He was adamant no lighted switch could be fitted initially- until I questioned the RGB run in parallel with the aux.
I was disappointed when it arrived with no backlit switch after requesting it. He said I didn’t mention any light colour for the switch so he thought I wanted the black switch. At that stage I didn’t know you could choose a colour and figured it would just turn up with RGB (when I later found the Noctigon site with the option listed.) I wrote "I was wondering if it’s possible to get the backlit on/off switch fitted in place of the standard black switch please? " He replied “Yes, I’ll add it to the order”, or similar.
It’s costing US$13 in parts (delivered) and it’s not going to be an easy task to change it. But it’s bugging me as the lighted switch would be so much better with how I use it.
Hm now I’m debating whether its worth even asking for a backlit switch on the chance there’s some issue. Do the new backlight ones have that firmware issue still?
Maybe Ill just get the tint ramping one, comes with the switch and right firmware off the bat. But I think I’d still just want 4 W2s… Seems pointless… Unless, do I get two 9a drivers that way? Thats something
Sounds like what you’re looking for is a regular D4Sv2 w/ W2 LEDs, a linear + DDFET driver, and a lighted switch. The switch, if I understand correctly, is a single color… so RGB is used only for the aux LEDs up front.
The difference between 9A and 12A on the linear channel … probably doesn’t matter. It might be possible to tell the difference with 2 otherwise-identical models side by side being used simultaneously, but I doubt anyone would notice the difference otherwise.
I’d pick one of the brighter colors for the switch, like cool white or cyan or green. I find it very effective as an extra-low moon mode with several years of runtime. My D4K uses just 0.09 mA in standby, but is bright enough for me to see things up to 3 meters away. I’m pretty photosensitive though, so YMMV.
The 4 x W2’s are impressive. Even with the narrow (stock) optic you get some useful spill. I do need to get another 26650 as I’m using a protected Klarus one at the moment (came with my G20L.) It works fine even on turbo, but an unprotected would probably be even better.
The d4sv2 w2 option is my best seller my stock gas the new 12A driver and lighted switch the D4k if you don’t see something in stock or available let me know I can always swap the emitters, I stock all color temps
(“gas” = “has”?)
I don’t know what Hank was telling me - if that’s the case?
You’re using a protected battery with that? Ya definitely get a new one.
Too bad there hasn’t been many high drain 26650s for sale lately for whatever reason. I need some too.
Liionwholesale has literally none…18650batterystore has literally none…theres some Efest 4200mahs here and there, I don’t buy Efests, I’ve never gotten a good one. Maybe that’s why theyre available.
Imrbatteriess has a 3500mah ‘MXJO’. Maybe an option, but idk anything about mxjo, and idk if that’s worth paying for over just using a p28a or another high drain 18650 with an adapter. Ilumn has some keeppowers, not really high drain, and that 6200mah vapcell that I’m kinda suspicious of, no way that’s high drain.
So I ended up just ordering some 26800 QBs, that I’m also kinda suspicious of. But I wanna see what the hype is about. Plus the d4s looks better with the larger tube.
Funny I’ve got 2 Hank lights in the mail with a cyan switch and a green switch. My others are RBG. I could get into cool white. It sounds boring, a white backlight, but it looks good in pictures.
It’s hopeless here in Australia. The place I normally buy batteries from hasn’t got any 26650’s, decent brands are hard to find anywhere. I’ve just ordered a 26650 Golisi S43 - that at least has got decent reviews in the past Test/review of Golisi IMR26650 4300mAh (Gold) .
Ya, what I should do whenever I feel bad about the cost of getting stuff to Canada is remind myself that Australia exists. That’s rough.
Australia is the only country where theyll spend 30 grand to ship a 6-figure classic Bentley/Mercedes/Rolls across the world on the off chance that a gorgeous $200k classic Bentley will distract customs just long enough that they might not notice the drugs hidden in the tires. Because Australians are so accustomed to paying extra for imported goods and it’s so hard to get stuff past customs that the gangs can afford to lose a couple Ferraris full of coke at the border cuz theyll still make more money selling the stuff in that one Bentley that made it thru than they would have just selling it all in the US in ziploc bags.
Hmm. Not the best throw, but looks like a nice flood/throw middle ground. I do like those kind lights.
Oh I got a question for you. If I wanted to put a 26800 in a 26650 light, and an adapter doesn’t exist, would I try to modify the stock tube to use a 26800 extension adapter, or would I just put the stock tube aside and make a whole new one?
