The brightness “elbow” is more due to the ramp being calculated for 1500 lumens instead of 4000. That can be changed by adjusting values in the firmware. I considered changing it, but I didn’t because the current shape gives more resolution on lower modes.
Not really. A 3-channel driver would be a bit more efficient on med-high modes, but not dramatically so. Let’s see… I have another graph for that somewhere:
The blue line isn’t really “best possible” though, more like “ideal linear driver”. Efficiency can still be better than the blue line by using a boost/buck driver, if the boost/buck part works well.
Mostly just in general. I think Hank may be working on some driver upgrades, and the upcoming FW3A uses a 3-channel driver, and Texas Ace has some 3-channel designs, and … etc. It’s about the driver hardware though, not the firmware.
The frosted optic blends the beam. It’s like if you took a beam shot and then put it in Photoshop and used the “Gaussian blur” tool with a large radius. It won’t make the beam 100% consistent, but if you were to graph tint from the hotspot to the edge of the beam, frosting can certainly smooth out a squiggly line into a mostly-straight line.
Maukka recently graphed something which sort of shows the idea… even though that wasn’t his intent. Here are two lights with really ugly beams and one with a nice beam (S41). They all change from center to edge, but the nice one is at least smooth about it:
A frosted lens (or any diffusion technique) can basically turn the blue or orange lines into the grey line, converting an ugly ringy beam into a work of art.
It sounds like very small differences in dimensions exceeded the allowable tolerance. If you want to swap tailcaps, you could probably work around this by adding a thin ring of wire or a very thin washer into the tailcap to fill the gap. But since it works with the color-matched parts, I generally would just put the matching parts together and leave it at that.
I like it when people take that approach… read for a while first, get a pretty good idea of what’s what, then jump and hit the ground running. It’s more work up front, but can make things easier for everyone else.
Geeeez ………. Ive been here almost 2 years and I still dont know what the conversation is about most of the time……. Im just glad yall do :disguised_face: !!!
Thanks once again for your answers above TK! I guess they have been completely clarified!
maukka’s graph and your graphs helped a lot to understand how things work!!
I guess I have to say “I have no further questions, your Honor!”
Thanks :+1:
I’ve in the past found several of exactly the same model flashlight can have parts that are not successfully interchangeable.
So I advise never to generalize about What Legoes With What — please check that thread and add what you know works (or doesn’t)
Just remember, someone else may have “exactly the same” flashlights and still find that the same parts won’t fit together.
I imagine the people doing the assembly of flashlights throw a lot of parts back into the bin with the hope they’ll eventually pull out parts that work properly together.
Am I the only one that doesn’t like the rough texture of the D4 anodising? I have the blue and I love the colour but the texture induces an involuntary shiver reaction in me.
Wondering now whether to try sanding it or sell it and buy a black one to get the smooth ano.
Been looking around for an EDC/Biking light and I’m about 2 seconds away from ordering a D4. It ticks all the right boxes - single 18650, floody, decent runtimes on mid setting, IPx8 rating, comes in colors aside from black. Only thing I can’t seem to get info on is the shock rating and how the switch handles shocks.
I used to use an ebay C8 and the mode changing whenever I hit a pothole is not ideal to say the least.
Seems like there was a link, video or pics of beamshot comparisons of the D4 XP-G2, XPL HI and D1 in this thread but having a hard time finding it. Anybody happen to have it bookmarked or linked? I know the comparison was done by somebody other than TK and it showed the beams at distance on a building quite a ways away.
Well the D4 has dual springs which seems to be a good start for a shock proof light. For enhanced pre-stress of the battery you could use a button top unprotected cell instead of flat top.
Oh no! I’m about to receive my cyan D4 within the next few days and have been a bit worried about exactly this.
On one hand I’m glad I’m not alone and I’m not crazy, on the other I’m sad my shiny new flashlight will be unpleasant to hold.
Perhaps I can use the D4 as therapy. I didn’t use to have this reaction to rought textures…
It’s not a rough texture. It’s just not as slick as some of the painted looking lights out there. I have the blue D4 as a present for my wife, it’s really nice and not rough to the touch at all. Maybe my hands aren’t as delicate as some, but I just don’t see what the fuss is about.
Edit: I just took the Cyan D4 to my 83 yr old mom and asked if she saw any problem with the finish on this light. She felt it, said it’s matte but not rough at all, and made a sour face when I told her folks are complaining about it. So, if you are on the list of people that think this Cyan finish is too rough, you’re punier than an 83 yr old grandma with small hands (ring size 4).
@oKtosiTe
My Cyan D4 w/XPL-HI V2 3A was just delivered. She’s a beauty and the texture is so subtle, you hardly know it’s there. No stippling, etc. It’s smooth with just enough light texture for your fingerprint ridges to slight feel. A perfect texture in my opinion. The Cyan color is beautiful. The ramping interface is really nice. I believe I found my 18650 EDC!
