I would like to thank VoB for making these for the ones that wanted them! Everything fits very well and seems to be perfect. Great work!!! Also thanks to Kevind for you input also and starting the idea.
Hopefully maybe someday soon he will make other pills of copper so others that did not get in on this can enjoy the wonderful work that was done!
Well had time to put together the pill with the 5a driver, and a 20mm sinkpad (it fits perfectly without modications) with XML-2 T6 3C. Only used in the C8 tonight (fit perfectly). Man this thing can pull some heat out and move it to the body. This seems to make the body warm up a lot faster versus the brass or aluminum pills. Unfortunately it only pulls 3.0a with any of the batteries I have. Numbers were nothing spectacular. The max I ever saw was 25k. I am thinking that using the old XRE reflector may be hold it back. Who knows. I do know people that can make powerhouse reflectored lights like TomE and others focus as well as they do are master of the craft as I have not been very good at it and all I ever end up being is frustrated and unimpressed with my work.
Overall everyone that got in on this deal should be happy! I KNOW I AM!
to what end? c8 has a screw in heatsink, and they can be purchased separate from the light (copper from vestureofblood, and brass from various retailers)…and cheaper than you’ll find a custom made adapter…
no offense…but this reminds me of somebody here that was looking for a AA to AAA adapter 0:)
Actually I just mod'ed two C8's that were pretty much that exactly - drop-in's going into a C8 - these were custom jobs. Though not exactly P60 size, but really poor heat mgt because the pill basically dangles in there. The stock C8 pill with the threaded connection to the body is sooo much better.
cheaper i can definitely believe engineering wise i assume it must be quite difficult
sure, but aaa to aa, on the other hand, is actually quite useful…
TomE: cool! i would guess that making a solid (if only partial) contact conversion to c8 thread would have been much more involved then.
Any chance of pics?
Yes - much more involved - to convert: I did not do any conversion to threads though, I could take/post pics of the pills - at work now though. Basically the reflector and pill is assembled like a P60, with the spring. Only little bit of the spring makes contact to the thread area of the body, but the pill is a lot more massive (in brass) than a P60 pill, so there's better heat sinking, but no significant path to get to the body. Guess could try alum or copper foil wrapping, would help.
At least the body will always stay cool (for a bad reason!).
thanks, don’t want to derail this thread any further as i only wished to get feedback for the idea from a milling master but even pm’ing the pic would be great! just as a final note adapting the p60 wrapping method was what i’ve had in mind: adhesive copper tape around a cut-off p60 reflector base to allow the p60 pill to be re-swappable. my thought is the copper wrap being quite soft might almost be threadable with careful rotation into the c8 body. and copper tape is relatively disposable in any case. i actually don’t own a c8 host yet, but will look into it when one arrives…
would not serve much contact area, but still might not be worse than a stock p60 setup
thank you for the kind words and pleased that you are happy. you do give me more credit than deserved. i merely had an extra uf-t20 laying here and was the first to respond to VoB’s request. the copper pill was all his idea and design. i also wish i could find the time to build a light with damn thing just staring at me on the bench.
don’t give up on the mods….everyone has winners and losers. i’m not sure 25k is bad either if OTF lumens are high? i’m not one to ask either, as i have done very little work with the xm-l emitter.
If accurate, 25k lux is very good for a C8 (measure again at 5meters and calculate back to 1meter to be sure).
[quote=apt323This seems to make the body warm up a lot faster versus the brass or aluminum pills. [/quote]
This is the key - while you might get measurements nearly as high w/ brass or aluminum, they will sag due to heat sooner, and probably worse, than the copper.
apt23 - what battery? Did you check/reduce other resistances like tailcap spring, + spring, wires, etc.? 3 amps will be the best you can do on typical batts with typical springs, etc. Pana PD's, Samsung 20R, maybe that new 30A Sony batt (1600 mAh) are the only way to go on single cell, non-boost driver setup, and you must be sure no + spring resistance, must use heavier gauge wires, etc.
My last C8 build got 51 kcd with the dome, 45-51 kcd range with good C8 reflector, 3.85A Nanjg, XM-L2 U2/SinkPAD.
** Also got 92 kcd on a C8 w/de-domed XM-L2 T6 0D.
I measure at 4.31 meters, give or take a mm . I measured a stock TN31 accurately (matched others who published results, 715 meter throw calculated) yesterday on the same 4.31m setup, so pretty confident in the setup. Also these C8's are doing in the 1,200's for lumens with a UCL lens, and they got the "better" SMO reflector for C8's. If you looks at C8 reflectors at FT for example, there are 2 types - I seem to get better results with the type that is shaped stepped down (outside view) as opposed to tapered or rounded. The LightMalls C8 (U2 version I bought) seems to do real well, there are others doing good as well. The XinTD (mod'ed) is slightly behind, but very close.
Well, good on a fresh charge, but I know these single cell XM-L2/SinkPAD's w/amp regulated drivers (no boost) don't sustain those numbers. I really (if no one else has) have to do some time trail tests - 5 mins on, 10 mins cool, 5 mins on, etc., then measure at each 5 mins. Did one experiment where an XM-L2 U2/SinkPAD was a 100 or so lumens over a U3/SinkPAD at start (approx. 1200 vs 1100), then at the 15 min mark on the batteries, they measured about the same, then dropped below after that. But it wasn't apples to apples, and I lost track of time so didn't compare battery time to battery time precisely.
but if C8 slugs can be made to fit a ~20mm buck driver (such as this or this), one could use 18350 cells (such as these or these) to make a compact powerhouse. I imagine such a setup would handily out-lumen the venerable Malkoff Wildcat V4. Decisions, decisions.
Thanks for the comments guys - Lets see if I can answer some questions.
The light puts out a lot of light but I just guess not in the throw department! It has great tint. I would guess that the only other 3C tint light I have is the BLF A8 it is more brown then this. I guess this is why I was not a fan of the 3C tint.
I measured from 3 and 6 meters and they are both close to the same. Also it does seem to hold brightness longer then other light at the same amps.
I tried 3 batteries they were CGR18650EA, Callies Customs, and a Sanyo UR18650F. I have not done any resistance mods, tried to do the solder braid on the positive spring but it was not very successful. Definitely need better batteries.
I put in a coated lens in the light tonight and I am getting 28-29k either from better focus or better lens or maybe it was both….
Here is a pic of the reflector that is in the light.
Edited
engineering wise i assume it must be quite difficult
(for a bad reason!).
but even pm’ing the pic would be great! just as a final note adapting the p60 wrapping method was what i’ve had in mind: adhesive copper tape around a cut-off p60 reflector base to allow the p60 pill to be re-swappable. my thought is the copper wrap being quite soft might almost be threadable with careful rotation into the c8 body. and copper tape is relatively disposable in any case. i actually don’t own a c8 host yet, but will look into it when one arrives…
. I measured a stock TN31 accurately (matched others who published results, 715 meter throw calculated) yesterday on the same 4.31m setup, so pretty confident in the setup. Also these C8's are doing in the 1,200's for lumens with a UCL lens, and they got the "better" SMO reflector for C8's. If you looks at C8 reflectors at FT for example, there are 2 types - I seem to get better results with the type that is shaped stepped down (outside view) as opposed to tapered or rounded. The LightMalls C8 (U2 version I bought) seems to do real well, there are others doing good as well. The XinTD (mod'ed) is slightly behind, but very close.
