That would work too, and give the conductivity.
I was thinking tape would be OK, with conductivity from the other side of the driver.
Foil is a better option if it can me placed right without hitting something else.
I always thought that adding copper wire to various light springs was a little too cork sniffy for me. I was wrong.
I was taking light readings with my new FT driver in the HD thrower and found that when I used the A8 tube with the extra switch instead of the long tube with a spacer and a 18650, light output dropped from 31k to about 27k. Say what?
So I soldered some copper wire in the tail cap spring and in the long skinny spring. I also replaced the glavanized bolt in my spacer for the 18650 battery with copper wire from some romex. Light output zoomed from 31k to 35-36k. It really made a difference.
Iâm waiting for a fasttech U3 and a lck L2. I bet those will take the lux up to 40k or so, or thatâs what Iâm hoping. I got like a 3k lux increase with a standard driver and the u3. I also have some 4a drivers on the way. This driver is 2.8 and the light never even gets warm after 30 minutes. Iâm hoping it can take the extra heat of a 4a driver and reward me with increased lux output.
Thanks. FYI, right now, the pill is pretty much empty, except for the resistor and wires. I had removed the 8-pin IC already from the original DST PCB, but left the resistor. I also ohmed the lead to the emitter negative pad, and confirmed that that is shorted to the negative trace on the spring side of the PCB, so everything is truly direct except for the battery positive to the emitter positive, which has the 0.5 ohm resistor in series.
Iâll have to make the aluminum foil width be as small as possible, so that it doesnât wrap around either the top or bottom of the PCB and inadverdently touch something or short something, but I think that thatâs doable. Iâll post some pics of the whole thing here later, just for the record.
Also, FYI, so far, Iâm a little disappointed in this project. The beam is really nice, with a very clean hotspot and lots of spill with no artifacts.
The thing that Iâm disappointed in is even though when you look at the beam on a white wall, itâs almost blinding (really), but when I did the lux measurements, from 14 feet (~4.3 meters), Iâm only getting about slightly less than 1500 lux, which is only ~27735 lux @ 1 meter. I also took the light out last night, and it lights up a row of trees about 100+ meters away, and also a lot of what is in between me and the tree row, so that lux measurement really has me puzzled.
The LUX reading doesnât durprise me much. The only light that I modded with an MT-G2 that maintains any reasonable throw is the UF T90 (almost 80mm reflector), which was designed for an SST-90 emitter.
My Zy-T08 MT-G2 mod is in the same ball park. On paper itâs an underwhelming mid-20k âthrowerâ with monster spill. In actual use, it lights up things quite well, very useable. Itâs no thrower anymore, though.
I will probably try one of these with an MT-G2 driven around 5A to see what I can get. Who knows, it might surprise.
I should have been more explicit. The reason Iâm disappointed about the lux is that when I first started trying an MT-G2 with the DST, I, at one point, was able to get 2070 lux (again at ~4.3 meters):
Since that post, I had to move my lux measurement setup to a different place, in my basement, and I think that the numbers have been lower since then, but I donât know whyâŚ
Edit: relic, you mentioned âUF T90â, but isnât the âUF T90â a 4 emitter light?
Ah, OK, now I understand. You had better performance, and now it has changed on you.
relic,
Off-topic: That light you linked looks similar to the TrustFire X6, which I have.
If I couldnât get the MT-G2 + DST working well, the X6 was going to be my next âstopâ, i.e., I would be looking at putting the MT-G2 into the X6.
However, from reading through the X6 mod threads, it seemed like getting the cover off of the driver was a real pain. The threads I saw said they had to drill 3 holes in the cover to pull it off.
But, it looks like you were able to get the cover off without having to drill holes in the cover?
No holes drilled. 
I just pried under the lip of the brass ring thingy. Alternating sides and after a few times it popped off.
The first time it was quite tight ( 
) but after a few in and outs ( ) it loosened up a lot ( 
).
I really like that light now with the MT-G2. Not sure how the X6 compares internally though, hopefully similar so you can refer to my mod.
If you choose that path, feel free to ask any Qâs.
Hi,
I have several of the A8 clones and use the body/tube with my DST head to make a âshorty DSTâ that can run on 1x18650 or 1x26650, but Iâve modified one of my DSTs to use an MT-G2 emitter, direct-drive.
So, right now, with that shorty DST, I am limited to using 2x18350 batteries, and I was wondering if thereâre any bodies/tubes that can be used with the DST that would allow 2x26650s or, with an adapter, 2x18650s?
I donât mind getting some other light or lights (depending on cost) to use as âsacrificial lambsâ, i.e., to just use the body/tube with the DST.
Does anyone know of such a thing?
Thanks,
Jim
I just used the original 3C tube with two wrapped cells and a spacer at the tail end. Works fine.
Hi,
I am hoping to keep the length to the minimum. I found the âKeygos M13â:
http://www.keygos.com/product_info.php?products_id=955
and am wondering if anyone mightâve tried that with the DST?
I guess that youâd only need 2x26650 if you were using the MT-G2 emitter, since it is 6V, whereas the ânormalâ emitters like the XM-Ls would only need 3.7-4.2V, so maybe no one has tried a 2x26650 tube with the DST?
Edit: Plus, with the âshortyâ, Iâd need a tailcap clicky switch, since I donât use the DST switch section in my shorty.
At that price you might as well look at this X-Power from FastTech which comes with an extension & good driver. No idea if it threads in though.
-Garry
Thatâs interesting. Are you thinking that the extension tube could be used to extend the A8 clone tube to make the 2x26650 shorty (and still have a single 26650 Xpower working)?
The FT website doesnât have a pic of the extension tube though?
I was thinking to disregard the A8 clone, but perhaps your idea works. The extension can be seen in this pic from FT:
-Garry
Ahh. I didnât realize that was a pic of the extension. Sorry :(âŚ
How about some pictures of the lens area with it turned on?
(First time posting pictures so hopefully it works)
Defiant âSuper Throwerâ
ISO 100 18mm F22 1/4000sec
ISO 100 32mm F29 1/4000sec
I was at Home Depot today, and found the super Thrower Definant. so i bought one 
for 19 bucks it not bad a light !
- wish it was 3D size instead of the C size, it would be a bit longer run time added.
Looks like i have another mod project to mate a maglite 3D tube i have to the Defiant and upgrade the driver.
$19? I just bought one 6 days ago for $22.97 + tax. Did they go on a sale or something? Oh, mebbe Canada pricing?
These may go on clearance right after Fathers Day. They have not been selling well at a couple of stores around here (although they have sold a few in the week coming up to FD). I check every I am there which is almost daily.
Very cool pictures Jagged. Thank you for sharing.
Welcome to the forum. May your beam shine far in those Nebraska flat lands.