If I didn’t care about how it looked and just wanted something functional. If you need specifics I’m thinking of a catapult pro (no tailcap, body tube and ‘tailcap’ are a solid piece of ano aluminum, threads going into the head are anodized, eswitch in the head).
Simon puts a brass adapter on the end of the tube to accept the longer cell. That works, either way you have to cut threads both ends. Easier to dress the adapter. I guess knurling could make a new tube work, I’ve never had much luck with the knurling process though.
Mateminco does the same thing, puts it at the end of the tube. Everyone puts it at the end.
That’s the only thing I’m concerned about. No tail cap on the catapult pro, so mine would have to be at the other end of the tube up against the driver…but thats fine, right? I can’t think of any reason it wouldn’t be fine. They all put it at the other end, why, just cheaper? They probably fit more models that way. Maybe keep the better heatsink closer to the heat I guess. Still should be fine to put the brass extension tube up top eh?
This is a neat conversation. I am not sure why 12A is necessary. Or why not just do 20A and get rid of FET all together if it is just a resister value that is the difference?
12A will speed up the ramp table and you will have less control over brightness. Instead of 9A in 130 steps there is 12A. You will probably hit 9A by step 120 though. The difference is tiny.
I don’t think it will seem hotter because 9A is already too hot. The lights on 9A step 130 will be too hot to hold in 15 seconds. On 12A they are too hot in 12 seconds? 9A can’t be sustained so 12A makes no sense.
I think lights should only be regulated to amount they can sustain and then you get turbo if you want more. Like the Lume1 driver it makes sense.
The regulated drive inherently has higher resistance than the FET, so you’d be losing output. You can’t beat direct drive.
12A isn’t too much IMO, I can hold my 12A driver lights at max regulated for longer than the light can handle the output before stepping down. I’m glad they aren’t regulated only to thermally sustainable level (which also depends on too many factors - battery, ambient temps, airflow, the specific LEDs you have, the specific bin of those LEDs, even the temperature of your hand on the light. If you want a lower ceiling, you can set one.
The DD FET lets extra voltage burn off at the LEDs. The LEDs are good at this, and are soldered directly to a big chunk of copper to pull away heat.
The linear regulator burns off extra voltage at the FET instead. It isn’t sitting on a big chunk of copper, and it has a harder time shedding heat. So it can’t handle as much power; it overheats at a lower power level.
Most regulator circuits are limited by the amount of heat the regulator can handle, not by how much power the LEDs could take.
So the Golisi is a decent improvement- but the downside to that is turbo now unleashes what feels like a nuclear reaction inside! Instant heat that increases very rapidly - so no doubt turbo is brighter but it will also be temperature limited a lot quicker. Previously I could run it on turbo for longer before the heat built up to that “very uncomfortable” level.
… hence why Anduril tends to be so aggressive about thermal regulation during turbo.
Imagine that same amount of heat and power … but in a much smaller host which gets hotter faster. The original D4 earned its reputation as a fire-starter.
Then imagine that much heat, in such a small host, and it doesn’t regulate itself. That’s what the very first batch of D4 was like. It shipped with RampingIOS v1 firmware, which didn’t really have any thermal regulation… just a timed step-down at 45 seconds… at which point the light was well beyond the spec’d thermal limits of several of its components. It was hot enough that it had a tendency to burn the user, even when touching it only long enough to click the button to turn it off. People were wrapping insulation layers around the battery tube so they could hold it without hurting themselves.
That’s also a big part of why Anduril has no unregulated turbo without physically holding the button down. This mostly prevents people from letting it overheat, because they’ll instinctively let go to keep their skin from blistering before the light gets hot enough to damage itself.
I wasn’t going to let it get too hot to check out how well the self regulating temp works. (I think I’ve got it set at 55C, but haven’t check the calibration.)
I’m almost in two minds as to which battery gives it the more desirable characteristics- the Golisi is great for showing off (for very short bursts) but the protected Klarus perhaps more practical for everyday use. With the Klarus, turbo can be used for longer periods - even if it isn’t ultimately as bright as the Golisi on turbo, it is brighter than the Golisi on the highest non turbo setting. (It’s a D4SV2 with 4 x W2’s.)
I guess it’s like the debate when I ordered over whether to get the boost driver or stick with the 12A FET. Ultimately I wanted to be able to get the most output I could, even if it was only for short bursts. By interchanging batteries I’ve got more options.
Instant heat that increases very rapidly - so no doubt turbo is brighter but it will also be temperature limited a lot quicker. Previously I could run it on turbo for longer before the heat built up to that “very uncomfortable” level.