New to the site and looking at putting together my first build. I was looking at building something that has good throw in a single cell 18650 format. I’m not on a tight budget but don’t want to spend a fortune if I mess up somewhere along the way. I already have soldering supplies so I am good there. I think from my research I know most of what I need but would like help choosing specific components.
I would go for a pocket thrower, something like a C8 with direct drive and a nice emitter. Maybe Cree XPL-HI?
C8 host (Convoy)
MTN17DDm driver
Cree XPL Hi
all springs bypassed
AR lens
The thread title is first build but your text indicates “first light”, if it’s your first build the advice from duramax is one of many good first build options, as I’m sure you K ow from research. Now if it’s your first light, spend the $17 on a BLF A6 and have a great, ready to use first light and get your batteries figured out with it and all that jazz.
Thanks. I made a correction. It is my first build. I have several lights already and am expecting a armytec wizard pro to arrive any day now.
I would recommend a C8 like the build Duramax suggested.
An eagle eye X6 is another good choice. It will have a bit less throw than the C8, but it has a nice compact shape. Unfortunately I don’t think there is a US source for the X6 host, while you can get a C8 host from mtnelectronics.
Agreed, if you want a single 18650 thrower, the C8 is a great choice. Here’s a link to my C8 mod in case you’re interested: Convoy C8 Mod - The WOW Factor.
If you want a more compact thrower, you could also go with a Convoy S2 or a S2+ with a Cree XP-L HI LED. The S2 has a deeper reflector than the S2+, so more throw.
Looks like c8 with the xpl-hi it is. It may be 4-5 weeks but I’ll check back in when I’m done or for troubleshooting. If it pans out ok something like an s2/s2+ in triple or quad will be next. I’m sure I will have questions on that one as well. Thanks, feel free if anyone else has suggestions to leave them.
the only tips I would have left:
- use silicon wires, they seem to be more forgiving and are more sleek (fit easier)
- On the C8 with the integrated head: solder the wires to the MCPCB first, leave enough wiggle room (wire length) and then solder them onto the driver on the other side. You could also do this the other way but IMO that would be more difficult
- If you don’t have the right emitter centering ring (the plastic part) you’d order it ahead of time
- Always test for shorts before putting in the battery
Good luck!
edit: typo
duramax thanks a million. It’s the little stuff like you mentioned that will end up saving me a ton of frustration and re-ordering of damaged parts. I Figure it will still happen but hopefully not to bad.
My “trick” for connecting stars to leads in lights with integrated heads is to apply solder the pads on the mcpcb and tin the leads from the driver. Then I install the driver and feed the leads through. Thermal compound is spread on the emitter shelf, emitter is put into place with some pressing and twisting to make sure its seated well.
With everything in place, I make sure I have solder with in easy reach, heat up the iron, wipe and re-tin the tip, position and hold one lead with a pair of tweezers, hold the tip to the solder to get a fresh ball of it, then push it down against the bare wire of the lead, forcing it against the little dome of solder I added to the star. As I do that, I loosen my hold with the tweezers to allow the wire to seat as flat as possible, then I grip down again, remove the tip, and wait a few seconds for the solder to harden before removing the tweezers.
It works well. I find it much easier soldering short leads to the MCPCB like this than I do trying to solder short leads to the pads on most drivers, particularly when having to deal with nearby mcpcb components.
The only change I plan to make is fixing a dedicated pair of tweezers of hemostats with something on the tips to reduce the chance of tearing the silicone insulation on the leads.