to A) The L2P running an EDC+ Triple XP-G2 at 720 lumens OTF B) The Solarforce S2200 (updated 7:18PM 8.3.13)
http://www.flickr.com/apps/video/stewart.swf?v=109786
Here’s a line-up for comparison purposes, featuring (1) Maglite 2D with Western Robotics Voltage Monitor and running 2 32650 cells powering an SSC P7, (2) the Solarforce S2200, (3) the Solarforce K3 with L2P host and an extension, capped with their 2 pronged SS forward clicky tail switch, (4) the Solarforce M3 on an L2P host…modified with XM-L U2 emitter de-domed and on a SinkPAD, driver swapped to one of Eriks 5 mode wonders and bumped with 2 more chips for 4.28A output, capped with their 4 pronged SS forward clicky tail switch, (5) a generic L2P host with no text carrying an EDC+ Triple Nichia 219, and (6) a Solarforce P1D with el cheapo 800 lumen XM-L2 drop-in.
The K3 standing up to it’s big brother, the S2200
Side by side, those MT-G2 emitters sure are pretty!
Now standing up for it’s little brother, the M3 (who now needs no help and stands pretty proud on it’s own!)
The MT-G2 as compared to the M3s dedomed XM-L emitter
SSC P7 in a Purple Maglite vs the K3 vs the P1D
SSC P7 Maglite vs. the K3 vs. the M3
The Solarforce P1D trying to measure up
The L2P w/EDC+ Triple Nichia 219 vs. the K3 vs. the P1D
I’d like to take this opportunity to thank my devoted camera crew. My wife Mary who handled the lighting, my buddy Shadow who so studiously checked all the equipment and made sure to oversee every move made (thanks Buddy, my leg, hands, and 1DsMkII are now spotless!) and Mr. Henry Yellowjacket who generously provided the Texas Pink Granite table top for shooting and did not kill me. (I’m allergic and he was about a foot from my crotch setting up the shots)